آيةٌa verse مِنْof بَديعِexquisite سِحْرِmagic of البَيانِeloquence
آيةٌ مِنْ بَديعِ سِحْرِ البَيانِ
أُحْكِمَتْwas perfected ثمَّthen فُصِّلَتْwas expounded فيin عُمَانِOman
أُحْكِمَتْ ثمَّ فُصِّلَتْ في عُمَانِ
A verse of eloquence's exquisite magic,
A verse from the exquisite magic of eloquence
perfected, then expounded in Oman.
Perfectly composed then articulated in Oman
الأُلَىthose who يُؤمِنُونَbelieve بِالشِّعرِin poetry قُربىkinship
الأُلَى يُؤمِنُونَ بِالشِّعرِ قُربى
وإليهمand to them أنسابُthe lineages of عِلمِthe science of المعانيmeanings
وإليهم أنسابُ عِلمِ المعاني
Those who believe in poetry as kinship,
The proud ones believe in poetry as kin
and to them the science of meanings traces its lineage.
And to them belong the lineages of the science of meanings
الأُباةُthe unbowed الكُماةُthe armored champions فيin كلِّevery عَصْرٍage
الأُباةُ الكُماةُ في كلِّ عَصْرٍ
أَهْلُهاher people فيin طلائعِthe vanguard of الفُرسانِhorsemen
أَهْلُها في طلائعِ الفُرسانِ
The unbowed, the champions in every age—
The resolute, silent ones in every age
her people stand in the vanguard of horsemen.
Its people are in the vanguards of knights
مَشْرِقُthe sunrise of الأرضِthe earth والضُّحىand morning light فيin يَدَيْهاher two hands
مَشْرِقُ الأرضِ والضُّحى في يَدَيْها
كالسِّوارِlike a bracelet الزَّاهيradiant بماءِwith the lustre of الجُمانِpearls
كالسِّوارِ الزَّاهي بماءِ الجُمانِ
The earth's sunrise and morning light in her hands
The east of the earth and the morning are in its hands
are like a bracelet radiant with the lustre of pearls.
Like a bracelet glittering with the water of al-Juman
(مسقطٌMuscat) دارُa home of حِكمةٍwisdom وبديعٍand exquisite artistry
(مسقطٌ) دارُ حِكمةٍ وبديعٍ
(للخليلfor Al-Khalil بنson of أحمدَAhmad) الفَنَّانِthe artist
(للخليل بن أحمدَ) الفَنَّانِ
Muscat, a home of wisdom and exquisite artistry,
(Muscat) is the abode of wisdom and rhetoric
for Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad, the artist.
(For al-Khalil bin Ahmad) the artist
مَوْئلٌa haven تَسْبَحُswim البحارُthe seas إليهtoward it
مَوْئلٌ تَسْبَحُ البحارُ إليه
وإليهand to it انتهتْculminated عُلومُthe sciences of اللِّسانِlanguage
وإليه انتهتْ عُلومُ اللِّسانِ
A haven toward which the seas swim,
A harbor where the seas swim toward
and where the sciences of language reached their culmination.
And to it arrived the sciences of language
والسَّماءُand the sky العُلىlofty تَحنُّyearns (لنزوىfor Nizwa)
والسَّماءُ العُلى تَحنُّ (لنزوى)
قلبُهاits heart فيin مَودَّةٍaffection وحَنانِand tenderness
قلبُها في مَودَّةٍ وحَنانِ
And the lofty sky yearns for Nizwa,
And the Most High heaven yearns for (Nizwa)
its heart full of affection and tenderness.
Its heart in affection and tenderness
عَرَّسَتْhave alighted فيin (عُمانOman) زُرقُthe blue الغَواديmorning rainclouds
عَرَّسَتْ في (عُمان) زُرقُ الغَوادي
وتَخُطُّand inscribe البُروقُlightning flashes عَقْدَthe contract of القِرانِmarriage
وتَخُطُّ البُروقُ عَقْدَ القِرانِ
The blue morning rainclouds have alighted in Oman,
The boats of travelers docked in (Oman)
and lightning inscribes the marriage contract.
And lightning inscribes the verse of marriage
(مسقطٌMuscat)، مسقطُthe landing place of الغمامِclouds، ومَهْدُand the cradle of الـthe
(مسقطٌ)، مسقطُ الغمامِ، ومَهْدُ الـ
ـفِكرِthought، ينبوعُthe wellspring of مَوردِthe watering place of الظَّمآنِthe thirsty one
ـفِكرِ، ينبوعُ مَوردِ الظَّمآنِ
Muscat, the clouds' landing place and the cradle of
(Muscat), Muscat of the clouds, and cradle of
thought, the wellspring where the thirsty drink.
