هَكَذَاthus هَكَذَاthus نُبُوغgenius الرِّجَالِof men
هَكَذَا هَكَذَا نُبُوغ الرِّجَالِ
فِيin تَوَلِّيundertaking جَلاَئِلِthe greatest of الأعْمَالِdeeds
فِي تَوَلِّي جَلاَئِلِ الأعْمَالِ
Thus, thus is the genius of men
Thus, thus is the genius of men
in undertaking momentous deeds.
In undertaking momentous deeds
حَسَبٌhonor طَارِفُnewly acquired أَعَانَhelped عَلَيْهِtoward it
حَسَبٌ طَارِفُ أَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ
تَالِدٌancestral heritage مِنْof نُبْلٍnobility وَحُسْنand goodness of خِلاَلِtraits
تَالِدٌ مِنْ نُبْلٍ وَحُسْن خِلاَلِ
Newly won honor, aided in its attainment
It was enough that Tarif helped him
by ancestral nobility and fine traits.
Of noble lineage and fair traits
حَيِّsalute سَمْعَانَSam'an فَهْوَfor he is أَوَّلُthe first مَنْone who يُذْكَرُis mentioned
حَيِّ سَمْعَانَ فَهْوَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يُذْكَرُ
بِالخَيْرِwith praise فِيamong بَنَاةِthe builders of المَعَالِيgreatness
بِالخَيْرِ فِي بَنَاةِ المَعَالِي
Salute Sam'an, for he is the first remembered
Long live Samaan, he is the first mentioned
with praise among the builders of greatness.
With goodness, among the builders of glories
وَاسْمُand the name of سَمْعانَSam'an مَالِيءُfilling السَّمْعِthe ear
وَاسْمُ سَمْعانَ مَالِيءُ السَّمْعِ
فِيin كُلِّevery مَكَانplace بِطَيِّبَاتِwith the goodness of الفِعَالِdeeds
فِي كُلِّ مَكَان بِطَيِّبَاتِ الفِعَالِ
And Sam'an’s name fills the ear
And Samaan's name fills the hearing
everywhere, through the goodness of his deeds.
In every place with good deeds
بِطُلَa hero النَّفْعِservice لِلْبِلاَدِto the country إِذَاif مَاever
بِطُلَ النَّفْعِ لِلْبِلاَدِ إِذَا مَا
عُدَّare counted أَهْلُmen of الجَلاَّدِcombat فِيamong الأبْطَالِheroes
عُدَّ أَهْلُ الجَلاَّدِ فِي الأبْطَالِ
A hero in service to the country, if
The hero of benefit for the country when
men of combat are counted among heroes.
The gallant people are counted among the heroes
يَاO فَتَىyouth of الشَّرْقِthe East لَيْسَit is not بَدْعاًa wonder إِذَاif مَاever
يَا فَتَى الشَّرْقِ لَيْسَ بَدْعاً إِذَا مَا
بُتَّyou have become فِيin الشَّرْقِthe East فَاقِدَlacking الأكْفَالِequals
بُتَّ فِي الشَّرْقِ فَاقِدَ الأكْفَالِ
O youth of the East, it is no wonder if
O youth of the East, it is no wonder if
you have become without equal in the East.
You remain in the East bereft of peers
هَلْhave بَلَغْتَyou attained الَّذِيwhat تَمَنَّيْتَyou wished for إِلاَّexcept
هَلْ بَلَغْتَ الَّذِي تَمَنَّيْتَ إِلاَّ
بِالثَّبَاتِthrough steadfastness العَجِيبِwondrous فِيin كُلِّevery حَالِcircumstance
بِالثَّبَاتِ العَجِيبِ فِي كُلِّ حَالِ
Have you attained what you wished for except
Have you reached what you wished except
through wondrous steadfastness in every circumstance?
By the amazing perseverance in every state?
وَحَقِيقٌand fitting بِمَنْfor one who يَسِيرُjourneys دَؤُوباtirelessly
وَحَقِيقٌ بِمَنْ يَسِيرُ دَؤُوبا
أَنْthat نَرَاهُwe see him مُحَقِّقَfulfilling الآمَالِhopes
أَنْ نَرَاهُ مُحَقِّقَ الآمَالِ
And for one who journeys tirelessly, it is fitting
And it is right for one who goes steadily
that we should see him fulfilling hopes.
That we see him fulfilling hopes
فِيin جَمِيعِall الأُمُورِundertakings جَدُّكَyour good fortune مَوْفُورٌabundant
فِي جَمِيعِ الأُمُورِ جَدُّكَ مَوْفُورٌ
عَلَىaccording to قَدْرِهَاtheir scale وَجِدُّكَand your diligence عَالِيhigh
عَلَى قَدْرِهَا وَجِدُّكَ عَالِي
In every undertaking your good fortune is ample,
In all matters your diligence is abundant
in keeping with its scale, and your diligence is great.
