الْيَوْمَtoday يَوْمُday مَصَارِعِdeaths الشُّهَدَاءِthe martyrs
الْيَوْمَ يَوْمُ مَصَارِعِ الشُّهَدَاءِ
هَلْis there? فيin جَوَانِبِهِits sides رَشَاشُa spray دَمَاءِblood
هَلْ في جَوَانِبِهِ رَشَاشُ دَمَاءِ
Today is the day the martyrs fell;
Is there a spray of blood along its sides?
للهِto God غُيَّابٌabsent ones حضُورٌpresent فيin النُّهَىminds
للهِ غُيَّابٌ حضُورٌ في النُّهَى
مَاتُواthey died فَبَاتُواand so became أَخْلَدَmost enduring الأَحْياءِthe living
مَاتُوا فَبَاتُوا أَخْلَدَ الأَحْياءِ
To God belong those absent, yet present in the mind:
They died, and became the most enduring of the living.
أَبْطَالُheroes تَفْدِيَةٍself-sacrifice لَقُواthey faced جُهْدَthe extremity الأَذَىharm
أَبْطَالُ تَفْدِيَةٍ لَقُوا جُهْدَ الأَذَى
فيfor the sake of اللهِGod وَامْتَنَعُواand they refrained مِنَfrom الإِيذاءِinflicting harm
في اللهِ وَامْتَنَعُوا مِنَ الإِيذاءِ
Heroes of self-sacrifice, they faced the utmost harm
For God's sake, yet refrained from inflicting harm.
بُعَدَاءُfar-reaching صِيتُrenown مَاnot تَوَخَّوْاthey sought شُهْرَةًfame
بُعَدَاءُ صِيتُ مَا تَوَخَّوْا شُهْرَةً
لَكِنْbut قَضَوْاthey died فِيin ذِلَّةٍhumiliation وَعَنَاءِand suffering
لَكِنْ قَضَوْا فِي ذِلَّةٍ وَعَنَاءِ
Far-reaching in renown, they sought no fame,
But died in humiliation and suffering.
لَبِثُواthey remained عَلَىupon إِيمَانِهِمْtheir faith وَيَدُand the hand الرَّدَىdeath
لَبِثُوا عَلَى إِيمَانِهِمْ وَيَدُ الرَّدَى
تَهْوِيplunges down بِتِلْكَwith those الأَرْؤُسِheads الشَّمَّاءِproud
تَهْوِي بِتِلْكَ الأَرْؤُسِ الشَّمَّاءِ
They held fast to their faith while the hand of death
Hurled those proud heads down.
سَلِمَتْremained intact مَشِيئَتُهُمْtheir will وَمَاand not فِيهِمْamong them سِوَىexcept
سَلِمَتْ مَشِيئَتُهُمْ وَمَا فِيهِمْ سِوَى
مُتَقَطِّعِيthose with severed الأَوْصَالِjoints وَالأَعْضَاءِand limbs
مُتَقَطِّعِي الأَوْصَالِ وَالأَعْضَاءِ
Their will remained intact, though among them were only
Men with joints and limbs torn apart.
صَبَرُواthey endured عَلَىunder جَبَرُوتِthe tyranny عَاتٍarrogant قَاهِرٍan oppressor
صَبَرُوا عَلَى جَبَرُوتِ عَاتٍ قَاهِرٍ
سَاءَaffronted النُّهَىreason وَالدِّينَand religion كُلَّevery مَسَاءِevening
سَاءَ النُّهَى وَالدِّينَ كُلَّ مَسَاءِ
They endured the tyranny of an arrogant oppressor,
Who affronted reason and religion every evening.
مَاnot كَانَwas دِقْلِتْيَانَDiocletian إِلاَّexcept طَاغِياًa tyrant
مَا كَانَ دِقْلِتْيَانَ إِلاَّ طَاغِياً
مَلَكَpossessed الرِّقَابَnecks بِغِلْظَةٍwith harshness وَجَفَاءِand cruelty
مَلَكَ الرِّقَابَ بِغِلْظَةٍ وَجَفَاءِ
Diocletian was nothing but a tyrant,
Who held men's necks in his power with harshness and cruelty.
لاَنَتْsoftened لَهُto him الصُّمُّsolid rocks الصِّلاَدُflinty وَلَمْand did not تَلِنْsoften
لاَنَتْ لَهُ الصُّمُّ الصِّلاَدُ وَلَمْ تَلِنْ
شَيْئاًat all قُلُوبُhearts الصَّفْوَةِthe elect الفُضَلاَءِthe virtuous
شَيْئاً قُلُوبُ الصَّفْوَةِ الفُضَلاَءِ
Solid, flinty rocks softened for him, but not
In the least did the hearts of the virtuous elect.
