شَجَتناsaddened us مَطالِعُthe risings of أَقمارِهاher moons
شَجَتنا مَطالِعُ أَقمارِها
فَسالَتso flowed نُفوسٌsouls لِتَذكارِهاat her remembrance
فَسالَت نُفوسٌ لِتَذكارِها
The rising of her moons stirred our sorrow,
and souls poured forth at the memory of her.
وَبِتناand we spent the night نَحِنُّwe yearn لِتِلكَfor those القُصورِthe palaces
وَبِتنا نَحِنُّ لِتِلكَ القُصورِ
وَأَهلِand the people of القُصورِthe palaces وَزُوّارِهاand their visitors
وَأَهلِ القُصورِ وَزُوّارِها
We spent the night yearning for those palaces,
and for the people of the palaces and their visitors.
قُصورٌpalaces كَأَنَّas though بُروجَthe towers of السَماءِheaven
قُصورٌ كَأَنَّ بُروجَ السَماءِ
خُدورُthe private chambers of الغَوانيbeautiful women بِأَدوارِهاon their storeys
خُدورُ الغَواني بِأَدوارِها
Palaces—as though the towers of heaven
were the beauties' chambers upon their storeys.
ذَكَرناwe remembered حِماهاher sanctuary وَبَينَand between الضُلوعِthe ribs
ذَكَرنا حِماها وَبَينَ الضُلوعِ
قُلوبٌhearts تَلَظّىblaze عَلىupon نارِهاher fire
قُلوبٌ تَلَظّى عَلى نارِها
We recalled her sanctuary, while between our ribs
hearts blazed in her fire.
فَمَرَّتthen passed بِأَرواحِناthrough our souls هِزَّةٌa tremor
فَمَرَّت بِأَرواحِنا هِزَّةٌ
هِيَit is الكَهرَباءُelectricity بِتَيّارِهاwith its current
هِيَ الكَهرَباءُ بِتَيّارِها
Then a tremor passed through our souls:
electricity itself, with its current.
وَأَرضٌand a land كَسَتهاclothed her كِرامُthe noblest of الشُهورِthe months
وَأَرضٌ كَسَتها كِرامُ الشُهورِ
حَرائِرَsilks مِنfrom نَسجِthe weaving of آذارِهاher March
حَرائِرَ مِن نَسجِ آذارِها
And a land the noblest months had clothed
in silks woven by her March.
إِذاwhen نَقَّطَتهاdotted her أَكُفُّthe palms of الغَمامِthe clouds
إِذا نَقَّطَتها أَكُفُّ الغَمامِ
أَرَتكَshe showed you الدَراريthe brilliant stars بِأَزهارِهاin her flowers
أَرَتكَ الدَراري بِأَزهارِها
When the clouds' palms dotted her,
she showed you brilliant stars in her flowers.
وَإِنand if طالَعَتهاlooked upon her ذُكاءُthe sun of الصَباحِthe morning
وَإِن طالَعَتها ذُكاءُ الصَباحِ
أَرَتكَshe showed you اللُجَينَsilver بِأَنهارِهاin her rivers
أَرَتكَ اللُجَينَ بِأَنهارِها
And when the morning sun looked upon her,
she showed you silver in her rivers.
وَإِنand if هَبَّblew فيهاwithin her نَسيمُthe breeze of الأَصيلِlate afternoon
وَإِن هَبَّ فيها نَسيمُ الأَصيلِ
أَتاكَcame to you النَسيمُthe breeze بِأَخبارِهاwith news of her
أَتاكَ النَسيمُ بِأَخبارِها
And when the late-afternoon breeze stirred within her,
the breeze brought you news of her.
وَخِلٌّand a dear friend أَقامَsettled بِأَرضِin the land of الشَآمِal-Sham
وَخِلٌّ أَقامَ بِأَرضِ الشَآمِ
فَباتَتso she became تُدِلُّproudly boasts عَلىbefore جارِهاher neighbor
فَباتَت تُدِلُّ عَلى جارِها
And a dear friend settled in the land of al-Sham,
so she began to boast before her neighbor.
وَأَضحَتand she came to تَتيهُglory بِرَبِّin the master of القَريضِverse
وَأَضحَت تَتيهُ بِرَبِّ القَريضِ
كَتيهِlike the pride of البَواديthe desert lands بِأَشعارِهاin their poems
كَتيهِ البَوادي بِأَشعارِها
And she came to glory in the master of verse,
as the desert lands glory in their poetry.
وَلَلنيلُand surely the Nile أَولىmore entitled بِذاكَto that الدَلالِproud display
وَلَلنيلُ أَولى بِذاكَ الدَلالِ
وَمِصرُand Egypt أَحَقُّhas a greater right بِبَشّارِهاto her Bashshar
وَمِصرُ أَحَقُّ بِبَشّارِها
Yet surely the Nile has more right to that proud display,
and Egypt has the stronger claim to her Bashshar.
