عِشْرُونَtwenty عاماًyears مضَتْhave passed سِرَاعَاswiftly
عِشْرُونَ عاماً مضَتْ سِرَاعَا
مَضَتْhave passed سِرَاعاًswiftly كَيَوْمِlike the day of أَمْسِyesterday
مَضَتْ سِرَاعاً كَيَوْمِ أَمْسِ
Twenty years have sped by,
Sped by like yesterday.
وَسَبْحَةٌand a cycle لِلزَّمَانِof time كرَّتhas come round
وَسَبْحَةٌ لِلزَّمَانِ كرَّت
مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween عُرْسٍa wedding وَبَيْنَand between عُرْسِa wedding
مَا بَيْنَ عُرْسٍ وَبَيْنَ عُرْسِ
And a cycle of time has come round
Between one wedding and another.
أَديلُAdèle كَانَتْwas فخْرَthe pride of العَذَارَىmaidens
أَديلُ كَانَتْ فخْرَ العَذَارَى
جمَالُbeauty وجْهٍof face وطُهْرَand purity نفْسِof soul
جمَالُ وجْهٍ وطُهْرَ نفْسِ
Adèle was the pride of maidens,
In beauty of face and purity of soul.
وَابْنَتُهاand her daughter اليَوْمَtoday مَثَّلتْهَاhas mirrored her
وَابْنَتُها اليَوْمَ مَثَّلتْهَا
فِيin كُلِّevery مَعْنىaspect تمْثِيلَa representation حسِّof sensory perception
فِي كُلِّ مَعْنى تمْثِيلَ حسِّ
And today her daughter has mirrored her
In every aspect, a palpable likeness.
ياO ليْلةًnight لِلْصَفاءِof pure joy زُفَّتْwas wed
يا ليْلةً لِلْصَفاءِ زُفَّتْ
إِيفيتُYvette فِيهاin it إِلىto أَلِكْسِيAlexis
إِيفيتُ فِيها إِلى أَلِكْسِي
O night of pure joy, when was wed
Yvette, that night, to Alexis!
كمْmany a ليْلَةٍnight بِالزُّهُورِwith flowers أَغْنَتْhas removed the need
كمْ ليْلَةٍ بِالزُّهُورِ أَغْنَتْ
عَنْfor ضَوْءِthe glow of بَدْرٍa full moon ونُورِand the light of شَمْسِa sun
عَنْ ضَوْءِ بَدْرٍ ونُورِ شَمْسِ
Many a night, with flowers, has had no need
Of a full moon's glow or the sun's light.
فِيin الرَّوْضَةِthe garden الحُلْوَةِsweet المَجَانِيthe gathered fruits
فِي الرَّوْضَةِ الحُلْوَةِ المَجَانِي
قدْindeed غَرَسَhas planted الحُبُّlove خيْرَthe finest غَرْسِplanting
قدْ غَرَسَ الحُبُّ خيْرَ غَرْسِ
In the garden of sweet harvests,
Love has planted the finest shoots:
فَرْعَيْنِtwo branches تنْمِيهَاnurture it أُصُولٌroots
فَرْعَيْنِ تنْمِيهَا أُصُولٌ
أَرْسَتْhave anchored مِنin المَجْدِglory حَيْثُwhere يُرسِيit anchors
أَرْسَتْ مِن المَجْدِ حَيْثُ يُرسِي
Two branches, nourished by roots
Firmly set where glory itself takes root.
مَاhow أَحْسَنَbeautiful الجَمْعَthe union بَينَbetween صِنْوٍa kindred soul
مَا أَحْسَنَ الجَمْعَ بَينَ صِنْوٍ
وَصَنَّوِهِand its match مِنْof كريمِnoble جِنْسِstock
وَصَنَّوِهِ مِنْ كريمِ جِنْسِ
How lovely the union of one kindred soul
With its match, of noble stock!
فِيin دَارِthe house of فَرْنَانِFernand مَهْرَجَانُa festival
فِي دَارِ فَرْنَانِ مَهْرَجَانُ
جَاوَزَhas surpassed فِيin الحَقِّtruth كُلَّevery حدْسِexpectation
جَاوَزَ فِي الحَقِّ كُلَّ حدْسِ
In Fernand's house, a festival
Has truly surpassed all expectation.
