لبابكto your gate تُزجيcarry onward بالمديحwith praise الرّكائبُthe riding camels
لبابك تُزجي بالمديح الرّكائبُ
وتبسمُand smile فيin وجهthe face of العفاةbounty-seekers المطالبُthe sought-for rewards
وتبسمُ في وجه العفاة المطالبُ
To your gate the riding camels carry praise,
Your eloquence pours forth praise in torrents
And sought-for rewards smile upon the faces of petitioners.
And your smile lights the faces of the meek
وفيكand concerning you الثّناpraise صدقٌtruth وإنand even if أطرأpraised to excess الورىmankind
وفيك الثّنا صدقٌ وإن أطرأ الورى
وفيand concerning غيركanyone other than you المدحُthe praise الّذيthat قيلwas uttered كاذبُfalse
وفي غيرك المدحُ الّذي قيل كاذبُ
Praise of you is true, even if mankind praises you to excess;
Truth resides in your praise though the world may doubt it
Yet the praise uttered of anyone else is false.
While other praise is but lies however oft repeated
يكادُalmost الجمادُlifeless matter الصّلدُhard ينطقُspeaks شاهداas a witness
يكادُ الجمادُ الصّلدُ ينطقُ شاهدا
بفضلكto your excellence والأشجارُand the trees عنهُabout it كواتبُscribes
بفضلك والأشجارُ عنهُ كواتبُ
Even hard, lifeless matter almost speaks in witness
The stubborn rock itself would speak to witness
To your excellence, while the trees write of it.
Your merit, and the trees join in as scribes
فلوso if قيلit were asked منwho أزكىmost virtuous الملوكthe kings بأسرهاall of them
فلو قيل من أزكى الملوك بأسرها
لقالتthey would say عليّAli بنson of الحسينal-Husayn تُجاوبُanswering
لقالت عليّ بن الحسين تُجاوبُ
If it were asked, “Who is the most virtuous of all kings?”
If asked who the most virtuous of all kings might be
They would say in answer, “Ali ibn al-Husayn.”
All would answer "Ali son of Hussein" in accord
مليكٌa king أقرّتacknowledged أنّهاthat they دُونbelow قدرهhis rank
مليكٌ أقرّت أنّها دُون قدره
طوالعُthe rising stars of آفاقhorizons of العلاglory والغواربُand the lofty peaks
طوالعُ آفاق العلا والغواربُ
A king: they have acknowledged that they stand beneath his rank—
A king whom the stars confess fall short of his worth
The rising stars of glory's horizons and the lofty peaks.
The rising and the setting lights of heaven's vault
لهhe has خُلقٌa character لوif لمdid not يُبقleave طيّبُthe sweetness of نشرهits fragrance
له خُلقٌ لو لم يُبق طيّبُ نشره
علىupon الزّهرthe flowers طيباfragrance ظنهwould deem it الدهرTime حاسبa reckoner
على الزّهر طيبا ظنه الدهر حاسب
He has a character whose sweet scent, had it left
Of manners so refined, their fragrant memory
No fragrance upon the flowers, a reckoner would have taken for Time itself.
Would lend its scent to flowers were it to fade
ولولاand were it not for انخسافُthe eclipsing of البدرthe full moon منby نُورthe radiance of بشرهhis cheerful countenance
ولولا انخسافُ البدر من نُور بشره
لقلناwe would say سناهُhis radiance عنin place of سناthe radiance of البدرthe full moon نائبُa substitute
لقلنا سناهُ عن سنا البدر نائبُ
Were the full moon not eclipsed by the radiance of his cheerful face,
Had not the full moon's light waned before his brilliance
We would call his radiance a substitute for the full moon's.
We would think it borrowed its sheen from his glow
وآدابُهand his manners الغرّاءsplendid منfrom فرطthe excess of لطفهاtheir gentleness
وآدابُه الغرّاء من فرط لطفها
بهاthrough them الحيوانُthe animals العجمُspeechless كادتalmost تُخاطبُconverse
بها الحيوانُ العجمُ كادت تُخاطبُ
And his splendid manners are so exceedingly gracious
His noble mores so gentle in their perfection
That through them even speechless animals almost converse.
Would make dumb beasts converse, such is their power
تغذّيhe fed on لبانmilk of الحلمforbearance منfrom قبلbefore حُلمهhis puberty
تغذّي لبان الحلم من قبل حُلمه
وقبلand before لبانmilk of الثّديthe breast إذwhen هوhe حاجبa chamberlain
وقبل لبان الثّدي إذ هو حاجب
He fed on the milk of forbearance before reaching puberty,
They nourish the milk of wisdom within his soul
And before milk from the breast, when he was a chamberlain.
