بِالحُسْنِbecause of the beauty مِنْof مَكْنَاسَةِMeknasa الزَّيْتُونِthe olives
بِالحُسْنِ مِنْ مَكْنَاسَةِ الزَّيْتُونِ
قَدْindeed صَحَّis justified عَذرُthe excuse النَّاظِرِthe beholder الْمَفْتُونِthe spellbound one
قَدْ صَحَّ عَذرُ النَّاظِرِ الْمَفْتُونِ
With all the beauty of Meknes of the Olives,
Because of the beauty of Meknasa of the Olives,
the enthralled beholder’s excuse stands justified.
The spellbound beholder’s excuse is indeed justified:
فَضْلِexcellence الْهَوَاءِthe air وَصِحَّةِand the purity الْمَاءِthe water الَّذِيthat
فَضْلِ الْهَوَاءِ وَصِحَّةِ الْمَاءِ الَّذِي
يَجْرِيflows بِهَاthrough it وَسَلاَمَةِand the wholesomeness الْمَخْزُونِwhat is stored
يَجْرِي بِهَا وَسَلاَمَةِ الْمَخْزُونِ
Its air’s excellence and the wholesomeness of the water
The excellence of the air, and the purity of the water that
that flows through it, and the soundness of all it stores;
Flows through it, and the wholesomeness of what is stored.
سَحَّتْpoured down عَلَيْهَاupon it كُلُّevery عَيْنٍeye ثَرَّةٍcopious
سَحَّتْ عَلَيْهَا كُلُّ عَيْنٍ ثَرَّةٍ
لِلْمُزْنِof the rain-clouds هَامِيةِpouring الْغَمَامِthe clouds هَتُونِraining without cease
لِلْمُزْنِ هَامِيةِ الْغَمَامِ هَتُونِ
Every brimming eye has poured down upon her—
Every copious eye poured down upon it,
the rainclouds’ streaming eye, the cloud pouring down.
Of rain-clouds, with clouds pouring without cease.
فَاحْمَرَّso reddened خَدُّthe cheek الْوَرْدِthe rose بَيْنَamid أَبَاطِحِgravelly streambeds
فَاحْمَرَّ خَدُّ الْوَرْدِ بَيْنَ أَبَاطِحِ
وَافْتَرَّand parted in a smile ثغرُthe mouth الزَّهْرِthe blossoms بِيْنَamong غُصُونِbranches
وَافْتَرَّ ثغرُ الزَّهْرِ بِيْنَ غُصُونِ
So the rose’s cheek reddened among her riverbeds,
So the rose’s cheek reddened amid gravelly streambeds,
and the blossom’s mouth smiled among the boughs.
And the blossoms’ mouth parted in a smile among branches.
وَلَقَدْand indeed كَفَاهَاsufficed for it شَاهِداًas a witness مَهْمَاwhenever ادَّعَتْit claimed
وَلَقَدْ كَفَاهَا شَاهِداً مَهْمَا ادَّعَتْ
قَصَبَthe prize السِّبَاقِof the race الْقُربُthe nearness مِنْto زَرْهُونZerhoun
قَصَبَ السِّبَاقِ الْقُربُ مِنْ زَرْهُون
Witness enough for her, however she lays claim
And indeed, witness enough for it, whenever it claimed
to the victor’s palm, is her nearness to Zerhoun.
The race’s prize, was its nearness to Zerhoun.
جَبَلٌa mountain تَضَاحَكَتِlaughed together الْبُرُوقُthe lightning flashes بِجَوِّهِin its sky
جَبَلٌ تَضَاحَكَتِ الْبُرُوقُ بِجَوِّهِ
فَبَكَتْso wept عِذَابُsweet عُيُونِهِits springs بِعُيُونِwith eyes
فَبَكَتْ عِذَابُ عُيُونِهِ بِعُيُونِ
A mountain whose lightning flashes laugh across its sky,
A mountain in whose sky the lightning flashes laughed together,
so its springs’ sweet waters weep through eyes.
So its sweet springs wept with eyes.
وَكَأَنَّمَاand as though هُوَit بَرْبَرِيُّa Berber وَافِدٌa newcomer
وَكَأَنَّمَا هُوَ بَرْبَرِيُّ وَافِدٌ
فِيon لَوْحِهِhis tablet والتِّينِby the fig وَالزَّيْتُونِand the olive
فِي لَوْحِهِ والتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ
As though it were a Berber visitor,
And it is as though it were a Berber newcomer,
with “By the fig and the olive” upon his tablet.
With ‘By the fig and the olive’ on his tablet.
حُيِّيتَhail to you مِنْas بَلَدٍa land خَصِيبٍfertile أَرْضُهُits soil
حُيِّيتَ مِنْ بَلَدٍ خَصِيبٍ أَرْضُهُ
مَثْوَىan abode أَمَانٍsafety أَوْor مُنَاخِa camel’s halting place أَمُونِa trusty she-camel
مَثْوَى أَمَانٍ أَوْ مُنَاخِ أَمُونِ
Hail, O city whose earth is fertile,
Hail to you, a land whose soil is fertile,
an abode of safety, or the campsite of a trusty she-camel.
An abode of safety, or a halting place for a trusty she-camel.
وُضِعَتْwas bestowed إِلَيْكَupon you مِنْfrom الإِلاَهِGod عِنَايَةٌcare
وُضِعَتْ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ الإِلاَهِ عِنَايَةٌ
تَكْسُوكَclothes you ثَوْبَيْthe two robes of أمْنَةٍsecurity وَسُكُونِand tranquillity
تَكْسُوكَ ثَوْبَيْ أمْنَةٍ وَسُكُونِ
A providential care from God has been set over you,
Care has been bestowed upon you by God,
clothing you in the twin garments of security and peace.
Clothing you in the two robes of security and tranquillity.
Sol 6.1