اليَومtoday تَحسُدُهاenvies her الدنياthe world دَمَنهورُDamanhur
اليَوم تَحسُدُها الدنيا دَمَنهورُ
وَكُلُّand every زاهٍradiant one بَهىlovely بِالحُسنِfor beauty مَنظورِadmired
وَكُلُّ زاهٍ بَهى بِالحُسنِ مَنظورِ
Today the world envies Damanhur,
as does every radiant beauty admired for its loveliness.
وَالشَمسُand the sun تَرغَبُwishes لاnot تَجتازُto pass beyond ساحَتُهاher precincts
وَالشَمسُ تَرغَبُ لا تَجتازُ ساحَتُها
وَإِنand even if يَظَلَّremains سَناهاits radiance وَهوَwhile it is مَحصورِconfined
وَإِن يَظَلَّ سَناها وَهوَ مَحصورِ
The sun wishes never to pass beyond her precincts,
even if its radiance should remain confined.
وَاللَيلُand the night عَسعَسَdrew on حَتّىuntil الصُبحُthe dawn أَدرَكَهُovertook it
وَاللَيلُ عَسعَسَ حَتّى الصُبحُ أَدرَكَهُ
وَماand not تَنَفَّسَdrew breath إِلّاexcept وَهوَwhile it was مَبهورِdazzled
وَما تَنَفَّسَ إِلّا وَهوَ مَبهورِ
Night drew on until dawn overtook it,
and it breathed only in dazzled wonder.
وَالكَنسُand the retreating stars الغَرُّradiant رامَتwished أَنto تَكونَbe لَهاfor her
وَالكَنسُ الغَرُّ رامَت أَن تَكونَ لَها
خَوادِماًservants وَكَذاand likewise الوِلدانُthe youths وَالحورِand the houris
خَوادِماً وَكَذا الوِلدانُ وَالحورِ
The radiant, retreating stars wished to be her
servants, as did the youths and houris.
وَالبَدرُand the full moon شَوقاًin longing إِلىfor التَقبيلِkissing صَفحَتَهاher cheek
وَالبَدرُ شَوقاً إِلى التَقبيلِ صَفحَتَها
قَدindeed كادَalmost يَهبِطُdescends لاnot يُثنيهِdeters it تَقديرِa decree
قَد كادَ يَهبِطُ لا يُثنيهِ تَقديرِ
The full moon, longing to kiss her cheek,
had almost descended, with no decree to hold it back.
وَوُدُّand the longing عَرجونِهِof its curved palm stalk يَنحَطُّdescends مِنfrom عَظمِgrandeur
وَوُدُّ عَرجونِهِ يَنحَطُّ مِن عَظمِ
يُباشِرُundertakes الكَنسَthe sweeping فيهاwithin her وَهوَwhile it is مَسرورِdelighted
يُباشِرُ الكَنسَ فيها وَهوَ مَسرورِ
Its curved palm stalk longs to descend from its grandeur,
to undertake the sweeping within her, full of joy.
أَمّاas for الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades فَمِنso from جَرّاءِthe consequence of غَيرَتِهاher jealousy
أَمّا الثُرَيّا فَمِن جَرّاءِ غَيرَتِها
غارَتvanished حَياءًin shame وَنَظمُand the stringing العِقدِof the necklace مَنثورِscattered
غارَت حَياءً وَنَظمُ العِقدِ مَنثورِ
As for the Pleiades, because of her jealousy,
she vanished in shame, her necklace scattered.
وَكَيفَand how لاnot وَعُيونُand the eyes الحَظِّof fortune تَلحَظُهاwatch her
وَكَيفَ لا وَعُيونُ الحَظِّ تَلحَظُها
وَفَوزُهاand her triumph فيon جَبينِthe brow الدَهرِof time مَسطورِinscribed
وَفَوزُها في جَبينِ الدَهرِ مَسطورِ
And why not, when fortune's eyes watch over her,
and her triumph is inscribed upon time's brow?
وَفيand in السَعادَةِhappiness قَدindeed فاقَتsurpassed نَظائِرَهاher peers
وَفي السَعادَةِ قَد فاقَت نَظائِرَها
وَساعَدَتَهاand aided her بِماin what تَرجوshe hopes for المَقاديرِthe fates
وَساعَدَتَها بِما تَرجو المَقاديرِ
In happiness she has surpassed her peers,
and the fates have aided her in what she hopes for.
