أَيُّwhich المَمالِكِthe kingdoms أَيُّهاwhich of them
أَيُّ المَمالِكِ أَيُّها
فيin الدَهرِtime; the ages ماnot رَفَعَتraised شِراعَكyour sail
في الدَهرِ ما رَفَعَت شِراعَك
Which of the kingdoms—which one of them,
Which of the kingdoms—which of them—
throughout the ages, has not raised your sail?
has not, throughout time, raised your sail?
ياO أَبيَضَwhite; unblemished الآثارِthe deeds; the traces وَالصand the (start of 'pages')
يا أَبيَضَ الآثارِ وَالص
صَفَحاتِpages (continued) ضُيِّعَwas ruined مَنwhoever أَضاعَكsquandered you
صَفَحاتِ ضُيِّعَ مَن أَضاعَك
O you, radiant through monuments and pages—
O you of white deeds and
lost was whoever let you be lost.
pages—may whoever squandered you be ruined!
إِنَّindeed البَيانَeloquence وَإِنَّand indeed حُسsoundness (start)
إِنَّ البَيانَ وَإِنَّ حُس
نَending of 'soundness' العَقلِreason ماnot زالاthe two ceased مَتاعَكyour possessions
نَ العَقلِ ما زالا مَتاعَك
Indeed, eloquence—and excellence
Indeed, eloquence and indeed the soundness
of reason—have ever remained your treasure.
of reason have remained your possessions.
أَبَداًalways تُذَكِّرُناyou remind us الَّذيthose who (start)
أَبَداً تُذَكِّرُنا الَّذي
نَending of 'those who' جَلَواthey made shine عَلىupon الدُنياthe world شُعاعَكyour radiance
نَ جَلَوا عَلى الدُنيا شُعاعَك
Forever you remind us of those
Forever you remind us of those
who spread your radiance across the world,
who made your radiance shine upon the world,
وَبَنَواand they built مَنارَكَyour beacon عالِياًhigh
وَبَنَوا مَنارَكَ عالِياً
مُتَأَلِّقاًresplendent وَبَنَواand they built قِلاعَكyour fortresses
مُتَأَلِّقاً وَبَنَوا قِلاعَك
who built your beacon high,
and built your beacon high,
resplendent, and built your citadels,
resplendent, and built your fortresses,
وَتَحَكَّمواand they ruled بِكَthrough you فيin الوُجوexistence (start)
وَتَحَكَّموا بِكَ في الوُجو
دِending of 'existence' تَحَكُّماًa mastery كانَwas اِبتِداعَكyour invention
دِ تَحَكُّماً كانَ اِبتِداعَك
and through you held dominion over existence—
and through you ruled over existence
a mastery born of your invention—
with a mastery that was your invention.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen جِئتَyou came الأَناhumankind (start)
حَتّى إِذا جِئتَ الأَنا
مَending of 'humankind' بِأَهلِwith those versed in حِكمَتِهِits wisdom أَطاعَكit obeyed you
مَ بِأَهلِ حِكمَتِهِ أَطاعَك
until, when you came to humankind
Until, when you came to humankind
with the masters of its wisdom, it obeyed you.
with those versed in its wisdom, it obeyed you.
وَاليَومَand today عَقَّit showed ingratitude كَأَنَّماas though
وَاليَومَ عَقَّ كَأَنَّما
يَنسىit forgets جَميلَكَyour kindness وَاِصطِناعَكand your beneficence
يَنسى جَميلَكَ وَاِصطِناعَك
Yet today you are disowned, as though
And today it has turned ungrateful, as though
it forgets your favor and beneficence.
it forgets your kindness and your beneficence.
فَاِبلَغso reach (as written) فَدَيتُكَmay I be your ransom كُلَّall ماwater (start)
فَاِبلَغ فَدَيتُكَ كُلَّ ما
ئِكَending of 'water,' with 'your' فَالمَلاfor the multitude يَنويintends اِبتِلاعَكswallowing you
ئِكَ فَالمَلا يَنوي اِبتِلاعَك
Press on, my life be your ransom, across the whole expanse
So reach—may I be your ransom—all your
of your waters—the multitude means to swallow you.
water, for the multitude intends to swallow you.
Sol 6.1