حَيَّmay ... greet تِلِمْسَانَTlemcen الْحَيَاlife-giving rain فَرُبُوعُهَاfor her dwellings
حَيَّ تِلِمْسَانَ الْحَيَا فَرُبُوعُهَا
صَدَفٌpearl-shells يَجُودُgives generously بِدُرِّهِwith its pearls الْمَكْنُونِhidden
صَدَفٌ يَجُودُ بِدُرِّهِ الْمَكْنُونِ
May life-giving rain greet Tlemcen, for her dwellings
Are pearl-shells lavishing their hidden pearls.
مَاwhatever شِئْتَyou wish مِنْof فَضْلٍbounty عَمِيمٍall-embracing إِنْif سَقَىit gives drink
مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ فَضْلٍ عَمِيمٍ إِنْ سَقَى
أَرْوَىit quenches thirst وَمَنٍّand bounty لَيْسَis not بِالمَمْنُونِcut off
أَرْوَى وَمَنٍّ لَيْسَ بِالمَمْنُونِ
All you wish of abundant bounty: if it gives drink,
It quenches thirst—and of bounty without end.
أَوْor شِئْتyou wish مِنْof دِينٍfaith إِذَاwhen قِدْحُstriking sparks الهدَىguidance
أَوْ شِئْت مِنْ دِينٍ إِذَا قِدْحُ الهدَى
أَوْرَىkindles flame وَدُنْيَاand worldly life لمdid not تَكُنbe بالدُونlowly
أَوْرَى وَدُنْيَا لم تَكُن بالدُون
Or all you wish of faith: when guidance strikes a spark,
It kindles flame—and of worldly life that is not lowly.
وَردَّand answered النَّسيمُthe breeze لَهَاto her بِنَشْرِwith the fragrance of حَدِيقَةٍa garden
وَردَّ النَّسيمُ لَهَا بِنَشْرِ حَدِيقَةٍ
قَدْalready أَزْهَرَتْhave blossomed أَفْنَانُهَاits branches بِفُنُونِin many varieties
قَدْ أَزْهَرَتْ أَفْنَانُهَا بِفُنُونِ
And the breeze answered her with a garden’s fragrance,
Whose branches have blossomed in manifold bloom.
وَإِذَاand when حَبِيبةُthe beloved of أُمِّthe mother of يَحْيَىYahya أنجَبَتْbears noble offspring
وَإِذَا حَبِيبةُ أُمِّ يَحْيَى أنجَبَتْ
فَلَهَاthen hers is الشُّفُوفُpreeminence عَلَىover عُيُونِthe choicest of الْعِينِthe wide-eyed beauties
فَلَهَا الشُّفُوفُ عَلَى عُيُونِ الْعِينِ
And when Umm Yahya’s beloved bears noble offspring,
Then hers is preeminence over the choicest wide-eyed beauties.
Sol 6.1