وَلَيسَand it is not بِدُعاa novelty فَرَبُّfor the lord البِرِّof beneficence شَرَفُهاhonored her
وَلَيسَ بِدُعا فَرَبُّ البِرِّ شَرَفُها
بِزَورَةِwith a visit قَدرِهاits worth فيin البِرِّbeneficence مَقدورِduly esteemed
بِزَورَةِ قَدرِها في البِرِّ مَقدورِ
Nor is this strange: the lord of bounty has honored her
with a visit whose worth in beneficence is duly esteemed.
فَياso, oh لَهاfor her زَورَةٌa visit ظَلَّتbecame بِمَقدَمِهِat his arrival
فَيا لَها زَورَةٌ ظَلَّت بِمَقدَمِهِ
لَهُfor him الجِباههُthe foreheads وَطاءَa carpet وَالحَشاand the hearts دورِhomes
لَهُ الجِباههُ وَطاءَ وَالحَشا دورِ
What a visit! At his arrival there were
foreheads for his carpet, and hearts for his homes.
مِنfrom يُمنِthe blessing إِقبالِهاof its arrival ماwhat قَدmay نُؤَرِّخُهُwe date it
مِن يُمنِ إِقبالِها ما قَد نُؤَرِّخُهُ
عَلىin نُمُوٍّgrowth عَلَتrose قَدراًin rank دَمَنهورِDamanhur
عَلى نُمُوٍّ عَلَت قَدراً دَمَنهورِ
From its auspicious arrival comes what we chronicle:
In flourishing, Damanhur has risen in rank.
تَبارَكَblessed be اللَهُGod ماذاwhat اليَومَthis day تَحسَبُهُdo you reckon it
تَبارَكَ اللَهُ ماذا اليَومَ تَحسَبُهُ
إِنif قيلَit is called عيدٌa festival فَتَقليلٌthen a belittling وَتَصغيرِand a diminishing
إِن قيلَ عيدٌ فَتَقليلٌ وَتَصغيرِ
Blessed be God! What do you reckon this day to be?
If called a festival, that is to belittle and diminish it.
أَوor قيلَit is called مَوسِمُa season عِزٍّof glory وَسِمِّهِand its mark حَسَنِbeautiful
أَو قيلَ مَوسِمُ عِزٍّ وَسِمِّهِ حَسَنِ
فيon وَجنَةِthe cheek الدَهرِof time لاnot يَعروهُbefalls it تَغبيرِdust
في وَجنَةِ الدَهرِ لا يَعروهُ تَغبيرِ
Or call it a season of glory, its mark beautiful
upon time's cheek, untouched by dust.
يَومٌa day بِهِon which القُطرُthe country ماhow أَحلاهُsweet it is آنِسَناgladdened us
يَومٌ بِهِ القُطرُ ما أَحلاهُ آنِسَنا
بِسَيِّدِwith the lord القُطرِof the country حَتّىuntil عَمَّناenveloped us all النورِthe light
بِسَيِّدِ القُطرِ حَتّى عَمَّنا النورِ
A day—how sweet!—when the country gladdened us
with the lord of the country, until light enveloped us all.
بِهِthrough him تَجَلّىshone forth مَقامَthe station المَجدِof glory وَاِنبَلَجَتand dawned
بِهِ تَجَلّى مَقامَ المَجدِ وَاِنبَلَجَت
حَقيقَةِthe essence النورِof light تُبديهاreveal it الأَساريرِthe facial features
حَقيقَةِ النورِ تُبديها الأَساريرِ
Through him glory's station shone forth, and there dawned
the essence of light, revealed in smiling features.
وَبَهجَةَand the splendor المُلكِof kingship جَنّاتٌgardens لَناto us ظَهَرَتappeared
وَبَهجَةَ المُلكِ جَنّاتٌ لَنا ظَهَرَت
عُروشُهاtheir trellises العِزُّglory وَالعَلياand eminence لَهاfor them سورِa wall
عُروشُها العِزُّ وَالعَليا لَها سورِ
And the splendor of kingship appeared to us as gardens,
whose trellises are glory, and whose wall is eminence.
ياO سابِعَseventh المالِكينَof the rulers المِصرَEgypt عَنfollowing أَثَرِfootsteps
يا سابِعَ المالِكينَ المِصرَ عَن أَثَرِ
وَالقَلبُand the heart يُنبيtells بِساميof the lofty الإِسمِname وَيُشيرِand points
وَالقَلبُ يُنبي بِسامي الإِسمِ وَيُشيرِ
O seventh of those who ruled Egypt in succession,
the heart tells of the lofty name and points to it.
