أَباO Abu حَسَنٍHasan أَنْتَyou أَهْلُworthy of الْجَمِيلِnoble deeds
أَبا حَسَنٍ أَنْتَ أَهْلُ الْجَمِيلِ
فَهَلْso, will...? لَكَfor you هَلْwill...? لَكَfor you فِيin مَكْرُمَهْa generous deed
فَهَلْ لَكَ هَلْ لَكَ فِي مَكْرُمَهْ
O Abu Hasan, you are worthy of noble deeds;
O Abu Hasan, you are a man of refinement,
so will you—will you—undertake a generous deed
Is there anything you can do to earn praise,
يُفِيدُgains بِهاthrough it الْحَمْدَpraise مَنْone who نَفْسُهُhis soul
يُفِيدُ بِها الْحَمْدَ مَنْ نَفْسُهُ
مُتَيَّمَةٌenthralled بِالْعُلىby noble heights مُغْرَمَهُenamored
مُتَيَّمَةٌ بِالْعُلى مُغْرَمَهُ
that brings praise to one whose soul
From one whose soul aspires to the highest peaks?
is enthralled by noble heights, enamored of them?
You have revelled in luxury and worn the finest clothes.
وَماand not زِلْتَyou have ceased تَرْفَلُyou walk proudly فِيin بُرْدِهِits mantle
وَما زِلْتَ تَرْفَلُ فِي بُرْدِهِ
وَتَلْبَسُand you wear أَثْوابَهُits garments الْمُعْلَمَهْpatterned
وَتَلْبَسُ أَثْوابَهُ الْمُعْلَمَهْ
And you have always walked proudly in its mantle,
Praise that is hard to deny, though some may try,
and worn its patterned robes:
As musk’s fragrance is hard to conceal.
ثَناءٌpraise يَعُزُّis hard for الْوَرىmankind جَحْدُهُdenying it
ثَناءٌ يَعُزُّ الْوَرى جَحْدُهُ
كَماjust as عَزَّكَdefied you الْمِسْكُmusk أَنْto تَكْتُمَهْyou conceal it
كَما عَزَّكَ الْمِسْكُ أَنْ تَكْتُمَهْ
praise that mankind finds hard to deny,
Whoever seeks your gifts will get nothing from me
as musk defies your efforts to conceal it.
Except the strokes of my pen, which leave their mark.
وَمَنْand whoever كانَwas يَبْغِيseeks لَدَيْكَfrom you النَّوالَbounty
وَمَنْ كانَ يَبْغِي لَدَيْكَ النَّوالَ
فَلَسْتُbut I am not بِباغٍseeking سِوىanything but مَقْلَمَهْa pen case
فَلَسْتُ بِباغٍ سِوى مَقْلَمَهْ
And while others seek bounty from you,
You put on appearances, though inwardly corrupt,
I seek nothing but a pen case.
Like the arrogant heart that was burned by passion’s fire.
تُرىit appears وَهْيَwhile it is مُسْمَنَةٌfattened ظاهِراًoutwardly
تُرى وَهْيَ مُسْمَنَةٌ ظاهِراً
وَلكِنَّهاand yet it is باطِناًinwardly مُسْقَمَهْailing
وَلكِنَّها باطِناً مُسْقَمَهْ
It looks plump on the outside,
When presented blank, your nature appears
but inwardly it is ailing.
Like a faint image difficult to see.
كَأَنَّas though حَشاهاits hollow فُؤادُthe heart of الْخَلِthe carefree one (continued)
كَأَنَّ حَشاها فُؤادُ الْخَلِ
يِّcompletes 'carefree' لَمْdid not يَصْلَburn in نارَthe fire الْهَوىlove الْمُضْرَمَهْkindled
يِّ لَمْ يَصْلَ نارَ الْهَوى الْمُضْرَمَهْ
As though its hollow were a carefree man's heart,
But when adorned by my pen, it gathers together
which has not burned in love's kindled fire.
