إِلَيكَtoward you رَكائبُriding-camels الآمالِhopes تَسعىmake their way
إِلَيكَ رَكائبُ الآمالِ تَسعى
وَعِندَكَand with you حُرمةُsanctity الآدابِthe literary arts تُرعَىis safeguarded
وَعِندَكَ حُرمةُ الآدابِ تُرعَى
The riding-camels of hope make their way toward you.
To you do hopes' chariots strive
And with you, the sanctity of letters is safeguarded.
And in your presence manners thrive
وَبَينَand between يَديكَyour hands تَنقادُsubmit الأَمانيwishes
وَبَينَ يَديكَ تَنقادُ الأَماني
فَيَغنَمso gains بَرُّهاtheir benefactor وَتراًsingly وَشَفعاand in pairs
فَيَغنَم بَرُّها وَتراً وَشَفعا
And before you, wishes submit,
Before you wishes walk submissively
so their benefactor gains, singly and in pairs.
So good and mediation profitable becomes
أَفضَتَyou poured forth عَلىupon الأَنامِhumankind سجالَbucketfuls عُرفٍkindness
أَفضَتَ عَلى الأَنامِ سجالَ عُرفٍ
بِهاthrough them وَجبَbecame obligatory الثَناءُpraise عَلَيكَof you شَرعاunder sacred law
بِها وَجبَ الثَناءُ عَلَيكَ شَرعا
You poured bucketfuls of kindness upon mankind,
You have poured on people customary paths
through which praise of you became a duty under sacred law.
With which praise on you lawfully obliged becomes
أَيادٍfavors فيamong الوَرىhumankind اِتَّسَعَتْspread وَعَمَّتْand embraced all
أَيادٍ في الوَرى اِتَّسَعَتْ وَعَمَّتْ
فَماso not تَرَكَتْthey left لَناfor us فيin الحَمدِpraise وُسعاcapacity
فَما تَرَكَتْ لَنا في الحَمدِ وُسعا
Favors that spread through mankind and embraced all,
Hands in the land spread and encompassed
leaving us no capacity to do them justice in praise.
Leaving us in praise no capacity
لَئنif indeed غَرِقتْwas flooded بِفَضلِكَwith your bounty أَرضُthe land of مَصرٍEgypt
لَئن غَرِقتْ بِفَضلِكَ أَرضُ مَصرٍ
لَقَدindeed لَحِقَreached الشآمَal-Sham نداكَyour generosity هَمْعاin torrents
لَقَد لَحِقَ الشآمَ نداكَ هَمْعا
If indeed Egypt's land has drowned in your bounty,
If by your grace Egypt is deluged
your generosity has surely reached al-Sham in torrents.
Damascus by your calling joined becomes
تَحَدِّثُtell عَنof عَزائمكِyour resolves المَواضيkeen
تَحَدِّثُ عَن عَزائمكِ المَواضي
عَظائمُmighty deeds لَمdid not تَفتْescape فيin الكَونِthe world سَمعاany ear
عَظائمُ لَم تَفتْ في الكَونِ سَمعا
Your keen resolves are proclaimed
Narrate your firm resolutions the plains
by mighty deeds no ear in the world has missed.
Tremendous which in the universe unheard becomes
مَآثرُachievements كَالشُموسِlike suns سَرَتْtraveled فَضاءَتand shone
مَآثرُ كَالشُموسِ سَرَتْ فَضاءَت
عَلىover الأَقطارِthe regions لَمdid not يَترُكنَthey leave صَقعاany district
عَلى الأَقطارِ لَم يَترُكنَ صَقعا
Achievements like suns have traveled and shone
Like suns, your glories spread and illuminated
over the regions, leaving no district unlit.
The regions, leaving no horizon untouched
بِاِسمَاعيلَin Ismail للعربِfor the Arabs اِفتِخارٌpride
بِاِسمَاعيلَ للعربِ اِفتِخارٌ
إَلَيهِto him تَنتَميtrace their descent حَملاًin gestation وَوَضعاand in birth
إَلَيهِ تَنتَمي حَملاً وَوَضعا
In Ismail the Arabs take pride;
In Ishmael, for Arabs pride abounds
to him they trace their descent, in gestation and birth.
Through him lineage and offspring esteemed becomes
أَجَلّmost exalted إِلىtoward العُلىthe heights حَسباًin lineage وَمَجداًand in glory
أَجَلّ إِلى العُلى حَسباً وَمَجداً
وَخَيرُand the best of سراتهمtheir chiefs أَصلاًin root وَفرعاand in branch
وَخَيرُ سراتهم أَصلاً وَفرعا
Noblest in lineage and glory in ascent to the heights,
Most high in lineage and glory
and best of their chiefs in root and branch,
And best of their elite root and branch
وَأَكرَمُand the most generous of كُلevery ذيpossessor of كَرمٍgenerosity طِباعاًby nature
وَأَكرَمُ كُل ذي كَرمٍ طِباعاً
وَأَعظَمُand greatest مِنةًin bounty وَأَبرُّand most benevolent صُنعاin deed
وَأَعظَمُ مِنةً وَأَبرُّ صُنعا
and most generous by nature of all who possess generosity,
Most generous of all generous in nature
and greatest in bounty and most benevolent in deed.
