لِينُرْlet shine شعَاعُكِyour radiance يَاO عرُوسbride of النِّيلِthe Nile
لِينُرْ شعَاعُكِ يَا عرُوس النِّيلِ
وَيُسِرْand may it proceed شِرَاعُكِyour sail فِيalong أَبَرِّthe most virtuous سَبِيلِcourse
وَيُسِرْ شِرَاعُكِ فِي أَبَرِّ سَبِيلِ
Let your radiance shine, O bride of the Nile,
Let your radiance shine, O bride of the Nile,
And may your sail follow the most virtuous course.
And may your sail be easy in the noblest course.
أَنْتِyou المَلِيكَةُthe queen فِيamong الجَّوَارِيthe ships فَازْدهِيso take pride
أَنْتِ المَلِيكَةُ فِي الجَّوَارِي فَازْدهِي
بِبدائِعٍin wonders جُلَّتْwere exalted عَنِbeyond التْمْثِيلِcomparison
بِبدائِعٍ جُلَّتْ عَنِ التْمْثِيلِ
You are queen among the ships; so take pride
You are the queen among the maids, so excel
In wonders beyond comparison.
With wonders beyond all compare.
رَاعِيguardian of الغزَالَةَthe gazelle وَالقَضَاءَand fate فُلاَتَهاher wilderness
رَاعِي الغزَالَةَ وَالقَضَاءَ فُلاَتَها
يرْعىtends مُهَاةَthe oryx of المَاءِthe water رعيَthe care of كفِيلِa guardian
يرْعى مُهَاةَ المَاءِ رعيَ كفِيلِ
The gazelle’s guardian—with fate as her wilderness—
The gazelle shepherd who judges her sway
Tends the water-oryx with a guardian’s care.
Tends the bend of water with care.
أوْor مَاnot تُرَىyou see فَوْقَabove الحُبَابِthe foam خُطُورَهَاher swaying
أوْ مَا تُرَى فَوْقَ الحُبَابِ خُطُورَهَا
بَيْنَbetween ابْتِسَامِthe smile of الموْجِthe waves والتَّقْبِيلِand the kissing
بَيْنَ ابْتِسَامِ الموْجِ والتَّقْبِيلِ
Or do you not see her swaying above the foam,
Or is it her gliding over bubbles seen
Between the waves’ smiles and kisses?
Between the smile of waves and kissing?
يَهْفوblows الصَّحِيحُthe vigorous one مِنof الصباthe east wind لِيُمِيلَهَاto tilt her
يَهْفو الصَّحِيحُ مِن الصبا لِيُمِيلَهَا
فَيَخِفُّso it grows light ثمthen يَمُرُّpasses مُرَّthe passing of علِيلِone ailing
فَيَخِفُّ ثم يَمُرُّ مُرَّ علِيلِ
The vigorous east wind blows to tilt her,
The healthy youth inclines toward her and swoons,
So it grows faint, then passes like one ailing.
Then passes like an ailing one.
وَتَظَلَّand continue تؤْنِسُهَاkeep her company النَّجُومُthe stars بِنَبْاةٍwith a whisper
وَتَظَلَّ تؤْنِسُهَا النَّجُومُ بِنَبْاةٍ
مهْمَاhowever much تُطِلْyou prolong فَاللَّيْلُfor the night غَيْرُnot طَويلِlong
مهْمَا تُطِلْ فَاللَّيْلُ غَيْرُ طَويلِ
And the stars keep her company with a whisper:
The stars keep her company with a coyness
However long you prolong it, the night is not long.
No matter how long the night lasts.
إِنْif تَنْطَلِقْshe sets off راضَtamed العُبابthe surging water صِعَابَهُits roughness
إِنْ تَنْطَلِقْ راضَ العُباب صِعَابَهُ
فَجَرتْso she sailed عَلَىwith قَدْرٍa measure مِنَof التَّسهِيلease
فَجَرتْ عَلَى قَدْرٍ مِنَ التَّسهِيل
If she sets off, the swell tames its roughness,
If you launch despite the rocks' severity,
So she sails with a measure of ease.
You flow on a measure of facilitation.
وَإِذَاand when رَستْshe anchors فَالضِفَّتَانِthen the two banks حدائِقٌgardens
وَإِذَا رَستْ فَالضِفَّتَانِ حدائِقٌ
زهِرتْblossomed بِكلِّwith everything مُحَبِّبٍendearing وجمِيلِand beautiful
زهِرتْ بِكلِّ مُحَبِّبٍ وجمِيلِ
And when she anchors, the two banks are gardens,
And where you dock, the banks are gardens
Blossoming with all that is endearing and beautiful.
Blooming with all that is lovely and fair.
مَدَّتstretched إِلَىtoward المِرْآةِthe mirror خُضْرَthe green ظِلاَلِهَاtheir shadows
مَدَّت إِلَى المِرْآةِ خُضْرَ ظِلاَلِهَا
نَكَسَتْinverted حَقَائِقُهَاtheir real forms حِلَىornaments of التَّخْيِيلِimagination
نَكَسَتْ حَقَائِقُهَا حِلَى التَّخْيِيلِ
They have stretched their green shadows toward the mirror;
Your green shadows reach out to the mirror.
Their real forms are inverted into ornaments of fancy.
Reality melts into imagined finery.
