حَيِّgreet الرِّفَاقَthe companions الأَكْرَمِينَthe most honorable وَقُلْand say لَهُمْto them
حَيِّ الرِّفَاقَ الأَكْرَمِينَ وَقُلْ لَهُمْ
إِنَّاindeed we لَكُمْwith you فِيin عِيدِكُمْyour celebration شُرَكَاءُpartners
إِنَّا لَكُمْ فِي عِيدِكُمْ شُرَكَاءُ
Greet the most honorable companions and tell them:
Salute the finest companions and tell them:
Indeed, we share with you in your celebration.
On your feast day we are your partners
مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween مِصْرَEgypt وَبَيْنَand between لُبْنَانَLebanon مَدَىًa distance
مَا بَيْنَ مِصْرَ وَبَيْنَ لُبْنَانَ مَدَىً
نَاءٍdistant وَقَدْand indeed أَدْنَىhas brought close الْقُلُوبَthe hearts إِخاءُbrotherhood
نَاءٍ وَقَدْ أَدْنَى الْقُلُوبَ إِخاءُ
Between Egypt and Lebanon lies a distance
From Egypt to Lebanon however far between
Far indeed, yet brotherhood has drawn hearts close.
Partners in concord though kinship there has never been
إِنَّindeed الَّذِيthe one whom أَجْمَعْتُمُyou unanimously agreed إِكْرَامَهُto honor him
إِنَّ الَّذِي أَجْمَعْتُمُ إِكْرَامَهُ
لَمْdid not تَخْتِلفْdiffer فِيin حُبِّهloving him الأَهْوَاءُthe affections
لَمْ تَخْتِلفْ فِي حُبِّه الأَهْوَاءُ
Indeed, the one you have all agreed to honor—
He whom you honour on this noble feast
Affections do not differ in their love for him.
Though tastes for other men may vary or cease
فِيat عِيدِهِhis jubilee الْفِضِّيsilver زَمْرٌpiping تَنْجَليshine forth
فِي عِيدِهِ الْفِضِّي زَمْرٌ تَنْجَلي
بِبَيَاضِهِthrough its whiteness أَخْلاَقُهُhis virtues العَزَّاءُlofty
بِبَيَاضِهِ أَخْلاَقُهُ العَزَّاءُ
At his silver jubilee there is piping; there shine
On his white festival, throngs shine immaculate
Through its whiteness his lofty virtues.
High morals adorning their honour innate
خَدَمَhe served المُوَاطِنَthe fellow citizen خِدَمَةًa service لَمْdid not يَأْتِهَاrender it
خَدَمَ المُوَاطِنَ خِدَمَةً لَمْ يَأْتِهَا
إِلاَّexcept الرُّعَاةُthe shepherds الْجِلْسَةُthe sitting posture (unclear here) العُظَمَاءُthe great
إِلاَّ الرُّعَاةُ الْجِلْسَةُ العُظَمَاءُ
He served his fellow citizen with a service rendered
He served the citizens, served beyond measure
Only by the great shepherds [epithet unclear].
As only the greatest leaders unfurl such treasure
وَبَنَىand he built لأُمَّتهِfor his nation فَخَاراًglory بَعْدَafter أَنthat
وَبَنَى لأُمَّتهِ فَخَاراً بَعْدَ أَن
كَادَتْnearly تَلُمُّbeset بِعِرْضِهَاits honor الأَرْزَاءُthe calamities
كَادَتْ تَلُمُّ بِعِرْضِهَا الأَرْزَاءُ
And he built glory for his nation, after
From debasement he raised his nation anew
Calamities had nearly beset its honor,
Though ruin seemed fated whate’er he might do
مُسْتَنْصِراًseeking aid from إِيمانَهُhis faith وَثَبَاتَهُand his steadfastness
مُسْتَنْصِراً إِيمانَهُ وَثَبَاتَهُ
وَخُلُوصَهُand his sincerity إِنْif فَاتَهُfailed him النُّصرَاءُthe supporters
وَخُلُوصَهُ إِنْ فَاتَهُ النُّصرَاءُ
Seeking aid from his faith and steadfastness,
He drew on his faith and his constancy too
And his sincerity, if supporters failed him.
Though allies there were not his goal to construe
يَرْعَىhe tends مَدَارِسَهَاits schools وَيَكْلأُand safeguards نِشْأَهَاits young
يَرْعَى مَدَارِسَهَا وَيَكْلأُ نِشْأَهَا
وَالنِّشءُand the young لِلْعَهْدِfor the era الجَدِيِدِnew بِنَاءُan edifice
وَالنِّشءُ لِلْعَهْدِ الجَدِيِدِ بِنَاءُ
He tends its schools and guards its young,
He tended its schools and moulded its youth
And the young are the edifice of the new age.