حَاشَاexcepting الْحَقِيقَةِthe truth كَمْhow many a مِثَالٍform لاnot تَرَىsees
حَاشَا الْحَقِيقَةِ كَمْ مِثَالٍ لا تَرَى
إِلاَّexcept الْبَقَايَاthe remnants مِنْهُof it عَيْنُthe eye الْرَّائِيthe beholder
إِلاَّ الْبَقَايَا مِنْهُ عَيْنُ الْرَّائِي
Truth excepted, how many a form is there of which
The beholder's eye sees only remnants!
ظَلَّتْremained حَنَايَاهُits inner recesses وَإنْand even though حُطِمَتْwere shattered عَلَىupon
ظَلَّتْ حَنَايَاهُ وَإنْ حُطِمَتْ عَلَى
مَاwhat كَانَwas فِيهَاwithin them مِنْof تُقىًpiety وَرَجَاءِand hope
مَا كَانَ فِيهَا مِنْ تُقىً وَرَجَاءِ
Its inner recesses, though shattered, still held fast to
The piety and hope they had contained.
إِنَّindeed الْعَقِيدَةَfaith نِعْمَةٌa blessing عُلْوِيَّةٌheavenly
إِنَّ الْعَقِيدَةَ نِعْمَةٌ عُلْوِيَّةٌ
تَصْفُوremains pure عَلَىdespite الْنِّقَمَاتِpunishments وَالأَرْزَاءِand calamities
تَصْفُو عَلَى الْنِّقَمَاتِ وَالأَرْزَاءِ
Faith is indeed a heavenly blessing,
Remaining pure despite punishments and calamities.
تَجْنِيreaps فَخَاراًglory مِنْfrom إِهَانَاتِinsults الْعِدَىthe foes
تَجْنِي فَخَاراً مِنْ إِهَانَاتِ الْعِدَى
وَتُصِيبُand gains إِعْزَازاًhonor مِنَfrom الإِزرَاءِdisparagement
وَتُصِيبُ إِعْزَازاً مِنَ الإِزرَاءِ
It reaps glory from the insults of foes,
And gains honor from disparagement.
بِكْرُa virgin بِأًوجِat the height of الْحُسْنِbeauty غَالٍcostly مَهْرُهَاher dower
بِكْرُ بِأًوجِ الْحُسْنِ غَالٍ مَهْرُهَا
لاَnot تُشْتَرَىis bought بِأَيَاسِرِwith the easiest الأَشْيَاءِthings
لاَ تُشْتَرَى بِأَيَاسِرِ الأَشْيَاءِ
A virgin at beauty's height, her dower is high;
She cannot be bought with things easily gained.
تُزْرَىare belittled النَّفَائِسُprecious things دُونَهَاbeside her وَلَربَّمَاand indeed often
تُزْرَى النَّفَائِسُ دُونَهَا وَلَربَّمَا
بَذَلَoffered النُّفُوسَlives حَمَاتُهَاher defenders بِسَخَاءِgenerously
بَذَلَ النُّفُوسَ حَمَاتُهَا بِسَخَاءِ
Treasures are belittled beside her, and often
Her defenders have generously offered their lives.
أَليَوْمَtoday بَدْءُbeginning الْعَامِthe year عَامِyear النِّيلِthe Nile فِيin
أَليَوْمَ بَدْءُ الْعَامِ عَامِ النِّيلِ فِي
إِقْبَالِهِits arrival المُتَجَدِّدِrenewed الَّلأْلاَءِradiant
إِقْبَالِهِ المُتَجَدِّدِ الَّلأْلاَءِ
Today marks the year's beginning—the Nile's year—in
Its renewed and radiant coming.
مَاnot انْفَكَّhas ceased فِيin أَقْسَامِهِits divisions وفُصُولِهِand its seasons
مَا انْفَكَّ فِي أَقْسَامِهِ وفُصُولِهِ
شَرَعاًthe same وَفيand in الأَوْضَاعِarrangements وَالأسْمَاءِand names
شَرَعاً وَفي الأَوْضَاعِ وَالأسْمَاءِ
It has remained, in its divisions and seasons,
The same, and in its arrangements and names.
