حَلَفَتshe swore ليto me هِندٌHind فَخانَتthen she betrayed يَمينيmy oath
حَلَفَت لي هِندٌ فَخانَت يَميني
لَيسَis not غَدرُthe treachery النِساءِof women بِالمَأمونِsafe to trust
لَيسَ غَدرُ النِساءِ بِالمَأمونِ
Hind swore to me, then betrayed my oath.
There is no safety from women's treachery.
كَيفَhow نَرجوwe hope for الوَفاءَfidelity مِنfrom ناقِضاتٍwomen who break
كَيفَ نَرجو الوَفاءَ مِن ناقِضاتٍ
عَهدَناour covenant ناقِصاتِdeficient عَقلٍin reason وَدينِand religion
عَهدَنا ناقِصاتِ عَقلٍ وَدينِ
How can we hope for fidelity from women who break
Our covenant, deficient in reason and religion?
إِنَّماonly الصِدقُtruthfulness شيمَةُthe trait of الرَّجُلِthe man الحُرthe freeborn (continued)
إِنَّما الصِدقُ شيمَةُ الرَّجُلِ الحُر
رِ(completes 'freeborn') النَقِيِّthe pure البَرِّthe righteous التَّقِيِّthe pious الأَمينِthe trustworthy
رِ النَقِيِّ البَرِّ التَّقِيِّ الأَمينِ
Truthfulness is the trait only of the freeborn man,
Pure, righteous, pious, and trustworthy.
وَحَياةِby the life of الأَميرِthe emir بَدرِBadr الدينِal-Din
وَحَياةِ الأَميرِ بَدرِ الدينِ
ياoh لَهاhow great it is مِنas an أَلِيَّةٍoath وَيَمينِand a sworn pledge
يا لَها مِن أَلِيَّةٍ وَيَمينِ
By the life of the emir Badr al-Din—
What an oath, what a solemn pledge!—
لأَصوغَنَّI shall surely fashion فيهِabout him مَدحاًpraise أَريجاًfragrant
لأَصوغَنَّ فيهِ مَدحاً أَريجاً
مِثلَlike مِسكِthe musk of الدَّاريthe perfume-dealer مِنfrom دارينِDarin
مِثلَ مِسكِ الدَّاري مِن دارينِ
I shall surely fashion fragrant praise of him,
Like the perfume-dealer's musk from Darin.
بنداهُthrough his bounty خَلَصتُI escaped مِنfrom هَمِّthe cares of دُنياworldly life (continued)
بنداهُ خَلَصتُ مِن هَمِّ دُنيا
يَmy وفُرّغتُand I was freed لاستِقامَةِfor the uprightness of دينيmy faith
يَ وفُرّغتُ لاستِقامَةِ ديني
Through his bounty I escaped the cares of my worldly life,
And was given leisure to keep my faith upright.
إِنَّindeed مَودودَMawdud بنَson of المُبارَكِal-Mubarak بَدرَBadr الديal-Din (continued)
إِنَّ مَودودَ بنَ المُبارَكِ بَدرَ الدي
نِ(completes 'al-Din') ليfor me مِنهُin him خَيرُthe best حِصنٍfortress حَصينِimpregnable
نِ لي مِنهُ خَيرُ حِصنٍ حَصينِ
Indeed, Mawdud ibn al-Mubarak, Badr al-Din—
In him I have the finest impregnable fortress.
فَبِهِso through him قَدindeed أَعانَنيhelped me اللَهُGod فيin كُلall (continued)
فَبِهِ قَد أَعانَني اللَهُ في كُل
لِ(completes 'all') أُموريmy affairs وَاللَهُand God خَيرُthe best مُعينِhelper
لِ أُموري وَاللَهُ خَيرُ مُعينِ
Through him God has indeed helped me in all
My affairs; God is the best of helpers.
وَبِهِand through him قَدindeed كُفيتُI was spared وَالحَمدُand praise لِلto God (continued)
وَبِهِ قَد كُفيتُ وَالحَمدُ لِل
هِ(completes 'to God') انتِجاعيmy seeking bounty from بِالشِعرِwith poetry كُلَّevery ضَنينِmiser
هِ انتِجاعي بِالشِعرِ كُلَّ ضَنينِ
Through him I have been spared—praise be to God—
Soliciting every miser with my verse.
