أَتَانِيcame to me عَلىَdespite قُربِthe nearness of المَزَارِthe place of visiting صَحِيفَةٌa letter
أَتَانِي عَلىَ قُربِ المَزَارِ صَحِيفَةٌ
تَضَوَّعَgave off fragrance فيin أَثْنائِهاits folds المَنْدَلُaloeswood الرَّطبُmoist
تَضَوَّعَ في أَثْنائِها المَنْدَلُ الرَّطبُ
A letter came to me, though your abode was near;
Moist aloeswood breathed its fragrance through its folds.
حَوَتْit contained مِنْof بَديِعِwondrous النُّطْقِspeech دُرَّاًpearls وَحِكْمَةًand wisdom
حَوَتْ مِنْ بَديِعِ النُّطْقِ دُرَّاً وَحِكْمَةً
بِبَعْضِهِمَاwith some of both يُسْتَنْزَلُis subdued الجَامِحُthe headstrong الصَّعْبُstubborn
بِبَعْضِهِمَا يُسْتَنْزَلُ الجَامِحُ الصَّعْبُ
It held pearls and wisdom of wondrous eloquence;
With a little of both, the headstrong, stubborn steed is subdued.
أَرَقُّmore delicate مِنَthan السّلسَالِlimpid water لَفظَاًin wording، كَأَنَّمَاas though
أَرَقُّ مِنَ السّلسَالِ لَفظَاً، كَأَنَّمَا
جَرَتْcoursed فيthrough نَواحِيهاits reaches بَرِقْرَاقِهَاwith their shimmering water السُّحْبُthe clouds
جَرَتْ في نَواحِيها بَرِقْرَاقِهَا السُّحْبُ
More delicate in wording than limpid water, as though
Clouds had coursed through its reaches with their shimmering water;
وَأَعَلقُand more firmly lodged بِالأَذْهانِin minds مَعْنىًin meaning، كَأَنَّمَاas though
وَأَعَلقُ بِالأَذْهانِ مَعْنىً، كَأَنَّمَا
تَكوَّنَwas formed مِنْfrom مَكْنُونِthe hidden part of جَوْهَرِهَاits essence القَلبُthe heart
تَكوَّنَ مِنْ مَكْنُونِ جَوْهَرِهَا القَلبُ
And its meaning clings more firmly to the mind, as though
The heart had been formed from its hidden essence.
فأَرسَلْتُso I let loose فيin تلْكَthose الرَّيَاضِgardens نَوَاظِراًeyes
فأَرسَلْتُ في تلْكَ الرَّيَاضِ نَوَاظِراً
بِبَهْجَتَهاwith their beauty إنْسَانُهاtheir pupil مُغْرَمٌenamored صَبُّlovesick
بِبَهْجَتَها إنْسَانُها مُغْرَمٌ صَبُّ
So I let my eyes roam through those gardens,
Their pupils enthralled, lovesick for that beauty.
وَرَدَّدْتُُand I turned over مَعwith تِلْكَthose المَعَانِيmeanings خَوَاطِراًthoughts
وَرَدَّدْتُُ مَع تِلْكَ المَعَانِي خَوَاطِراً
إلىtoward غَيْرother than أبْكَارِvirgin treasures المَعَادِنِthe mines ماnot تَصبْوُthey yearn
إلى غَيْر أبْكَارِ المَعَادِنِ ما تَصبْوُ
And I turned thoughts over amid those meanings,
Yearning only for the virgin treasures of the mines.
أَتَتْit came بالأّيادِيwith favors الغُرَّradiant بَدْءاًat the outset فَقَلَّدَتْthen it garlanded
أَتَتْ بالأّيادِي الغُرَّ بَدْءاً فَقَلَّدَتْ
بِهَاwith them مِنَناًblessings مِنْfrom دُوْنِshort of إِحْصَائِهَاtheir enumeration الشُّهبُthe stars
بِهَا مِنَناً مِنْ دُوْنِ إِحْصَائِهَا الشُّهبُ
It first brought radiant favors, and garlanded me
With blessings more numerous than the stars.
وَوَافَتْand it arrived بِهَاwith them مِنْfrom غَيْرِother than وَعْدٍa promise تَفَضُّلاًout of generosity
وَوَافَتْ بِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ وَعْدٍ تَفَضُّلاً
كَذَاكَlikewise الجِنَانُthe gardens الخُصْبُfertile والمَوْرِدُand the water-source العَذْبُsweet
كَذَاكَ الجِنَانُ الخُصْبُ والمَوْرِدُ العَذْبُ
And it brought them without a promise, out of generosity;
So it is with fertile gardens and the sweet-water source.
