تقرُّare gladdened بفضلكَby your excellence الأيامُthe days عيناًeye
تقرُّ بفضلكَ الأيامُ عيناً
وماand what اُوتيتَyou were granted منof بأسٍvalor وجُودِand generosity
وما اُوتيتَ من بأسٍ وجُودِ
Through your excellence, the very eyes of the days are gladdened,
The days' eyes are gladdened by your excellence,
and through the valor and bounty granted you.
And by the valor and generosity you have been granted.
فأنْتَfor you لهاfor them المواسِمُthe festivals والتَّهانيand felicitations
فأنْتَ لها المواسِمُ والتَّهاني
واِنْand even if فخرتْthey boasted بموسمهاof their festival السَّعيدِhappy
واِنْ فخرتْ بموسمها السَّعيدِ
For you are their festive seasons and their congratulations,
For you are their festivals and felicitations,
and if they boast, it is of your blessed festival.
Even if they boast of their happy festival.
اذاwhen صَرَّفْتهاyou directed them علَّمتَyou taught فيهاwithin them
اذا صَرَّفْتها علَّمتَ فيها
بنيهاtheir sons واضِحَthe clear path المسْعىof endeavor المجيدِglorious
بنيها واضِحَ المسْعى المجيدِ
When you direct them, you teach within them
When you direct them, you teach within them
their children the clear path of glorious endeavor.
Their sons the clear path of glorious endeavor.
فأقدمَthen advanced مُحجِمٌone who held back وعَفاand pardoned قَديرٌone with power
فأقدمَ مُحجِمٌ وعَفا قَديرٌ
وفاضand overflowed الجودgenerosity منfrom كفِّthe hand of الشَّديدِthe stern
وفاض الجود من كفِّ الشَّديدِ
Thus the hesitant advances, and the powerful pardons,
Then the hesitant advances, and the powerful pardons,
and generosity pours from the strong man’s palm.
And generosity overflows from the hand of the stern.
وكمand many a قوْلٍsaying تَعاورهُthey considered it in turn رجالٌmen
وكم قوْلٍ تَعاورهُ رجالٌ
ليُدْرَكso that it might be grasped سِرُّthe secret of معناهُits meaning الشَّريدِelusive
ليُدْرَك سِرُّ معناهُ الشَّريدِ
How many a saying has passed from man to man,
And many a saying that men have examined in turn
that they might grasp the secret of its elusive meaning;
To grasp the secret of its elusive meaning
أبانَmade clear بهاءُBahāʾ (splendor) دينreligion of اللّهِGod عنهُabout it
أبانَ بهاءُ دين اللّهِ عنهُ
فأوصلَهُso brought it إِلىto فَهْمِthe understanding of البَليدِthe dull-witted
فأوصلَهُ إِلى فَهْمِ البَليدِ
the splendor of God’s faith brought it to light
Has been made clear by Bahāʾ Dīn Allāh,
and conveyed it even to the dullard’s understanding.
And brought within the understanding of the dull-witted.
أَبوfather of الفضلينِthe two excellences منin respect of كرمٍgenerosity وعلمٍand learning
أَبو الفضلينِ من كرمٍ وعلمٍ
واِنand even if كَنَّوْهُthey gave him a byname بالفضلfor excellence الوحيدِthe single one
واِن كَنَّوْهُ بالفضل الوحيدِ
Father of the two excellences—generosity and learning—
Abū al-Faḍlayn—father of two excellences, generosity and learning—
though they gave him the byname “father of the one Excellence.”
Though they give him a byname for one excellence alone.
لبَيقُgraceful العطفof bearing بالنَّعماءِwith blessings يذكوglows
لبَيقُ العطف بالنَّعماءِ يذكو
لسحبِthrough the trailing of ذيولِهِhis hems وجْهُthe face of الصَّعيدِthe earth
لسحبِ ذيولِهِ وجْهُ الصَّعيدِ
Deft in giving; through his beneficence, there flourishes
Graceful of bearing; with blessings glows
the face of the earth beneath the sweep of his trailing hems.
The face of the earth as he trails his hems.
فلاso may ... never زالتْcease ملابسهُhis garments دُهورٌages
فلا زالتْ ملابسهُ دُهورٌ
تَحورُreturn اليهto him عيداًas a festival بعدafter عيدِfestival
تَحورُ اليه عيداً بعد عيدِ
May his garments endure for ages,
So may the ages forever remain his garments,
returning to him, feast after feast.
Returning to him as festival after festival.
