لَكَyou have ياO شِهابُShihab الدينَal-Din أَخcharacter (first part)
لَكَ يا شِهابُ الدينَ أَخ
لاقٌcharacter (completion) أَرَقُّmore delicate مِنَthan النَسيمِthe breeze
لاقٌ أَرَقُّ مِنَ النَسيمِ
Yours, O Shihab al-Din, is a character
You, O Shihāb al-Dīn, my brother,
more delicate than the breeze.
Have a gentler temperament than the breeze.
وَلَكَand you have السَجاياcharacter traits الغُرُّradiant كَالlike the
وَلَكَ السَجايا الغُرُّ كَال
أَوضاحِbright gleams فيin اللَيلِthe night البَهيمِpitch-dark
أَوضاحِ في اللَيلِ البَهيمِ
And yours are radiant traits, like
And you have sublime traits, dark as
bright gleams in the pitch-dark night.
The luminous stars on a gloomy night.
وَمَناقِبٌand merits مِثلُlike النُجوthe stars (first part)
وَمَناقِبٌ مِثلُ النُجو
مِthe stars (completion) عُلاًin loftiness وَفيand in عَدَدِthe number of النُجومِthe stars
مِ عُلاً وَفي عَدَدِ النُجومِ
And merits like the stars
With glories like the stars, lofty and as numerous as the stars.
in loftiness, and as numerous as the stars.
Hear the words of a devoted man
إِسمَعhear مَقالَةَthe words of مُعرِبٍone who expresses
إِسمَع مَقالَةَ مُعرِبٍ
عَنof وُدِّهِhis affection المَحضِpure السَليمunblemished
عَن وُدِّهِ المَحضِ السَليم
Hear the words of one who speaks
About his sincere, total love:
of his pure, unblemished affection,
I make confession to you such as
أَدلىhe has offered إِلَيكَto you بِمِثلِwith the like of ماwhat
أَدلى إِلَيكَ بِمِثلِ ما
يُدليoffers الشَكورُthe grateful man إِلىto الكَريمِthe generous man
يُدلي الشَكورُ إِلى الكَريمِ
who has offered you the like of what
The grateful make to the generous.
the grateful man offers the generous.
So extend to me the rein of my order
فَاِبسُطso loosen عِقالَthe tether of خَلاعَتيmy revelry
فَاِبسُط عِقالَ خَلاعَتي
بِالراحِwith wine وَاِجلُand dispel بِهاwith it هُموميmy cares
بِالراحِ وَاِجلُ بِها هُمومي
So loosen the tether of my revelry
In comfort, and dispel my worries with it.
with wine, and with it dispel my cares.
And send with it a guide,
وَاِبعَثand send بِهاit تَمرِيَّةًmade from dates
وَاِبعَث بِها تَمرِيَّةً
إِنif أَعوَزَتis unavailable بِنتُthe daughter of الكُرومِthe grapevines
إِن أَعوَزَت بِنتُ الكُرومِ
And send it made from dates,
If the daughter of the vineyards is in want.
if the daughter of the vines is unavailable.
Excuse me, for I have let
وَاِعذُرand pardon me فَقَدfor indeed أَدلَلتُI have taken liberties إِدtaking liberties (first part)
وَاِعذُر فَقَد أَدلَلتُ إِد
لالَtaking liberties (completion) الحَميمِthe close friend عَلىwith الحَميمِthe close friend
لالَ الحَميمِ عَلى الحَميمِ
And pardon me, for I have taken liberties
The intimacy of a friend lead to intimacy.
as one close friend does with another.
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.