لِأَبيfor Abu عَلِيٍّAli مُرتَقىًan elevated station
لِأَبي عَلِيٍّ مُرتَقىً
فيat ذُروَةِthe summit of العَلياءِglory شاهِقtowering
في ذُروَةِ العَلياءِ شاهِق
Abu Ali has an elevated station,
towering at the summit of glory,
وَمَواهِبٌand gifts كَالغَيثِlike rain يُتhe follows up (first part)
وَمَواهِبٌ كَالغَيثِ يُت
بِعhe follows up (completion) سابِقاًan earlier one مِنهاamong them بِلاحِقwith a later one
بِع سابِقاً مِنها بِلاحِق
and gifts like rain—he follows
an earlier gift with a later one.
وَبِوَجهِهِand on his face بِشرٌcheerfulness مَخاsigns (first part)
وَبِوَجهِهِ بِشرٌ مَخا
ئِلُهُits signs (completion) لِشائِمِهِto one who observes it صَوادِقtrue; reliable
ئِلُهُ لِشائِمِهِ صَوادِق
And on his face is gladness whose signs
prove true to one who watches for them.
قَسَماًI swear بِمُزجيby Him who drives السُحبِthe clouds تَحdrive onward (first part)
قَسَماً بِمُزجي السُحبِ تَح
دوهاdrive them onward (completion) الرَواعِدُthe thunderclaps وَالبَوارِقand lightning flashes
دوها الرَواعِدُ وَالبَوارِق
I swear by Him who drives the clouds,
urged onward by thunder and lightning,
وَمُسَيِّرِand Him who sets in motion الشُهبِthe meteors الثَواthe piercing (first part)
وَمُسَيِّرِ الشُهبِ الثَوا
قِبِpiercing (completion) فيin المَغارِبِthe wests وَالمَشارِقand the easts
قِبِ في المَغارِبِ وَالمَشارِق
and who guides the piercing meteors
through the wests and the easts;
وَبِساطِحِand by Him who spreads الأَرضِthe earth المِهاthe resting bed (first part)
وَبِساطِحِ الأَرضِ المِها
دِresting bed (completion) وَرافِعِand Him who raises السَبعِthe seven الطَرائِقheavenly paths
دِ وَرافِعِ السَبعِ الطَرائِق
and by Him who spreads the earth as a resting bed,
and raises the seven heavenly paths;
وَبِسَيفِهِand by His sword المَسلولِthe unsheathed صِنbrother; counterpart (first part)
وَبِسَيفِهِ المَسلولِ صِن
وِbrother; counterpart (completion) نَبِيَّهِHis Prophet خَيرِthe best of الخَلائِقcreatures
وِ نَبِيَّهِ خَيرِ الخَلائِق
and by His unsheathed sword, the brother
of His Prophet, the best of creatures,
أَلمُغمِدِwho sheathes البيضَthe gleaming swords الصَوارِthe keen-edged (first part)
أَلمُغمِدِ البيضَ الصَوارِ
مَkeen-edged (completion) فيin الجَماجِمِthe skulls وَالمَفارِقand the crowns of heads
مَ في الجَماجِمِ وَالمَفارِق
who sheathes the gleaming, keen-edged swords
in skulls and the crowns of heads;
مَنhe who قالَsaid لِلدُنياto the world اِذهَبيgo away
مَن قالَ لِلدُنيا اِذهَبي
عَنّيfrom me إِلَيكِaway with you فَأَنتِso you are طالِقdivorced
عَنّي إِلَيكِ فَأَنتِ طالِق
who said to the world, 'Go
away from me! Be off—you are divorced!'—
بِوَلائِهِthrough allegiance to him يَتَمَيَّزُis distinguished الthe
بِوَلائِهِ يَتَمَيَّزُ ال
بَرُّrighteous man التَقِيُّthe God-fearing مِنَfrom المُنافِقthe hypocrite
بَرُّ التَقِيُّ مِنَ المُنافِق
by allegiance to him is distinguished the
