الْعَقْرُbarrennessنِيَّتُهُis his intentionوَالْمَوْتُand deathكَرَّتُهُis his assault
Barrenness is his intention and death is his assault.
مُجْتَازُone who crossesسَاحَتِهِhis courtyardبِالشَّرِّwith evilمَهْرُوقُis spilled
Whoever crosses his courtyard with evil has his blood spilled.
وَالسَّيْفُAnd the swordوَالرُّمْحُand the spearأَدْنَىcloserمِنْهُto himبَادِرَةًas a threat
The sword and the spear are closer to him as a threat.
وَالنَّبْلُAnd the arrowsأَهْوَنُmore trivialمِنْهُthan himوَالْمَزَارِيقُand the short spears
And arrows and short spears are more trivial than him.
وَالتُّرْكُAnd the Turksوَالدَّيْلَمُand the Daylamitesالْمَحْذُورُfearedبَأْسُهُمَاis their might
And the Turks and the Daylamites whose might is feared.
وَالزِّنْجُAnd the Zanjمِنْfromبَعْدِafterالرُّومِthe Byzantinesالْبَطَارِيقُthe patricians
And the Zanj, and after them the Byzantine patricians.
جَمَاعَةُThe groupالْقَوْمِof peopleإِنْifمَرُّواthey passبِسَاحَتِهِby his courtyard
If a group of people pass by his courtyard.
فَعِنْدَهُthen with himلِاجْتِمَاعِfor the gatheringالْقَوْمِof the peopleتَفْرِيقُis dispersion
Then with him the gathering of the people is dispersed.
أَوْOrمَرَّpassesجَيْشٌan armyعَلَيْهِagainst himكُلُّهُمْall of themبَطَلٌare heroes
Or if an army passes against him, all of whom are heroes.
إِذَاwhenأَنَاخَتْthey kneelبِهِمْwith themمِنْout ofخَوْفِهِfear of himالنُّوقُthe camels
When the camels kneel with them out of fear of him.
قُلْتُI saidلِصَدِيقٍto a friendلِيof mineأَتَعْرِفُdo you knowفِيinهَذَاthisالْمَعْنَىmeaningشَيْئاًanything?
I said to a friend of mine, 'Do you know anything about this meaning?'
قَالَHe saidنَعَمْyesوَأَنْشَدَنِيand he recited to meخَفِيفاًlightly
He said, 'Yes,' and recited to me in the Khafif meter.
قَالَHe saidلِيto meأَحْمَدُAhmadوَأَحْمَدُand Ahmadكَهْلٌis a mature man
Ahmad said to me, and Ahmad is a mature man.
لَيْسَthere is notفِيinالنَّاسِthe peopleمِثْلُهُlike himاثْنَانِtwo
There are not two like him among the people.
حُسْنُGoodness ofخُلُقٍcharacterوَحُسْنُand goodness ofخَلْقٍformوَعِلْمٌand knowledge
Goodness of character, goodness of form, and knowledge.
بَارِعٌsurpassingزَانَهُadorned himبِنُطْقِwith the speech ofلِسَانِa tongue
Surpassing, which adorned him with the speech of a tongue.
هُوَHeفِيinالْعَيْنِthe eyeزِينَةٌis an adornmentوَجَمَالٌand beauty
He is an adornment and beauty to the eye.
وَلَدَىAnd atالشُّرْبِthe drinking gatheringزِينَةُthe adornment ofالْبُسْتَانِthe garden
And at the drinking gathering, he is the adornment of the garden.
وَإِذَاAnd whenمَاeverالْمَرْءُa manضَاقَis constrictedبِالْهَمِّwith worryصَدْراًin chest
And whenever a man's chest is constricted with worry.
فَرَّجَrelievesالْهَمَّthe worryأَحْمَدُAhmadالْمَرْزَبَانُthe Marzuban
Ahmad the Marzuban relieves the worry.