أَلاَHear! أَيُّهَاO الشَّهْمُthe gallant man النَّبيلُthe noble الَّذِيwho لَهُto him
أَلاَ أَيُّهَا الشَّهْمُ النَّبيلُ الَّذِي لَهُ
عَلَىdespite صغَرٍyouth فيin سنِّهِhis age الْمَنْصِبُthe station النَّهدُlofty
عَلَى صغَرٍ في سنِّهِ الْمَنْصِبُ النَّهدُ
Hear, O gallant, noble man, to whom belongs
O noble youth of eminent rank
a lofty station despite your tender years.
Though so young in years
لَوْif إِنَّكَindeed you لَمْdid not تَمْنَعْyou forbid لَوَافَىwould surely have come مُهَنِّئاًoffering congratulations
لَوْ إِنَّكَ لَمْ تَمْنَعْ لَوَافَى مُهَنِّئاً
بعُرْسكَon your wedding وَفْدٌa delegation حَافلٌlarge تَلْوُهُin its wake وَفْدُa delegation
بعُرْسكَ وَفْدٌ حَافلٌ تَلْوُهُ وَفْدُ
Had you not forbidden it, there would have come to congratulate you
Had you not declined, throngs of well-wishers
on your wedding a great delegation, followed by another.
Would have come to congratulate your wedding
فَإِنَّfor indeed مَكَاناًa place فيin الْقُلُوبthe hearts حَلَلتُهُyou occupied it (vocalized: I occupied it)
فَإِنَّ مَكَاناً في الْقُلُوب حَلَلتُهُ
لَيَزْهَىsurely outshines عَلَىover مُلْكِa kingdom تُؤَيِّدُهُuphold it جُنْدُtroops
لَيَزْهَى عَلَى مُلْكِ تُؤَيِّدُهُ جُنْدُ
For the place you have taken in people's hearts
For you have won a place in hearts
surely outshines a kingdom upheld by troops.
To adorn a kingdom supported by armies
فَدَاكَmay they be your ransom أُنَاسُpeople قَلَّwas slight فيin الْخَيْرِgoodness شَأْنُهُمْtheir standing
فَدَاكَ أُنَاسُ قَلَّ في الْخَيْرِ شَأْنُهُمْ
فَلاَso not قُرْبُهُمْtheir nearness قُرْبُnearness وَلاَand not بُعْدُهُمْtheir distance بُعْدُdistance
فَلاَ قُرْبُهُمْ قُرْبُ وَلاَ بُعْدُهُمْ بُعْدُ
May people of little standing in goodness be your ransom;
May people who seldom do good sacrifice themselves for you
their nearness is no nearness, nor their distance any distance.
Neither their nearness is nearness, nor their remoteness, remoteness
يَرُومُونَthey seek أَنْto يُثْنَىbe praised عَلَيْهمْupon them بوَفْرهمْfor their wealth
يَرُومُونَ أَنْ يُثْنَى عَلَيْهمْ بوَفْرهمْ
وَأَفْضَلُهُyet the best of it عَنْهُمْfrom them إِلَىto الْبرِّcharity لاَnot يَعْدُوpasses beyond
وَأَفْضَلُهُ عَنْهُمْ إِلَى الْبرِّ لاَ يَعْدُو
They seek to be praised for their wealth,
They desire to be praised for their abundance
yet the best of it never leaves them for charity.
Yet their best falls short of righteousness
إِذَاwhen رَخُصَbecame cheap الْغَاليthe costly منَamong السِّلْعَةِthe merchandise اشْتَرَواthey bought
إِذَا رَخُصَ الْغَالي منَ السِّلْعَةِ اشْتَرَوا
وَلاَand not يَشْتَرُونَthey buy الْحُرَّthe free man إِنْif رَخُصَbecame cheap الْعَبْدthe slave
وَلاَ يَشْتَرُونَ الْحُرَّ إِنْ رَخُصَ الْعَبْد
When costly merchandise becomes cheap, they buy,
They buy cheap merchandise
but will not buy a free man when a slave is cheap.
