إِنّيindeed I لِفَضلِكَfor your bounty بِالمَديحِwith praise أُجازيrepay
إِنّي لِفَضلِكَ بِالمَديحِ أُجازي
شَتّانَhow far apart بَينَbetween حَقيقَةٍreality وَمَجازِand metaphor
شَتّانَ بَينَ حَقيقَةٍ وَمَجازِ
I repay your bounty with praise.
With praise I repay your kindness
How far apart are reality and metaphor!
Vast is the difference between reality and metaphor
فَضلاًa bounty بِهِbecause of it ضاقَwas too confined الكَلامُall speech بِأَسرِهِin its entirety
فَضلاً بِهِ ضاقَ الكَلامُ بِأَسرِهِ
فَضلاًlet alone عَنِbeyond الإِرمالِcomposing in ramal meter وَالإِرجازِand composing in rajaz meter
فَضلاً عَنِ الإِرمالِ وَالإِرجازِ
A bounty that all speech is too narrow to contain,
Your kindness overwhelmed all speech
Let alone verse in ramal and rajaz.
Beyond prosody and meter
إِنif رُمتُI sought بِالنَظمِthrough verse البَديعِexquisite صِفاتِهِits qualities
إِن رُمتُ بِالنَظمِ البَديعِ صِفاتِهِ
لَمnot أَلقَI encounter غَيرَanything but نِهايَةِthe utmost الإِعجازِinimitability
لَم أَلقَ غَيرَ نِهايَةِ الإِعجازِ
If I seek its qualities in exquisite verse,
If I compose on the beauties of your attributes
I encounter only the height of inimitability.
I find only the pinnacle of eloquence
رُضتَyou tamed العُلومَthe sciences فَأَصبَحَتso they became إِذwhen أَصبَحَتthey became
رُضتَ العُلومَ فَأَصبَحَت إِذ أَصبَحَت
وَجِيادُهاand their steeds تَمشيwalk بِلاwithout مِهمازِa spur
وَجِيادُها تَمشي بِلا مِهمازِ
You tamed the sciences, so that now
You mastered the sciences, so they advanced when advanced
Their steeds walk without a spur.
And their steeds stride without stumbling
وَسَمَوتَand you surpassed هِرمَسَHermes وَالرَئيسَand al-Ra'is وَثابِتاًand Thabit
وَسَمَوتَ هِرمَسَ وَالرَئيسَ وَثابِتاً
فَضلاًin excellence عَلىabove الطوسِيَّal-Tusi وَالشيرازيand al-Shirazi
فَضلاً عَلى الطوسِيَّ وَالشيرازي
You surpassed Hermes, al-Ra'is, and Thabit,
You surpassed Hermes, the Chief, and Thābit
In excellence, above al-Tusi and al-Shirazi as well.
In excellence over Tusi and Shirazi
وَالشِعرُand poetry ثوبٌa garment لَيسَnot يَعرِفُknows قَدرَهُits worth
وَالشِعرُ ثوبٌ لَيسَ يَعرِفُ قَدرَهُ
مِنfrom بَعدِafter حائِكِهِits weaver سِوىexcept بِزّازِa cloth merchant
مِن بَعدِ حائِكِهِ سِوى بِزّازِ
Poetry is a garment whose worth none knows,
Poetry is a garment whose value
After its weaver, save a cloth merchant.
None knows after its weaver but the draper
وَهَزَزتَand you shook أَغصانَthe branches of الكَلامِspeech فَساقَطَتso they showered down
وَهَزَزتَ أَغصانَ الكَلامِ فَساقَطَت
دُرَراًpearls فَلاso may not عَدِمَتكَthey be deprived of you مِنas a هَزّازِshaker
دُرَراً فَلا عَدِمَتكَ مِن هَزّازِ
You shook the branches of speech, and they showered down
You shook the branches of speech and there fell
Pearls—may they never lack you as their shaker!
Pearls, and you lacked no shaker
وَنَشَرتَand you spread فيin أَقصىthe farthest reaches of البِلادِthe lands فَضائِلاًvirtues
وَنَشَرتَ في أَقصى البِلادِ فَضائِلاً
غُرّاًradiant رَزَأتَyou diminished بِهِنَّthrough them ذِكرَthe renown of الرازيal-Razi
غُرّاً رَزَأتَ بِهِنَّ ذِكرَ الرازي
You spread virtues to the farthest lands,
You spread virtues throughout the farthest lands
Radiant virtues, with which you eclipsed al-Razi's renown.