وَمَنand the one who مِنَfrom الحِلمِforbearance قَدindeed شادواthey raised لَهَfor him لَقَباa title
وَمَن مِنَ الحِلمِ قَد شادوا لَهَ لَقَبا
مِصداقُهُits confirmation فيهِin him عُنونٌa heading وَتَفسيرِand an explanation
مِصداقُهُ فيهِ عُنونٌ وَتَفسيرِ
And you for whom they fashioned a title from forbearance,
its truth in you is both heading and explanation.
وَياand O هُماماًvaliant one لَهُfor him فيin مُلكِهِhis reign هِمَمٌlofty ambitions
وَيا هُماماً لَهُ في مُلكِهِ هِمَمٌ
عَنهاof them يُقصِرُfalls short إِنشاءَprose composition وَتَحبيرِand polished writing
عَنها يُقصِرُ إِنشاءَ وَتَحبيرِ
And O valiant one, with ambitions in your reign
that prose and polished writing cannot encompass!
عَبيدُslaves أَعتابِكُمyour thresholds أَهلَthe people البُحَيرَةِof Beheira مِنout of
عَبيدُ أَعتابِكُم أَهلَ البُحَيرَةِ مِن
إِخلاصِهِمtheir devotion نَحوَكُمtoward you وَالصِدقُand sincerity مَشهورِrenowned
إِخلاصِهِم نَحوَكُم وَالصِدقُ مَشهورِ
Slaves at your thresholds, the people of Beheira, out of
their devotion to you—and their sincerity is renowned—
مُقدِمونَoffering لِعَلياكُمto Your Highness ثَناءَهُمtheir praise
مُقدِمونَ لِعَلياكُم ثَناءَهُم
عَلىin وَلاءٍloyalty بِحُسنِfor the goodness القَصدِof intent مَنظورِadmired
عَلى وَلاءٍ بِحُسنِ القَصدِ مَنظورِ
offer their praise to Your Highness,
with loyalty admired for its good intent,
مُستَعطِفينَimploring favor تُواليyou continue عادَةًa custom ثَبَتَتbecame established
مُستَعطِفينَ تُوالي عادَةً ثَبَتَت
وَالعودُand returning أَحمَدmore praiseworthy فيin النَعماءِbeneficence مَأثورِhanded down
وَالعودُ أَحمَد في النَعماءِ مَأثورِ
imploring you to continue a firmly established custom;
and in generosity, “return is more praiseworthy” is proverbial.
فَعُدso return وَعُداand return again ياO رَعاكَmay He protect you اللَهُGod تَلقَyou will find بِهِمamong them
فَعُد وَعُدا يا رَعاكَ اللَهُ تَلقَ بِهِم
مِنof رائِقِpure الوُدِّaffection ماthat which لاno فيهِin it تَعكيرِclouding
مِن رائِقِ الوُدِّ ما لا فيهِ تَعكيرِ
So return, and return again—may God protect you! Among them you will find
a limpid affection with no trace of clouding.
وَاِسمَحand be generous بِفَضلِكَwith your bounty وَاِسمَعand hear ماwhat يَفوهُspeaks بِهِof it
وَاِسمَح بِفَضلِكَ وَاِسمَع ما يَفوهُ بِهِ
لِسانَthe tongue كُلٍّof each وَصَدرِand the heart الكُلِّof all مَسرورِglad
لِسانَ كُلٍّ وَصَدرِ الكُلِّ مَسرورِ
And be generous with your bounty, and hear what is uttered
by every tongue, while every heart rejoices:
تاجُthe crown المَليكِof the sovereign حُلىthe jewels التاريخِof history كَلِلَهِcrowned it
تاجُ المَليكِ حُلى التاريخِ كَلِلَهِ
شَرَفَتyou have ennobled مُلكُكَyour kingdom وَالإِحسانِand beneficence مَشكورِgratefully praised
شَرَفَت مُلكُكَ وَالإِحسانِ مَشكورِ
The sovereign's crown is adorned with the jewels of history;
you have ennobled your kingdom, and beneficence is gratefully praised.
وَأَنتَand You ياO مُبدِعُCreator الأَكوانِof the worlds مَدَلُّهُgrant him length
وَأَنتَ يا مُبدِعُ الأَكوانِ مَدَلُّهُ
فيin العُمرِlife وَالمُلكِand kingship مَحفوظٍprotected وَمَنصورِand victorious
في العُمرِ وَالمُلكِ مَحفوظٍ وَمَنصورِ
And You, O Creator of the worlds, grant him length
of life and reign, protected and victorious.
Sol 6.1