فكأَنَّso it is as though منfrom حانِيthe low-bending السَّحائِبِclouds جُودَهاits bounty
فكأَنَّ من حانِي السَّحائِبِ جُودَها
وكأَنَّand as though منfrom صَعْقِthe thunderous crash of البروقِlightning flashes حُسامَهاits sword
وكأَنَّ من صَعْقِ البروقِ حُسامَها
So it is as though its bounty came from low-bending clouds,
And as though its sword came from lightning’s thunderous crash.
فعَلىso it falls to سواكِبِهاits pouring clouds إذَاwhen جادَتْwatered generously رُبىthe hills of
فعَلى سواكِبِها إذَا جادَتْ رُبى
زَهَرِthe blossoms of الرجاءِhope فواتَرَتْthen bestowed repeatedly إِنعامَهاtheir favors
زَهَرِ الرجاءِ فواتَرَتْ إِنعامَها
So its pouring clouds, when they water the hills
Of hope’s blossoms, showering their favors one after another,
أَنْto تُتْبِعِfollow with الدَّلْوَthe bucket السَّجُوفَample رشاءهاits rope
أَنْ تُتْبِعِ الدَّلْوَ السَّجُوفَ رشاءها
يومon the day of الخَوامِسِcamels at their fifth-day watering والجوادَand the steed لِجَامَهاits bridle
يوم الخَوامِسِ والجوادَ لِجَامَها
Must follow the ample bucket with its rope,
At the camels’ fifth-day watering, and the steed with its bridle.
لمnever تطَّلِعْrise زُهْرُthe bright ones of النجومِthe stars سوارِياًjourneying by night
لم تطَّلِعْ زُهْرُ النجومِ سوارِياً
إِلّاexcept that رَأَتْهُthey saw him فِيin السَّنَاءِsplendor أَمامَهاahead of them
إِلّا رَأَتْهُ فِي السَّنَاءِ أَمامَها
Never have the bright stars risen, journeying by night,
Without seeing him ahead of them in splendor.
ياah رُبَّmany a شامِخَةِtowering height الذَّوائِبِthe crests والذُّرىand the summits
يا رُبَّ شامِخَةِ الذَّوائِبِ والذُّرى
أَوْطَأْتَyou made tread أعلامَthe banners of الهُدىguidance أَعْلامَهاits peaks
أَوْطَأْتَ أعلامَ الهُدى أَعْلامَها
Ah, many a height, lofty in crest and summit,
You made the banners of guidance tread its peaks.
أَشرَعْتَyou leveled تَنْحُوهاmaking toward it قِسِيَّbows of عزائمٍfirm resolves
أَشرَعْتَ تَنْحُوها قِسِيَّ عزائمٍ
كانتwere هوادِيthe necks of المُقْرَبَاتِthe prized steeds سِهامَهاtheir arrows
كانت هوادِي المُقْرَبَاتِ سِهامَها
You leveled toward it the bows of firm resolve,
Whose arrows were the necks of prized steeds.
الرِّيحُthe wind أَحْسَرُthe most wearied منof those who يَؤُمُّmake for مَحَلَّهاits abode
الرِّيحُ أَحْسَرُ من يَؤُمُّ مَحَلَّها
والنَّجْمُand the star أدنىnearer مِنْthan يَدَيْthe two hands of مَنْwhoever رَامَهاseeks it
والنَّجْمُ أدنى مِنْ يَدَيْ مَنْ رَامَها
The wind is the weariest of those who seek its abode,
And a star lies nearer it than the hands of one who seeks it.
فَهَتَكْتَthen you tore بالبِيضِwith the white blades الرِّقاقِslender سُجُوفَهاits curtains
فَهَتَكْتَ بالبِيضِ الرِّقاقِ سُجُوفَها
وفَضَضْتَand you broke بالجُرْدِwith the sleek steeds العِتاقِnoble خِتامَهاits seal
وفَضَضْتَ بالجُرْدِ العِتاقِ خِتامَها
Then with slender white blades you tore its curtains,
And with sleek, noble steeds you broke its seal.
ورفعتَand you raised منfrom صُلْبانِthe crosses of بِيعَةِthe church of قُدْسِهاits sanctity
ورفعتَ من صُلْبانِ بِيعَةِ قُدْسِها
ناراًa fire تَشُبُّkindles علىagainst الضلالِerror ضِرامَهاits blaze
ناراً تَشُبُّ على الضلالِ ضِرامَها
And from the crosses of its sacred church you raised
A fire that kindles its blaze against error.
ولَرُبَّand indeed many a حاميَةِraging hot الوطيسِbattle-furnace منwith الرَّدىdeath
ولَرُبَّ حاميَةِ الوطيسِ من الرَّدى
دَلَفَتit advanced وَقَدْhaving already كَسَتِit clothed السماءَthe sky قتامَهاits dust
دَلَفَت وَقَدْ كَسَتِ السماءَ قتامَها
And many a battle, its furnace raging with death,
Advanced, having clothed the sky in its dust.
أَقْحَمْتَyou plunged أَجيادَthe necks of الجِيادِthe steeds مكرَّماًhonored
أَقْحَمْتَ أَجيادَ الجِيادِ مكرَّماً
فَصَلِينَso they entered جاحِمَهاits blazing fire وكنتَand you were إِمامَهاtheir leader
فَصَلِينَ جاحِمَها وكنتَ إِمامَها
Honored, you plunged the steeds’ necks into it;
So they entered its blazing fire, and you were their leader.
فاسْعدْso rejoice بِسِبْطَيْin the two scions of دولَةِthe dynasty of العَرَبِthe Arabs الَّتِيwhich
فاسْعدْ بِسِبْطَيْ دولَةِ العَرَبِ الَّتِي
بسناهُماthrough the radiance of both جَلَتِdispelled الخطوبُadversities ظلامَهاits darkness
بسناهُما جَلَتِ الخطوبُ ظلامَها
So rejoice in the two scions of the Arab dynasty, whose
Darkness trials dispelled by the radiance of them both:
عبدَservant of المليكِthe Sovereign حُسامَهاits sword وسنانَهاand its spearhead
عبدَ المليكِ حُسامَها وسنانَها
ومِجَنَّهاand its shield ومَلِيكَهاand its king وهُمَامَهاand its valiant champion
ومِجَنَّها ومَلِيكَها وهُمَامَها
ʿAbd al-Malīk, its sword and spearhead,
Its shield, its king, and its valiant champion;
والقائِدَand the commander الأَعلىsupreme المملَّكَinvested with kingship والذيand he who
والقائِدَ الأَعلى المملَّكَ والذي
زانَتْadorned مناقِبُthe virtues of مجدِهِhis glory أَيامَهاits days
زانَتْ مناقِبُ مجدِهِ أَيامَها
And the supreme commander, invested with kingship, whose
Glorious virtues adorned its days.
لاmay … never زالَcease دينُthe faith of اللهGod يأويseek shelter in ظِلَّكُمْyour shade
لا زالَ دينُ الله يأوي ظِلَّكُمْ
مَاas long as ظَلَّلَتْshade خُضْرُgreen الغصونِboughs حَمامَهاtheir doves
مَا ظَلَّلَتْ خُضْرُ الغصونِ حَمامَها
May God’s faith ever find shelter in your shade,
As long as green boughs shade their doves.
Sol 6.1