فَشَمِّرso gird yourself وَعَجِّلand hasten إِلَيهاto her المَآبَthe return
فَشَمِّر وَعَجِّل إِلَيها المَآبَ
وَخَلِّand leave الشَآمَal-Sham لِأَقدارِهاto her fates
وَخَلِّ الشَآمَ لِأَقدارِها
So gird yourself and hasten your return to her,
and leave al-Sham to her fates.
فَكَيفَso how لَعَمريby my life أَطَقتَcould you bear المُقامَthe stay
فَكَيفَ لَعَمري أَطَقتَ المُقامَ
بِأَرضٍin a land تَضيقُhas no room بِأَحرارِهاfor her free men
بِأَرضٍ تَضيقُ بِأَحرارِها
So how, by my life, could you bear to remain
in a land that has no room for her free men,
وَأَنتَand you المُشَمِّرُthe one girded for action إِثرَin pursuit of المَظالِinjustices (continued next line)
وَأَنتَ المُشَمِّرُ إِثرَ المَظالِ
مِcompletion of 'injustices' تَسعىyou strive إِلىtoward مَحوِerasing آثارِهاtheir traces
مِ تَسعى إِلى مَحوِ آثارِها
while you gird yourself to pursue injustices,
striving to erase their traces?
ثَأَرتَyou took vengeance on اللَياليthe nights وَأَقعَدتَهاand held them back
ثَأَرتَ اللَيالي وَأَقعَدتَها
بِمَصقولِwith the burnished عَزمِكَyour resolve عَنfrom ثارِهاtheir vengeance
بِمَصقولِ عَزمِكَ عَن ثارِها
You took vengeance on the nights and held them back,
with your burnished resolve, from their revenge.
إِذاwhen ثُرتَyou rose in revolt ماجَتsurged هِضابُthe hills of الشَآمِal-Sham
إِذا ثُرتَ ماجَت هِضابُ الشَآمِ
وَباتَتand they began تَرامىto hurl forth بِثُوّارِهاwith their rebels
وَباتَت تَرامى بِثُوّارِها
When you rise in revolt, the hills of al-Sham surge,
and begin to hurl their rebels forth.
أَلَستَare you not فَتاهاher champion وَمُختارَهاand her chosen one
أَلَستَ فَتاها وَمُختارَها
وَشِبلَand the lion-cub of فَتاهاher champion وَمُختارِهاand her chosen one
وَشِبلَ فَتاها وَمُختارِها
Are you not her champion and her chosen one,
and the lion-cub of her champion and chosen one?
وَإِنand if قُلتَyou spoke أَصغَتlistened مُلوكُthe kings of الكَلامِspeech
وَإِن قُلتَ أَصغَت مُلوكُ الكَلامِ
وَمالَتand turned إِلَيكَtoward you بِأَبصارِهاwith their eyes
وَمالَت إِلَيكَ بِأَبصارِها
And when you speak, the kings of speech listen,
and turn their eyes toward you.
أَداوودُO Dawud حَسبُكَenough for you أَنَّthat المَعالِhigh honors (continued next line)
أَداوودُ حَسبُكَ أَنَّ المَعالِ
يَcompletion of 'high honors' تَحسَبُcount دارَكَyour dwelling فيwithin دارِهاtheir dwelling
يَ تَحسَبُ دارَكَ في دارِها
O Dawud, let it suffice you that high honors
count your dwelling within their own,
وَأَنَّand that ضَمائِرَthe inner thoughts of هَذاthis الوُجودِexistence
وَأَنَّ ضَمائِرَ هَذا الوُجودِ
تَبوحُspeak openly إِلَيكَto you بِأَسرارِهاof their secrets
تَبوحُ إِلَيكَ بِأَسرارِها
and that the inner thoughts of this existence
confide their secrets to you,
وَأَنَّكَand that you إِمّاwhenever حَلَلتَsettle in الشَآمَal-Sham
وَأَنَّكَ إِمّا حَلَلتَ الشَآمَ
رَأَيناكَwe saw you جَدوَةَember (probable reading: جذوة) أَفكارِهاher thoughts
رَأَيناكَ جَدوَةَ أَفكارِها
and that, whenever you settle in al-Sham,
we see you as the ember of her thoughts;
وَإِنand if كُنتَyou are فيin مِصرَEgypt نِعمَhow excellent النَصيرِthe champion
وَإِن كُنتَ في مِصرَ نِعمَ النَصيرِ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَهابَتshe called بِأَنصارِهاupon her supporters
إِذا ما أَهابَت بِأَنصارِها
and if you are in Egypt, what a fine champion you are
whenever she calls upon her supporters!
Sol 6.1