بَيْتٌa house مُشِيدٌlofty يَسْتَقِّلُtravels وفِيهِand within it مَاwhat
بَيْتٌ مُشِيدٌ يَسْتَقِّلُ وفِيهِ مَا
يُرْضِيsatisfies القِرىhospitality مِنْof طَيِّبِthe fine things المَحْمُولِcarried aboard
يُرْضِي القِرى مِنْ طَيِّبِ المَحْمُولِ
A lofty house that travels, and within it is what
A house is erected self-sufficient, containing
Fulfills hospitality’s needs with the fine provisions aboard.
What satisfies towns of fine imports.
زَهِيَتْshone مَعَالِمُهُits features بِآيَاتِwith signs of النَّهىintellect
زَهِيَتْ مَعَالِمُهُ بِآيَاتِ النَّهى
مِنْin زَيِّan array of أَلْوَانٍcolors وَغُرِّand radiant شُكُولِforms
مِنْ زَيِّ أَلْوَانٍ وَغُرِّ شُكُولِ
Its features shine with signs of intellect,
Its features are beautiful with glyphs of warning
In an array of colors and radiant forms.
Against excess of color and arrogance of forms.
فَعُقُودُso necklaces of نَظْمٍverse رُصِّعَتْwere studded جِدرَانُهُits walls
فَعُقُودُ نَظْمٍ رُصِّعَتْ جِدرَانُهُ
بِلآلىءَwith pearls اسَتوْقَفْنَwere halted حِينَduring مَسِيلِflowing
بِلآلىءَ اسَتوْقَفْنَ حِينَ مَسِيلِ
So necklaces of verse have studded its walls
Strands of prosody adorn its walls
With pearls halted in mid-flow.
With pearls that paused at the flood.
ياO صاحِبَowner of الفلْكِthe ship الَّتِيwhose أَعْلاَمُهاits flags
يا صاحِبَ الفلْكِ الَّتِي أَعْلاَمُها
خفاقَةٌfluttering فَرَحاًin joy بِكُلِّat every نَزِيلِguest
خفاقَةٌ فَرَحاً بِكُلِّ نَزِيلِ
O owner of the ship whose flags
O captain of the ship whose flags
Flutter in joy at every guest,
Flutter joyfully for every lodger,
أَكْرِمْhow noble بِنَفْسِكَyour soul حِينَwhen قَالَتْit said سَاعَةa moment
أَكْرِمْ بِنَفْسِكَ حِينَ قَالَتْ سَاعَة
لَكَto you مَاwhat يَسُرُّgladdens ضَمِيرthe conscience of كُلِّevery نَبِيلِnoble person
لَكَ مَا يَسُرُّ ضَمِير كُلِّ نَبِيلِ
How noble your soul, when once it said
Honor yourself when the moment said:
To you what gladdens the conscience of every noble person:
For you whatever gladdens the heart of all nobles.
حَدِّثْtell بِنِعْمةِof the blessing of ربِّكَyour Lord الصَّمَدِthe Self-Sufficient الَّذِيwho
حَدِّثْ بِنِعْمةِ ربِّكَ الصَّمَدِ الَّذِي
أَعْطَاكَgave you مَاwhat أَعْطاكَHe gave you مُحْضَpure جَمِيلِkindness
أَعْطَاكَ مَا أَعْطاكَ مُحْضَ جَمِيلِ
Tell of the blessing of your Lord, the Self-Sufficient, who
Speak of the blessing of your eternal Lord
Gave you what He gave you out of pure kindness.
Who gave you all He gave in pure kindness.
حَدِّثْspeak بِهَاof it فَالجُودُfor generosity أَفْضَلُthe best مَاthat which بِهِby which
حَدِّثْ بِهَا فَالجُودُ أَفْضَلُ مَا بِهِ
يُوفَىis rendered in full لَهto Him شكْرُthanks عَلَىfor التَّفْضِيلِfavor
يُوفَى لَه شكْرُ عَلَى التَّفْضِيلِ
Speak of it, for generosity is the best means
Speak of it, for generosity is best with which
Of rendering Him thanks for His favor.
To repay Him for favoring.
كَمْhow many نِعْمَةٍa blessing عِنْدَwith البَخِيلِthe miser فَقِيدَةٌlost
كَمْ نِعْمَةٍ عِنْدَ البَخِيلِ فَقِيدَةٌ
جَعَلْتَyou made عَطَاءَthe bounty of اللهِGod كَالتَّطْفِيلِlike freeloading
جَعَلْتَ عَطَاءَ اللهِ كَالتَّطْفِيلِ
How many a blessing is lost in a miser’s hands!
How many favors does the miser bind
You have made God’s bounty seem like freeloading.
Making God's gifts like begging!
لِيكنْlet be سَخَاءَكَyour generosity وَالحَياةُwhile life سفِينَةٌa ship
لِيكنْ سَخَاءَكَ وَالحَياةُ سفِينَةٌ
فِيin الدَّهْرِtime بَيْنَbetween إِقَامَةٍstaying وَرحِيلِand departing
فِي الدَّهْرِ بَيْنَ إِقَامَةٍ وَرحِيلِ
Let your generosity—while life is a ship
Let your generosity and life be a ship
In time, between staying and departing—
Between staying and leaving in fate.
أَمْناًsafety وَيُمنْاًand good fortune لِلْحَيَاةِfor life وَرَبِّهَاand its master
أَمْناً وَيُمنْاً لِلْحَيَاةِ وَرَبِّهَا
وَسُرُورand joy تَجْوَالِvoyaging وسَعْدَand happiness حُلُولِarrival
وَسُرُور تَجْوَالِ وسَعْدَ حُلُولِ
Be safety and good fortune for life and its master,
Safety and prosperity to life and its Lord,
And joy in voyaging and happiness in arrival.
And joy in roaming and bliss in alighting.
Sol 6.1