Experiments you adorned, making Razi remembered
وَتَرَكتَand you left فُرسانَthe knights of الكَلامِspeech لِقايَةًcastoffs
وَتَرَكتَ فُرسانَ الكَلامِ لِقايَةً
حَتّىso that كَأَنَّكَas though you بِالفَضائِلِthrough virtues غازيa conqueror
حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ بِالفَضائِلِ غازي
You left the knights of speech mere castoffs,
You left the knights of speech confounded
So that you seemed a conqueror through your virtues.
As if by virtues you stormed their encampment
فَإِذاso when الجِدالُdebate أَوِor الجِلادُcombat حَواهُمُgathers them
فَإِذا الجِدالُ أَوِ الجِلادُ حَواهُمُ
فيon يَومِa day of تَبريزٍexcelling وَيَومِand a day of بِرازِsingle combat
في يَومِ تَبريزٍ وَيَومِ بِرازِ
When debate or combat brings them together,
Whenever they entered into debate or combat
On a day of excelling and a day of single combat,
On the day of Tabriz and the day of Barāz
نَظَرواthey looked إِلَيكَat you بِأَعيُنٍwith eyes مُزَوَرَّةٍaverted
نَظَروا إِلَيكَ بِأَعيُنٍ مُزَوَرَّةٍ
نَظَرَthe gaze of البُغاثِweak birds إِلىtoward اِلتِفاتِthe turning of البازيthe hawk
نَظَرَ البُغاثِ إِلى اِلتِفاتِ البازي
They look at you with averted eyes,
They looked at you with devious eyes
As weak birds watch the hawk turn its head.
As the stork looks askance at the falcon
ياO سابِقَone who outstrips الوَعدِthe promise المَقولِspoken بِفِعلِهِwith his deed
يا سابِقَ الوَعدِ المَقولِ بِفِعلِهِ
فَيَحولُthus he separates بَينَbetween المَطلِdelay وَالإيجازِand brevity
فَيَحولُ بَينَ المَطلِ وَالإيجازِ
O you who outstrip the spoken promise with deeds,
O fulfiller of promises, who acts upon his word
Thus keeping delay and brevity apart.
And prevents any gap between word and deed
كَمhow often قَدindeed أَسَأتُI did wrong مُهاجِراًshunning وَمُجاهِراًand speaking openly
كَم قَد أَسَأتُ مُهاجِراً وَمُجاهِراً
فَعَزَيتُso I found consolation بِالإِكرامِin honor وَالإِعزازِand esteem
فَعَزَيتُ بِالإِكرامِ وَالإِعزازِ
How often I have done wrong, shunning you and speaking openly,
How often I wronged, openly and in secret
Yet found consolation in honor and esteem.
Yet you honored and esteemed me
ياO صاحِبَgiver of المِنَنِfavors الَّتيwhose آثارُهاeffects
يا صاحِبَ المِنَنِ الَّتي آثارُها
فيناwithin us كَفِعلِlike the effect of الغَيثِrain بِالإِرجازِon barren ground (apparently الأجراز)
فينا كَفِعلِ الغَيثِ بِالإِرجازِ
O giver of favors whose effects
O owner of favors whose traces
Within us are like rain upon barren ground (reading uncertain).
Affect us like rain upon parched land
لِدِيارِfor the lands of مِصرَEgypt الهَناءُjoy وَإِنeven if غَداthere came to be
لِدِيارِ مِصرَ الهَناءُ وَإِن غَدا
لِلزَومِbecause of the continuance of بُعدِكَyour absence وَالعِراقِand Iraq تَعازيcondolences
لِلزَومِ بُعدِكَ وَالعِراقِ تَعازي
Joy belongs to Egypt's lands, even if now
Egypt's prosperity, though it tomorrow
Your lasting absence brings Iraq condolences.
Grieves your absence, and Iraq consoles
قَوَّضتَyou struck camp عَنaway from أَعلامِهاits landmarks فَتَنَكَّرَتso it grew unfamiliar
قَوَّضتَ عَن أَعلامِها فَتَنَكَّرَت
فَكَأَنَّهاso it is as though it ثَوبٌa garment بِغَيرِwithout طِرازِembroidery
فَكَأَنَّها ثَوبٌ بِغَيرِ طِرازِ
You struck camp and left its landmarks; it grew unfamiliar,
You undermined its leaders and it was altered
As though it were a garment without embroidery.
As if a garment lacking trim
ماnot لِلمُقيمِa resident has بِحَصرِto encompass بَعضِsome of صِفاتِهِhis qualities
ما لِلمُقيمِ بِحَصرِ بَعضِ صِفاتِهِ
قِبَلٌthe ability فَكيفَso how لِعابِرٍcould a traveler مُجتازِpassing through
قِبَلٌ فَكيفَ لِعابِرٍ مُجتازِ
Even a resident cannot encompass some of his qualities;
What claim has one confined to some attributes
How then could a passing traveler have the power?
