يَفْسَحُmake room الرَّاحِلُونَthose departing لِلْقَادِمِينَاfor those arriving
يَفْسَحُ الرَّاحِلُونَ لِلْقَادِمِينَا
أَحْسَنَmay improve اللهُGod حَظَّكُمْyour lot يَاO بَنِينَاour sons
أَحْسَنَ اللهُ حَظَّكُمْ يَا بَنِينَا
Those departing make room for those arriving.
May God grant you good fortune, O our sons.
إِحْفَظُواsafeguard غَيْبَنَاour absence وَأَغْضُواand overlook عَنِconcerning التَّقْthe shortcoming (first part)
إِحْفَظُوا غَيْبَنَا وَأَغْضُوا عَنِ التَّقْ
صِيرِshortcoming (completion) مِنَّاon our part فِيin شَوْطِنَاour race وَاسْبَقُونَاand outstrip us
صِيرِ مِنَّا فِي شَوْطِنَا وَاسْبَقُونَا
Honor us in our absence, and overlook
our shortcomings in our race, and outstrip us.
نَحْنُwe لَمْdid not نَخْتِرِعْinvent جَدِيدَnew المَعَانِيmeanings
نَحْنُ لَمْ نَخْتِرِعْ جَدِيدَ المَعَانِي
وَغَلَوْنَاand we went to excess فِيin لَفْظِهَاtheir wording تَحْسِينَاembellishment
وَغَلَوْنَا فِي لَفْظِهَا تَحْسِينَا
We invented no new meanings,
and went to excess in embellishing their wording.
فَتَحَopened الفَنُّart كُلَّevery بَابٍdoor حَدِيثٍnew
فَتَحَ الفَنُّ كُلَّ بَابٍ حَدِيثٍ
وَعَلَىand in عَهْدِهِits era العَتِيقِancient بَقِينَاwe remained
وَعَلَى عَهْدِهِ العَتِيقِ بَقِينَا
Art opened every new door,
yet we stayed in its bygone age.
فَخُذُواso take أَنْتُمُyou مِنَfrom العِلْمِknowledge مَاwhat أعْgave (first part)
فَخُذُوا أَنْتُمُ مِنَ العِلْمِ مَا أعْ
طَىgave (completion) وَقُولُواand say الطَّرِيفَthe novel قَوْلاًspeech مُبِينَاclear
طَى وَقُولُوا الطَّرِيفَ قَوْلاً مُبِينَا
So take from knowledge what it has
given, and express the novel in lucid words.
لُغَةُthe language الضَّادِthe letter ḍād لاnot تَضَنُّis stingy عَلَيْكُمْtoward you
لُغَةُ الضَّادِ لا تَضَنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ
إِنْif جَدَدْتُمْyou strive earnestly بِكُلِّwith all مَاthat تَبْتَغُونَاyou seek
إِنْ جَدَدْتُمْ بِكُلِّ مَا تَبْتَغُونَا
The language of ḍād will not deny you
anything you seek, if you strive earnestly.
كُلَّevery يَوْمٍday يُصِيبُfinds فِيin مَنْجَمٍa mine مِنْof
كُلَّ يَوْمٍ يُصِيبُ فِي مَنْجَمٍ مِنْ
هَاit الأَدِيبُthe writer الأَريبُdiscerning كَنْزاًa treasure دَفِينَاburied
هَا الأَدِيبُ الأَريبُ كَنْزاً دَفِينَا
Each day, in a mine within
it, the discerning writer finds a buried treasure.
أَخَذَtook الغَرْبُthe West مِنْfrom مَغَاوِصِنَاour diving grounds الدُّرَّthe pearls
أَخَذَ الغَرْبُ مِنْ مَغَاوِصِنَا الدُّرَّ
وَفِيand in صَوْغِهِfashioning them أَجَادَmastered الفُنُونَاthe arts
وَفِي صَوْغِهِ أَجَادَ الفُنُونَا
The West took pearls from our diving grounds,
and excelled in the arts of fashioning them.
وَهْوَand it يَأْبَىrejects الجُمُودَstagnation يَوْماًfor a day فَمَاso what is لِلشَّرْwith the East (first part)
وَهْوَ يَأْبَى الجُمُودَ يَوْماً فَمَا لِلشَّرْ
قِEast (completion) لاnot يَسْأَمُtires of الجُمُودَstagnation قُرُونَاfor centuries
قِ لا يَسْأَمُ الجُمُودَ قُرُونَا
It rejects stagnation even for a day; why does the East
not tire of stagnation for centuries?
