صَفَاءًserenity يَاO كرِيمَةَnoble daughter آلِthe family of خُوريKhouri
صَفَاءً يَا كرِيمَةَ آلِ خُوري
وَسَعْداًand happiness فِيin العَشِيَّةthe evening وَالبُكُورِand the early morning
وَسَعْداً فِي العَشِيَّة وَالبُكُورِ
Serenity to you, noble daughter of the Khouri family,
Serenity, O noble daughter of the Khouri family,
And happiness at evening and at dawn.
And happiness in the evenings and mornings.
كَأَنَّكas though you ياO عَرُوسَbride of الشعْرِpoetry خلْقاًin form
كَأَنَّك يا عَرُوسَ الشعْرِ خلْقاً
وَخُلْقاًand in character مِنْfrom مِزْاجِa blend of نِدىdew ونُورِand light
وَخُلْقاً مِنْ مِزْاجِ نِدى ونُورِ
It is as though, O bride of poetry, your form
You are, O bride of poetry, created
And character were a blend of dew and light.
With the temperament of dew and light.
أَبَىrefused لَكِfor you كُلُّevery حُسْنٍbeauty أَنْthat تُقَاسِيyou endure
أَبَى لَكِ كُلُّ حُسْنٍ أَنْ تُقَاسِي
مُشَابَهَةًa comparison إِلىto عِينٍwide-eyed maidens وَحُورand houris
مُشَابَهَةً إِلى عِينٍ وَحُور
All beauty refuses to let you endure
Every beauty refused except to be compared
Comparison with wide-eyed maidens and houris.
To your eyes and maidens.
وَلاand no أَبِيكِby your father ماnot عَدَلَتْكِequaled you بِكْرٌa maiden
وَلا أَبِيكِ ما عَدَلَتْكِ بِكْرٌ
بِعدْلِin fairness of الرَّأْيِjudgment وَالْقَلْبِand the heart الطَّهُورِpure
بِعدْلِ الرَّأْيِ وَالْقَلْبِ الطَّهُورِ
And, by your father, no maiden has equaled you
Nor did the virgins match you with justice
In fairness of judgment and purity of heart.
Of mind and pure heart.
مُحَيّاa countenance كَالصَّباحِlike the morning لَهُit has نَقَاءٌpurity
مُحَيّا كَالصَّباحِ لَهُ نَقَاءٌ
يُكَادُalmost يَشِفُّbecomes transparent عَنْto reveal أَقْصَىthe depths of الضَّمِيرِthe inner self
يُكَادُ يَشِفُّ عَنْ أَقْصَى الضَّمِيرِ
A face like morning, with a purity
Greeted like the morning, you have purity
That almost reveals the innermost self.
That could almost heal the innermost soul,
وأَلْفاظٌand words تَنُمُّtell عنِof السَّجايَاinnate qualities
وأَلْفاظٌ تَنُمُّ عنِ السَّجايَا
كَماjust as نَمَّtold النَّسيمُthe breeze عَنِof العبِيرِfragrance
كَما نَمَّ النَّسيمُ عَنِ العبِيرِ
And words that reveal your innate qualities,
And words that hint of amiability
As the breeze reveals fragrance.
As the breeze hints of perfume.
وَقَدٌّand a figure يُخْجِلُputs to shame الْغُصْنَthe bough اعَتِدَالاًin symmetry
وَقَدٌّ يُخْجِلُ الْغُصْنَ اعَتِدَالاً
وأزهَاراًand blossoms وَلُطْفاًand grace فِيin الخُطُورِswaying
وأزهَاراً وَلُطْفاً فِي الخُطُورِ
And a figure that shames the bough in symmetry,
A composure that shames the delicate branch,
And in blossoms and the grace of its swaying.
With flowers and gentleness in gait.
إِخَالُكِI think you قَدْindeed خُلِقْتِwere created بِغَيْرِwithout عَيْبٍa flaw
إِخَالُكِ قَدْ خُلِقْتِ بِغَيْرِ عَيْبٍ
لأَنَّكbecause you قَدْindeed حَيِيتِhave lived بِلاwithout نَكِيرِreproach
لأَنَّك قَدْ حَيِيتِ بِلا نَكِيرِ
I think you were created without a flaw,
Your manners are created without fault
For you have lived without reproach.
For you have lived without criticism.
أُحَاوِلُI try فِيin يَسِيرِa little الْقَوْلِspeech وَصْفاًa description
أُحَاوِلُ فِي يَسِيرِ الْقَوْلِ وَصْفاً
لمَاof what أُوِتيتِyou were given مِنْof فَضْلٍvirtue كِثيرِabundant
لمَا أُوِتيتِ مِنْ فَضْلٍ كِثيرِ
I try, in a few words, to describe
I attempt, in brief words, to describe
The abundant virtue bestowed upon you.
What you have been given of abundant virtue.
وفِيand in إِملِيEmily حُلىadornments مَلَكٍan angel كَرِيمٍnoble
وفِي إِملِي حُلى مَلَكٍ كَرِيمٍ
فَماso what وُسْعcapacity النظِيمِverse أَوِor النَّثِيرِprose
فَما وُسْع النظِيمِ أَوِ النَّثِيرِ
And in Emily are a noble angel's graces—
In my hope is the adornment of a generous angel,
What, then, can verse or prose encompass?
Beyond what verse or prose can contain.