righteous, God-fearing man from the hypocrite,
وَبِحُبِّهِand through love of him تُستَدفَعُare warded off الthe
وَبِحُبِّهِ تُستَدفَعُ ال
نِقَمُcalamities; punishments النَوازِلُthe descending وَالبَوارِقand lightning bolts
نِقَمُ النَوازِلُ وَالبَوارِق
and through love of him are warded off the
calamities that descend, and the lightning bolts—
إِنَّindeed المُوَفَّقَal-Muwaffaq إِنif عَرَتbefalls
إِنَّ المُوَفَّقَ إِن عَرَت
كَyou خَصاصَةٌpoverty; need خِلٌّa close friend مُوافِقcongenial; supportive
كَ خَصاصَةٌ خِلٌّ مُوافِق
that al-Muwaffaq, if poverty befalls
you, is indeed a congenial friend:
صافيpure in نِجارِthe stock of العودِthe wood عَذsweet (first part)
صافي نِجارِ العودِ عَذ
بُsweet (completion) المُجتَناthe gathered fruit حُلوُsweet in الخَلائِقcharacter
بُ المُجتَنا حُلوُ الخَلائِق
of pure stock is his wood; sweet
is the fruit he yields, and sweet his character;
رَحبُample in القِرىhospitality وَالباعِand reach; generosity لاnot
رَحبُ القِرى وَالباعِ لا
تَدعوهُyou call on him إِلّاexcept فيin المَضائِقdire straits
تَدعوهُ إِلّا في المَضائِق
ample are his hospitality and reach; never
do you call on him except in dire straits.
كَذَبَتproved false مَوَدّاتُthe affections of الرِجالِmen
كَذَبَت مَوَدّاتُ الرِجالِ
وَليbut I have صَديقٌa friend مِنهُin him صادِقtrue
وَلي صَديقٌ مِنهُ صادِق
The affections of men have proved false,
but in him I have a true friend.
أَناI فيin مُهِمِّpressing matters among مَآرِبيmy needs
أَنا في مُهِمِّ مَآرِبي
وَمَطالِبيand my pursuits بِنَداهُin his bounty واثِقconfident
وَمَطالِبي بِنَداهُ واثِق
I, in my pressing needs
and pursuits, have confidence in his bounty.
وَلِسانُand the tongue of شُكريmy gratitude بِالثَناin praise (first part)
وَلِسانُ شُكري بِالثَنا
ءِpraise (completion) عَلَيهِof him عُمرَthroughout the span of الدَهرِtime ناطِقspeaking
ءِ عَلَيهِ عُمرَ الدَهرِ ناطِق
And the tongue of my gratitude, in praise
of him, speaks for all time.
فَاِمدُدso prolong لَناfor us فيin عُمرِهِhis lifetime
فَاِمدُد لَنا في عُمرِهِ
وَاِعمُرand make flourish بِهِthrough him يارَبِّO Lord باسِقBasiq
وَاِعمُر بِهِ يارَبِّ باسِق
So prolong his life for us,
and through him, O Lord, keep Basiq flourishing,
وَاِجعَلهُand place him فيin حِصنٍa stronghold حَصيwell-fortified (first part)
وَاِجعَلهُ في حِصنٍ حَصي
نٍwell-fortified (completion) آمِناًsafe مِنfrom كُلِّevery طارِقnight-comer; calamity
نٍ آمِناً مِن كُلِّ طارِق
and place him within a well-fortified stronghold,
safe from every calamity that comes by night,
ماas long as اِستَلَّis unsheathed فيin الظَلماءِthe darkness مِنfrom
ما اِستَلَّ في الظَلماءِ مِن
غِمدِthe scabbard of الغَمامَةِthe cloud سَيفُa sword of بارِقa lightning flash
غِمدِ الغَمامَةِ سَيفُ بارِق
as long as, in the darkness, there is drawn from
the cloud's scabbard a sword of lightning.