يُعْجِزُbaffles الفِكْرَthe mind مَاwhat يُريدُdesires الفُؤَادُthe heart
يُعْجِزُ الفِكْرَ مَا يُريدُ الفُؤَادُ
فِيكَconcerning you يَاO خيْرَbest مَنْthose who بِمَدْحٍwith praise يرَادُare sought
فِيكَ يَا خيْرَ مَنْ بِمَدْحٍ يرَادُ
What the heart desires baffles the mind,
Concerning you, O best of those whom praise would seek.
مَاnot عَرَفْنَاwe have known فِيamong النَّاسِpeople قَبْلَكَbefore you فَرْداًa single person
مَا عَرَفْنَا فِي النَّاسِ قَبْلَكَ فَرْداً
تَتَحَلَّىadorn themselves بِهِwith him الصِّفَاتُthe qualities الْجِيَادُnoble
تَتَحَلَّى بِهِ الصِّفَاتُ الْجِيَادُ
Before you, we knew no one among humankind
With whom noble qualities adorn themselves.
مَاnot رَأَيْنَاwe have seen ذَاone possessing نِعْمَةٍa blessing كَبرَتْgrew great لاَnot
مَا رَأَيْنَا ذَا نِعْمَةٍ كَبرَتْ لاَ
يَتَوَلَّىundertakes تصْغِيرَهَاbelittling it الْحُسَّادُthe envious
يَتَوَلَّى تصْغِيرَهَا الْحُسَّادُ
Never have we seen one whose blessing grew great without
The envious undertaking to belittle it.
مَاnot شَهِدْنَاwe have witnessed بِغيْرِexcept in وَصْفِكَdescribing you أِنْthat يَسْpart of 'be equal'
مَا شَهِدْنَا بِغيْرِ وَصْفِكَ أِنْ يَسْ
تَوِيcompletion of 'be equal' الْوَامِقُونَthe admirers وَالأَضْدَادُand the adversaries
تَوِي الْوَامِقُونَ وَالأَضْدَادُ
Never, except in describing you, have we seen
Admirers and adversaries agree.
مَاnot عَهِدْنَاwe have known فِيin كَاتِبٍa writer أَنَّthat مِنْamong آpart of 'his marvels'
مَا عَهِدْنَا فِي كَاتِبٍ أَنَّ مِنْ آ
يَاتِهِcompletion of 'his marvels' صَوْغَfashioning الدُّرِّthe pearls وَهْوَthough it is مِدَادُink
يَاتِهِ صَوْغَ الدُّرِّ وَهْوَ مِدَادُ
Never have we known a writer whose marvels include
Fashioning pearls from ink itself.
مَاnot سمِعْنَاwe have heard نُطْقاًspeech بِهِat it يَزْدَهِيglories المِنْpart of 'the pulpit'
مَا سمِعْنَا نُطْقاً بِهِ يَزْدَهِي المِنْ
بَرُcompletion of 'the pulpit' عجْباًin pride وَتطْرَبُand rejoice الأَعْوادُthe timbers
بَرُ عجْباً وَتطْرَبُ الأَعْوادُ
Never have we heard speech that makes the pulpit
Exult in pride and its timbers rejoice.
رُبَّmany a جَمْعٍgathering وَقَفْتَyou stood فِيهِin it خَطِيباًas an orator
رُبَّ جَمْعٍ وَقَفْتَ فِيهِ خَطِيباً
أَنْصَتَتْlistened silently فِيwithin صُدُورِهِits breasts الأَكْبَادُthe livers
أَنْصَتَتْ فِي صُدُورِهِ الأَكْبَادُ
Many a gathering in which you stood as orator—
The very livers in their breasts listened in silence.
هَكَذَاthus البَحْرُthe sea يَمْلِكُseizes الْحِسَّthe senses رَوْعاًwith awe
هَكَذَا البَحْرُ يَمْلِكُ الْحِسَّ رَوْعاً
وَجَلاَلاًand majesty دَوِيُّهُits roar الْهَدَّادُshattering
وَجَلاَلاً دَوِيُّهُ الْهَدَّادُ
So the sea seizes the senses with awe
And majesty, through its shattering roar.
