أَيُّwhat شراعٍsail لأَيِّfor what بحرِsea
أَيُّ شراعٍ لأَيِّ بحرِ
وأَيُّand what كِسْفٍcloud-fragment لأَيِّfor what بَدْرِfull moon
وأَيُّ كِسْفٍ لأَيِّ بَدْرِ
What a sail for what a sea!
What sail for what sea,
And what a cloud-fragment for what a full moon!
What full moon for what sky,
وأَيُّand what شمسٍsun تجلَّلَتْهاenveloped it
وأَيُّ شمسٍ تجلَّلَتْها
طُرَّةُfringe صُبْحٍmorning سَعَتْhastened بفجرِwith dawn
طُرَّةُ صُبْحٍ سَعَتْ بفجرِ
And what a sun, enveloped
What sun dawned and shone,
By morning’s fringe, hastening with dawn!
In the light of early morn.
ظِلّاًshade لمنfor one who مَدَّspread ظلَّshade أَمْنٍsafety
ظِلّاً لمن مَدَّ ظلَّ أَمْنٍ
فِيin كلevery أَرضٍland وكلand every ثغرِfrontier
فِي كل أَرضٍ وكل ثغرِ
A shade for him who spread the shade of safety
Providing shade for one who spread shade
In every land and every frontier;
Of safety in every land and every border,
وسِتْرَand a veil صَوْنٍprotection لوجهِfor the face of مولىًa lord
وسِتْرَ صَوْنٍ لوجهِ مولىً
بِهِthrough him رعىguarded اللهُGod كلَّevery سِتْرِveil
بِهِ رعى اللهُ كلَّ سِتْرِ
And a protective veil for a lord’s face,
A veil of protection for the face of a master,
Through whom God has guarded every veil.
With whom God tended to every veil.
تُشرقُshines منهfrom him بنورِwith the light of هَدْيٍguidance
تُشرقُ منه بنورِ هَدْيٍ
وبرقِand lightning غيثٍrain وسيفِand a sword نَصْرِvictory
وبرقِ غيثٍ وسيفِ نَصْرِ
It shines from him with the light of guidance,
Shining from him the light of guidance,
And rain’s lightning and a sword of victory.
And the lightning of rain and sword of victory,
كَأَنَّماas though ظَلَّلَتْcast shade عَلَيْهِover him
كَأَنَّما ظَلَّلَتْ عَلَيْهِ
سحابَةٌcloud مَدَّهاhe supplied it بقطرِwith rain
سحابَةٌ مَدَّها بقطرِ
As though he were shaded
As though a cloud had shaded over him
By a cloud he had supplied with rain;
Extending with its rain.
أَوor روضَةٌgarden فيin الهواءِthe air حُفَّتْwas wreathed
أَو روضَةٌ في الهواءِ حُفَّتْ
منfrom طِيبِfragrance أخلاقهhis character بزَهْرِwith blossoms
من طِيبِ أخلاقه بزَهْرِ
Or a garden in the air, wreathed
Or a garden in the air enclosed
With blossoms from the fragrance of his character.
With the fragrance of his virtuous traits,
كأَنماas though الريحُthe wind فِيin ذُرَاهاits heights
كأَنما الريحُ فِي ذُرَاها
راحٌwine تُريهِshows him انثناءَswaying سُكْرِdrunkenness
راحٌ تُريهِ انثناءَ سُكْرِ
As though the wind amid its heights
As though the breeze in its flowing
Were wine, showing him a drunken sway;
Were a loving voice singing his praise,
أَوْor كَيْفَhow يَهْتَزُّhe sways إِنْif دَعاهُcalled him
أَوْ كَيْفَ يَهْتَزُّ إِنْ دَعاهُ
صوتُsound وغىًbattle أَوْor لسانُtongue شُكرِthanks
صوتُ وغىً أَوْ لسانُ شُكرِ
Or how he sways if summoned
Or how it trembles if called
By the din of battle or a tongue of thanks.
By the voice of clamor or tongue of thanks,
مُظَفَّرٌvictorious حازَwon تاجَcrown مُلْكٍkingship
مُظَفَّرٌ حازَ تاجَ مُلْكٍ
كُلِّلَwas wreathed منfrom نظمِstringing كلِّevery فخْرِglory
كُلِّلَ من نظمِ كلِّ فخْرِ
Victorious, he has won a crown of kingship,
Victorious, having won the crown of kingship,
Wreathed with every glory strung together.
Crowned with the prose of every glory.
فاللهso God يُمْليprolongs لهfor him اللياليthe nights
فالله يُمْلي له الليالي
فِيin عزِّglory ملكٍkingship وطولِand length عُمرِlife
فِي عزِّ ملكٍ وطولِ عُمرِ
So may God prolong the nights for him
So may God grant him nights
In the glory of kingship and long life.
In the honor of a lasting reign.
Sol 6.1