مَعالٍlofty attainments جازَتsurpassed الجَوزاal-Jawza (a constellation) جَوازاa passing beyond
مَعالٍ جازَت الجَوزا جَوازا
وحسنٌand beauty قَدindeed حَوىembraced الحسنىthe finest وَجازاand went beyond
وحسنٌ قَد حَوى الحسنى وَجازا
Lofty attainments that have passed far beyond al-Jawza,
With virtues Jawza has excelled
And beauty that has embraced the finest and surpassed it.
And beauty encompassing all beauty prevailed
وَكَعبَةُand a Kaaba of مَكرُماتٍnoble deeds قَدindeed تَجَلّتshone forth
وَكَعبَةُ مَكرُماتٍ قَد تَجَلّت
فَلَمso did not يَرَsee دونهاbefore it الراجيthe hopeful seeker حِجازاa barrier
فَلَم يَرَ دونها الراجي حِجازا
And a Kaaba of noble deeds has shone forth,
The honored Kaaba has been manifest
So the hopeful seeker saw no barrier before it.
Seeking it the hopeful never failed
وَماand is not قاضيjudge of القَضاةthe judges سِوىother than فَتىًa young man لاnot
وَما قاضي القَضاة سِوى فَتىً لا
تَرىyou see عندwhen it comes to الفخارglory بِهِin him اِعتيازاa lack
تَرى عند الفخار بِهِ اِعتيازا
And the Chief Judge is none but a man whom you never
The Judge of judges solely a youth
Find wanting when it comes to glory:
With glory among the noble unveiled
جَلالُJalal (glory) الدينof the faith وَالدنياand of the world الَّذيwho قَدindeed
جَلالُ الدين وَالدنيا الَّذي قَد
سَماsurpassed الأَقرانَthe peers عِلماًin knowledge واِعتِزازاand in honor
سَما الأَقرانَ عِلماً واِعتِزازا
Jalal al-Din wa-l-Dunya, who has
Glory of religion and life who indeed
Surpassed his peers in learning and honor,
Peers with knowledge and pride excelled
ومنand one who جمعَgathered النَدىgenerosity والعلمَand knowledge جَمعاًtogether
ومن جمعَ النَدى والعلمَ جَمعاً
وَحُسنَand goodness of الخُلقِcharacter وَالتَقوىand piety فَفازاand thus succeeded
وَحُسنَ الخُلقِ وَالتَقوى فَفازا
And who has gathered generosity and learning together,
Who gathered dew and knowledge in plenty
And good character and piety, and thus triumphed.
With morals fair and piety prevailed
إِذاwhen حَضَرَattended المَحافِلَthe assemblies واِستَهَلَّتand began to rain
إِذا حَضَرَ المَحافِلَ واِستَهَلَّت
سَماءُthe sky of العلمknowledge واِمتازand distinguished himself اِمتيازاwith distinction
سَماءُ العلم واِمتاز اِمتيازا
When he attends assemblies and rain pours from
When attending gatherings, the sky of knowledge
The sky of knowledge, and he stands out with distinction,
Shone and with distinction excelled
رَأيناwe saw بلبلَthe nightingale of الأَفراحِjoys يَملاfills الرthe (split-word fragment)
رَأينا بلبلَ الأَفراحِ يَملا الر
رُباhills طَرَباًwith rapture وَفيand in العَلياءthe heights بازاa falcon
رُبا طَرَباً وَفي العَلياء بازا
We see the nightingale of joy filling the
We saw the nightingale of joys filling the air
Hills with rapture, and in the heights a falcon.
With melody and in the heights sailed
حَليمٌforbearing بالوقارwith dignity زَهاshone ولكنbut
حَليمٌ بالوقار زَها ولكن
براحwith the wine of المدحpraise يَهتَزّhe sways اِهتِزازاa swaying
براح المدح يَهتَزّ اِهتِزازا
Forbearing, he shines with dignity, yet
Clement with dignity, beauty yet
The wine of praise sets him swaying.
With breeze of praise sways and flailed
وَموفٍand one who fulfills بِالعَطيّةwith the gift إِثرَimmediately after وعدa promise
وَموفٍ بِالعَطيّة إِثرَ وعد
فَماso does not يَحتاجneed مَنthe one whom يَعدُhe promises اِنتجازاrequesting fulfillment
فَما يَحتاج مَن يَعدُ اِنتجازا
And he fulfills his pledge with a gift straightaway,
Fulfilling promise bounteously habitually
So those he promises need not ask for fulfillment.
Never needing one who hopes to avail
وَجودٌand bounty إِثرafter جودٍbounty مُستَدامٌunceasing
وَجودٌ إِثر جودٍ مُستَدامٌ
كَمِثلِlike السيلthe torrent يحتفزُrushes forward اِحتِفازاwith a rush
كَمِثلِ السيل يحتفزُ اِحتِفازا
And bounty after bounty flows unceasingly,
Generosity succeeding generosity perpetual
Like a torrent rushing headlong.
Like torrent aroused and assailed
فَماso there is no فيin علمهhis knowledge لولا'if not' وَإِلّاand 'except'
فَما في علمه لولا وَإِلّا
وَلاnor يَحتاجneeds منwhoever يثنيpraises اِحتِرازاcaution
وَلا يَحتاج من يثني اِحتِرازا
So in his knowledge there is no 'if not' or 'except,'
In his knowledge no buts and ifs
Nor need anyone who praises him make reservations.
