رَشأٌa gazelle-fawn يَتيهstruts proudly بِمُقلةٍwith an eye وَبِحاجِبِand with an eyebrow
رَشأٌ يَتيه بِمُقلةٍ وَبِحاجِبِ
ماwhat بالهُhis condition حجبhe veiled الجَمالbeauty بِحاجبِwith a veil
ما بالهُ حجب الجَمال بِحاجبِ
A gazelle-fawn flaunts his eye and eyebrow.
A young man wandering with eyeliner and eyebrow
Why has he hidden beauty behind a veil?
Why does he veil beauty with an eyebrow?
وَرثinherited الأَمينal-Amin أَميرناour emir رتبranks العُلىeminence
وَرث الأَمين أَميرنا رتب العُلى
فَرضاas an allotted share فَلَيسَso there is no لَهُfor him بِهاin them مِنany حاجِبِone who bars inheritance
فَرضا فَلَيسَ لَهُ بِها مِن حاجِبِ
Al-Amin, our emir, inherited the ranks of eminence,
The trustee inherited the ranks of the sublime, our prince
As his allotted share, with none to bar him from them.
So he was content, and had no need for an eyebrow.
وَرَوَتand recounted شَمائلqualities لُطفِهِhis gentleness عَنfrom حلمِهِhis forbearance
وَرَوَت شَمائل لُطفِهِ عَن حلمِهِ
فَضلاًvirtue كَماjust as يُروىis recounted التُقىpiety عَنfrom حاجِبِHajib
فَضلاً كَما يُروى التُقى عَن حاجِبِ
And his gracious qualities recounted, from his forbearance,
The traits of his kindness narrated his forbearance
Virtue, as piety is recounted from Hajib.
As piety is narrated from an eyebrow.
وَعَنand of المَكارمnoble virtues أَعرَبَتspoke clearly أَخلاقُهُhis character
وَعَن المَكارم أَعرَبَت أَخلاقُهُ
فَبَنىso he built العُلىeminence وَنَحاهand sought him إِبنُson of الحاجِبِal-Hajib
فَبَنى العُلى وَنَحاه إِبنُ الحاجِبِ
And his character spoke of noble virtues;
And his morals expressed nobility
So he built eminence, and Ibn al-Hajib sought him.
The sublime was built and saved by the son of Al-Hajib.
شَرفnobility يدلpoints عَلىto عُلوّloftiness مَقامهhis station
شَرف يدل عَلى عُلوّ مَقامه
كَالشَمسlike the sun تَأذنheralds لِلظُهورfor emergence بِحاجِبِwith an upper rim
كَالشَمس تَأذن لِلظُهور بِحاجِبِ
Nobility attests to his exalted station,
An honor indicating the loftiness of his status
Like the sun, heralding its emergence with its upper rim.
Like the sun giving permission to rise with an eyebrow.
لَوif أَنَّthat تبّعTubbaʿ شاهدتbeheld أَبصارهhis eyes
لَو أَنَّ تبّع شاهدت أَبصاره
معناهhis true worth قامَhe stood بِبابهat his door كَالحاجبِlike a chamberlain
معناه قامَ بِبابه كَالحاجبِ
Had Tubbaʿ's eyes beheld
If Tubba had witnessed his sights
His true worth, he would have stood at his door like a chamberlain.
Its meaning stood at his door like a guard.