Thought, spring of the thirst quencher
فَخْرُهاher pride فَخْرُthe pride of أَحْرُفٍletters تَتبارىvie
فَخْرُها فَخْرُ أَحْرُفٍ تَتبارى
بجَمالِin the beauty of الفُنونِarts والأَفنانِand boughs
بجَمالِ الفُنونِ والأَفنانِ
Her pride is the pride of letters that vie
Its pride is the pride of letters that compete
in the beauty of arts and boughs.
In the beauty of arts and artists
فيin ثُغُورِthe mouths of الجِبالِthe mountains وشمُthe tattoo of القوافيrhymes
في ثُغُورِ الجِبالِ وشمُ القوافي
قُبَلٌkisses هَيَّجَتْstirred هُناhere أشجانيmy sorrows
قُبَلٌ هَيَّجَتْ هُنا أشجاني
In the mountains' mouths, the tattoo of rhymes—
In the peaks of mountains and the rhyming lines
kisses that have stirred my sorrows here.
A kiss that stirred my passions here
وعُرامًاand in wild passion، أشكوI complain of العُرامَwild passion إلىto مَنwhom
وعُرامًا، أشكو العُرامَ إلى مَن
كيفhow أُعْطىI am granted مِنfrom المِلاحِthe beauties أمانيmy safety
كيف أُعْطى مِن المِلاحِ أماني
And in wild passion—to whom can I complain of wild passion?
And gallantly, I complain of gallantry to one
How can I be granted safety from the beauties,
How can I be given of salt my wishes
قاتلاتيmy slayers بِاللَّحظِwith glances بِيضًاfair-skinned وسُمرًاand dark-skinned
قاتلاتي بِاللَّحظِ بِيضًا وسُمرًا
الغوانيthe beauties كمhow much جَرَّعَتْنيmade me swallow الغوانيthe beauties
الغواني كم جَرَّعَتْني الغواني
my slayers with their glances, fair-skinned and dark-skinned?
My deadly charmers, white and brown
The beauties—how much the beauties have made me swallow!
The coquettes - how much have the coquettes tortured me
لاdo not تَسَلْنيask me عُمانُOman عمّاabout what أعانيI suffer
لا تَسَلْني عُمانُ عمّا أعاني
أوor تُعانيsuffer منّيfrom me همومُthe cares of زمانيmy time
أو تُعاني منّي همومُ زماني
Do not ask me, Oman, about what I suffer,
Do not ask me, Oman, of what I suffer
or what the cares of my time suffer at my hands.
Or what troubles of my time trouble you
أناI فيon رحلةٍa journey جَهِلْتُI did not know مَداهاits extent
أنا في رحلةٍ جَهِلْتُ مَداها
عُمرٌa lifetime مَرَّpassed ليسis not إلّاexcept ثَوانِseconds
عُمرٌ مَرَّ ليس إلّا ثَوانِ
I am on a journey whose extent I did not know;
I am on a journey whose extent I do not know
a lifetime has passed—nothing but seconds.
A lifetime that passed, nothing but moments
ودُخانُand the smoke of اللَّهيبِthe blaze تحتbeneath ضُلُوعيmy ribs
ودُخانُ اللَّهيبِ تحت ضُلُوعي
كمhow often أُخَبِّيهِI hide it ساخرًاscoffing مِنat دُخانيmy smoke
كم أُخَبِّيهِ ساخرًا مِن دُخاني
And the smoke of the blaze lies beneath my ribs;
And the smoke of passion within my ribs
how often I hide it, scoffing at my smoke.
How much I conceal it, mocking my smoke
عَرَبِيٌّan Arab فَصاحةًin eloquence وبَيانًاand in expression
عَرَبِيٌّ فَصاحةً وبَيانًا
لمnot يَعُدْremains مِنof فَصيلةِthe species of الإنسانِhumankind
لم يَعُدْ مِن فَصيلةِ الإنسانِ
An Arab in eloquence and expression
An Arab in eloquence and rhetoric
no longer belongs to the human species.
No longer of the species of mankind
كلُّeveryone مَنْwho ثَغْرُهُhis mouth العروبةُArab identity أَضحىhas become
كلُّ مَنْ ثَغْرُهُ العروبةُ أَضحى
رَمْزَa symbol of رُعْبٍterror وذلّةٍand abasement، وهَوانِand humiliation
رَمْزَ رُعْبٍ وذلّةٍ، وهَوانِ
Everyone with Arab identity on their lips has become
All whose glory is Arabness have become
a symbol of terror, abasement, and humiliation.