فَكِّرُواthink فَكِّرُواthink مَلِيّاًat length مَلِيّاًat length
فَكِّرُوا فَكِّرُوا مَلِيّاً مَلِيّاً
وَاسْتَقِلُّواand be independent بِوَحْيِكُمْin your inspiration رَاشِدِينَاrightly guided
وَاسْتَقِلُّوا بِوَحْيِكُمْ رَاشِدِينَا
Think, think—at length, at length,
and be independent in your inspiration, rightly guided.
وَاسْتَمِدُّواand draw upon هُدَىguidance سَجِيَّتِكُمْyour nature وَاتَّand take (first part)
وَاسْتَمِدُّوا هُدَى سَجِيَّتِكُمْ وَاتَّ
خِذُوهَاtake it (completion) لَكُمْfor yourselves نَصِيحاًa counselor أَمِينَاfaithful
خِذُوهَا لَكُمْ نَصِيحاً أَمِينَا
And draw guidance from your own nature, and
take it as a faithful counselor for yourselves.
فَإِذَاso when مَاemphatic particle أَنْشَأْتُمُyou compose فَاخْلُقُواthen create خَلْa creation (first part)
فَإِذَا مَا أَنْشَأْتُمُ فَاخْلُقُوا خَلْ
قاًcreation (completion) تَكُونُواyou will be حَقِيقَةًtruly مُنْشِئينَاcreators
قاً تَكُونُوا حَقِيقَةً مُنْشِئينَا
So when you compose, truly create,
and you will be creators indeed.
ذَاكَthat ذَاكَthat التَّجْدِيدُrenewal لاnot فِعْلُthe work مَنْone who يَمْremains (first part)
ذَاكَ ذَاكَ التَّجْدِيدُ لا فِعْلُ مَنْ يَمْ
كُثُremains (completion) فِيin مَعْقِلِthe stronghold القَدِيمِthe old سَجِينَاa prisoner
كُثُ فِي مَعْقِلِ القَدِيمِ سَجِينَا
That, that is renewal—not the work of one who
remains a prisoner in the stronghold of the old.
لاno وَلاnor خَلْطُthe mixing مَنْone who إِلَىto الفَضْلِmerit يَعْزُوascribes
لا وَلا خَلْطُ مَنْ إِلَى الفَضْلِ يَعْزُو
خَلْطُهُhis mixing بِالفَصَاحَةِwith eloquence التَّهْجِينَاdebased speech
خَلْطُهُ بِالفَصَاحَةِ التَّهْجِينَا
No, nor the muddling of one who counts as merit
his mixing of debased speech with eloquence.
أَيُّهَاO الشَّاعِرُpoet الفَتَىyoung عِشْlive وَزِدْنَاand give us more
أَيُّهَا الشَّاعِرُ الفَتَى عِشْ وَزِدْنَا
مُبْدَعَاتٍoriginal works عَلَىover تَوَالِيthe succession of السِّنِينَاthe years
مُبْدَعَاتٍ عَلَى تَوَالِي السِّنِينَا
O young poet, live on, and give us more
original works as the years follow one another.
وَليَكُنْand may ... be فَوْزُكَyour success العَتِيدُpresent لِمَاfor what يَتْfollows (first part)
وَليَكُنْ فَوْزُكَ العَتِيدُ لِمَا يَتْ
لُوfollows (completion) مِنَof الفَوْزِsuccess طَالِعاًan omen مَيْمُونَاauspicious
لُو مِنَ الفَوْزِ طَالِعاً مَيْمُونَا
May your present success, for the triumphs
to follow, be an auspicious omen.
أَحْمِسُAhmose الأَوَّلُthe First ابْتِدَاءٌa beginning جَمِيلٌbeautiful
أَحْمِسُ الأَوَّلُ ابْتِدَاءٌ جَمِيلٌ
أَطْرَبَdelighted السَّامِعِينَthe listeners وَالنَّاظِرِينَاand the spectators
أَطْرَبَ السَّامِعِينَ وَالنَّاظِرِينَا
“Ahmose I” is a beautiful beginning,
delighting listeners and spectators.
سُقْتَyou recounted فِيهِin it طَرْدَthe expulsion الرُّعَاةِthe shepherds مَسَاقاًa manner of telling
سُقْتَ فِيهِ طَرْدَ الرُّعَاةِ مَسَاقاً
زَادَadded to جِيدَthe neck البَيَانِeloquence عِقْداًa necklace ثَمِينَاprecious
زَادَ جِيدَ البَيَانِ عِقْداً ثَمِينَا
In it you recounted the shepherds' expulsion in a manner
that added a precious necklace to eloquence's neck.
