يَاO حُسْنَهاhow lovely it is سَاعَةًan hour مِنَof العُمْرِlife
يَا حُسْنَها سَاعَةً مِنَ العُمْرِ
فَرِيدَةًa peerless jewel فِيin قِلاَدَةِthe necklace of الدَّهْرِtime
فَرِيدَةً فِي قِلاَدَةِ الدَّهْرِ
How lovely an hour of life it is,
A peerless jewel in the necklace of time!
لَمْnot يُزْهwas adorned يَوْماًever جَمَالُthe beauty of مَالِكةٍa queen
لَمْ يُزْه يَوْماً جَمَالُ مَالِكةٍ
بِمِثْلِهَاwith its equal مِنْamong نَفائِسِthe choicest of الدرِّpearls
بِمِثْلِهَا مِنْ نَفائِسِ الدرِّ
Never was a queen's beauty adorned
With its equal among the choicest pearls.
سَاعَةَan hour of سَعْدٍbliss يَوْدَّwishes شَاهِدُهَاwhoever witnesses it
سَاعَةَ سَعْدٍ يَوْدَّ شَاهِدُهَا
لَوْif only وَقَفَتْstood still زُهْرُهَاits bright stars فَلاَand not تَسْرِيtravel by night
لَوْ وَقَفَتْ زُهْرُهَا فَلاَ تَسْرِي
An hour of bliss whose witness wishes
That its bright stars would halt and move no more.
فَاقتْit surpassed شبِيهَاتِهاits counterparts الحِسَانَthe lovely ones بِمَاthrough what
فَاقتْ شبِيهَاتِها الحِسَانَ بِمَا
خُصَّتit was singled out بِهِwith it دُونَهَاto their exclusion مِنَof السِّرِّthe mystery
خُصَّت بِهِ دُونَهَا مِنَ السِّرِّ
It surpassed its lovely counterparts through
The mystery with which it alone was endowed.
فِيon يَوْمِthe day of قَانَاCana الجَلِيلِof Galilee شَرَّفَهَاhe honored it
فِي يَوْمِ قَانَا الجَلِيلِ شَرَّفَهَا
فادِيthe Redeemer of البَرَايَاcreation وَغَافِرُand Forgiver of الوِزْرِsin
فادِي البَرَايَا وَغَافِرُ الوِزْرِ
On the day at Cana of Galilee, it was honored by
The Redeemer of creation and Forgiver of sin.
أَتَمَّhe completed فِيهَاwithin it هَنَاءَthe joy of سَامِرِهَاits evening company
أَتَمَّ فِيهَا هَنَاءَ سَامِرِهَا
فَأَوْدَعَso he placed in المَاءَthe water نَشْوَةَthe exhilaration of الخَمْرِwine
فَأَوْدَعَ المَاءَ نَشْوَةَ الخَمْرِ
In it he made its revelers' joy complete,
And imbued the water with the exhilaration of wine.
لِحِكْمَةٍfor a wise purpose شاءَهَاhe willed it أَحَلَّhe permitted لَهُمُto them
لِحِكْمَةٍ شاءَهَا أَحَلَّ لَهُمُ
شُرْبَthe drinking of الطَّلىwine مِنْhe who نَهَىforbade عَنْfrom السُّكرِdrunkenness
شُرْبَ الطَّلى مِنْ نَهَى عَنْ السُّكرِ
For a wise purpose of his choosing, he permitted them
To drink wine—he who forbade drunkenness.
وَحَبَّذاand how fine هَذِهِthis السُّلاَفَةُchoice wine مِنْof
وَحَبَّذا هَذِهِ السُّلاَفَةُ مِنْ
عَرِيقَةِancient in الأَصْلِlineage حُرَّةِpure in النَّشرِfragrance
عَرِيقَةِ الأَصْلِ حُرَّةِ النَّشرِ
And how fine is this choice wine,
Of ancient lineage and pure fragrance.
أُنْظُرْlook إِلَيْهَاat it فِيin كفِّthe palm of كَاهِنِهَاits priest
أُنْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا فِي كفِّ كَاهِنِهَا
كَأَنَّهاas though it were ذَائِبٌmolten مِنَof التِّبرِunminted gold
كَأَنَّها ذَائِبٌ مِنَ التِّبرِ
Look at it in its priest's palm,
As though it were molten gold.
يُسْقىare given drink العَرُوسَانِthe bride and groom مِنْfrom مُحَلِّلِهَاthe one who sanctioned it
يُسْقى العَرُوسَانِ مِنْ مُحَلِّلِهَا
رَمْزَa symbol of امْتِزَاجِthe mingling of العَفَافِchastity وَالبِرِّand righteousness
رَمْزَ امْتِزَاجِ العَفَافِ وَالبِرِّ
The bride and groom receive drink from him who sanctioned it,
A symbol of chastity and righteousness entwined.
وَهَذِهِand this فِيin يَدِيmy hand مُشعْشَعَةًmixed with water
وَهَذِهِ فِي يَدِي مُشعْشَعَةً
بَعَثْتُهَاI resurrected it مِنْfrom غَيَابَةِthe dark depths of القبْرِthe grave
بَعَثْتُهَا مِنْ غَيَابَةِ القبْرِ
And this wine in my hand, mixed with water,
I have raised it from the darkness of the grave.
مِنْfrom عَهْدِthe time of قَانَاCana تَسَلْسَلَتْit has passed down قِدَماًfrom antiquity
مِنْ عَهْدِ قَانَا تَسَلْسَلَتْ قِدَماً
وَرُوِّقَتْand was clarified فِيin مَخابِيءِthe hiding places of الدَّهْرِtime
وَرُوِّقَتْ فِي مَخابِيءِ الدَّهْرِ
From Cana's time it has come down through the ages,
And was clarified in time's hidden recesses.