Greatest in bounty and most righteous in deed
لَقَدindeed ساسَgoverned البِلادَthe lands بِسَيفِwith a sword of عَدلٍjustice
لَقَد ساسَ البِلادَ بِسَيفِ عَدلٍ
بِهِwith it شُقّتْwas split صَفاةُthe hard rock of الحُورِthe fair-eyed ones صَدعاasunder
بِهِ شُقّتْ صَفاةُ الحُورِ صَدعا
He has indeed ruled the lands with a sword of justice,
Indeed you ruled the lands with justice's sword
with which the hard rock of the fair-eyed ones was split asunder.
With it split sincerity's essence and heart
وَأَدَّبَand disciplined أَنفُسَthe souls of الباغينَthe aggressors رَدعاًin restraint
وَأَدَّبَ أَنفُسَ الباغينَ رَدعاً
فَماso not اِتَخَذَتْthey adopted سِوىother than التَسليمِsurrender دِرعاas a shield
فَما اِتَخَذَتْ سِوى التَسليمِ دِرعا
And disciplined the souls of aggressors to restrain them,
And the souls of the tyrants with deterrence disciplined
so they took no shield but surrender.
So they adopted only surrender as armor
وَأَعلىand raised للعُلومِfor the sciences مَنارَa beacon of مَجدٍglory
وَأَعلى للعُلومِ مَنارَ مَجدٍ
أَضاءَshone بِهِthrough it فَفاقَso surpassed النَجمَthe star لَمعاin brilliance
أَضاءَ بِهِ فَفاقَ النَجمَ لَمعا
And raised for the sciences a beacon of glory,
And raised for knowledge a tower of glory
by which he shone, surpassing the star in brilliance.
With which, surpassing stars in radiance, it shone
أَلاlo ياO مَنyou who تَطوَّلbestowed favors فيamong البَراياhumankind
أَلا يا مَن تَطوَّل في البَرايا
بِفَضلٍwith bounty لاnot تُصادفُyou encounter مِنهُfrom it مَنعاwithholding
بِفَضلٍ لا تُصادفُ مِنهُ مَنعا
Ah, you who bestow favors upon mankind,
Oh you whose bounty in the wilderness spread
with bounty from which one encounters no refusal,
With favor that meets no prevention or dearth
وَمَنand you who حَجّتmade pilgrimage لِكَعبَتِهِto his Kaaba الأَمانيwishes
وَمَن حَجّت لِكَعبَتِهِ الأَماني
فَأَرجَعَهاso returned them نَداهُhis bounty أَجلَّthe noblest رَجعىreturn
فَأَرجَعَها نَداهُ أَجلَّ رَجعى
and you to whose Kaaba wishes have made pilgrimage,
And whose aspirations to your Kaaba flocked
whose bounty brought them back with the noblest return:
Whose call them in most sublime return guided back
دَعاcalled داعيthe herald of نَداكyour bounty فَبادَرتَهُso hastened to him
دَعا داعي نَداك فَبادَرتَهُ
رِكابُriding-camels الحَمدِpraise تَفريcleave البيدَthe deserts قَطعاby cutting
رِكابُ الحَمدِ تَفري البيدَ قَطعا
The herald of your bounty called, and to him hurried
Your caller called so you hastened to him
the riding-camels of praise, cutting their way across the deserts.
The steeds of praise dashing the desert's breadth
إِذاwhenever جِئناwe come بِمُغرِيَةٍwith an enticement أَرَتناit shows us
إِذا جِئنا بِمُغرِيَةٍ أَرَتنا
عَظائمَmighty deeds of فَضلِكَyour bounty المَأثورِstoried سَبعاseven
عَظائمَ فَضلِكَ المَأثورِ سَبعا
Whenever we bring an enticement, it shows us
When we came with admiration you showed us
seven mighty deeds of your storied bounty.
