أياO أَهْدىa surer guide منthan الشُّهُبِthe bright stars السَواريjourneying by night
أيا أَهْدى من الشُّهُبِ السَواري
وياand O أَندَىmore generous منthan السُّحُبِthe clouds الغِزارِheavy with rain
ويا أَندَى من السُّحُبِ الغِزارِ
O you, a surer guide than the stars that journey by night,
O you who are more generous than meteors flashing in the dark,
And O you, more generous than the rain-rich clouds,
And more glorious than abundant clouds pouring down rain,
إذاwhen اعتكَرتْdarkened علىover الأُمَمِthe nations اللّياليthe nights
إذا اعتكَرتْ على الأُمَمِ اللّيالي
أوِor افتخَرتْboasted ذَووthose possessing الهِمَمِaspirations الكِبارgreat
أوِ افتخَرتْ ذَوو الهِمَمِ الكِبار
When nights darken over the nations,
When the nights turn gloomy over nations,
Or those of lofty ambition boast.
Or the great ones boast in their pride,
أتاكcame to you مُبَشّراًbearing good news بالعِزِّof glory شَهْرٌa month
أتاك مُبَشّراً بالعِزِّ شَهْرٌ
كصِيتِكَlike your fame فيin المكارمِnoble deeds ذوpossessing اشْتِهارrenown
كصِيتِكَ في المكارمِ ذو اشْتِهار
A month has come to you heralding glory,
A month comes to you bearing good news of might,
Renowned, like your fame for noble deeds.
Well known for generosity as your reputation is,
وأكبرَand deemed it unseemly أنto يَزورَكَvisit you بعدَafter عامٍa year
وأكبرَ أن يَزورَكَ بعدَ عامٍ
ولمand did not يَصْحَبْهُaccompany it منany of تُحَفِgifts المَزارthe visit
ولم يَصْحَبْهُ من تُحَفِ المَزار
And it deemed it unseemly to visit you after a year
Too proud to visit you after a year
Without bringing any gifts for the visit.
Without gifts and souvenirs to offer,
فَصَّيرso it placed منهfrom itself يُمْناًgood fortune فيin يَمينِa right hand
فَصَّير منه يُمْناً في يَمينِ
وصَيّرَand it placed منهfrom itself يُسراًease فيin يَسارa left hand
وصَيّرَ منه يُسراً في يَسار
So it placed its good fortune in its right hand,
Make of it an auspicious gift for your right hand,
And placed its ease in its left hand.
And a felicitous one for your left,
وجاءand it came بمِلءِwith the fullness of كَفَّيْهِits two palms لتُمْسيso that you may pass the evening
وجاء بمِلءِ كَفَّيْهِ لتُمْسي
وتُصبِحَand pass the morning منfrom يدَيْهِits two hands فيamid نِشارscattered gifts
وتُصبِحَ من يدَيْهِ في نِشار
And it came with both its palms full, that you might spend the evening
It comes with both hands full so you may
And the morning amid bounty scattered from its hands.
Receive from it at morn and eve abundant bounty,
فصُمْهُso fast through it وبَعدَهُand after it أَلْفاًa thousand عليهin addition to it
فصُمْهُ وبَعدَهُ أَلْفاً عليه
بإسعادٍwith favor منfrom الفَلَكِthe celestial sphere المُدارset revolving
بإسعادٍ من الفَلَكِ المُدار
So fast through it, and a thousand more after it,
Shun and keep it away lest it boast
With favor from the revolving celestial sphere.
Of your bliss which the spheres have spun,
وقُمْهُand keep its vigils لجانِبَيْfor the two aspects of أَجْرٍreward وشُكْرٍand gratitude
وقُمْهُ لجانِبَيْ أَجْرٍ وشُكْرٍ
قِياماًfulfilling duties فيin سِرارِكَyour privacy والجِهارand openness
قِياماً في سِرارِكَ والجِهار
And keep its vigils for both reward and gratitude,
And honor it with reward and thanks,
Fulfilling, in your private life and in public,
Privately and openly professed,
بحَقِّwith the duty owed to اللهِGod آناءَthe hours of اللّياليthe nights
بحَقِّ اللهِ آناءَ اللّيالي
وحَقِّand the duty owed to النّاسِpeople أطْرافَthe ends of النّهارthe day
وحَقِّ النّاسِ أطْرافَ النّهار
God's due during the hours of night,
By God's right in the dark of nights,
And people's due at the day's ends.
And the people's right in daylight hours,
ودَعْand leave aside حَقِّيmy due أناI وَحْديI alone فإنّيfor I
ودَعْ حَقِّي أنا وَحْدي فإنّي
وَليُّكَyour loyal friend كيفhowever كانَmay be الأَمْرُthe affair جارrunning its course
وَليُّكَ كيف كانَ الأَمْرُ جار
And leave my due aside—mine alone—for I
Leave my own right, for I alone
Am your loyal friend, however affairs may go.
Am your partisan, be the matter as it may,
وإنand if أَحبَبْتَyou wish أنto تَقْضِيهsettle it فاعْجَلْthen hurry
وإن أَحبَبْتَ أن تَقْضِيه فاعْجَلْ
فماfor there is no بعدَafter العَشيّةِthe evening منany عَرارreturn
فما بعدَ العَشيّةِ من عَرار
And if you wish to settle it, make haste,
If you wish to fulfil it, then hasten—
For after evening there is no returning.
For nothing awaits after evening but disgrace,
ولاand do not تَقصِدْseek مُدافَعتيputting me off فإنّيfor I
ولا تَقصِدْ مُدافَعتي فإنّي
جُعلْتُmay I be made فِداكَyour ransom قدindeed طالَhas grown long انتظاريmy waiting
جُعلْتُ فِداكَ قد طالَ انتظاري
And do not seek to put me off, for I—
Seek not to dispute with me, for I
May I be your ransom—have waited long.
Have been waiting long, ready to sacrifice myself for you,
ودُمْand live on للمجدِfor glory فيin عَيشٍa life هَنئٍpleasant
ودُمْ للمجدِ في عَيشٍ هَنئٍ
يُطَرَّزُis embroidered باعْتلاءٍwith eminence واقْتِدارand might
يُطَرَّزُ باعْتلاءٍ واقْتِدار
And live on for glory, in a happy life,
Live on in glorious happiness
Embroidered with eminence and might,
Adorned with ascendance and power,
وفيand in عزٍّmight يَعِزُّis hard to overcome علىfor المُعادِيthe foe
وفي عزٍّ يَعِزُّ على المُعادِي
وفيand in طُولٍstature يَطولُtowers علىover المُباريthe rival
وفي طُولٍ يَطولُ على المُباري
And in might that defies the foe,
In might that frustrates all adversaries,
And in stature that towers over the rival,
And longevity that wearies all who vie,
ومُلْكٍand a reign مَدَّextended منfrom عُمُرٍa lifetime طويلٍlong
ومُلْكٍ مَدَّ من عُمُرٍ طويلٍ
وزينَand adorned بنظْمِwith a string of أيّامٍdays قِصارshort
وزينَ بنظْمِ أيّامٍ قِصار
And a reign prolonged through a long lifetime,
A kingdom whose days are prolonged
And adorned with a string of short days.
And grouped in short well-arranged eras.
Sol 6.1