رُوحُthe spirit of سُرُورٍjoy فِيin شِبْهِthe likeness of لُؤْلُؤَةٍa pearl
رُوحُ سُرُورٍ فِي شِبْهِ لُؤْلُؤَةٍ
وَدَمْعُand the tears of فَجْرٍdawn بِحُمْرَةِwith the redness of الجَمْرِembers
وَدَمْعُ فَجْرٍ بِحُمْرَةِ الجَمْرِ
A spirit of joy in the semblance of a pearl,
And tears of dawn, red as glowing embers.
أَشْرَبُهَاI drink it فِيto هَناءِthe happiness of مَنْthose who شرِبَاboth drank
أَشْرَبُهَا فِي هَناءِ مَنْ شرِبَا
كَأْسَthe cup of الغَرَامِpassionate love المُنَزَّهِuntainted الحُرِّfree
كَأْسَ الغَرَامِ المُنَزَّهِ الحُرِّ
I drink it to the joy of the two who drank
The cup of love, pure and free.
كِلاَهُمَاboth of them كَانwas كُفْءَthe equal of صَاحِبِهِhis companion
كِلاَهُمَا كَان كُفْءَ صَاحِبِهِ
بِنَبْعَتَيْهِin his two lines of descent وَرِفْعَةِand loftiness of القَدْرِstanding
بِنَبْعَتَيْهِ وَرِفْعَةِ القَدْرِ
Each was the equal of the other
In both ancestral lines and in exalted standing.
يَاO دَارُhouse تِيهاًexult proudly عَلَىover الدِّيَارِthe houses بِمَاin what
يَا دَارُ تِيهاً عَلَى الدِّيَارِ بِمَا
أَحْرَزْتِهِyou have attained it مِنْof مَظَاهِرِthe signs of الفَخْرِglory
أَحْرَزْتِهِ مِنْ مَظَاهِرِ الفَخْرِ
O house, exult above other houses in
The signs of glory you have won.
كَمْhow many رَوْضَةٍa garden أَتْحَفَتْكِhas bestowed gifts on you تَكْرِمَةًin honor
كَمْ رَوْضَةٍ أَتْحَفَتْكِ تَكْرِمَةً
بِخَيْرِwith the finest of مَاwhat أَنْبَتَتْit has grown مِنَof الزَّهْرِflowers
بِخَيْرِ مَا أَنْبَتَتْ مِنَ الزَّهْرِ
How many a garden has paid you homage
With the finest flowers it has grown!
وَكَمْand how often كَسَاكhas clothed you البَهَاءُsplendor ضَافِيَةًa flowing robe
وَكَمْ كَسَاك البَهَاءُ ضَافِيَةً
مِنْof نُورِthe light of شَمْسٍa sun لَهُbelonging to it وَمِنْand from بَدْرِa full moon
مِنْ نُورِ شَمْسٍ لَهُ وَمِنْ بَدْرِ
And how often has splendor clothed you in a flowing robe
Of light from its sun and from a full moon!
دُومِيendure عَلَىthroughout الدَّهْرِtime دَارَa house of مَكْرُمَةٍgenerosity
دُومِي عَلَى الدَّهْرِ دَارَ مَكْرُمَةٍ
وَصَرْحَand an edifice of مَجْدٍglory وَمُلْتَقَىand a meeting place of بِشْرِjoy
وَصَرْحَ مَجْدٍ وَمُلْتَقَى بِشْرِ
Endure through time, a house of generosity,
An edifice of glory and a meeting place of joy.
وَيَاand O عَرُوسَانِbride and groom إِنَّindeed أَثْبَتَthe firmest of مَاwhat
وَيَا عَرُوسَانِ إِنَّ أَثْبَتَ مَا
يُبْنَىis built بِنَاءَas a structure بِناءَthe building of الوَفَاءِfidelity بِالطُّهْرِwith purity
يُبْنَى بِنَاءَ بِناءَ الوَفَاءِ بِالطُّهْرِ
And O bride and groom, the firmest structure
Ever built is fidelity founded on purity.
فَشَيِّداso build, you two بَيْتَa house of رِفْعَةٍhigh standing وَعَلىand eminence
فَشَيِّدا بَيْتَ رِفْعَةٍ وَعَلى
يَكونto be بَيْتَthe verse of القصِيدِthe poem فِيin العَصْرِthe age
يَكون بَيْتَ القصِيدِ فِي العَصْرِ
So build a house of dignity and eminence,
To be the crowning verse of the age.
وَاسْتَمْتِعَاand take pleasure, you two بِالرفاءِin marital harmony وَاغْتَدِيَاand become, you two
وَاسْتَمْتِعَا بِالرفاءِ وَاغْتَدِيَا
رَأْساًa head لِسِبْطٍof a line of descendants أَعِزَّةٍnoble ones كُثْرِnumerous
رَأْساً لِسِبْطٍ أَعِزَّةٍ كُثْرِ
And enjoy wedded harmony, and become
The head of a noble and numerous line.
يَرْتَقِبُawaits العَصْرُthe age أَنْthat يُقَلَّدَهُمْit be adorned with them
يَرْتَقِبُ العَصْرُ أَنْ يُقَلَّدَهُمْ
حَيْثُwhere تُنَاطُare hung الحِلَىjewels مِنَfrom الصَّدْرِthe breast
حَيْثُ تُنَاطُ الحِلَى مِنَ الصَّدْرِ
The age awaits being adorned with them
Where jewels are hung upon the breast.
Sol 6.1