Needing no caution in tale regaled
فَفيso in الدُنياthis world لهfor him سِترٌa protective covering جميلgracious
فَفي الدُنيا له سِترٌ جميل
وَيَومَand on the day of الحشرthe Gathering إِنَّindeed لهfor him مَفازاsalvation
وَيَومَ الحشر إِنَّ له مَفازا
So in this world he enjoys a gracious covering,
In life a beautiful veil for him
And on the Day of Gathering, surely salvation is his.
And the Day of Resurrection an avail
أَحقّmost deserving بكلّof every مدحpraise قيلwas spoken قدماlong ago
أَحقّ بكلّ مدح قيل قدما
فَإِنfor indeed فيconcerning الأَكرمينthe noblest المَدحُpraise جازاwas fitting
فَإِن في الأَكرمين المَدحُ جازا
He is most worthy of every praise uttered of old,
Worthiest of any praise uttered aforetime
For praise of the noblest is fitting.
For the generous, praise fits and availed
فَلَمso did not يَقصِدintend سواهanyone but him الفِكرُthought لكنbut
فَلَم يَقصِد سواه الفِكرُ لكن
إِلَيهِto him حَقيقَةًin literal truth كانواthey were مجازاmetaphor
إِلَيهِ حَقيقَةً كانوا مجازا
So thought intended none but him; yet
Though minds intended others, essentially
For him the praise was literal truth; those others were metaphor.
To him yet metaphorically they hailed
فأهلُso the people of العصرthe age ثَوبٌa garment كامِلُوهُits accomplished men
فأهلُ العصر ثَوبٌ كامِلُوهُ
ككمٍّlike a sleeve لُحتَyou shone أَنتَyou بِهِon it طرازاas embroidery
ككمٍّ لُحتَ أَنتَ بِهِ طرازا
So the people of this age are a garment; their finest men
The people of the age are a perfect dress
Are like a sleeve; you shine upon it as embroidery.
Like a shifter you with flair detailed
أَسيّدناO our master الإِمامَthe imam دُعاa prayer of مُحبٍّan admirer
أَسيّدنا الإِمامَ دُعا مُحبٍّ
يعدّكَhe considers you فيin نوائبِهِhis misfortunes ركازاburied treasure
يعدّكَ في نوائبِهِ ركازا
O our master, the imam—a prayer from a devoted admirer
Our master the Imam a lover calls
Who counts you as buried treasure in his misfortunes.
In calamities you he hopes will avail
كنزتَyou stored up الأَجرَreward وَالأَمداحand praises لمّاwhen
كنزتَ الأَجرَ وَالأَمداح لمّا
رأيتَyou saw لغيركfor others than you الدُنياthis world اِكتنازاhoarding
رأيتَ لغيرك الدُنيا اِكتنازا
You stored up reward and praises when
You reaped reward and praises when
You saw this world as something for others to hoard.
You saw the world others glean and curtailed
وَبادَرتَand you hastened to المَكارِمnoble deeds تقتَنيهاyou acquire them
وَبادَرتَ المَكارِم تقتَنيها
وَلِلخَيراتand for good deeds إِنَّindeed لَكَfor you اِنتِهازاseizing opportunities
وَلِلخَيرات إِنَّ لَكَ اِنتِهازا
And you hastened to make noble deeds your own,
And seized virtues to own them
And you surely seize opportunities for good deeds.
For virtues opportunity you availed
زَفَفتُI escorted in bridal procession إِلىto علاكyour eminence عَروسَthe bride of فكريmy thought
زَفَفتُ إِلى علاك عَروسَ فكري
وَصيَّرتُand I made البَديعَrhetorical embellishment لَهاfor her جَهازاa trousseau
وَصيَّرتُ البَديعَ لَها جَهازا
I led the bride of my thought in procession to your eminence,
I offered to you my thoughts as a bride
And made rhetorical artistry her trousseau.
And creativity as her trousseau entailed
وَجائزتيand my reward الإِجازَةscholarly authorization مِنfrom إِمامan imam
وَجائزتي الإِجازَة مِن إِمام
سماrose high للأفقto the horizon فَضلاًin excellence وَاِمتِيازاand distinction
سما للأفق فَضلاً وَاِمتِيازا
And my reward is scholarly authorization from an imam
My reward is the approval of an Imam
Who has soared to the horizon in excellence and distinction,
Who brought distinction and preference unveiled
وَقَدand indeed فاقَsurpassed الوَرىhumankind بالحقّin truth فَضلاًin excellence
وَقَد فاقَ الوَرى بالحقّ فَضلاً
وَمِنand for ستينsixty عاماًyears لاnot يوازىis equaled
وَمِن ستين عاماً لا يوازى
And has truly surpassed humankind in excellence,
He excelled people in truth and merit
And for sixty years has been without equal.
For sixty years peerless, prevailed
فَقَدso indeed أَسلَفتُI offered in advance شُكريmy thanks واِمتِداحيand my praise
فَقَد أَسلَفتُ شُكري واِمتِداحي
وَحَقّيand my right أَنthat أُثابI be rewarded وأنand that أُجازاI be granted authorization
وَحَقّي أَن أُثاب وأن أُجازا
So I have offered my thanks and praise in advance,
I paid thanks and praise in advance
And it is my right to be rewarded and granted authorization.
My right to be rewarded and approved availed