According to its merit and your diligence is high
وَأَيَادِيكَand your favors فِيin الزَّكَاةِalmsgiving تُوَالِيَهَاyou bestow them successively
وَأَيَادِيكَ فِي الزَّكَاةِ تُوَالِيَهَا
وَفِيand in الرِّزْقِsustenance دُرُّهَاtheir flow of bounty مُتَوَالِيunceasing
وَفِي الرِّزْقِ دُرُّهَا مُتَوَالِي
And you bestow your charitable favors in succession,
And your hands in charity continue to give it
and in sustenance their bounty flows unceasingly.
And in sustenance, its pearls are continuous
لَوْif only دَرَىknew المُمْعِنُونَthose intent فِيon جَمْعِamassing مَالٍwealth
لَوْ دَرَى المُمْعِنُونَ فِي جَمْعِ مَالٍ
كَمْhow much تَزِيدُincreases الزَّكَاةُalmsgiving قَدَرَthe worth of المَالِwealth
كَمْ تَزِيدُ الزَّكَاةُ قَدَرَ المَالِ
If only those intent on amassing wealth knew
If the obsessed with gathering money knew
how much almsgiving increases the worth of wealth!
How much charity increases the money's worth
فَلَقَدْfor indeed تَبَلَّغَattained التُّجْارُmerchants بِحَقٍّrightfully
فَلَقَدْ تَبَلَّغَ التُّجْارُ بِحَقٍّ
رُتْبَةًa rank فَوْقَabove رُتْبَةِthe rank of الأقْيَالِprinces
رُتْبَةً فَوْقَ رُتْبَةِ الأقْيَالِ
For merchants have indeed rightfully attained
Indeed, the merchants have reached, rightfully,
a rank above the rank of princes.
A rank above the rank of burdens
طَاردَتْdrove away مَأُثَرَاتُكَyour noble deeds البُؤْسَmisery حَتَّىuntil
طَاردَتْ مَأُثَرَاتُكَ البُؤْسَ حَتَّى
صُرْتَyou became لِلْكَاسِبِينَfor those earning a living خَيْرَthe best مِثَالِexample
صُرْتَ لِلْكَاسِبِينَ خَيْرَ مِثَالِ
Your noble deeds drove misery away, until
Your inspiring feats have driven away misery
you became the finest example for those earning a living.
Until you became the best example for the earners
إِنَّمَاonly اليُمْنُblessing فِيin المَبَرَّاتِcharitable deeds تُسْدَىare bestowed
إِنَّمَا اليُمْنُ فِي المَبَرَّاتِ تُسْدَى
عَنْout of سَخَاءٍgenerosity مِنْfrom فَضْلِthe surplus of رِبْحٍprofit حلاَلِlawful
عَنْ سَخَاءٍ مِنْ فَضْلِ رِبْحٍ حلاَلِ
Blessing lies only in charitable deeds bestowed
Indeed, prosperity is granted for blessings
generously, from the surplus of lawful profit.
From generosity of lawful profit
أَيُّwhat غَرْسٍplanting غَرَسْتَهُyou planted it لَمْnot يُبَارَكْbe blessed
أَيُّ غَرْسٍ غَرَسْتَهُ لَمْ يُبَارَكْ
لَكَfor you فِيهِin it المُهَيْمَنُthe Guardian المُتَعَالِيthe Most High
لَكَ فِيهِ المُهَيْمَنُ المُتَعَالِي
What planting have you planted that has not been blessed
What plant have you planted without it being blessed
for you by the Guardian, the Most High?
For you by the Sublime Protector?
صارَhas become فَرْعُthe branch of الإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةAlexandria كَالرَّوْضَةِlike a garden
صارَ فَرْعُ الإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّة كَالرَّوْضَةِ
ذَاتِpossessing الجَنَىfruit وَذَاتِand possessing الظِّلاَلِshade
ذَاتِ الجَنَى وَذَاتِ الظِّلاَلِ
The Alexandria branch has become like a garden,
The branch of Alexandria became like a garden
rich in fruit and rich in shade.
With foliage and shade
فَهْوَso it يَهْدِيoffers إِلَيْكَto you شُكْرَthe gratitude of الأمَالِيدِtender shoots
فَهْوَ يَهْدِي إِلَيْكَ شُكْرَ الأمَالِيدِ
الرَّوَايَاwell-watered لِلْعَارِضِto the rain-cloud الهَطَّالِpouring rain
الرَّوَايَا لِلْعَارِضِ الهَطَّالِ
So it offers you the thanks that tender shoots,
It sends you the thanks of the commons
well-watered, give to the cloud pouring rain.
