كُنَّاwe were نَوَدُّwe wish لَكَfor you التَّكْرِيمَhonor تَلْبَسُهُyou wear it
كُنَّا نَوَدُّ لَكَ التَّكْرِيمَ تَلْبَسُهُ
تَاجاًas a crown وَقَدْand already وَفُرَتْabounded مِنْfrom حَوْلِكَaround you النِّعَمُblessings
تَاجاً وَقَدْ وَفُرَتْ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ النِّعَمُ
We had hoped you would wear honor
As a crown, with blessings abounding all around you.
لَكِنْbut قَضَىdecreed الشَّرْقُthe East أَنْthat يَشْقَىshould suffer أَفَاضِلُهُits finest people
لَكِنْ قَضَى الشَّرْقُ أَنْ يَشْقَى أَفَاضِلُهُ
وَأَنْand that يَكُونَshould be جَزَاءَthe reward العَامِلِof the worker الكَلِمُwords
وَأَنْ يَكُونَ جَزَاءَ العَامِلِ الكَلِمُ
But the East decreed that its finest should suffer,
And that the worker’s reward should be words.
فَاليَوْمَso today نَسْتَوْدِعُwe entrust الرَّحْمَنَthe Most Merciful صَاحِبَنَاour companion
فَاليَوْمَ نَسْتَوْدِعُ الرَّحْمَنَ صَاحِبَنَا
يَنْأَىhe journeys far وَتُبْعِدُand carry farther مَرْمَىthe goal قَصْدِهِof his purpose الهِمَمُlofty aspirations
يَنْأَى وَتُبْعِدُ مَرْمَى قَصْدِهِ الهِمَمُ
So today we entrust our companion to the Most Merciful.
He journeys far, his aspirations setting his goal still farther,
إِلَىto بِلادٍlands إِذَاif بَشَّتْthey smiled بِمَقْدَمِهِat his arrival
إِلَى بِلادٍ إِذَا بَشَّتْ بِمَقْدَمِهِ
أُنْساًin welcome فَفِيthen in غَيْرِهَاlands other than those قَدْalready أُوْحِشَhas been left forlorn القَلَمُthe pen
أُنْساً فَفِي غَيْرِهَا قَدْ أُوْحِشَ القَلَمُ
To lands—if they smile at his arrival
In welcome, elsewhere the pen has been left forlorn.
مَنْwhoever عَاشَlives فِيamong قَوْمِنَاour people وَالعِلْمُand learning رَازِقُهُhis provider
مَنْ عَاشَ فِي قَوْمِنَا وَالعِلْمُ رَازِقُهُ
فَحَظُّهُthen his share مَاwhat جَنَىhe reaps مِنْfrom نُورِهِits light الفَحَمُcharcoal
فَحَظُّهُ مَا جَنَى مِنْ نُورِهِ الفَحَمُ
Whoever lives among our people with learning as his provider—
His share—what he reaps from its light—is charcoal.
فِيin مَصْرَEgypt وَالشَّامِand the Levant كَمْhow many a أَسْوَانَsorrowful person يَكْرُثُهُdistresses him
فِي مَصْرَ وَالشَّامِ كَمْ أَسْوَانَ يَكْرُثُهُ
أَنْthat يَبْرَحَshould leave الدَّارِhome هَذَاthis الفَاضِلُworthy man الفَهِمُdiscerning
أَنْ يَبْرَحَ الدَّارِ هَذَا الفَاضِلُ الفَهِمُ
In Egypt and the Levant, how many a sorrowful soul is distressed
That this worthy, discerning man should leave home!
وَكَمْand how greatly يَعِزُّis dear عَلَىto طُلاَّبِهِits seekers أَدَبٌliterature
وَكَمْ يَعِزُّ عَلَى طُلاَّبِهِ أَدَبٌ
زَانَتْadorned رَوَائِعَهُits masterpieces الأَمْثَالُproverbs وَالحِكَمُand wisdom
زَانَتْ رَوَائِعَهُ الأَمْثَالُ وَالحِكَمُ
And how dear to its seekers is literature
Whose masterpieces proverbs and wisdom adorn.
يَاO مَنْyou who تَحَرَّرَfreed yourself لِلأَوْطَانِfor the homelands يَخْدِمُهَاserving them
يَا مَنْ تَحَرَّرَ لِلأَوْطَانِ يَخْدِمُهَا
مَدَىthroughout الشَّبَابِyouth وَلاand not تُوفَىare repaid لَهُto him خِدَمُservices
مَدَى الشَّبَابِ وَلا تُوفَى لَهُ خِدَمُ
O you who freed yourself to serve the homelands
Throughout your youth, with no services repaid to you.
حَقِّقْfulfill مُنَاكَyour hopes الَّتِيwhich جَدَّتْhave newly arisen فَحَسْبُكَfor it suffices you مَاwhat
حَقِّقْ مُنَاكَ الَّتِي جَدَّتْ فَحَسْبُكَ مَا
بِهِwith it زَهَتْshone مِنْof دَرَارِيbrilliant stars فِكْرِكَof your thought الظُّلَمُdarkness
بِهِ زَهَتْ مِنْ دَرَارِي فِكْرِكَ الظُّلَمُ
Fulfill your newfound hopes; enough for you are those
Brilliant stars of your thought with which the darkness shone.
وَفُزْand win بِمَاwith whatever شِئْتَyou wish فِيin دُنْيَاكَyour worldly life مِنْof عَرَضٍworldly gain
وَفُزْ بِمَا شِئْتَ فِي دُنْيَاكَ مِنْ عَرَضٍ
يُرْضِيكَpleases you فَالمَجْدُfor glory رَاضٍis pleased عَنْكَwith you وَالكَرَمُand generosity
يُرْضِيكَ فَالمَجْدُ رَاضٍ عَنْكَ وَالكَرَمُ
And win whatever worldly gain you wish for in your life
That pleases you, for glory and generosity are pleased with you.
Sol 6.1