أَلاَheed! أَيُّهَاO الصَّدرُeminent lord الذِّيwho اتَّفَقَتْagreed علىupon
أَلاَ أَيُّهَا الصَّدرُ الذِّي اتَّفَقَتْ على
فَضَائِلِهِhis virtues فيin عَصْرِهِhis age العُجْمُnon-Arabs والعُرْبُand Arabs
فَضَائِلِهِ في عَصْرِهِ العُجْمُ والعُرْبُ
O eminent lord, all have agreed upon
Your virtues in your age—non-Arabs and Arabs alike.
سَبَقْتَyou outstripped إلىin pursuing الإحسَانِbenevolence فِعلَthe deeds of ذَوِيthose possessing العُلَىloftiness
سَبَقْتَ إلى الإحسَانِ فِعلَ ذَوِي العُلَى
وَوَاتاكَand came readily to you مِنْof أنْوَاعهِits kinds الفَرضُthe obligatory والنَّدْبُand the recommended
وَوَاتاكَ مِنْ أنْوَاعهِ الفَرضُ والنَّدْبُ
In benevolence you outstripped the deeds of the exalted;
And its kinds, both obligatory and voluntary, came readily to you.
وَقَرَّرْتُand I declared عَنْof إِدْرَاكِattaining شأوِكَyour reach عَاجزاًunable
وَقَرَّرْتُ عَنْ إِدْرَاكِ شأوِكَ عَاجزاً
مَتَىwhen يَلْحَقُcan catch up الوانِيthe weary one وقَدْwhile already أَعْنَقَhastened الرَّكْبُthe mounted caravan؟
مَتَى يَلْحَقُ الوانِي وقَدْ أَعْنَقَ الرَّكْبُ؟
And I declared myself unable to reach your mark:
When can the weary catch up, when the caravan has sped ahead?
فَأَبْدَيتَso you displayed فَضْلاًbounty لَيْسَnot يُدْركُis grasped كُنْههُits true extent
فَأَبْدَيتَ فَضْلاً لَيْسَ يُدْركُ كُنْههُ
عَروبُeloquent لسانيmy tongue، عَنْbefore تَضاَعيفههits manifold aspects يَنْبُوfalls short
عَروبُ لساني، عَنْ تَضاَعيفهه يَنْبُو
So you displayed a bounty whose true extent cannot be grasped;
My eloquent tongue falls short of its manifold richness.
وِأوليتَand you bestowed برَّاًkindness قِصرتfell short عنهof it قِدرتيmy ability
وِأوليتَ برَّاً قِصرت عنه قِدرتي
فَطَرفْso the steed احتماليmy endurance عنَbefore تَضَاعيفهits manifold aspects يكبوstumbles
فَطَرفْ احتمالي عنَ تَضَاعيفه يكبو
And you bestowed kindness beyond my power to repay;
So the steed of my endurance stumbles before its manifold abundance.
وَغَايةُand the utmost of وُسعِيْmy capacity وَهيَand it is أَوسَعُthe widest غَايَةٍlimit
وَغَايةُ وُسعِيْ وَهيَ أَوسَعُ غَايَةٍ
ثَنَاpraise ضَاقَwas too narrow عَنْfor إمْدادِهِits extension الأُفُقُthe horizon الرَّحْبُwide
ثَنَا ضَاقَ عَنْ إمْدادِهِ الأُفُقُ الرَّحْبُ
And the utmost of my power, itself the widest reach,
Is praise for whose reach the wide horizon is too narrow:
ثَنَاءًpraise كَنِشرْlike the fragrance of الرَّوْضِthe meadow مَرَّتْpassed بِهِover it الصَّبَاthe east breeze
ثَنَاءً كَنِشرْ الرَّوْضِ مَرَّتْ بِهِ الصَّبَا
سُحَيْراًjust before dawn، وقَدْand already جَادَتهُhad drenched it عراصَةٌa flashing raincloud سكبُpouring freely
سُحَيْراً، وقَدْ جَادَتهُ عراصَةٌ سكبُ
Praise like a meadow’s fragrance when the east breeze passed over it
Just before dawn, after a flashing raincloud had drenched it.
Translation model: Sol 6.1