Ere the milk of the breast, so chaste is he
إذاwhenever ماemphatic particle بداappears منfrom جمعهhis host فيin مواكبprocessions
إذا ما بدا من جمعه في مواكب
فبدرٌthen a full moon بهaround him أمستhave become تحفُّsurround الكواكبُthe stars
فبدرٌ به أمست تحفُّ الكواكبُ
Whenever he emerges from his host in processions,
When he rides forth with his army in parade
He is a full moon around whom the stars have gathered.
The full moon itself seems but a star beside
إذاwhen فيin أراضيlands of المحلdrought حلّتsettled خيامُهُhis tents
إذا في أراضي المحل حلّت خيامُهُ
بهthrough him اعشوشبتgrew grassy وانهلّand poured forth عنهاfrom them السّحائبُthe clouds
به اعشوشبت وانهلّ عنها السّحائبُ
When his tents settle in drought-stricken lands,
Wherever in the land his tents are pitched
Through him they grow grassy, and clouds pour forth from them.
The clouds gather and pour down their bounty there
إذاwhen صالcharged فيon يومthe day of الوغىbattle بحماتهwith his defenders
إذا صال في يوم الوغى بحماته
لطردfor pursuit وهزّتهُand rocked him الجيادُthe steeds السّلاهبُtall and long-limbed
لطرد وهزّتهُ الجيادُ السّلاهبُ
When he charges on the day of battle with his defenders,
When in the fury of battle with his brave guard
In pursuit, while tall, long-limbed steeds rock him,
Their galloping steeds scatter the bold heroes
تطيرُfly إلىtoward الأعداءthe enemies عقبانُthe eagles of خيلهhis cavalry
تطيرُ إلى الأعداء عقبانُ خيله
أسنّتهاtheir spearheads للطّائراتfor the flying creatures مخالبُtalons
أسنّتها للطّائرات مخالبُ
The eagles of his cavalry fly toward the foe;
His horses' beaks strike at the enemy host
Their spearheads serve those flying creatures as talons.
Their tongues like birds of prey snatching morsels
يُغادرُهُمleave them صرعىslain الكماةthe armored warriors لهمfor them علىupon
يُغادرُهُم صرعى الكماة لهم على
فرائسهمtheir prey منهاfrom it الطّيورُthe birds جواذبُpulling away
فرائسهم منها الطّيورُ جواذبُ
The armored warriors leave them slain; upon
Leaving behind only the slain pierced with spears
Their prey, birds tug morsels away.
As carrion for the wheeling birds overhead
سماrose لسماءto the heaven of العلمlearning حتّىuntil كأنّماas though
سما لسماء العلم حتّى كأنّما
بهbeside him جاهلٌignorant حاويa master of العلومthe sciences وغائبand absent
به جاهلٌ حاوي العلوم وغائب
He rose to learning's heaven, until it seemed
He reached the heavens of knowledge, till it seemed
That, beside him, a master of the sciences was ignorant and lost to view.
Through him the learned and the ignorant were alike
رفعتyou raised مقامthe station of العلمlearning فيby نصبappointing أهلهits scholars
رفعت مقام العلم في نصب أهله
ألاbehold فاعجبواso marvel منat رافعone who raises وهوwhile he ناصبُone who appoints
ألا فاعجبوا من رافع وهو ناصبُ
You raised the station of learning by appointing its scholars;
He raised the station of scholarship and its people
Behold, marvel at one who raises even as he appoints!
How strange that one who lifts should also pull down!
مليكٌa king تحلّىadorned himself بالتّقىwith piety فحليّهُand so his adornment
مليكٌ تحلّى بالتّقى فحليّهُ
غدتhave come to عنinstead of حلاهاtheir jewels تصطفيهchoose it الكواعبُthe budding maidens
غدت عن حلاها تصطفيه الكواعبُ
A king adorned with piety, whose adornment
A king graced with piety, whose adornments
Budding maidens now choose over their own jewels.
Are the only finery desired by the lovely maidens
لهُhe has الجودُgenerosity طبعاby nature حازهُpossessed it لاnot تكلّفاby affectation
لهُ الجودُ طبعا حازهُ لا تكلّفا
وأينand where منcompared with الطّبعinnate nature النّدىgenerosity المتكاسبُacquired by effort
وأين من الطّبع النّدى المتكاسبُ
Generosity is his by nature, possessed without affectation;
Generosity comes naturally, not by pretense
And how can acquired generosity compare with the innate?
