ياO منone whom حواهembraced him الدينreligion فيin عصرهhis age
يا من حواه الدين في عصره
صدراًas a breast يحلّdwells العِلمlearning منهwithin him فؤادa heart
صدراً يحلّ العِلم منه فؤاد
O one whom faith embraced in his age
O you who the religion embraced in his time
as its breast, where learning dwells as the heart,
A chest where knowledge springs from his heart
ماذاwhat يَرىthinks سَيدناour master المُرتضىal-Murtada
ماذا يَرى سَيدنا المُرتضى
فيof زائرa visitor يخطبseeks منهfrom him الودادgoodwill
في زائر يخطب منه الوداد
what does our master al-Murtada think
What does our master Al-Murtada see
of a visitor who seeks his goodwill?
In a visitor who seeks his affection
لاnot يبتغيseeks منهfrom him سوىexcept أحرُفa few letters
لا يبتغي منه سوى أحرُف
يعتدهاdeems them أَشرفthe noblest ذخرٍa treasure يفادis acquired
يعتدها أَشرف ذخرٍ يفاد
He seeks from him nothing but a few letters,
He only wants from him some letters
which he deems the noblest treasure to be gained.
He considers them the most precious treasure to attain
ترسمهاtraces them أنملهhis fingertips مثلlike ماthe way that
ترسمها أنمله مثل ما
نمّقadorned زهرflowers الروضthe garden كفُّthe hand العهادsuccessive rains
نمّق زهر الروض كفُّ العهاد
His fingertips trace them, just as
Which his fingers shape like
the hand of successive rains adorned the garden’s flowers,
The buds of the garden by the hand of the gardener
فيon رُقعةٍa sheet كالصبحlike dawn أَهدىoffered as a gift لهاto it
في رُقعةٍ كالصبح أَهدى لها
يَدthe hand المعَاليeminence مِسكmusk ليلnight المدادink
يَد المعَالي مِسك ليل المداد
on a sheet like dawn, to which was given
In a parchment that the hand of glory
by the hand of eminence the musk of ink’s night:
Gifted more radiant than the ink of the night
إجازةًa scholarly license يورثنيهاbequeaths it to me العلاglory
إجازةً يورثنيها العلا
جَائزةa prize تَبقىendures وتفنىand perish البلادthe lands
جَائزة تَبقى وتفنى البلاد
a scholarly license that glory bequeaths to me,
A license he grants me
a prize that endures while lands perish.
A prize that remains while countries perish
يستصحبtakes along الشكرgratitude خِديماas a servant لهاto it
يستصحب الشكر خِديما لها
والشكرand gratitude للامجادِfor the illustrious أَسنىthe finest عِتَادprovision
والشكر للامجادِ أَسنى عِتَاد
He takes gratitude along as its servant,
Gratitude takes along as its servant for it
and gratitude is the finest provision for the illustrious.
And gratitude is the finest equipage for glories
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.