إِذا غَدَوتَ عَنِ الأَوطانِ مُرتَحِلاً

إِذا غَدَوتَ عَنِ الأَوطانِ مُرتَحِلاً

فَضاهِ في البَينِ حذفَ الواوُ مَن يَعِدِ

فَضاهِ في البَينِ حذفَ الواوُ مَن يَعِدِ

If you set out, departing from your homelands,

When you leave your homelands as a wanderer

then, in parting, emulate the omission of wāw from yaʿid (‘he promises’).

And the separation cuts the string of intimacy

كانَت فَبانَت وَما حَنَّت إِلى وَطَنٍ

كانَت فَبانَت وَما حَنَّت إِلى وَطَنٍ

وَعادَ غادٍ إِلى وَكرٍ وَلَم تَعُدِ

وَعادَ غادٍ إِلى وَكرٍ وَلَم تَعُدِ

It was there, then departed, and never yearned for a homeland;

The homelands will appear and cease to yearn

and a dawn wanderer returned to its nest, but the wāw did not return.

While the one who left returns to his lair but you do not return

سَعِدَت إِن كُنتَ بَحراً فائِضاً بِجَداً

سَعِدَت إِن كُنتَ بَحراً فائِضاً بِجَداً

وَالبَحرُ لَيسَ بِمَحسوبٍ مِنَ السُعُدِ

وَالبَحرُ لَيسَ بِمَحسوبٍ مِنَ السُعُدِ

May you prosper if you are a sea overflowing with bounty,

You will be fortunate if you are an ocean overflowing with generosity

though the sea is not counted among the fortunate.

And the ocean is not counted among the fortunate