قَدْindeed أُحْكِمَتْwere perfected فيin كُلِّهِits entirety أَجْزَاؤُهُits parts
قَدْ أُحْكِمَتْ في كُلِّهِ أَجْزَاؤُهُ
فَبَدَاso appeared تَمَامُthe completeness الْكُلِّthe whole بِالأَجْزَاءِthrough the parts
فَبَدَا تَمَامُ الْكُلِّ بِالأَجْزَاءِ
Its parts have been perfected within its whole,
So the whole's completeness appeared through its parts.
عَجَبٌa marvel لِقَوْمٍat a people لاَتَنِيnever cease آثَارُهُمْtheir monuments
عَجَبٌ لِقَوْمٍ لاَتَنِي آثَارُهُمْ
هِيَthey أَعْظَمُthe greatest الآثَارِmonuments فيon الْغَبْرَاءِthe dusty earth
هِيَ أَعْظَمُ الآثَارِ في الْغَبْرَاءِ
How wondrous the people whose monuments remain
The greatest monuments on the dusty earth!
قُصَّتْwere clipped حَوَاشِيهِمْtheir borders وَقُلِّصَand was shortened ظِلُّهُمْtheir shadow
قُصَّتْ حَوَاشِيهِمْ وَقُلِّصَ ظِلُّهُمْ
إِلاَّexcept كِفَاحَthe struggle بَقِيَّةٍa remnant لِبَقَاءِfor survival
إِلاَّ كِفَاحَ بَقِيَّةٍ لِبَقَاءِ
Their borders were clipped and their shadow shortened,
Save for a remnant's struggle to survive.
وَعَفَتْand vanished مَعَاهِدُthe seats بَطشِهِمْtheir might أَوْor أَوْشَكَتْnearly did
وَعَفَتْ مَعَاهِدُ بَطشِهِمْ أَوْ أَوْشَكَتْ
وَهَوَتْand fell صُرُوحُthe towers العِزَّةِglory الْقَعْساءِunassailable
وَهَوَتْ صُرُوحُ العِزَّةِ الْقَعْساءِ
And the seats of their might have vanished, or nearly so,
And the towers of their unassailable glory have fallen,
إِلاَّexcept نِظَاماًa system فَصَّلُوهُthey elaborated it لِعَامِهِمْfor their year
إِلاَّ نِظَاماً فَصَّلُوهُ لِعَامِهِمْ
فَلَقَدْfor indeed أَقَامَhas endured كَأَصْلِهِlike its origin المُتَنَائِيfar-distant
فَلَقَدْ أَقَامَ كَأَصْلِهِ المُتَنَائِي
Except a system they devised for their year:
For it has endured, as at its far-distant origin.
كَمْhow many a دَوْلَةٌdynasty دَالَتْpassed away بِمصْرَin Egypt وَحُكْمُهُand its rule
كَمْ دَوْلَةٌ دَالَتْ بِمصْرَ وَحُكْمُهُ
مُتَوَارَثٌhanded down عَنْfrom أَقْدَمِthe earliest الآباءِforefathers
مُتَوَارَثٌ عَنْ أَقْدَمِ الآباءِ
How many a dynasty has passed in Egypt, while its rule
Is handed down from the earliest forefathers!
وَإذَاand when بَنَىbuilt الأَقْوَامَpeoples فِكْراًa thought صَالِحاًsound
وَإذَا بَنَى الأَقْوَامَ فِكْراً صَالِحاً
فَالْفِكْرُthen the thought يَثْبُتُendures بَعْدَafter كُلِّevery بِنَاءِbuilding
فَالْفِكْرُ يَثْبُتُ بَعْدَ كُلِّ بِنَاءِ
And when peoples build a sound idea,
The idea endures beyond every building.
أمهيئيO preparers of هَذَاthis المقَامَgathering وَمُبْدِعِيand devisers of
أمهيئي هَذَا المقَامَ وَمُبْدِعِي
هَذَاthis النِّظَامَarrangement لِحِكْمَةٍfor a wise purpose غَرَّاءِsplendid
هَذَا النِّظَامَ لِحِكْمَةٍ غَرَّاءِ
O you who prepared this gathering and devised
This arrangement for a splendid, wise purpose:
إنْif أَرْجُI hope فَالإقْبَالُthen prosperity مَاwhat أَرْجُوI hope لَكُمْfor you
إنْ أَرْجُ فَالإقْبَالُ مَا أَرْجُو لَكُمْ
وَإذَاand when دَعَوْتُI pray فَبِالرُّقِيِّthen for advancement دُعَائِيmy prayer
وَإذَا دَعَوْتُ فَبِالرُّقِيِّ دُعَائِي
If I have a hope, it is for your prosperity;
And when I pray, my prayer is for progress.
Sol 6.1