لأَنْتِindeed you جَديرَةٌworthy بِأَحَبِّof the dearest رُوحٍsoul
لأَنْتِ جَديرَةٌ بِأَحَبِّ رُوحٍ
كَرِيمٍnoble طَبْعُهُhis nature سَامِيlofty in الشُّعورِfeeling
كَرِيمٍ طَبْعُهُ سَامِي الشُّعورِ
You are indeed worthy of the dearest soul,
For you deserve the love of a noble soul,
Noble in nature, lofty in feeling:
Lofty in sentiment and feeling.
بِيُوحَنَّاof Yohanna وَإِنْand not هُوَhe غَيْرُother than شَهْمٍa gallant man
بِيُوحَنَّا وَإِنْ هُوَ غَيْرُ شَهْمٍ
بِأَفْضَلِof the finest كلِّevery آنِسَةٍyoung lady جَديرِworthy
بِأَفْضَلِ كلِّ آنِسَةٍ جَديرِ
Yohanna, who is none other than a gallant man,
John, though not audacious,
Worthy of the finest of all young ladies.
Is worthy of the best of any sweet companion.
فَتىًa young man بِالنَّبعَتَيْنِin both ancestral lines عَرِيقُdeep-rooted in فَخْرٍhonor
فَتىً بِالنَّبعَتَيْنِ عَرِيقُ فَخْرٍ
وَلكِنْand yet لَيْسَhe is not بِالصَّلفِan arrogant man الفَخُورِboastful
وَلكِنْ لَيْسَ بِالصَّلفِ الفَخُورِ
A youth of deep-rooted honor in both ancestral lines,
A young man of two noble lineages,
Yet no arrogant braggart.
Yet not arrogant or conceited.
بَعِيدُfar-reaching الشَّأوِrange فِيمَاin what يَبْتَغِيهِhe seeks it
بَعِيدُ الشَّأوِ فِيمَا يَبْتَغِيهِ
لِرِفْعَتِهِfor his advancement مُجِدٌّdiligent فِيin المَسِيرِthe journey
لِرِفْعَتِهِ مُجِدٌّ فِي المَسِيرِ
Far-reaching in what he pursues,
Lofty in what he seeks for his dignity,
Diligent on his path toward eminence.
Glorious in his journey.
وماand not تَرْضَىaccept عَزَائِمُهُhis resolves المَوَاضِيkeen-edged
وما تَرْضَى عَزَائِمُهُ المَوَاضِي
لَهُfor him شأْناًa station سِوَىother than الشَّأْنِthe station الخَطِيرِof consequence
لَهُ شأْناً سِوَى الشَّأْنِ الخَطِيرِ
And his keen-edged resolves will not accept
And his resolute soul is not content
For him any station but one of great consequence.
With anything less than the most serious cause.
رَقِيقُgentle الطَّبعِnature مُقْتَبَلٌjust beginning صِبَاهُhis youth
رَقِيقُ الطَّبعِ مُقْتَبَلٌ صِبَاهُ
وَفِيهِand in him شَمَائِلُqualities الرَّجُلِthe man الْكبِيرِmature
وَفِيهِ شَمَائِلُ الرَّجُلِ الْكبِيرِ
Gentle in nature, in the freshness of his youth,
Gentle in nature, his youth still ahead,
And bearing the qualities of a mature man.
In him are the traits of a great man.
فَحَيَّاso may ... bless اللّهُGod فِيamong الأَعْرَاسِweddings عُرْساًa wedding
فَحَيَّا اللّهُ فِي الأَعْرَاسِ عُرْساً
جَلاunveiled شَمْساًa sun إِلىto بدْرٍa full moon مُنِيرِradiant
جَلا شَمْساً إِلى بدْرٍ مُنِيرِ
So may God bless, among weddings, this wedding,
So God has blessed a wedding in weddings,
That unveiled a sun to a radiant full moon.
A glorious sun to a shining full moon!
وَيَاand O قَمَرَيْtwo moons of مَرَابِعنَاour abodes هَنِيئاًmay it bring joy
وَيَا قَمَرَيْ مَرَابِعنَا هَنِيئاً
قِرَانُكُمَاyour union (you two) فَدُومَاso remain, both of you فِيin سُرُورِjoy
قِرَانُكُمَا فَدُومَا فِي سُرُورِ
And, O two moons of our abodes, blessed be
And O twin moons of our dwellings, congratulations!
Your union; remain ever in joy.
May your marriage last, ever joyful,
وَطِيباand be happy, both of you وَارْفُلاand revel, both of you أَمْناًin safety ويُمْناًand good fortune
وَطِيبا وَارْفُلا أَمْناً ويُمْناً
مَدَىthroughout الأَيَّامِthe days فِيin حِبَرِpatterned robes الحُبُورِjoy
مَدَى الأَيَّامِ فِي حِبَرِ الحُبُورِ
And be happy, and revel in safety and good fortune,
With goodness, and flourish in safety and prosperity
Throughout your days, in the patterned robes of joy.
The length of days in the ink of destiny.
يَزِيدُincreases جمالُthe beauty of سَعْدُكُمَاyour happiness (you two) جلالاin splendor
يَزِيدُ جمالُ سَعْدُكُمَا جلالا
بِنَسْلٍwith offspring صَالِحٍrighteous بَرٍّdutiful كَثِيرِnumerous
بِنَسْلٍ صَالِحٍ بَرٍّ كَثِيرِ
May the beauty of your happiness grow in splendor
May the beauty of your happiness add majesty
With numerous righteous and dutiful offspring.
With righteous, pious offspring abundant!
Sol 6.1