تَقَدَّمَsurpassed يَحْيَىYahya المُرْتَضَىal-Murtada كُلَّall مَنْwho مَضَىcame before
تَقَدَّمَ يَحْيَى المُرْتَضَى كُلَّ مَنْ مَضَى
كَمَالاًin perfection فَصارَso became النَّقْصُdeficiency لِلْمُتَقَدِّمِfor the predecessor
كَمَالاً فَصارَ النَّقْصُ لِلْمُتَقَدِّمِ
All who came before were surpassed, Yahya al-Murtada,
Yahya al-Murtada surpassed all who came before
by your twin perfections; precedence became a flaw in the predecessor.
In perfection, so deficiency became the lot of his predecessors.
وأحْرَزَand secured مِنْfrom إِرْثِinheritance الهِدَايَةِguidance حَقَّهُhis rightful share
وأحْرَزَ مِنْ إِرْثِ الهِدَايَةِ حَقَّهُ
فَمَاso none مِنْamong مُلوكِkings الأَرْضِthe earth غَيْرُother than مُسَلِّمِone who submits
فَمَا مِنْ مُلوكِ الأَرْضِ غَيْرُ مُسَلِّمِ
And he secured his rightful share of the legacy of right guidance,
And secured his rightful share of the inheritance of guidance,
so there is no king on earth who does not yield to him.
So every king on earth submits.
وَرَدْتُI came to نَدَاهُhis bounty الغَمْرَoverflowing غَيْرَnot مُصَرَّدٍstinted
وَرَدْتُ نَدَاهُ الغَمْرَ غَيْرَ مُصَرَّدٍ
ونِلْتُand I gained رِضَاهُhis favor الجَمَّabundant غَيْرَnot مُصَرّمِcut off
ونِلْتُ رِضَاهُ الجَمَّ غَيْرَ مُصَرّمِ
I came upon his overwhelming bounty, unstinted,
I came to his overflowing bounty, without being stinted,
and gained his ample favor, never cut off.
And gained his abundant favor, without being cut off.
فَهَاso here أَنَاI مِنْهُfrom him فيin حِبَاءٍgifts مُنَثَّرٍscattered
فَهَا أَنَا مِنْهُ في حِبَاءٍ مُنَثَّرٍ
وهاand here هُوَhe مِنِّيfrom me فيin ثَنَاءٍpraise مُنَظَّمِcomposed in verse
وها هُوَ مِنِّي في ثَنَاءٍ مُنَظَّمِ
Here I am, through him, amid largesse showered loose,
So here I am, amid his scattered gifts,
and here he is, through me, in praise strung into verse.
And here he is, amid my praise composed in verse.
لَهَاto her مُلْكُkingship نُعْمَانٍNu'man وعِزَّةُand might تُبَّعٍTubba'
لَهَا مُلْكُ نُعْمَانٍ وعِزَّةُ تُبَّعٍ
وَصَوْلَةُand martial prowess بِسْطَامٍBistam وحِكْمَةُand wisdom أكْثَمِAktham
وَصَوْلَةُ بِسْطَامٍ وحِكْمَةُ أكْثَمِ
The poem bears al-Nuʿman’s kingship and Tubbaʿ’s might,
Hers are Nu'man's kingship and Tubba's might,
Bistam’s prowess, and Aktham’s wisdom.
And Bistam's martial prowess and Aktham's wisdom.
ولِيand to me وَجْدُgrief خَنْسَاءKhansa' وَرِقَّةُand tenderness عُرْوَةٍUrwah
ولِي وَجْدُ خَنْسَاء وَرِقَّةُ عُرْوَةٍ
وتَهْيَامُand love-madness غِيلانٍGhaylan وحُزْنُand sorrow مُتَمِّمِMutammim
وتَهْيَامُ غِيلانٍ وحُزْنُ مُتَمِّمِ
And mine are al-Khansa’s anguish and Urwa’s tenderness,
And mine are Khansa's grief and Urwah's tenderness,
Ghaylan’s infatuation, and a love-enslaved man’s sorrow.
And Ghaylan's love-madness and Mutammim's sorrow.