All the features in an epic composition.
إِذاwhen أُهْدِيَتْit is gifted وَهْيَwhile it is صِفْرٌempty رَأَيْsaw (continued)
إِذا أُهْدِيَتْ وَهْيَ صِفْرٌ رَأَيْ
تَyou (verb ending) صُورَةَthe likeness مُتْأَقَةٍfilled to the brim مُفْعَمَهْcompletely full
تَ صُورَةَ مُتْأَقَةٍ مُفْعَمَهْ
When it is gifted empty, you
So many pretenders have taken the place
see the likeness of something brimming and full.
Of ink, though it destroys their aspirations.
وَإِنand if جُدْتَyou are generous فِيهاin it بِأَقْلامِهwith its pens
وَإِن جُدْتَ فِيها بِأَقْلامِه
جَمَعْتَyou gathered الذَّوابِلَslender spears فِيin مَلْحَمَهْa pitched battle
جَمَعْتَ الذَّوابِلَ فِي مَلْحَمَهْ
And if you generously furnish it with its pens,
When you pierce a target with it, you spill
you gather slender spears in a pitched battle.
Blood without remorse, like a sharpened spear.
فَكَمْso how many ثَمَّthere مِنْof زاعِبِيٍّa Zaʿibi spear تَخالُyou imagine
فَكَمْ ثَمَّ مِنْ زاعِبِيٍّ تَخالُ
مَكانَin place of المِدادِthe ink بِهِin it لَهْذَمَهْa broad spearhead
مَكانَ المِدادِ بِهِ لَهْذَمَهْ
How many a Zaʿibi spear lies there, which you imagine
It is like an arrow, placed in a quiver,
has a broad spearhead in place of its ink!
Enriching ambition with lethal poison.
إِذاif ماemphasis particle طَعَنْتَyou thrust بِهِwith it مَطْلَباًa sought goal
إِذا ما طَعَنْتَ بِهِ مَطْلَباً
سَفَكْتَyou shed بِغَيْرِwithout جُناحٍguilt دَمَهْits blood
سَفَكْتَ بِغَيْرِ جُناحٍ دَمَهْ
If you thrust it at a goal you seek,
Unleashed, it reveals a blade
you shed its blood without guilt.
Like the gaping jaw of a lion on the day of battle.
كَمِثْلِlike الْكِنانَةِthe quiver يَوْمَthe day of النَّضاthe archery contest (continued)
كَمِثْلِ الْكِنانَةِ يَوْمَ النَّضا
لِcompletes 'contest' أَوْدَعَهاplaced in it نابِلٌan archer أَسْهُمَهْhis arrows
لِ أَوْدَعَها نابِلٌ أَسْهُمَهْ
Like a quiver on the day of an archery
You deserve credit for making it, though it is
contest, where an archer has lodged his arrows.
Flawed, bound together by your skill.
مُضَمَّنَةٌcontaining آلَةًan instrument لِلسُّمُfor elevation (continued)
مُضَمَّنَةٌ آلَةً لِلسُّمُ
وِّcompletes 'elevation' تُثْرِيgrows rich بِهاthrough it الْهِمَّةُambition الْمُعْدِمَهْpenniless
وِّ تُثْرِي بِها الْهِمَّةُ الْمُعْدِمَهْ
It holds an instrument for rising
It shines with the magic of craftsmanship and star-shine,
high, by which penniless ambition grows rich.
As if, due to your fine nature, the elegance upon it glitters.
إِذاwhen فُتِحَتْit is opened أَبْرَزَتْit reveals أَنْصُلاًblades
إِذا فُتِحَتْ أَبْرَزَتْ أَنْصُلاً
كَماas فَغَرopened wide اللَّيْثُthe lion يَوْماًone day فَمَهْits mouth
كَما فَغَر اللَّيْثُ يَوْماً فَمَهْ
When opened, it reveals blades,
Your knowledge has spread like the full moons,
as a lion one day opened its mouth wide.
