لِيَهنِmay he rejoice الَّذيthe one whose تَسريtravel by night إِلَيكَto you رِكابُهُhis mounts
لِيَهنِ الَّذي تَسري إِلَيكَ رِكابُهُ
يُسايِرُkeeps pace فيin الوَجهِthe face العَبوسِfrowning بِهاwith them بِشرُcheerfulness
يُسايِرُ في الوَجهِ العَبوسِ بِها بِشرُ
May he rejoice whose mounts travel by night to you;
May he be congratulated, he whose feet walk towards you,
Cheerfulness keeps pace with them upon a frowning face.
Accompanying the frowning face with good news.
فَأَوَّلَso, at the first moment ماwhen يَمشيhe walks يُحاضِرُهُraces beside him العُلاglory
فَأَوَّلَ ما يَمشي يُحاضِرُهُ العُلا
وَأَوَّلَand at the first moment ماwhen يَسريhe travels by night يُطالِعُهُgreets him الفَجرُdawn
وَأَوَّلَ ما يَسري يُطالِعُهُ الفَجرُ
So as soon as he walks, glory races beside him;
The dawn is the first thing he sees when he walks,
And as soon as he travels by night, dawn greets him.
And the darkness is the first thing that lights his way when it’s night.
وَأَوَّلَand at the first moment ماwhen يُمسيhe enters evening يُضيءُshines لَهُfor him الدُجىdarkness
وَأَوَّلَ ما يُمسي يُضيءُ لَهُ الدُجى
وَأَوَّلَand at the first moment ماwhen يُضحيhe reaches forenoon يُطالِعُهُgreets him الزَهرُblossoms
وَأَوَّلَ ما يُضحي يُطالِعُهُ الزَهرُ
And as soon as he enters evening, darkness shines for him;
The flowers are the first thing he sees when it’s morning,
And as soon as he reaches forenoon, blossoms greet him.
If he was among the fallen of his time’s wars,
وَإِنand if كانَhe was مِنamong صَرعىthose felled حُروبِthe wars زَمانِهِof his age
وَإِن كانَ مِن صَرعى حُروبِ زَمانِهِ
فَقَدthen indeed جاءَhas come نَصرُvictory اللَهِof God فَليَهنِهِso may it gladden him النَصرُthe victory
فَقَد جاءَ نَصرُ اللَهِ فَليَهنِهِ النَصرُ
And if he was among those felled by the wars of his age,
God’s victory came and made him victorious.
Then God's victory has come; may victory bring him joy!
My hands are an ocean, and if I were to describe them
أَيادٍbounties هِيَthey are البَحرُthe sea الَّتيwhich لَوif وَصَفتُهاI described them
أَيادٍ هِيَ البَحرُ الَّتي لَو وَصَفتُها
بِأَفعالِهاthrough their deeds يُمناًin blessedness إِذاًthen نَفِدَwould be exhausted البَحرُthe sea
بِأَفعالِها يُمناً إِذاً نَفِدَ البَحرُ
Bounties that are the sea—were I to describe them
With their actions, the ocean would run out before I was done.
By their blessed deeds, the sea would be exhausted.
The ocean has shells and scattered pearls in it,
وَفيand in البَحرِthe sea أَصدافٌshells وَدُرٌّand pearls مُجَزَّعُvariegated
وَفي البَحرِ أَصدافٌ وَدُرٌّ مُجَزَّعُ
وَصَيدٌand fish وَهَذاand this البَحرُthe sea أَجمَعُهُall of it دُرُّpearls
وَصَيدٌ وَهَذا البَحرُ أَجمَعُهُ دُرُّ
And in the sea are shells and variegated pearls,
And fish, but this ocean, all of it is pearls.
And fish; yet this sea is pearls throughout.
That has a span, destination, and end,
وَذاكَand that one لَهُit has عَبرٌa shore وَمَقصىًand a farthest reach وَغايَةٌand a limit
وَذاكَ لَهُ عَبرٌ وَمَقصىً وَغايَةٌ
وَبَحرُكَand your sea فيin الإِحسانِbeneficence لَيسَthere is not لَهُfor it عَبرُa shore
وَبَحرُكَ في الإِحسانِ لَيسَ لَهُ عَبرُ
And that sea has a shore, a farthest reach, and a limit,
But your ocean of kindness has no span.
But your sea of beneficence has no shore.
Take my talk of glory and believe it,
تَغَنَّمtake as a prize أَحاديثيmy tales عَنِabout المَجدِglory وَاِقنَهاand treasure them
تَغَنَّم أَحاديثي عَنِ المَجدِ وَاِقنَها
فَأَنتَfor you الَّذيthe one who تَبقىyou endure عَلىthrough الدَهرِthe ages وَالذِكرُand renown
فَأَنتَ الَّذي تَبقى عَلى الدَهرِ وَالذِكرُ
Take my tales of glory as your prize, and treasure them;
For you are the one who remains, for eternities and memories.
For you endure through the ages, together with your renown.
The hand of generosity from you is great to me,
يَدُthe favor الجودِof generosity عِنديto me مِنfrom يَدَيكَyour two hands عَظيمَةٌgreat
يَدُ الجودِ عِندي مِن يَدَيكَ عَظيمَةٌ
وَأَعظَمُand greater مِنهاthan it عِندِيَto me الحَمدُpraise وَالشُكرُand gratitude
وَأَعظَمُ مِنها عِندِيَ الحَمدُ وَالشُكرُ
The generous favor I have from your two hands is great,
And greater than it to me is praise and thanks.
And greater than it, to me, are praise and gratitude.
Your highest, purest council is a mosque,
وَمَجلِسُكَand your court الأَعلىmost exalted المُطَهَّرُpurified مَسجِدٌa mosque
وَمَجلِسُكَ الأَعلى المُطَهَّرُ مَسجِدٌ
فَماso, not قُلتُI said خُذهاtake it خيفَةًfor fear أَنَّهاthat it is خَمرُwine
فَما قُلتُ خُذها خيفَةً أَنَّها خَمرُ
And your most exalted, purified court is a mosque;
So do not take my words as wine, for they are pure.
So I did not say, 'Take it,' for fear it was wine.
My eyes were not surprised by any barrenness,
وَماand not اِستَغرَبَتfound strange عَينايَmy two eyes قَفراًa wasteland فَإِنَّنيfor I
وَما اِستَغرَبَت عَينايَ قَفراً فَإِنَّني
خَرَجتُI set out وَبَينيand between me مِثلُهُits like صَفصَفٌa level plain قَفرُbarren
خَرَجتُ وَبَيني مِثلُهُ صَفصَفٌ قَفرُ
Nor did my eyes find a wasteland strange, for I
For when I went out, the likes of it were plentiful and barren.
Had set out with a like expanse intervening—a level, barren waste.
And when I saw the army in its meadow,
وَلَمّاand when رَأَيتُI saw الجَيشَthe army فيin عَرَصاتِهِhis courtyards
وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الجَيشَ في عَرَصاتِهِ
وَوَفدَand the delegation نَداهُhis bounty قُلتُI said هَذاthis هُوَit is الحَشرُthe gathering at Resurrection
وَوَفدَ نَداهُ قُلتُ هَذا هُوَ الحَشرُ
And when I saw the army in his courtyards,
And the call of its assemblies drew near, I said "This is the gathering."
And the delegation seeking his bounty, I said: 'This is the Gathering!'
Partial English translation: 23 of 24 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1