وَبَعَثْتَand you brought to life الأَشْخَاصَthe characters بَعْثاًa revival عَجِيباًwondrous
وَبَعَثْتَ الأَشْخَاصَ بَعْثاً عَجِيباً
وَسَبَكْتَand you cast الأَغْرَاضَthe themes سَبكاًa casting رَصِينَاsolid
وَسَبَكْتَ الأَغْرَاضَ سَبكاً رَصِينَا
And you brought the characters wonderfully to life,
and cast the themes in a solid mold.
وَأَمْطْتَand you drew aside الحِجَابَthe veil عَنfrom أَيِّevery سِرٍّsecret
وَأَمْطْتَ الحِجَابَ عَن أَيِّ سِرٍّ
كَانَwas فِيin مُهْجَةِthe heart الفَخَارِglory مَصُونَاguarded
كَانَ فِي مُهْجَةِ الفَخَارِ مَصُونَا
And you drew the veil aside from every secret
that lay guarded in the heart of glory.
بَيْنَbetween نَثْرٍprose لاno عَيْبَflaw فِيهِin it وَشِعْرٍand poetry
بَيْنَ نَثْرٍ لا عَيْبَ فِيهِ وَشِعْرٍ
مِثْلَlike مَاwhat تَشْتَهِيdesires المُنَىwishes أَنْto يَكُونَاbe
مِثْلَ مَا تَشْتَهِي المُنَى أَنْ يَكُونَا
Between flawless prose and poetry
such as dreams would wish it to be.
كَلِمٌwords مِنْof تَخَطُّفِswift darting البَرْقِlightning يَسْبِقْoutstrip (verb stem)
كَلِمٌ مِنْ تَخَطُّفِ البَرْقِ يَسْبِقْ
نَthey (feminine plural ending) إِلَىto مَوْقِعِthe abode الجَمَالِbeauty الظُّنُونَاimaginings
نَ إِلَى مَوْقِعِ الجَمَالِ الظُّنُونَا
Words with lightning's darting swiftness, outstripping
imaginings in reaching beauty's abode.
أَسَالِيبُstyles فِيin الرِّوَايَةِthe play يُحْدِثْbring about (verb stem)
أَسَالِيبُ فِي الرِّوَايَةِ يُحْدِثْ
نَthey (feminine plural ending) سُرُوراًjoy وَقَدْand indeed أَسَلْنَthey made flow الشُّؤُونَاthe tear ducts
نَ سُرُوراً وَقَدْ أَسَلْنَ الشُّؤُونَا
Narrative devices in the play that bring
joy, though they have set tears flowing.
وَحِوَارٌand dialogue يُبَلِّغُconveys العِظَةَthe lesson المُثْthe finest (first part)
وَحِوَارٌ يُبَلِّغُ العِظَةَ المُثْ
لَىfinest (completion) مِنَfrom الأَوَّلِينَthose of old لِلآخِرِينَاto those who come after
لَى مِنَ الأَوَّلِينَ لِلآخِرِينَا
And dialogue that conveys the finest lesson
from those of old to those who come after.
وَخِتَامٌand an ending تَضَوَّعَwafted المِسْكُmusk مِنْهُfrom it
وَخِتَامٌ تَضَوَّعَ المِسْكُ مِنْهُ
بِعَبِيرٍwith a fragrance أَضَاعَهُhad lost it الدَّهْرُtime حِينَاfor a while
بِعَبِيرٍ أَضَاعَهُ الدَّهْرُ حِينَا
And an ending from which musk wafted,
with a fragrance that time had lost for a while.
قَدْindeed شَمِمْنَاwe have smelled لِحُبِّfor love of طِيبَةَThebes فِيهِin it
قَدْ شَمِمْنَا لِحُبِّ طِيبَةَ فِيهِ
نَفْحَa waft طِيبٍfragrance أَذْكَىkindled الحَمِيَّةِardor فِينَاwithin us
نَفْحَ طِيبٍ أَذْكَى الحَمِيَّةِ فِينَا
In its love for Thebes, we have breathed
a waft of fragrance that kindled ardor within us.
إِنْif تَكُنْis هَذِهِthis رِوَايَتُكَyour play الأُوthe first (first part)
إِنْ تَكُنْ هَذِهِ رِوَايَتُكَ الأُو
لَىfirst (completion) فَمَاthen what الظَّنُّthe expectation بِاللَّوَاتِيof those that يَلِينَاwill follow
لَى فَمَا الظَّنُّ بِاللَّوَاتِي يَلِينَا
If this is your first play,
what, then, may we expect of those that follow?
Sol 6.1