فَهوَfor he is فيin السِلمِpeace بَدرُa full moon تمٍّfullness وَفيand in الحرwar (continued)
فَهوَ في السِلمِ بَدرُ تمٍّ وَفي الحر
بِ(completes 'war') عَلىupon الطِرفِthe swift steed مِنهُin him لَيثُa lion عَرينِof the thicket
بِ عَلى الطِرفِ مِنهُ لَيثُ عَرينِ
For in peace he is a full moon, and in war,
On his steed, he is a lion of the thicket.
أَلِفَhe befriended اللامَthe letter lām فَهوَso he is أَفضَلُthe finest كافٍprovider (kāf)
أَلِفَ اللامَ فَهوَ أَفضَلُ كافٍ
حاسِدوهhis enviers هِجاؤُهُمsatire against them فيin نونِNūn
حاسِدوه هِجاؤُهُم في نونِ
He has befriended the letter lām, and is the finest provider (kāf);
His enviers' lampoon is spelled out in Nūn.
فَالرَعاياso the subjects وَاللَهُand God وَاللَهِby God وَالسُّلand the sultan (continued)
فَالرَعايا وَاللَهُ وَاللَهِ وَالسُّل
طانُ(completes 'sultan') راضونَare pleased عَنهُwith him فيat كُلِّevery حينِmoment
طانُ راضونَ عَنهُ في كُلِّ حينِ
The subjects and God—by God!—and the sultan
Are pleased with him at every moment.
فازَhe triumphed فيin الدَهرِthe age بِاِفتِراعِby deflowering نَفيساprecious (continued)
فازَ في الدَهرِ بِاِفتِراعِ نَفيسا
تِ(completes 'precious') المَعانيmeanings أَبكارِهاtheir virgins وَالعونِand the matrons
تِ المَعاني أَبكارِها وَالعونِ
He has excelled in his age by deflowering precious
Meanings, their virgins and their matrons alike.
غَيرَexcept أَنّيthat I مُذَكِّرٌone who reminds بِأَياديof favors (continued)
غَيرَ أَنّي مُذَكِّرٌ بِأَيادي
هِhis التيwhich ماnot تَخيبُfail فيهاin them ظُنونيmy expectations
هِ التي ما تَخيبُ فيها ظُنوني
Yet I am calling to mind his favors,
In which my expectations never fail.
وَيَقينيand my trust فيهِin him وَقانِيَmay He protect me فيهِconcerning him الthe
وَيَقيني فيهِ وَقانِيَ فيهِ ال
سوءَharm رَبّيmy Lord مِنfrom صَرفِthe reversals of دَهريmy days يَقينيprotects me
سوءَ رَبّي مِن صَرفِ دَهري يَقيني
And my trust in him—may my Lord spare me, concerning him,
Harm—protects me from the reversals of my days.
مُذsince خَلاbecame empty مَنزِليmy house مِنَof البُرِّwheat بِالبَرby the Beneficent (continued)
مُذ خَلا مَنزِلي مِنَ البُرِّ بِالبَر
رِ(completes 'the Beneficent') طَحاhurled بيme فيinto الهَمِّgrief عُدمُlack of الطَحينِflour
رِ طَحا بي في الهَمِّ عُدمُ الطَحينِ
Since my house was emptied of wheat—by the Beneficent!—
The lack of flour has hurled me into grief.
وَلِبَدرِand to Badr الدينِal-Din الهَناءُjoy بعيدِon the feast of الthe
وَلِبَدرِ الدينِ الهَناءُ بعيدِ ال
فطرِbreaking the fast فيin ظِلِّthe shade of العِزِّglory وَالتَمكينِand established power
فطرِ في ظِلِّ العِزِّ وَالتَمكينِ
And joy to Badr al-Din on the Feast of
Fast-Breaking, in the shade of glory and firm dominion.