أَتَىhas come مِنْكَfrom you ياO فَخْرَpride of الأوانِthe age وزِينَةَand adornment of الزّ'time' (first fragment)
أَتَى مِنْكَ يا فَخْرَ الأوانِ وزِينَةَ الزّ
مانِ'time' (final fragment) نِظامٌa poem دُونَهُbeneath it الْجَوهَرُthe jewel الْفَرْدُpeerless
مانِ نِظامٌ دُونَهُ الْجَوهَرُ الْفَرْدُ
From you has come, O pride of the age and adornment of
From you, O pride of the age and adornment of time
time, a poem surpassing the peerless jewel.
Comes a composition whose essence is unmatched pearls
هُوَit الدُّرُّpearls لاno بَلءrather كالدَّرارِيlike the radiant stars بَلْrather غَداhas become
هُوَ الدُّرُّ لا بَلء كالدَّرارِي بَلْ غَدا
كَبَدْرِlike the full moon of السَّماthe sky لاno بَلْrather هُوَit الشَّمْسُthe sun إذْwhen تَبْدُوit appears
كَبَدْرِ السَّما لا بَلْ هُوَ الشَّمْسُ إذْ تَبْدُو
It is pearls—no, rather like the radiant stars; nay, it has become
It is pure gold, not prone to trials like twinkling stars
like the sky's full moon—no, rather it is the sun when it appears.
Rather it rose like the full moon, nay it is the sun when it rises
ومَاذاand what عَسىmight مَنْone who لَمْnot يكُنْbe رَبَّpossessor of نِصْفَةٍfairness
ومَاذا عَسى مَنْ لَمْ يكُنْ رَبَّ نِصْفَةٍ
يَقُولُsay وهَلand is ...? فيin مِثْلِthe like of ذَاthis يَحْسُنُis fitting الْجَحْدُdenial
يَقُولُ وهَل في مِثْلِ ذَا يَحْسُنُ الْجَحْدُ
And what might someone lacking fairness
What can one who is not Lord of fairness say?
say? And is denial fitting in a case like this?
And does it befit one to deny the like of this?
وهَلْand has ...? ضَرَّharmed شَمْسَthe sun of الأُفْقِthe horizon وَهْيَwhile it is مُنِيرَةٌradiant
وهَلْ ضَرَّ شَمْسَ الأُفْقِ وَهْيَ مُنِيرَةٌ
إذاwhen ضَعفَتْare too weak عَنْto withstand نُورِهاits light الأَعْيُنُthe eyes الرُّمْدُinflamed
إذا ضَعفَتْ عَنْ نُورِها الأَعْيُنُ الرُّمْدُ
And is the sun on the horizon, radiant as it is, harmed
The sun at dawn remains radiant though bleary eyes cannot bear its light
when inflamed eyes are too weak to bear its light?
What fault in the swelling sea if somewhere apes play?
ومَاذاand what عَلَىbefalls الْبَحْرِthe sea الْخِضَمِّvast لَدَىin the eyes of الْوَرَىhumankind
ومَاذا عَلَى الْبَحْرِ الْخِضَمِّ لَدَى الْوَرَى
إذاif بَالَurinates فيin إحْدَىone of جَوَانِبِهِits sides الْقِرْدُthe monkey
إذا بَالَ في إحْدَى جَوَانِبِهِ الْقِرْدُ
And what harm comes to the vast sea in people's eyes
What flaw of a fair-skinned beauty if she is shunned by one of blemish who lacks vigor?
if a monkey urinates at one of its sides?
He who says this sweet is bitter, say to him the bitterness is in you
وَمَاand what عَيْبُfault بَيْضاءِfair-skinned التَّرائِبthe upper chest فيin الدُّنَاthe world
وَمَا عَيْبُ بَيْضاءِ التَّرائِب في الدُّنَا
إذاif عَافَهاspurns her ذُوone afflicted with عِنَّةٍimpotence مالَهُhe has no جَهْدُvigor
إذا عَافَها ذُو عِنَّةٍ مالَهُ جَهْدُ
And what fault has a fair-bosomed woman in this world
If he says this sword does not cut, say its edge decides between us
if an impotent man with no vigor spurns her?
The virtues of God's grace abound, so one who denies them in ignorance, his denial is invalid
وَمَنْand whoever قَالَsays هذَاthis الشُّهْدُhoney مُرٌّbitter فَقُلْthen say لَهُto him
وَمَنْ قَالَ هذَا الشُّهْدُ مُرٌّ فَقُلْ لَهُ
مَرَارَةُthe bitterness of فِيكَyour mouth الْمُرِّمَرِّbitter; became bitter بِهاthrough it الشُّهْدُthe honey
مَرَارَةُ فِيكَ الْمُرِّمَرِّ بِها الشُّهْدُ
And whoever says, 'This honey is bitter,' tell him:
A noble youth has attained the path of glory and donned the garb of guidance, to which glory willingly accedes,
The bitterness of your bitter mouth has turned the honey bitter.
And his pillars in every lofty realm, despite his enemies, are his staunchest pillars.
وإنْand if قَالَhe says هذَاthis السَّيْفُsword لَيْسَis not بقاطِعٍcutting
وإنْ قَالَ هذَا السَّيْفُ لَيْسَ بقاطِعٍ
فَقُلْthen say حَدُّهُits cutting edge ماwhat lies بَيْنَناbetween us الْفَصْلُthe decisive judgment والْحَدُّand the boundary
فَقُلْ حَدُّهُ ما بَيْنَنا الْفَصْلُ والْحَدُّ
And if he says, 'This sword cannot cut,'
then say, 'Its edge is the verdict and the dividing line between us.'
مناقِبُthe virtues of لُطْفِLutf (name) اللهِAllah (name component) جَلَّتْare sublime فَمَنْso whoever غَدَاsets about
مناقِبُ لُطْفِ اللهِ جَلَّتْ فَمَنْ غَدَا
يُرَدِّدُهاrejects them جَهْلاًout of ignorance بِهاof them بَطَلَis futile الرَّدُّthe rejection
يُرَدِّدُها جَهْلاً بِها بَطَلَ الرَّدُّ
Lutf Allah's virtues are sublime; so whoever sets about
rejecting them in ignorance of them—his rejection is futile.
فَتىًa young man قَدْindeed غَداhas become فيin مَدْرَجِthe path of الْعِزِّhonor وارْتَديand clothed himself
فَتىً قَدْ غَدا في مَدْرَجِ الْعِزِّ وارْتَدي
بِثَوْبِin the robe of الْهُدَىguidance وانْقَادَand yielded طَوْعاًwillingly لَهُto him الْمَجْدُglory
بِثَوْبِ الْهُدَى وانْقَادَ طَوْعاً لَهُ الْمَجْدُ
A young man who has taken the path of honor and clothed himself
in the robe of guidance, and glory has willingly yielded to him.
وسُؤْدُدُهُand his nobility فيin كُلِّevery بابٍsphere مِنَof الْعُلَىeminence
وسُؤْدُدُهُ في كُلِّ بابٍ مِنَ الْعُلَى
بِرَغْمِdespite أَعاديهhis enemies هُوَit is الْسُؤْدُدُnobility الْعِدُّdeep-rooted
بِرَغْمِ أَعاديه هُوَ الْسُؤْدُدُ الْعِدُّ
And his nobility, in every sphere of eminence,
despite his enemies, is deep-rooted nobility.
Partial English translation: 14 of 22 Arabic lines translated.