For the new generation to strengthen their growth
وَيَعِمُّand extends to كُلَّevery مَبَرَّةٍcharitable work بِعِنَايَةٍwith care
وَيَعِمُّ كُلَّ مَبَرَّةٍ بِعِنَايَةٍ
مِنْهُfrom him فَلَمْso he did not يُخْصِصْsingle out بِهَاfor it الْفُقَرَاءُthe poor
مِنْهُ فَلَمْ يُخْصِصْ بِهَا الْفُقَرَاءُ
And he extends his care to every charitable work,
He cared for all needy no matter how poor
Never reserving it for the poor alone.
Not only the wretched his bounties assure
مُتُعَهِّداًtending أَبَداًalways رَعِيَّتهُhis flock فَلاَso neither
مُتُعَهِّداً أَبَداً رَعِيَّتهُ فَلاَ
سَأْمٌboredom يُثَبِّطهُholds him back وَلاَnor أَعْيَاءُexhaustion
سَأْمٌ يُثَبِّطهُ وَلاَ أَعْيَاءُ
Ever tending his flock, so neither
Resolved evermore to shepherd his flock
Boredom nor exhaustion holds him back.
No weariness daunted nor drudgery shocked
زُهِيَتْwere adorned مَوَاعِظُهُhis sermons بِكُلِّwith every يَتِيمَةٍpeerless gem
زُهِيَتْ مَوَاعِظُهُ بِكُلِّ يَتِيمَةٍ
فِيin كُلِّevery دَاجِيَةٍdark night لَهَاit has لأْلاَءُradiance
فِي كُلِّ دَاجِيَةٍ لَهَا لأْلاَءُ
His sermons are adorned with many a peerless gem
His homilies graced with each eloquent phrase
That gleams in every dark night.
In every obscure allegory to raise
إنْif أكْبَرَesteem الْعُلَمَاءُthe scholars حِكْمَتَهُhis wisdom فَقَدْthen indeed
إنْ أكْبَرَ الْعُلَمَاءُ حِكْمَتَهُ فَقَدْ
فُتِنَتْhave been captivated بِحُسْنِby the beauty بَيَانِهَاof its expression الأُدَبَاءُthe men of letters
فُتِنَتْ بِحُسْنِ بَيَانِهَا الأُدَبَاءُ
If scholars esteem his wisdom, then indeed
The greatest of scholars his wisdom endures
Men of letters are captivated by its beautiful expression.
His eloquence raptured the cultured and pure
تَقْوَىpiety وَعَقْلٌand a mind رَاجِحٌsound وَطَوِيَّةٌand an inner disposition
تَقْوَى وَعَقْلٌ رَاجِحٌ وَطَوِيَّةٌ
لاَnot تَلْتَوِيturns crooked وَكِيَاسَةٌand discernment وَذَكَاءُand intelligence
لاَ تَلْتَوِي وَكِيَاسَةٌ وَذَكَاءُ
Piety, sound judgment, and an inner nature
Piety, judgement, reserve and tact
That never turns crooked, and discernment and intelligence;
No wavering, prudence and skill intact
وَعَزِيَمَةٌand resolve غَلاَّبَةٌall-conquering وَفَصَاحَةٌand eloquence
وَعَزِيَمَةٌ غَلاَّبَةٌ وَفَصَاحَةٌ
خَلاَّبَةٌcaptivating وَكَرَامَةٌand dignity وَإِبَاءُand noble pride
خَلاَّبَةٌ وَكَرَامَةٌ وَإِبَاءُ
And an all-conquering resolve, and eloquence
A will that prevailed and speech that'd disarm
That enchants, and dignity and noble pride.
Such valour, largesse, determination and calm
هَذِيthese مَنَاقِبُهُhis virtues وَحَسْبِيand sufficient for me ذِكْرُهَاmentioning them
هَذِي مَنَاقِبُهُ وَحَسْبِي ذِكْرُهَا
حَتَّىso that يُخَيِّلit seems أَنَّهthat it is إِطْرَاءُflattery
حَتَّى يُخَيِّل أَنَّه إِطْرَاءُ
These are his virtues; I need only mention them
These virtues of his I recount but in brief
For it to seem like flattery.
Lest praise should seem fulsome, not sound but effete
إنْif لَمْnot يَكُنْbe شُكْرُgratitude العَدَولِthe just جَزَاءَهَاtheir reward
إنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ شُكْرُ العَدَولِ جَزَاءَهَا
فَعَلاَمَthen for what فيin الدُّنْيَاthis world يَكُونُis there جِزَاءُa reward
فَعَلاَمَ في الدُّنْيَا يَكُونُ جِزَاءُ
If the gratitude of the just is not their reward,
If the just man's meed is not gratitude’s wreath
Then for what in this world can there be reward?
To what in this world can his payment bequeath?
Sol 6.1