Chanting poetry for the eloquent critic
نَاظِماًstringing مِنْfrom نَدَاكَyour dew عِقْداًa necklace نَفِيساًprecious
نَاظِماً مِنْ نَدَاكَ عِقْداً نَفِيساً
تَشْتَهِيlong لَوْif only تُصاغُbe fashioned فِيهِin it الَّلالِيpearls
تَشْتَهِي لَوْ تُصاغُ فِيهِ الَّلالِي
Stringing from your dew a precious necklace
Composing for you a precious necklace
in which pearls long to be set.
You would wish it was made with rubies
وَيَبُثُّand it expresses الوَلاَءَloyalty فِيin تَهْئِنَاتٍcongratulations
وَيَبُثُّ الوَلاَءَ فِي تَهْئِنَاتٍ
فَضَّwas broken open عَنْfrom طِيبِهُنَّtheir fragrance خَتْمُthe seal of الغَوَالِيprecious perfumes
فَضَّ عَنْ طِيبِهُنَّ خَتْمُ الغَوَالِي
And it pours forth loyalty in congratulations,
And it disseminates loyalty in melodies
the seal of precious perfumes broken to release their fragrance.
Beyond which the seal of flirtations fades
غَيْرُnot نَاسٍforgetting ذِكْرَىthe memory of سَلِيمٍSalim
غَيْرُ نَاسٍ ذِكْرَى سَلِيمٍ
وهَلْand can ذِكْرَاهُhis memory تُنْسَىbe forgotten عَلَىover مَمَرِّthe passage of اللَّيَالِيthe nights
وهَلْ ذِكْرَاهُ تُنْسَى عَلَى مَمَرِّ اللَّيَالِي
Not forgetting the memory of Salim—
Other than people whose memory of Salim
and can his memory be forgotten as the nights pass?
Can it be forgotten throughout the nights?
هُوَhe حَيٌّalive ماas long as دُمْتَyou remain حَيّاًalive وَمَاand as long as دامَcontinues
هُوَ حَيٌّ ما دُمْتَ حَيّاً وَمَا دامَ
يَلِيهِsucceeds him الأَبَرُّthe most dutiful فِيamong الأنْجَالِoffspring
يَلِيهِ الأَبَرُّ فِي الأنْجَالِ
He lives as long as you live, and as long as
He is alive as long as you are alive and as long as
the most dutiful among his offspring succeeds him.
The righteous succeed generations
فَتَقبَّلْso accept مِنْfrom غَرْسِthe planting of نَعْمَاكَyour bounty حَمْداًpraise
فَتَقبَّلْ مِنْ غَرْسِ نَعْمَاكَ حَمْداً
هُوَit جَهْدٌutmost effort يَهْدِيهِit offers it مِنْfrom إِقْلاَلِscant means
هُوَ جَهْدٌ يَهْدِيهِ مِنْ إِقْلاَلِ
So accept praise from the planting of your bounty,
So accept from your blessed plant, praise
the utmost effort it offers from its scant means.
It is an effort guided by declination
وَابْقَand live on خَمْسِينَfifty بَعْدَafter خَمْسِينَfifty
وَابْقَ خَمْسِينَ بَعْدَ خَمْسِينَ
وَالدَّهْرُand time عَلَىtrue to عَهْدِهِits pledge مِنْof الإِقْبَالِprosperity
وَالدَّهْرُ عَلَى عَهْدِهِ مِنْ الإِقْبَالِ
And live fifty years beyond fifty,
And live fifty after fifty
with time faithful to its pledge of prosperity,
With fortune on its promise of ascent
بَالِغاًattaining أَحْسَنَthe finest الأمَانِيِّwishes مَوْفُورَabundantly endowed
بَالِغاً أَحْسَنَ الأمَانِيِّ مَوْفُورَ
السَّعَادَاتِhappiness بَيْنَamong صَحْبٍfriends وَآلِand family
السَّعَادَاتِ بَيْنَ صَحْبٍ وَآلِ
attaining the finest wishes, abundantly endowed
Reaching the best wishes, abundant
with happiness among friends and family.
With happiness, among companions and family
لِبنِيكَfor your sons الأَعِزَّةِcherished السَّبْقُthe lead فِيin كُلِّevery
لِبنِيكَ الأَعِزَّةِ السَّبْقُ فِي كُلِّ
مَقَامٍstation مُشْرِفٍlofty وَمجَالِand field
مَقَامٍ مُشْرِفٍ وَمجَالِ
May your cherished sons lead in every
For your noble children, precedence in every
lofty station and field.
Honorable and sublime position
Sol 6.1