هَكَذَاthus السَّيْلُthe torrent قَاذِفاًhurling مَاءَهُits water المُبْpart of 'whitened'
هَكَذَا السَّيْلُ قَاذِفاً مَاءَهُ المُبْ
يَضَّcompletion of 'whitened' حَتَّىuntil يُظَنَّis imagined فِيهِwithin it اتِّقَادُa blaze
يَضَّ حَتَّى يُظَنَّ فِيهِ اتِّقَادُ
So the torrent hurls its whitened water,
Until one imagines a blaze within it.
أَنْتَyou صَوْتُthe voice الضَّمِيرِof conscience يَسْأَلُasks for عَدْلاًjustice
أَنْتَ صَوْتُ الضَّمِيرِ يَسْأَلُ عَدْلاً
حَيْثُمَاwherever العَدْلُjustice رَحْمَةٌmercy وَسَدَادُand rectitude
حَيْثُمَا العَدْلُ رَحْمَةٌ وَسَدَادُ
You are the voice of conscience asking for justice,
Wherever justice is mercy and rectitude.
تَرْتقِيyou ascend مَاas much as تَشَاءُyou wish فِيin القَوْلِspeech حَتَّىuntil
تَرْتقِي مَا تَشَاءُ فِي القَوْلِ حَتَّى
يَحْبِسَholds back الْقَلْبُthe heart نَبْضَهُits beating أَوْor يَكَادُnearly does
يَحْبِسَ الْقَلْبُ نَبْضَهُ أَوْ يَكَادُ
You soar as high as you wish in speech, until
The heart stops beating, or nearly does.
كُلَّمَاwhenever جُزْتَyou traversed فِيin الْبلاغَةِeloquence شَأْواًa distance
كُلَّمَا جُزْتَ فِي الْبلاغَةِ شَأْواً
وَاسْتَزَادُواand they asked for more مَنَحْتَهُمْyou granted them مَاwhat اسْتَزَادُواthey requested more of
وَاسْتَزَادُوا مَنَحْتَهُمْ مَا اسْتَزَادُوا
Whenever you pass a milestone in eloquence,
And they ask for more, you grant them what they ask.
تَرْهَبُfears العَيْنُthe eye طَرْفَةَa blink الجَفْنِof the eyelid مِنْout of حِرْpart of 'eagerness'
تَرْهَبُ العَيْنُ طَرْفَةَ الجَفْنِ مِنْ حِرْ
صٍcompletion of 'eagerness' عَلَىfor لَحْظَةٍa glimpse لهُof him تُسْتَفَادmay be gained
صٍ عَلَى لَحْظَةٍ لهُ تُسْتَفَاد
The eye dreads an eyelid's blink, so eager
To gain a glimpse of him.
مَاwhat is الِّنظامthe composition الْبَدِيعُexquisite مَاwhat is المِعْزَفُthe musical instrument المُرْpart of 'dance-inducing'
مَا الِّنظام الْبَدِيعُ مَا المِعْزَفُ المُرْ
قِصُcompletion of 'dance-inducing' مَاwhat are المُنْشِدُونَthe singers مَاwhat is الإِنْشَادُsinging
قِصُ مَا المُنْشِدُونَ مَا الإِنْشَادُ
What is exquisite composition? What is the instrument
That makes one dance? What are singers? What is song?
رُبَّmany a عِرْضٍhonor دَبَّcrept الشَّقَاءُmisery إِلَيْهِtoward it
رُبَّ عِرْضٍ دَبَّ الشَّقَاءُ إِلَيْهِ
وَمَشَىand walked السُّوءُevil خَلْفَهُbehind it يَرْتادُprowling
وَمَشَى السُّوءُ خَلْفَهُ يَرْتادُ
Many a person's honor, toward which misery crept,
And evil followed, prowling in its wake,
صُنْتَهyou protected it بِالنَّدَىthrough generosity وَلاَand no شَاهِدٌwitness إِلاَّexcept
صُنْتَه بِالنَّدَى وَلاَ شَاهِدٌ إِلاَّ
النَّدَىgenerosity وَالمَكَانُand the place وَالمِيعَادُand the appointed time
النَّدَى وَالمَكَانُ وَالمِيعَادُ
You shielded through generosity, with no witness but
Generosity, the place, and the appointed time.