فَأَيُّand what ظرْفٍcharm وَأَيُّand what لُطْفٍgentleness
فَأَيُّ ظرْفٍ وَأَيُّ لُطْفٍ
وَأَيُّand what بِشْرٍcheerfulness وَأَيُّand what أُنْسِcompanionship
وَأَيُّ بِشْرٍ وَأَيُّ أُنْسِ
And what charm, and what gentleness!
And what cheer, and what fellowship!
يَاO وَلديَّmy two children أُغْنَمَاmay you both gain حَيَاةًa life
يَا وَلديَّ أُغْنَمَا حَيَاةً
لاَnot يُعْتَرَىis marred سَعْدُهاits happiness بِنَجِسِby defilement
لاَ يُعْتَرَى سَعْدُها بِنَجِسِ
O my two children, may you enjoy a life
Whose happiness no stain can mar.
تُقْضَىare fulfilled الأَمَانِيُّwishes وَالْهَوَىand love فيin
تُقْضَى الأَمَانِيُّ وَالْهَوَى في
ذَرَاكُمَاyour shelter (you two) مُصْبِحُabiding at dawn ومُمْسِيand abiding at dusk
ذَرَاكُمَا مُصْبِحُ ومُمْسِي
May wishes come true, and love, within
Your shelter, dwell at dawn and dusk.
هَذَاthis دُعَاءٌa prayer مِنْfrom فَيْضِthe overflow of قَلْبِيmy heart
هَذَا دُعَاءٌ مِنْ فَيْضِ قَلْبِي
أَدْعُوهُI utter it in prayer حِينَwhen احْتِسَاءِsipping كأْسِيmy cup
أَدْعُوهُ حِينَ احْتِسَاءِ كأْسِي
This is a prayer from my overflowing heart;
I utter it as I sip my cup.
وَإِنْand though أَكنْI am فِيamong الَّذِينَthose who أَهْدُواgave gifts
وَإِنْ أَكنْ فِي الَّذِينَ أَهْدُوا
لَمْdid not أُهْدِI give إِلاَّexcept خَطِّيmy writing وَطِرْسِيand my parchment
لَمْ أُهْدِ إِلاَّ خَطِّي وَطِرْسِي
And though I am among those who gave gifts,
I gave only my writing and my parchment.
فرُبَّfor many a دُرٍّpearl مِنَamong الغوَالِيthe precious ones
فرُبَّ دُرٍّ مِنَ الغوَالِي
جَلَوْتُهَاI have displayed it فِيin حَبِيرِthe brocade of نَقْسِink
جَلَوْتُهَا فِي حَبِيرِ نَقْسِ
For many a pearl of great price
I have displayed in ink's brocade.
إِذَاif حِلاَكُمْyour graces كَانَتْwere حِلاهَاits adornments
إِذَا حِلاَكُمْ كَانَتْ حِلاهَا
فَليْسَthen is not مِقْدَارُهَاits worth بِبَخْسِpaltry
فَليْسَ مِقْدَارُهَا بِبَخْسِ
If your graces are its adornment,
Then its worth is far from paltry.
لمْdid not أَتَّخذْهَاI draw it مِنْfrom فَضْلِthe surplus of حُبِّيmy love
لمْ أَتَّخذْهَا مِنْ فَضْلِ حُبِّي
بَلْrather صُغْتُهاI fashioned it مِنْfrom لُبَابِthe core of رَأْسِيmy head
بَلْ صُغْتُها مِنْ لُبَابِ رَأْسِي
I did not draw it from the surplus of my love,
But fashioned it from the very core of my mind.
وَلَيْسَand there is not فِيهَاin it افْتِرَاضُany presumption رَدٍّof repayment
وَلَيْسَ فِيهَا افْتِرَاضُ رَدٍّ
لِيَوْمِfor a day of نعْمَىprosperity أَوْor يَوْمِa day of يُؤْسِdespair
لِيَوْمِ نعْمَى أَوْ يَوْمِ يُؤْسِ
Nor does it carry any expectation of repayment
On a day of joy or a day of despair.
قَدَّمْتَهَاI offered it رَاجياًhoping for قُبُولاًacceptance
قَدَّمْتَهَا رَاجياً قُبُولاً
وَلَسْتُand I am not أَبْغِيseeking أَقَلَّthe slightest مِرْسِيthanks
وَلَسْتُ أَبْغِي أَقَلَّ مِرْسِي
I offered it, hoping for acceptance,
Nor do I seek even the slightest thanks.
Sol 6.1