So those who claim to know have fallen short.
لَكَto you الفَضْلُthe credit فِيin صُنْعِهاits making إِنَّهاindeed it is
لَكَ الفَضْلُ فِي صُنْعِها إِنَّها
بِلُطْفِكَthrough your deftness مَلْمُومَةٌneatly assembled مُحْكَمَهْwell wrought
بِلُطْفِكَ مَلْمُومَةٌ مُحْكَمَهْ
Yours is the credit for its making; it is,
It confirms your perfection, that the beautiful
through your deftness, neatly assembled and finely wrought.
Cannot be destroyed by its maker.
يَنُمُّbears witness بِهِto it ماكَسَتْهاwhat has clothed it يَداthe two hands
يَنُمُّ بِهِ ماكَسَتْها يَدا
كَyour مِنْof مَعْجِزِinimitable artistry الْوَشْيِornament وَالنَّمْنَمَهْand delicate tracery
كَ مِنْ مَعْجِزِ الْوَشْيِ وَالنَّمْنَمَهْ
What your two hands have clothed it in bespeaks that skill:
We sent to you a delegation of praise,
the marvels of ornament and delicate tracery.
That the people of refinement long to receive.
كَأَنَّas though عَلَيْهاupon it لأَخْلاقِكَof your character الْthe
كَأَنَّ عَلَيْها لأَخْلاقِكَ الْ
حِسانِfair مِنَof الظَّرْفِrefinement أَبْهىloveliest سِمَهْa mark
حِسانِ مِنَ الظَّرْفِ أَبْهى سِمَهْ
As though it bore, of your character
I compiled your attributes in this poem,
so fair, the loveliest mark of refinement.
So whoever finds this pearl might string it together.
سَرىjourneyed by night بِكَwith you عِلْمُكَyour learning مَسْرىthe course of الْبُدُورِthe full moons
سَرى بِكَ عِلْمُكَ مَسْرى الْبُدُورِ
فَقَصَّرَso fell short مَنْwhoever قالَsaid ماhow أَعْلَمَهْlearned he is!
فَقَصَّرَ مَنْ قالَ ما أَعْلَمَهْ
Your learning bore you by night along the full moons' course,
so whoever said, 'How learned he is!' fell short.
وَأَكَّدَand strengthened عَقْدَكyour pledge أَنَّthat الْجَمِيthe noble deed (continued)
وَأَكَّدَ عَقْدَك أَنَّ الْجَمِي
لَcompletes 'noble deed' لَيْسَis not لِبانِيهِfor its builder أَنْto يَهْدِمَهْdemolish it
لَ لَيْسَ لِبانِيهِ أَنْ يَهْدِمَهْ
And your pledge was strengthened by this: a noble deed
is not for its builder to tear down.
وَوَفْدِand a delegation of ثَناءٍpraise بَعَثْناwe sent إِلَيْto
وَوَفْدِ ثَناءٍ بَعَثْنا إِلَيْ
كَyou يَشْتاقُlong for أَهْلُthe people of النُّهىwisdom مَقْدَمَهْits arrival
كَ يَشْتاقُ أَهْلُ النُّهى مَقْدَمَهْ
And a delegation of praise we have sent to
you; the wise long for its arrival.
جَمَعْتُI gathered صِفاتِكَyour qualities فِيin سِلْكِهِits thread
جَمَعْتُ صِفاتِكَ فِي سِلْكِهِ
لِمَنْfor whoever وَجَدَhas found الدُّرَّpearls أَنْto يَنْظِمَهْstring them
لِمَنْ وَجَدَ الدُّرَّ أَنْ يَنْظِمَهْ
I gathered your qualities upon its thread;
whoever finds pearls may string them.
Partial English translation: 34 of 42 Arabic lines translated.