جمعunited الحبlove أيwhat a جمعunion كريمnoble
جمع الحب أي جمع كريم
بينbetween هيلانةHelena وبينand between كريمKarim
بين هيلانة وبين كريم
What a noble union love has made:
What a noble union love has made
between Helena and Karim—
Between Helena and Karim!
عنصرlineage طاهرpure ونبلand nobility وصدقand sincerity
عنصر طاهر ونبل وصدق
وذكاءand intelligence منof حظthe lot of كلeach قسيمpartner
وذكاء من حظ كل قسيم
a pure nature, nobility, and truth,
Pure lineage, nobility, and sincerity,
and wit—the share of each partner.
And intelligence fall to each partner's lot.
سأراعيI shall observe فيin القولspeech آدابthe manners of عصريmy age
سأراعي في القول آداب عصري
بادئbeginning بالعروسwith the bride فيin التقديمthe introduction
بادئ بالعروس في التقديم
In my words I shall observe the courtesies of my age,
In my speech I shall observe the manners of my age,
beginning with the bride and giving her precedence.
Beginning my introduction with the bride.
لاdo not تخافيfear منof اسمthe name توتاTuta فقدfor indeed
لا تخافي من اسم توتا فقد
أصبhas become هذاthis الحديثtalk جدvery قديمold
أصب هذا الحديث جد قديم
Do not fear the name “Tuta,” for
Do not fear the name Tuta, for
that jest has now grown very old.
This talk has become very old.
ذهبتhas passed دولةthe reign of الدعابةteasing والدولةand the reign
ذهبت دولة الدعابة والدولة
بعدafter التصغيرdiminutives للتفخيمfor exaltation
بعد التصغير للتفخيم
Gone is the reign of jest—and the vogue
The reign of teasing has passed; now comes the reign
of diminutives used for magnification.
Of exaltation, after diminutives.
فلأقلso let me say مرةonce لكto you الحقthe truth فيto الوجهthe face
فلأقل مرة لك الحق في الوجه
وماand not بيin me مخافةfear of التأثيمbeing charged with sin
وما بي مخافة التأثيم
So let me say for once: fortune is written on your face,
So let me, for once, tell you the truth to your face,
and I have no fear of being charged with sin.
Nor do I fear being charged with sin.
جلexalted is منHe who أودعplaced الرصانةcomposure فيin تأويهthe sighing of
جل من أودع الرصانة في تأويه
بانa bān tree وفيand in تلفتthe turning glance of ريمa gazelle
بان وفي تلفت ريم
Exalted is He who planted dignity in Tuta;
Exalted is He who placed composure in the sighing
it shows—and in her every turn, a gazelle.
Of a bān tree, and in a gazelle's turning glance.
أيwhat a روحspirit كنفحةlike a waft of الطيبperfume فيin قارورةa flask
أي روح كنفحة الطيب في قارورة
قلis scant أذنهاits permission للنسيمfor the breeze
قل أذنها للنسيم
What a spirit, like a breath of perfume in a vial!
What a spirit—like a waft of perfume in a flask
Say: give it leave to meet the breeze.
That grants the breeze but scant admission!
ومثالand a form منof الجمالbeauty بديعwondrous
ومثال من الجمال بديع
حارis bewildered فيهby it النثيرprose قبلbefore النظيمverse
حار فيه النثير قبل النظيم
And what a wondrous model of beauty,
And a wondrous form of beauty,
before which prose was baffled even before verse.
Prose is bewildered by it, even before verse.
كملتare perfected فيamong الحلىgraces حلاهits graces وقدand indeed قومهfashioned it
كملت في الحلى حلاه وقد قومه
اللهGod احسنthe finest تقويمfashioning
الله احسن تقويم
Beauty’s adornments are complete in her, fashioned
Its graces are perfect among all graces, and it has been fashioned
by God in the fairest form.
By God in the finest form.