But do not buy the free man, even when the slave is cheap
أَعذْتُI sought protection for برَبِّwith the Lord of الْعَرْشthe Throne منْfrom عَيْنthe eye of حَاسدِan envier
أَعذْتُ برَبِّ الْعَرْش منْ عَيْن حَاسدِ
طَلاَقَةَcheerful radiance ذَاكَthat النُّورthe light فِيin الْوَجْهِthe face إِذْwhen تَبْدُوyou appear
طَلاَقَةَ ذَاكَ النُّور فِي الْوَجْهِ إِذْ تَبْدُو
I have sought the Lord of the Throne's protection from an envier's eye
I seek refuge in the Lord of the Throne from the eye of an envier
for the cheerful radiance of that light upon your face when you appear,
Of the radiance of your face when it appears
وَرقَّةَand the gentleness of ذَاكَthat اللَّفْظspeech فِيin كُلِّevery مَوْقِفِsituation
وَرقَّةَ ذَاكَ اللَّفْظ فِي كُلِّ مَوْقِفِ
يُصَانُis safeguarded بهِby it عِرْضٌhonor وَيَقْنَىand is won بهِby it وُدُّaffection
يُصَانُ بهِ عِرْضٌ وَيَقْنَى بهِ وُدُّ
and for the gentleness of that speech in every situation,
The softness of your words in every situation
by which honor is safeguarded and affection won,
Through which a virtue is guarded and affection attained
وَبَسْطَةَand the opening of كَفٍّa palm منْكَfrom you فيin مَوْضِعِa place for النَّدَىgenerosity
وَبَسْطَةَ كَفٍّ منْكَ في مَوْضِعِ النَّدَى
يُعَادُis restored بهَاby it غَمْضٌsleep وَيُنْفَيand is banished بهَاءradiance (apparently intended: by it) سَهْدُsleeplessness
يُعَادُ بهَا غَمْضٌ وَيُنْفَي بهَاء سَهْدُ
and for your open palm wherever generosity is called for,
The outstretching of your hand in times of bounty
through which sleep is restored and sleeplessness banished.
Through which sorrows are dispelled and joy brought
شَكَاcomplained الدَّهْرُTime مَاthat تَأَسُوyou heal جِرَاحُthe wounds of كِرَامِهِits noble ones
شَكَا الدَّهْرُ مَا تَأَسُو جِرَاحُ كِرَامِهِ
وَأَنْكَرَand disapproved of مِنْكَfrom you الرِّفْقُgentleness جَانبَهُits side الصَّلْدُflinty
وَأَنْكَرَ مِنْكَ الرِّفْقُ جَانبَهُ الصَّلْدُ
Time complained of your healing the wounds of its noble ones,
Fate complains of wounds in the hearts of the noble
and its flinty side disapproved of your gentleness.
And wonders at your gentleness, so unlike harshness
وَلَكنَّbut indeed هَذَاthis البرَّbenevolence طَبْعٌa disposition مُغَلَبٌmade dominant
وَلَكنَّ هَذَا البرَّ طَبْعٌ مُغَلَبٌ
عَلَيْكَover you وَهَلْand does يَهْدِيbestow سِوَىanything but طيبِهِits fragrance النَّدُthe incense
عَلَيْكَ وَهَلْ يَهْدِي سِوَى طيبِهِ النَّدُ
Yet this goodness is a disposition that holds sway
But your kindness is an inborn trait
over you; does incense bestow anything but its fragrance?
Can anything but goodness lead you?
فمَهْمَاso whatever تَصِبْyou attain خَيْراًgood فَقَدْthen indeed جَدَرَتْhave proved worthy بهِof it
فمَهْمَا تَصِبْ خَيْراً فَقَدْ جَدَرَتْ بهِ
فَضَائلٌvirtues لَمْnever يَضْمَمْenfold عَلَىaround مثْلِهَاtheir like بُرْدُa mantle
فَضَائلٌ لَمْ يَضْمَمْ عَلَى مثْلِهَا بُرْدُ
So whatever good you attain, it is deserved
So whatever good you do, virtues have made you deserve it
by virtues whose like no mantle has ever enfolded.
No chill can penetrate such warmth
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.