شَهِدْنَاwe witnessed زَمَاناًan age فِيin الْكِنَانَةِEgypt (al-Kinanah) رَدَّنَاbrought us back
شَهِدْنَا زَمَاناً فِي الْكِنَانَةِ رَدَّنَا
إِلَىto خَيْرِthe finest أَزْمَانِages of الفَصَاحَةِeloquence فيamong العَرَبْthe Arabs
إِلَى خَيْرِ أَزْمَانِ الفَصَاحَةِ في العَرَبْ
We witnessed an age in Egypt that brought us back
To the finest ages of eloquence among the Arabs.
كَأَنَّاas though we بِذَاكَin that العَهْدِage بَعْدَafter انْقِطَاعِهِits interruption
كَأَنَّا بِذَاكَ العَهْدِ بَعْدَ انْقِطَاعِهِ
وطُولِand the length of التَّرَاخِيestrangement آبَreturned مُتَّصِلُrejoined السَّبَبْthe bond
وطُولِ التَّرَاخِي آبَ مُتَّصِلُ السَّبَبْ
As though we saw that age, after its interruption
And long estrangement, return with its bonds restored.
توَلَّتْpassed عُصُورٌages شِيبَwas tainted فِيهَاin them صَفَاؤُهَاits purity
توَلَّتْ عُصُورٌ شِيبَ فِيهَا صَفَاؤُهَا
وَخُولِطَand mingling occurred فِيهَاin them بَيْنَbetween حُرٍّpure وَمُؤْتَشبْand adulterated
وَخُولِطَ فِيهَا بَيْنَ حُرٍّ وَمُؤْتَشبْ
Ages passed in which its purity was tainted,
And the pure was mingled with the adulterated.
غَمَائِمٌclouds دُكْنٌdark شَوَّهَتْdisfigured قَسَمَاتِهَاits features
غَمَائِمٌ دُكْنٌ شَوَّهَتْ قَسَمَاتِهَا
وَغَيَّبَتِand concealed الوَضَّاحَthe radiance مِنْof ذَلِكَthat النَّسَبْlineage
وَغَيَّبَتِ الوَضَّاحَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النَّسَبْ
Dark clouds disfigured its features
And concealed the radiance of that lineage.
فَيَاso, O نُخَباًchosen ones هَبَّتْrose تُجَدِّدُto renew مَجْدَهَاits glory
فَيَا نُخَباً هَبَّتْ تُجَدِّدُ مَجْدَهَا
وَتَأْتِيand come بِمَاwith what لَمْnot تَسْتَطِعْbe able قَبْلَهَاbefore them النُّخَبْthe chosen ones
وَتَأْتِي بِمَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ قَبْلَهَا النُّخَبْ
So, O chosen ones who rose to renew its glory,
And accomplish what earlier chosen ones could not!
تَنَافَسَvied أَهْلُpeople of الفَضْلِmerit فيكِwithin you فَأْتَمَرَتْand so bore fruit
تَنَافَسَ أَهْلُ الفَضْلِ فيكِ فَأْتَمَرَتْ
قَرَائِحُهُمْtheir creative talents أَزْكَىthe choicest البَواكِيرِfirst fruits عَنْfrom كَثَبْclose by
قَرَائِحُهُمْ أَزْكَى البَواكِيرِ عَنْ كَثَبْ
The worthy vied within you, bringing forth
The choicest first fruits of their talents, close at hand.
إِذاif اخْتلَفَتْdiffer فِيin بَعْثِهَاreviving it وُجُهَاتُكُمْyour approaches
إِذا اخْتلَفَتْ فِي بَعْثِهَا وُجُهَاتُكُمْ
فَمَاso not ضَارَharmed أَصْلاًa root أَنَّthat أَفْنَانَهُits boughs شُعَبْbranching divisions
فَمَا ضَارَ أَصْلاً أَنَّ أَفْنَانَهُ شُعَبْ
If your approaches to its revival differ,
No root is harmed because its boughs branch apart.
مَرَامُكُمْyour purpose فِيin غَايَةِthe end of الأَمْرِthe matter وَاحِدٌone
مَرَامُكُمْ فِي غَايَةِ الأَمْرِ وَاحِدٌ
وَمَاand not لِمَرَامِيكُمْfor your aims سِوَىother than ذَلِكَthat الأَرَبْdesire
وَمَا لِمَرَامِيكُمْ سِوَى ذَلِكَ الأَرَبْ
Your purpose, in the end, is one,
And your endeavors have no other aim.
