شَمسُthe sun of المَعاليlofty honors كَعُقودِlike strings of الجُمانpearls
شَمسُ المَعالي كَعُقودِ الجُمان
قَدindeed نَظِّمَتhas been arrayed فيin صَدرِthe forefront of هذاthis المَكانthe place
قَد نَظِّمَت في صَدرِ هذا المَكان
The sun of high distinction, like strings of pearls,
The sun of glories like necklaces of pearls
Has been arrayed at the forefront of this place.
Has been composed in the chest of this place
وَلِلمَسَرّاتِand for joys بِأَنحائِهِthroughout its precincts
وَلِلمَسَرّاتِ بِأَنحائِهِ
حُسنُbeauty قِرانٍunion ياoh لَهُfor it منof قِرانa union
حُسنُ قِرانٍ يا لَهُ من قِران
And the joys throughout its precincts
And for the delights throughout it
Form a beautiful union—what a union!
Is a beautiful pairing, what a beautiful pairing
يَستَقبِلُit greets العَينَthe eye بماwith what تَشتَهيit desires
يَستَقبِلُ العَينَ بما تَشتَهي
مِنof طُرَفِmarvels النَقشِornamentation اللِطافِdelicate الحِسانbeautiful
مِن طُرَفِ النَقشِ اللِطافِ الحِسان
It greets the eye with what it desires:
It welcomes the eye with what it desires
Delicate, beautiful marvels of ornament.
From the edge of the gentle, exquisite carving
تَدنوdraw near قُطوفُfruits الأُنسِfellowship فيهin it إِلىto
تَدنو قُطوفُ الأُنسِ فيه إِلى
أَضيافِguests of عَبّاسٍAbbas عَزيزِthe exalted one of الزَمانthe age
أَضيافِ عَبّاسٍ عَزيزِ الزَمان
There the fruits of fellowship draw near
The fruits of intimacy in it approach
To the guests of Abbas, the exalted one of the age.
The guests of the eminent Abbas of the time
لاmay never زالَcease to be ناديهِhis gathering place مقَرَّthe seat of القِرىhospitality
لا زالَ ناديهِ مقَرَّ القِرى
وَمجدهُand his glory الباذِخُtowering حِلفَbound to الضَمانsecurity
وَمجدهُ الباذِخُ حِلفَ الضَمان
May his gathering place remain the seat of hospitality,
Its club remains the home of villages
And his towering glory bound to security.
And its towering glory, the alliance of guarantee
تَرتَعُrevels مِصرُEgypt العُمرَall life long منfrom ظِلِّهِhis shade
تَرتَعُ مِصرُ العُمرَ من ظِلِّهِ
فيin نَضرَةِthe freshness of الرَوضِthe meadows وَطيبِand the sweetness of الجِنانthe gardens
في نَضرَةِ الرَوضِ وَطيبِ الجِنان
Egypt revels all her days beneath his shade,
Egypt savors a long life in its shade
In the meadows' freshness and the gardens' sweetness.
In the blossoming of the garden and scent of paradise
وَتَكتَسيand clothe themselves الأَيّامُthe days منfrom نورهِhis light
وَتَكتَسي الأَيّامُ من نورهِ
طلاقَةًcheerful radiance يَغبِطُهاenvy it النَيِّرانthe sun and moon
طلاقَةً يَغبِطُها النَيِّران
And from his light the days clothe themselves
And the days are clothed in its light
In a radiance the sun and moon envy.
With a radiance envied by fires
ماhow أَوضَحَclear الحقَّtruth إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِنجَلىshines forth
ما أَوضَحَ الحقَّ إِذا ما اِنجَلى
فيin حُلَّةِa robe of الحُسنِbeauty وَحليِand the jewels of البَيانeloquence
في حُلَّةِ الحُسنِ وَحليِ البَيان
How clear truth is when it shines forth
How clearly the truth sparkles when it emerges
In beauty's robe and eloquence's jewels!
In the garb of beauty and jewelry of rhetoric
يَحُجُّdefeats by argument ذوthe possessor of الرَايjudgment بهِwith it خَصمَهُhis opponent
يَحُجُّ ذو الرَاي بهِ خَصمَهُ
مِنfrom قَبلِbefore أَنthat تَعمَلَdoes its work فيهupon him السِنانthe spearpoint
مِن قَبلِ أَن تَعمَلَ فيه السِنان
With it, the man of judgment refutes his opponent
One with an opinion travels to it for judgment over his opponent
Before the spearpoint does its work upon him.
