أَمَوْلايَO my lord حَقُّthe right العَبْدِof the servant تَقْريرُsetting forth عُذْرِهِhis excuse
أَمَوْلايَ حَقُّ العَبْدِ تَقْريرُ عُذْرِهِ
إِذَاwhen هُوَhe لَمْdid not يَلْقَmeet الحُقُوقَthe obligations بِلائِقِwith a fitting response
إِذَا هُوَ لَمْ يَلْقَ الحُقُوقَ بِلائِقِ
O my lord, a servant has the right to set forth his excuse
My wealth, the right of a servant is to justify his excuse
When he has not met his obligations fittingly.
When he does not find his rights suitable
مَنَائِحُgifts أَسْدَتْهاbestowed them منَاحٍinclinations كَرِيمَةٌnoble
مَنَائِحُ أَسْدَتْها منَاحٍ كَرِيمَةٌ
تُفَوَّفُare patterned in varied colors لِلأَحْدَاقِto the eyes مِثْلlike الحَدَائِقِgardens
تُفَوَّفُ لِلأَحْدَاقِ مِثْل الحَدَائِقِ
Gifts bestowed by noble inclinations
Graceful palms that resemble gardens for the eyes
Are patterned before the eyes like gardens.
Pure honeyed wrists and excellent creation
وَتبْرِيَّةِand golden الأَكْمَامِthe sheaths شَهْدِيَّةِhoney-sweet الجَنَىthe fruit
وَتبْرِيَّةِ الأَكْمَامِ شَهْدِيَّةِ الجَنَى
حَلَتْgrew sweet وَتَحَلَّتْand became adorned زَاكِيَاتِpure الخَلائِقِqualities
حَلَتْ وَتَحَلَّتْ زَاكِيَاتِ الخَلائِقِ
And palms with golden sheaths and honey-sweet fruit
She has non-Arabic charms though born an Arab savior
Grew sweet and adorned themselves with pure qualities.
Her lofty palms are enough for you as signposts
لَهَاthey have عَجَمٌkernels فِيamong العُربِthe Arabs وُلِّدَwas engendered مُنجِياًbringing deliverance
لَهَا عَجَمٌ فِي العُربِ وُلِّدَ مُنجِياً
وَحَسْبُكَand sufficient for you مِنْهاamong them بِالسَّوامِيthe lofty ones السَّوامِقِthe towering ones
وَحَسْبُكَ مِنْها بِالسَّوامِي السَّوامِقِ
Their kernels were engendered among the Arabs, bringing deliverance,
As if their red fingertips, when glowing,
And enough for you are the lofty, towering ones among them.
Are torches guiding every night visitor
كَأَنَّas though بِأَعْلاهاat their tops إِذَاwhen احْمَرَّturns red بُسْرُهَاtheir unripe dates
كَأَنَّ بِأَعْلاها إِذَا احْمَرَّ بُسْرُهَا
مَشَاعِلُtorches تُهْدِيguide فيin الدُّجَىthe darkness كُلَّevery طارِقِnight traveler
مَشَاعِلُ تُهْدِي في الدُّجَى كُلَّ طارِقِ
As though, at their tops, when their unripe dates turn red,
As if one feasting on her dates has sated himself
There were torches guiding every night traveler through the darkness.
On the saliva of sweet ripened fruits
كَأَنَّas though الذِيwhat تُهْدِيهِyou offer it مِنْof تَمْرِهاtheir dates اغْتَذَىtook nourishment
كَأَنَّ الذِي تُهْدِيهِ مِنْ تَمْرِها اغْتَذَى
بِرِيقَةِon the saliva of مَوْمُوقٍa beloved وَرِقَّةِand the tenderness of وامِقِa lover
بِرِيقَةِ مَوْمُوقٍ وَرِقَّةِ وامِقِ
As though what you offer of their dates had fed
You graced her scattered and combined her
On a beloved's saliva and a lover's tenderness.
In a poem like a necklace around a slender neck
مَنَنْتَyou bestowed a favor بِهاwith them مَنْثورَةًloose وَشَفَعْتَهاand paired them
مَنَنْتَ بِها مَنْثورَةً وَشَفَعْتَها
بِمَنْظومَةٍwith a poem كالعِقْدِlike a necklace فِيat نَحْرِthe throat of عاتِقِa maiden
بِمَنْظومَةٍ كالعِقْدِ فِي نَحْرِ عاتِقِ
You favored me with them loose, and paired them
Of words belonging to the exalted ones
With a poem, like a necklace at a maiden's throat,
Honored by your works, pure pages
مِنَof الكَلِمِthe words اللائِيthat انْتَمَيْنَtraced their lineage إِلَىto العُلَىthe heights
مِنَ الكَلِمِ اللائِي انْتَمَيْنَ إِلَى العُلَى
وَشَرَّفْنَand they ennobled بِالتَّسْويدِby blackening بِيضَthe white المَهَارِقِwriting sheets
وَشَرَّفْنَ بِالتَّسْويدِ بِيضَ المَهَارِقِ
Of words that traced their lineage to the heights
And ennobled white pages by blackening them.
Partial English translation: 14 of 16 Arabic lines translated.