Let alone a passerby making haste?
وَجَلَوتَand you unveiled شِعريmy poetry فيin المَحافِلِgatherings بَعدَماafter
وَجَلَوتَ شِعري في المَحافِلِ بَعدَما
أَخفَيتُهُI hid it بِدَفاتِرٍin notebooks وَجُزازِand paper scraps
أَخفَيتُهُ بِدَفاتِرٍ وَجُزازِ
You unveiled my poetry in gatherings, after
You brought out my poetry in gatherings though
I had hidden it in notebooks and scraps of paper.
I had hidden it in notebooks and folders
وَخَطَبتَand you requested مِنّيfrom me بَعدَafter ذاكَthat إِجازَةًauthorization
وَخَطَبتَ مِنّي بَعدَ ذاكَ إِجازَةً
عَنconcerning نَقلِهِits transmission حَتّىuntil ظَنَنتُكَI thought you هازيjesting
عَن نَقلِهِ حَتّى ظَنَنتُكَ هازي
After that, you asked me for authorization
After that you sought permission from me
To transmit it, until I thought you were jesting.
To transmit it, so I thought you a wooer
هَلdoes يَخطُبُseek المَولىthe master إِجازَةَpermission from عَبدِهِhis slave
هَل يَخطُبُ المَولى إِجازَةَ عَبدِهِ
وَيَرومُand seeks مِنfrom مَولاهُhis dependent خَطَّa written document of جَوازِpermission
وَيَرومُ مِن مَولاهُ خَطَّ جَوازِ
Does a master seek his slave's permission,
Does the Master seek his slave's permission
And ask his dependent for a written permit?
Or desire from his Master license to profess?
وَلَقَدand indeed أَجَبتُI replied بِأَنby saying that أَجَزتُI granted permission بِخِدمَةٍas a service
وَلَقَد أَجَبتُ بِأَن أَجَزتُ بِخِدمَةٍ
فيwith غايَةِthe utmost التَلخيصِsuccinctness وَالإيجازِand brevity
في غايَةِ التَلخيصِ وَالإيجازِ
I duly replied, granting leave as a service,
I responded by permitting with utmost
With the utmost succinctness and brevity.
Concision and terseness in service
وَأُذِنتُand I gave permission (contextual reading) أَنthat تَرويهِyou transmit it عَنّيon my authority مالِكيmy master
وَأُذِنتُ أَن تَرويهِ عَنّي مالِكي
مَعalong with كُلُّall ماthat تَعزوهُyou ascribe it نَحويto me عازيascriber
مَع كُلُّ ما تَعزوهُ نَحوي عازي
And I gave leave for you to transmit it on my authority, my master,
And I allowed Maliki to narrate it from me
Along with all you ascribe to me, O ascriber.
Along with all you ascribe to me, citing me
فَهيَso it is الإِجازَةُthe authorization وَالوَداعُand the farewell لِأَنَّهاbecause it
فَهيَ الإِجازَةُ وَالوَداعُ لِأَنَّها
صَدَرَتwas issued وَمُرسِلُهاwhile its sender عَلىin أوفازِhaste
صَدَرَت وَمُرسِلُها عَلى أوفازِ
It is both authorization and farewell, for it
Such is the authorization and farewell, for they
Was sent while its sender was in haste,
Were issued while the sender was most faithful
مُتَوَقَّعُhoping for (contextual reading) الإِغضاءِindulgence عَنtoward تَقصيرِهِhis shortcoming
مُتَوَقَّعُ الإِغضاءِ عَن تَقصيرِهِ
مَنwho ذاis there يُوازِنُcan match فَضلَكُمyour excellence وَيُوازيand equal
مَن ذا يُوازِنُ فَضلَكُم وَيُوازي
Hoping for indulgence toward his shortcomings.
Hoping to be pardoned for his shortcomings
Who can match your excellence and equal it?
Who can equal your virtues and repay you?
وَإِذاand if عَجِزتُI am unable عَنِto الجَزاءِrepay لَحَقَّكُمwhat is due to you
وَإِذا عَجِزتُ عَنِ الجَزاءِ لَحَقَّكُم
بِمَدائِحيwith my praises فَاللَهُthen God خَيرُthe best مُجازيrecompenser
بِمَدائِحي فَاللَهُ خَيرُ مُجازي
And if I cannot repay what is due to you
If I fall short of requiting what you deserve
With my praises, God is the best recompenser.
With my eulogies, then God is best requiter
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.