تنافستكَvied for you منamong الأعيادthe festivals أربعةٌfour
تنافستكَ من الأعياد أربعةٌ
شتّىdiverse علىacross أربَعٍfour شتىdifferent منof المِللِthe faiths
شتّى على أربَعٍ شتى من المِللِ
Four festivals vied for you,
Four festivals vied for you,
each distinct, from four distinct faiths:
Diverse, belonging to four different faiths:
الفصحُEaster والفِطرُand Eid al-Fitr والنيروزُand Nowruz يقدمُهprecedes it
الفصحُ والفِطرُ والنيروزُ يقدمُه
عيدُthe feast of الفطيرِunleavened bread ازدحامَlike the crowding of الوردِthose arriving at water بالنهلِamong those drinking
عيدُ الفطيرِ ازدحامَ الوردِ بالنهلِ
Easter, Eid al-Fitr, and Nowruz, preceded
Easter, Eid al-Fitr, and Nowruz, preceded
by the Feast of Unleavened Bread—the roses thronged with bees.
By the Feast of Unleavened Bread—crowding like arrivals at water among drinkers.
جاءتْthey came سراعاًswiftly تباريvying with one another فيin أزمَّتهاtheir reins
جاءتْ سراعاً تباري في أزمَّتها
تكادُthey nearly تسبقُoutstrip شوقاًout of longing مبلغَthe farthest reach of الأملِhope
تكادُ تسبقُ شوقاً مبلغَ الأملِ
They came swiftly, racing one another at full rein,
They came swiftly, racing one another at their reins,
nearly outstripping, in longing, hope’s farthest reach,
Almost outstripping, in longing, the farthest reach of hope.
فيwithin مدةٍa span عدّةُthe count of العشرينَtwenty أولُهاits ultimate extent
في مدةٍ عدّةُ العشرينَ أولُها
متىwhen شفتْthey healed بكَthrough you ماwhat لاقتْthey suffered منof العللِailments
متى شفتْ بكَ ما لاقتْ من العللِ
within a span of twenty days, beginning
Within a span whose count comes to twenty,
when, through you, it found healing from the maladies it had suffered.
When, through you, they healed the ills they had suffered.
وغيرand not بِدْعsomething unprecedented أنِthat اشتاقتْthey longed إلىfor ملكٍa king
وغير بِدْع أنِ اشتاقتْ إلى ملكٍ
فيin كلّevery مجدٍglory وخيرand goodness سائرwidely current المثلِthe proverb
في كلّ مجدٍ وخير سائر المثلِ
And no wonder they longed for a king
And no wonder that they longed for a king,
proverbial for every glory and every good.
A byword for every glory and goodness.
بهthrough him أُديلتwere granted victory تواليthe later days of الدهرِtime فانتصفتْand so won redress
به أُديلت توالي الدهرِ فانتصفتْ
أيامُهits days الآنَnow منfrom أيامِهits days الأُولِthe earliest
أيامُه الآنَ من أيامِه الأُولِ
Through him Time’s succeeding ages were granted their turn, and
Through him, time’s later days were granted victory, and
its present days won redress from its former days.
Its days now won redress from its earliest days.
أضحتْhave become بهthrough him أخرياتُthe latter days of الدهرtime لابسةًwearing
أضحتْ به أخرياتُ الدهر لابسةً
فخراًpride يقومُstands مقامَin the place of الحلْيjewelry والحللِand fine robes
فخراً يقومُ مقامَ الحلْي والحللِ
Through him the latter days of Time came to wear
Through him, time’s latter days have come to wear
a glory that takes the place of jewels and splendid robes.
Pride that takes the place of jewels and fine robes.
فاسلمso remain safe علىthroughout الدهرِtime ياO ابنson of الأكرمينَthe noblest لهfor it
فاسلم على الدهرِ يا ابن الأكرمينَ له
لاno بلrather لمعتصمfor one seeking refuge منهfrom it وذيand one possessing أملhope
لا بل لمعتصم منه وذي أمل
So live safe for all Time, O son of those most generous to Time—
So live unharmed through time, O son of the noblest, for its sake—
no, rather, to one who seeks refuge from it, and one possessed of hope.
No—rather, for those seeking refuge from it, and those who hope.
Sol 6.1