رُبَّmany a ذِيperson of فِطْنَةٍinsight أَسَاءَdid harm إِلَيْهِto him
رُبَّ ذِي فِطْنَةٍ أَسَاءَ إِلَيْهِ
زَمَنٌan age غَالِبٌprevailing عَلَيْهِover it الْفَسَادُcorruption
زَمَنٌ غَالِبٌ عَلَيْهِ الْفَسَادُ
Many a man of insight has been wronged
By an age in which corruption prevails.
كَادَhe nearly لَوْif لَمْnot تُدْرِكْهُyou rescued him يَهْجُرُhe forsakes طِرْساًa page
كَادَ لَوْ لَمْ تُدْرِكْهُ يَهْجُرُ طِرْساً
أَصْبَحَhad become الحِبْرُthe ink فِيهِon it وَهْوَwhile it was حِدَادُmourning
أَصْبَحَ الحِبْرُ فِيهِ وَهْوَ حِدَادُ
But for your rescue, he would have all but forsaken a page
On which the ink had become mourning.
إِنْif يَكُis الْجُودُgenerosity لاَno نَفَادَexhaustion لَهُfor it عِنْpart of 'with you'
إِنْ يَكُ الْجُودُ لاَ نَفَادَ لَهُ عِنْ
دَكَcompletion of 'with you' يَوْماًever أَمَاdoes ... not? لِمَالٍfor wealth نَفَادُan end
دَكَ يَوْماً أَمَا لِمَالٍ نَفَادُ
If your generosity knows no end,
Does wealth not have an end?
بِكَin you إِذْwhen تُسْتَعَادُare requested again مِنْكَfrom you الأَيَادِيthe favors
بِكَ إِذْ تُسْتَعَادُ مِنْكَ الأَيَادِي
فَرَحُthe joy الشَّاعِرِof the poet الَّذِيwho يُسْتَعَادُis asked to repeat
فَرَحُ الشَّاعِرِ الَّذِي يُسْتَعَادُ
Yours, when favors are sought from you again,
Is the joy of a poet asked to recite again.
أَيُّهَاO الْفَاضِلُthe noble one الحَبِيبُthe beloved one الَّذِيwho فَاpart of 'parted from us'
أَيُّهَا الْفَاضِلُ الحَبِيبُ الَّذِي فَا
رَقَنَاcompletion of 'parted from us' سَاعَةًfor an hour وَطَالَand grew long الْبِعَادُthe separation
رَقَنَا سَاعَةً وَطَالَ الْبِعَادُ
O noble, beloved one who parted
From us for an hour, and the separation grew long.
قَدْindeed بَذَرْتَyou have sown الجَمِيلَkindness فِيin كُلِّevery قَلْبٍheart
قَدْ بَذَرْتَ الجَمِيلَ فِي كُلِّ قَلْبٍ
فَنَمَاso it grew وَهْوَwhile it was حُرْمَةٌreverence وَوِدَادُand affection
فَنَمَا وَهْوَ حُرْمَةٌ وَوِدَادُ
You have sown kindness in every heart,
So it grew into reverence and affection.
لِيَكُنْmay be بَيْتُكَyour house الَّذِيwhich شِدْتَyou built صَرْحاًa lofty edifice
لِيَكُنْ بَيْتُكَ الَّذِي شِدْتَ صَرْحاً
رُكْنُهُits cornerstone المَجْدُglory وَالرِّفَاءُand concord الْعِمَادُthe pillar
رُكْنُهُ المَجْدُ وَالرِّفَاءُ الْعِمَادُ
May the house you have built be a lofty edifice,
With glory its cornerstone and concord its pillar.
أَوْor سَمَاءًa heaven عَرُوسُكَyour bride الشَّمْسُthe sun فِيهَاwithin it
أَوْ سَمَاءً عَرُوسُكَ الشَّمْسُ فِيهَا
وَالنُّجُومُand the stars السُّعُودُgood fortunes وَالأَوْلاَدُand the children
وَالنُّجُومُ السُّعُودُ وَالأَوْلاَدُ
Or a heaven where your bride is the sun,
And good fortune and children are the stars.
Translation model: Sol 6.1