What comparison to inborn dew, and affected rain?
وإنand if أمّهُsought him راجone who hopes لدفعto ward off نوائبmisfortunes
وإن أمّهُ راج لدفع نوائب
دهتstruck كشفتwere dispelled عنهُfrom him الخطوبُthe calamities النّوائبُafflicting
دهت كشفت عنهُ الخطوبُ النّوائبُ
And if a hopeful man seeks him to ward off misfortunes
Though calamity befell to test his mother
That have struck, those afflicting calamities are lifted from him.
It parted to reveal him, once the clouds had passed
إذاwhen مُعتفa bounty-seeker يوماone day حباهُgranted him رغيبةa prized gift
إذا مُعتف يوما حباهُ رغيبة
تعودُreturn منfrom العافيthe bounty-seeker تُنالare obtained الرّغائبthe coveted gifts
تعودُ من العافي تُنال الرّغائب
When he one day bestows a cherished gift upon a petitioner,
Whenever he pardons some time-worn penitent
In turn, coveted gifts are obtained from the petitioner.
Gifts rain down, wish fulfilling his hopes
يُواليkeeps up العطاthe giving للمعتفيto the bounty-seeker مُتتابعاin succession
يُوالي العطا للمعتفي مُتتابعا
مواهبُgifts تتلوfollow إثرهنّin their wake مواهبُgifts
مواهبُ تتلو إثرهنّ مواهبُ
He keeps bestowing gifts on the petitioner in succession—
Reward upon reward he bestows on them
Gifts in whose wake still more gifts follow.
Bounty ever chasing bounty without cease
ولاand no عيبfault فيin نُعماهُhis bounty إلاexcept لأنّهاbecause it
ولا عيب في نُعماهُ إلا لأنّها
يضيقُgrows cramped بهاwith it المأوىthe dwelling لمنfor whoever هُوhe راغبdesirous
يضيقُ بها المأوى لمن هُو راغب
And there is no fault in his bounty, except that
No fault in his gifts, save that his abode
It makes the seeker's dwelling too cramped to hold it.
Scarce contains them for one who seeks them
محتerased حسدthe envy of الحسّادthe envious حتّىuntil غدوthey became بهاthrough it
محت حسد الحسّاد حتّى غدو بها
وكلّand every عدُوّenemy للعدُوّto the enemy مُصاحبُa companion
وكلّ عدُوّ للعدُوّ مُصاحبُ
It erased the envy of the envious, until they were changed by it,
So the envious are silenced, and by them
And every foe was a companion to his foe.
Every foe becomes a friend and companion
ترىyou see نُجبthe choice camels of العافينthe bounty-seekers عنكfrom you صوادراdeparting
ترى نُجب العافين عنك صوادرا
مُثقّلةheavily laden منهنّof them تشكوcomplain الغواربُthe withers
مُثقّلة منهنّ تشكو الغواربُ
You see the petitioners' choice camels departing from you,
You see the chosen ones leaving you laden
Heavily laden, their withers crying out.
Their mounts groaning with the loads they carry
حقائبهمtheir saddlebags مُلئنwere filled منكfrom you وإنّماand only
حقائبهم مُلئن منك وإنّما
حقائبُsaddlebags of تبرuncoined gold ماwhat تُقلُّcarry النّجائبُthe choice camels
حقائبُ تبر ما تُقلُّ النّجائبُ
Their saddlebags have been filled by you; only
Their burdens filled by you, though their only
Saddlebags of uncoined gold do the choice camels bear.
Possessions are the rags their mounts now bear
غدواthey set out كلّماwhenever مرُّواthey passed بحيّby a tribe وبلدةand a town
غدوا كلّما مرُّوا بحيّ وبلدة
ثنوthey turned نحوtoward ماwhat مرّتpassed عليهover it الرّكائبthe riding camels
ثنو نحو ما مرّت عليه الرّكائب
They set out; whenever they passed a tribe or a town,
Wherever they pass through town and country
They turned toward the places the riding camels had passed through,
They turn toward where your mounts have traveled
وعاجُواand they turned aside فأثنواso they praised بالّذيwith what أنتyou أهلهُworthy of it
وعاجُوا فأثنوا بالّذي أنت أهلهُ
ولوand had سكتواthey been silent أثنتwould have praised عليكupon you الحقائبُthe saddlebags
ولو سكتوا أثنت عليك الحقائبُ
And turned aside to praise you as you deserve;
And wonder, praising you as you deserve
And had they been silent, the saddlebags would have praised you.
Though if silent, even the packs would speak your praise
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.