ثَنَاءٌpraise عَلَيْكُمْupon you بِالَّذِيfor what تَبْتَغُونَهُyou seek it
ثَنَاءٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالَّذِي تَبْتَغُونَهُ
وَتَدْرُونَand you know أَنَّthat الْفَوْزَsuccess بِالجِّدِthrough diligence وَالدَّأَبْand perseverance
وَتَدْرُونَ أَنَّ الْفَوْزَ بِالجِّدِ وَالدَّأَبْ
Praise be yours for what you seek,
And you know success lies in diligence and perseverance.
وَلَيْسَand is not الَّذِيwhat تَأْتُوْنَyou do عُفْوَa freely offered مَبَرَّةٍkindness
وَلَيْسَ الَّذِي تَأْتُوْنَ عُفْوَ مَبَرَّةٍ
لأُمٍّto a mother رَؤُومٍtenderly loving بَلْbut rather قَضَاءٍfulfillment لِمَاof what وَجَبْis due
لأُمٍّ رَؤُومٍ بَلْ قَضَاءٍ لِمَا وَجَبْ
What you do is not a freely bestowed kindness
To a loving mother, but the fulfillment of a duty.
عَلَىwith بَرَكَاتِthe blessings of اللهِGod سِيرُواproceed مَسِيرَكُمْyour course
عَلَى بَرَكَاتِ اللهِ سِيرُوا مَسِيرَكُمْ
وَصِيدْواand hunt الْمُنَىhopes مِنْfrom كُلِّevery مَنْحَىًdirection وَمُضْطَرَبْand arena of endeavor
وَصِيدْوا الْمُنَى مِنْ كُلِّ مَنْحَىً وَمُضْطَرَبْ
With God's blessings, go your way,
And hunt your hopes in every avenue and arena.
فَإِنَّfor indeed ضُرُوبَthe kinds of العِلْمِknowledge جَمٌّabundant عَدِيدُهَاtheir number
فَإِنَّ ضُرُوبَ العِلْمِ جَمٌّ عَدِيدُهَا
وَإِنَّand indeed ضُرُوبَthe forms of الْفَنِّart تُعْجِزُdefeat مَنْwhoever حَسَبْcounts
وَإِنَّ ضُرُوبَ الْفَنِّ تُعْجِزُ مَنْ حَسَبْ
For the branches of knowledge are vast in number,
And the forms of art defeat whoever tries to count them.
وَلِلْفِكْرِand for thought وَالإِفْصَاحِand expression عَنْهُof it طَرَائِفٌrare delights
وَلِلْفِكْرِ وَالإِفْصَاحِ عَنْهُ طَرَائِفٌ
دَوَانِيnear at hand قُطُوفٌfruits لِلْمُجِدِّيَنَfor the diligent فِيin الطَّلَبْthe quest
دَوَانِي قُطُوفٌ لِلْمُجِدِّيَنَ فِي الطَّلَبْ
And thought and its expression offer rare delights,
Fruits within easy reach of those earnest in their quest.
أَتَحْرِمُهَاwill you withhold them? الفُصْحَىliterary Arabic وَقَدْthough already فَتَحَتْit has opened لَكُمْfor you
أَتَحْرِمُهَا الفُصْحَى وَقَدْ فَتَحَتْ لَكُمْ
مَغَالِقَlocked chambers فِيَهاwithin them كُلُّevery مَدَّخَرٍstored treasure عَجَبْa marvel
مَغَالِقَ فِيَها كُلُّ مَدَّخَرٍ عَجَبْ
Will you withhold them from literary Arabic, though it has opened to you
Locked chambers where every treasure is a marvel?
أَفِضُواpour forth عَلَيْهَاupon it مِنْfrom ابْتِكَارِكُمْyour inventiveness
أَفِضُوا عَلَيْهَا مِنْ ابْتِكَارِكُمْ
بِمَاwith what يَنْفَسُmakes envious الأَحْسَابَnoble lineages مِنْof فَاخِرِsplendid الحَسَبْancestral honor
بِمَا يَنْفَسُ الأَحْسَابَ مِنْ فَاخِرِ الحَسَبْ
Pour upon it, from your inventiveness,
Such splendid honor as makes noble lineages envious.
أَنَابَكُمُappointed you as deputies الْمَوْلَىthe Lord الكَرِيمُthe gracious بِفَضْلِهِthrough His bounty
أَنَابَكُمُ الْمَوْلَى الكَرِيمُ بِفَضْلِهِ
وَحَيِّand hail عَلَىthroughout الأَيَّامِthe days رَابِطَةَthe League of الأَدَبْLetters
وَحَيِّ عَلَى الأَيَّامِ رَابِطَةَ الأَدَبْ
The gracious Lord has deputed you through His bounty;
And hail, through all the ages, the League of Letters!
Sol 6.1