Before the swords can leave their marks
فهوso it is بلاwithout شَكٍّdoubt ولاand no ريبَةٍmisgiving
فهو بلا شَكٍّ ولا ريبَةٍ
إِلهُthe god of ربِّthe master of السَيفِthe sword وَالطَيلَسانand the mantle
إِلهُ ربِّ السَيفِ وَالطَيلَسان
So it is, without doubt or misgiving,
Without doubt or suspicion it is
The god of the master of sword and mantle.
The God of the Lord of the sword and spear
وَالعَدلُand justice يُعلىraises المُلكَsovereignty فَوقَabove السُهاSuha (a star)
وَالعَدلُ يُعلى المُلكَ فَوقَ السُها
وَيُلبِسُand clothes الدُنياthe world ثِيابَgarments of الأَمانsafety
وَيُلبِسُ الدُنيا ثِيابَ الأَمان
And justice raises sovereignty above Suha,
And justice elevates the kingdom above the horizon
And clothes the world in garments of safety.
And dresses the world in robes of security
إِقامَةُupholding القِسطاسِthe scales منpart of شَرطِهits requirement
إِقامَةُ القِسطاسِ من شَرطِه
وَرُكنُهُand its pillar رَدعٌdeterrence بلاwithout عُنفُوانvehemence
وَرُكنُهُ رَدعٌ بلا عُنفُوان
Upholding the scales is part of what it requires,
Establishing the scales of justice is its requirement
And its pillar is deterrence without vehemence.
And its pillar, deterrence without defiance
فَاِستَعمِلso exercise الرَحمَةَmercy فيtoward أَهلِهاthose deserving it
فَاِستَعمِل الرَحمَةَ في أَهلِها
لاdo not تَضَعput العُنفَharshness مكانَin place of الحَنانtenderness
لا تَضَع العُنفَ مكانَ الحَنان
So exercise mercy toward those deserving it;
So show mercy to those who deserve it
Do not put harshness in place of tenderness.
Do not use violence in place of affection
لاdo not تَسأَلask المالِكَthe ruler عنabout مُلكِهhis rule
لا تَسأَل المالِكَ عن مُلكِه
فَعَدلُهfor his justice عنon behalf of مُلكهِhis rule تَرجُمانan interpreter
فَعَدلُه عن مُلكهِ تَرجُمان
Do not ask the ruler about his rule;
Do not ask the owner about his property
For his justice is his rule's interpreter.
For his justice is the translator of his ownership
حُبُّlove الرَعاياthe subjects خيرُthe best of ماwhat يُقتَنىis acquired
حُبُّ الرَعايا خيرُ ما يُقتَنى
وَخيرُand the best of ماwhat يَصبوyearns إِلَيهِfor it الجَنانthe heart
وَخيرُ ما يَصبو إِلَيهِ الجَنان
The subjects' love is the best thing to acquire,
Love of the subjects is the best thing to acquire
And the best thing the heart can yearn for.
And the best thing for souls to aspire
كمhow often ظَلَّspent the day منهُthrough it المَرءُa man فيamid جَحفَلٍa mighty host
كم ظَلَّ منهُ المَرءُ في جَحفَلٍ
وَباتَand spent the night فيin حِصنٍa fortress رَفيعِlofty العِنانreach (literally, reins)
وَباتَ في حِصنٍ رَفيعِ العِنان
How often, through it, a man has spent the day amid a mighty host,
How much shade it has cast on a man in tumult
And spent the night in a fortress towering high!
Who slept in a lofty, unbridled fortress
فَاِحرِصso hold fast عليهto it الدَهرَforever منas عُدَّةٍa means of defense
فَاِحرِص عليه الدَهرَ من عُدَّةٍ
يَعنوbows لَهاto it الكَونُthe universe وَيُصغىand gives ear الزَمانtime
يَعنو لَها الكَونُ وَيُصغى الزَمان
So hold fast to it forever as a means of defense,
So protect it through the ages with readiness
To which the universe bows and time gives ear.
For it the universe yearns and time listens
Sol 6.1