Symbols of terror, humiliation, and defeat
أيُّwhat لونٍcolor لماfor what بَقيremains منof حياتيmy life
أيُّ لونٍ لما بَقي من حياتي
مِنbecause of انعدامِthe absence of الأضواءِlights والألوانِand colors
مِن انعدامِ الأضواءِ والألوانِ
What color is left in what remains of my life,
What color is left of my life
with lights and colors gone?
From the lack of lights and colors
خَلّيانيyou two, let me أبوحُI disclose عمّاabout what شَجانيhas grieved me
خَلّياني أبوحُ عمّا شَجاني
فعسانيso perhaps I may أَشجيmove to sorrow الجُموعَthe crowds عسانيperhaps I may
فعساني أَشجي الجُموعَ عساني
You two, let me speak of what has grieved me,
Leave me to reveal what excites me
so perhaps I may move the crowds to sorrow—perhaps I may.
Perhaps I will excite the crowds, excite them
وسَلانيand you two, ask me عَنِabout الصِّباyouth والصّباياand young women
وسَلاني عَنِ الصِّبا والصّبايا
وابتسامِand the smile of الغَمامclouds فيin (غمدانGhumdan)1
وابتسامِ الغَمام في (غمدان)1
And you two, ask me of youth and maidens,
And ask me of youth and maidens
and the clouds' smile in Ghumdan,
And the smiles of clouds in (Ghadan)
والخدودِand the cheeks المِلاحِlovely والفُلّand jasmine يرعىtends
والخدودِ المِلاحِ والفُلّ يرعى
هائماتِthe lovelorn maidens of القُصورthe palaces مِنfrom (عيبانAyban)
هائماتِ القُصور مِن (عيبان)
and the lovely cheeks, while jasmine tends
And the beautiful cheeks and blossoms grazing
the palaces' lovelorn maidens from Ayban.
The lovesick of palaces from (Uyban)
قبلاتُthe kisses of السّحابِclouds فيon وَجْنَتَيْهاher two cheeks
قبلاتُ السّحابِ في وَجْنَتَيْها
عاشقًاenamored of عِطْرَهاher fragrance وطِيبَand the sweetness of المكانِthe place
عاشقًا عِطْرَها وطِيبَ المكانِ
The clouds kiss her cheeks,
Kisses of clouds on its cheeks
enamored of her fragrance and the sweetness of the place.
Loving its fragrance and goodness of place
تشتكيcomplain of سِحْرَهاher enchantment قُلوبُthe hearts of العَذَارىvirgins
تشتكي سِحْرَها قُلوبُ العَذَارى
سحرُthe enchantment of صنعاءَSana'a ماnot لهfor it مِنany ثانِa second
سحرُ صنعاءَ ما له مِن ثانِ
The hearts of maidens complain of her enchantment;
The hearts of maidens complain of its magic
Sana'a's enchantment has no equal.
The magic of Sanaa has no equal
والزَّمانُand time الّذيwhich تَوَلَّىtook charge of يداهاher two hands
والزَّمانُ الّذي تَوَلَّى يداها
مَنwho يُضاهيrivals الزَّمانَtime أوor مَنwho يدانيcomes close
مَن يُضاهي الزَّمانَ أو مَن يداني
And time, which her hands have governed—
And the time which was in its hands
who can rival time, or who can come close?
Who can equal time or approach it
مَنْwho يَلُمْنيblames me إذاif تَغَزَّلْتُI sang love poetry فيهاabout her
مَنْ يَلُمْني إذا تَغَزَّلْتُ فيها
وافتخاريand my pride بأنَّنيin that I am صنعانِيa Sana'ani
وافتخاري بأنَّني صنعانِي
Who can blame me if I sing my love for her,
Who can blame me if I am infatuated with it
and take pride in being a Sana'ani?
And my pride that I am of Sanaa
جئتُI came أَشدوI sing بِعِشقِهاof love for her لِعُمانto Oman
جئتُ أَشدو بِعِشقِها لِعُمان
وإلىand to عُرْسِهاher wedding أزفُّI convey التَّهانيcongratulations
وإلى عُرْسِها أزفُّ التَّهاني
I have come to sing to Oman of my love for her,
I came to sing of my love for Oman
and to her wedding I bear congratulations,
And for its wedding I send congratulations
وأريجًاand a fragrance تَشُمُّهُsmell it الهِندُIndia والسِّندُand Sindh
وأريجًا تَشُمُّهُ الهِندُ والسِّندُ
يُسَمَّىis called عِطْرَthe perfume of الحبيبthe beloved اليمانيYemeni
يُسَمَّى عِطْرَ الحبيب اليماني
and a fragrance that India and Sindh breathe in,
And a perfume that India and Sindh smell
called the perfume of the Yemeni beloved.
Called the scent of the Yemeni beloved
Sol 6.1