The tremendous bounties of yours continuous and vast
وَدُونكَand here for you خِدمَةٌa service مِنfrom عَبدa slave رَقٍّof bondage
وَدُونكَ خِدمَةٌ مِن عَبد رَقٍّ
يَرومhe seeks بِهاthrough it لُبابَthe heart of الحِلمwisdom قَرعاto knock
يَروم بِها لُبابَ الحِلم قَرعا
And here is a service from a bonded slave,
And beyond you service of a pious servant
who seeks through it to knock at wisdom's heart:
Who with it the core of forbearance knocks
كِتابٌa book جاءَcame بَينَamong الكُتْبِthe books بِدعاًas something unprecedented
كِتابٌ جاءَ بَينَ الكُتْبِ بِدعاً
وَقَدand indeed أَهدَيتَهُyou have offered it فيamong الناسِpeople بِدعاas a novelty
وَقَد أَهدَيتَهُ في الناسِ بِدعا
a book that came among books as an unprecedented work,
A book that came uniquely amongst books
and you have offered it among people as a novelty.
Which you gifted uniquely amongst people
إِذاif ماemphatic particle نالَreceives مِنكَfrom you شَريفَa noble لَحظٍglance
إِذا ما نالَ مِنكَ شَريفَ لَحظٍ
فَقدthen indeed باهىrivaled نَفيسَprecious الدُرِّpearls وَقعاin esteem
فَقد باهى نَفيسَ الدُرِّ وَقعا
If it receives from you a noble glance,
If it attains from you a noble glance
then it surely rivals precious pearls in esteem.
It will have dazzled gems and pearls outshone
تَغالىaspired high فيin الحِسابِarithmetic فَاخجَلتَهُso shamed it
تَغالى في الحِسابِ فَاخجَلتَهُ
صَنائعُfavors مِنكَfrom you قَدalready فاتَتهُsurpassed it جَمعاin summation
صَنائعُ مِنكَ قَد فاتَتهُ جَمعا
It aspired high in arithmetic, yet was put to shame
You exceeded in value so it was humbled
by favors from you whose sum was beyond it.
By your gifts beyond its counting or grasp
وَماand not تُحصيenumerate الصَحائفُthe pages مِنof أَيادٍfavors
وَما تُحصي الصَحائفُ مِن أَيادٍ
تَضيقُare too narrow بِفَضلِهاfor their bounty الأَعدادُthe numbers رَبعاas an abode
تَضيقُ بِفَضلِها الأَعدادُ رَبعا
Nor can pages enumerate the favors
And pages cannot enumerate the bounties
whose bounty finds numbers too narrow an abode.
Whose abundance diminishes numbers' breadth
سَقىmay water اللَهُGod الكَنانةَal-Kinana صَوبَa downpour of عَدلٍjustice
سَقى اللَهُ الكَنانةَ صَوبَ عَدلٍ
بِكَفّكَby your hand فاقَsurpassed صَوبthe downpour of المُزْنِthe rainclouds نَفعاin benefit
بِكَفّكَ فاقَ صَوب المُزْنِ نَفعا
May God water al-Kinana with a shower of justice,
God watered your palm with justice's rain
from your hand, surpassing the clouds' rain in benefit.
With your palm exceeding the clouds' rain benefits
وَخَيّمَand may encamp بَندُthe banner of سَعدِكَyour good fortune فيin حِماهاher sanctuary
وَخَيّمَ بَندُ سَعدِكَ في حِماها
فَراحَتso became دونَهاbefore her الأَحداثُcalamities صَرعىslain
فَراحَت دونَها الأَحداثُ صَرعى
And may the banner of your fortune encamp in her sanctuary,
And your good fortune's banner o'er it spread
so calamities lie slain before her.
Laying low beneath it tribulations and death
تَدينsubmit لَكَto you النَواصيthe forelocks خاضِعاتٍbowed low
تَدين لَكَ النَواصي خاضِعاتٍ
فَيُكسِبُهاso grants them الخَضوعُsubmission لَدَيكَbefore you رَفعاelevation
فَيُكسِبُها الخَضوعُ لَدَيكَ رَفعا
Forelocks bow to you in submission,
To you surrender all the destinies humbly
and submission before you raises them high.
And humility before you elevates their worth
وَتَدعوand pray بِالبَقاءfor continuance لَكَfor you البَراياhumankind
وَتَدعو بِالبَقاء لَكَ البَرايا
وَأَنتَand you أَجَلُّmost august مَنwhoever فيin الخَطبِcalamity يُدعىis called upon
وَأَنتَ أَجَلُّ مَن في الخَطبِ يُدعى
And mankind prays for your continuance,
And the wilds invoke your eternity
and you are the most august called upon in calamity.
While you are most sublime of those called
فَدُمso remain بِالعزِّin glory مُشتَمِلاًclothed وَدامَتand may continue
فَدُم بِالعزِّ مُشتَمِلاً وَدامَت
إَلَيكَtoward you رَكائبُriding-camels الآمالِhopes تَسعىmake their way
إَلَيكَ رَكائبُ الآمالِ تَسعى
So remain clothed in glory, and ever may
So endure with honor and last long
The riding-camels of hope make their way toward you.
To you do hopes' chariots strive
Sol 6.1