إنindeed عينيmy eye ترىsees أباكyour father وقدand already شارفناlooked down upon us
إن عيني ترى أباك وقد شارفنا
اليومtoday منfrom أعاليthe heights of الرقيمthe heavens
اليوم من أعالي الرقيم
My eyes behold your father, now looking down upon us
My eye indeed sees your father, looking down upon us
today from the heights of al-Raqim,
Today from the heights of heaven,
مفعماbrimming قلبهhis heart سروراwith joy وقدand already سرىwas relieved
مفعما قلبه سرورا وقد سرى
عنهfrom him منof الفراقseparation الأليمpainful
عنه من الفراق الأليم
his heart brimming with joy, while there has passed
His heart brimming with joy, now relieved
from him the pain of grievous separation.
Of the pain of separation,
مطمئناreassured إلىby كفالةthe care of زوجa husband
مطمئنا إلى كفالة زوج
ببلوغof attaining المنىhopes الكبارgreat زعيمa guarantor
ببلوغ المنى الكبار زعيم
reassured by the care of a husband
Reassured by the care of a husband
who guarantees the fulfillment of great hopes:
Who guarantees the fulfillment of great hopes.
ألمعيkeen-witted مهذبrefined الحسin feeling والمعنىand thought
ألمعي مهذب الحس والمعنى
رجيحsound الحجىof intellect رقيقgentle الخيمin disposition
رجيح الحجى رقيق الخيم
brilliant, refined in sensibility and mind,
Keen-witted, refined in feeling and thought,
sound of judgment, gentle of character;
Sound of intellect, gentle of disposition.
لاnot يباليheeds القشورthe husks فيin القولspeech والفعلand action
لا يبالي القشور في القول والفعل
ويمضيand goes إلىto اللبابthe kernel الصميمinnermost
ويمضي إلى اللباب الصميم
caring nothing for husks in word or deed,
He cares nothing for husks in speech or deed,
pressing onward to the purest core.
And goes straight to the innermost kernel.
قبلbold يطلعclimbs الثناياthe mountain passes وفيهand in him
قبل يطلع الثنايا وفيه
ماwhat يرجىis hoped for ليومfor a day of فوزtriumph عظيمgreat
ما يرجى ليوم فوز عظيم
Before he has climbed the mountain passes, he bears
Bold, he scales the mountain passes, and within him lies
all one could hope for on a day of mighty triumph.
All one hopes for on a day of great triumph.
باركmay bless اللهGod فيin قرانthe union of النجيبينthe two noble ones
بارك الله في قران النجيبين
وفيand in يومهits day الأغرradiant الوسيمlovely
وفي يومه الأغر الوسيم
God bless the marriage of these two noble souls,
May God bless the noble pair's union,
and bless its radiant, beautiful day.
And its radiant, lovely day.
خصwas reserved بالأقربينfor the nearest kin مجلاهits celebration
خص بالأقربين مجلاه
إلاyet إنهit is مبعثa source of ابتهاجjoy عميمuniversal
إلا إنه مبعث ابتهاج عميم
Though its celebration was reserved for the nearest kin,
Its celebration was reserved for the nearest kin,
it is nevertheless a wellspring of joy for all.
Yet it is a source of universal joy.
كيفhow لاnot والخطيبand the bridegroom نجلthe son of خليلKhalil
كيف لا والخطيب نجل خليل
كيفhow لاnot والعروسand the bride بنتthe daughter of سليمSalim
كيف لا والعروس بنت سليم
How could it not be, when the groom is Khalil’s son?
How could it not be, when the bridegroom is Khalil's son?
How could it not be, when the bride is Salim’s daughter?
How could it not be, when the bride is Salim's daughter?
إنif ذكرتyou mention الخليلKhalil نوهتproclaimed praise الافاقthe horizons
إن ذكرت الخليل نوهت الافاق
فيin الشرقthe East بالديبof the man of letters العليمlearned
في الشرق بالديب العليم
When Khalil is named, the horizons proclaim him
If you mention Khalil, the horizons resound
throughout the East as the learned man of letters.
Across the East with praise of the learned man of letters.
وتغنىand sing الوصافthe describers بالخلقof the character السمحgenerous
وتغنى الوصاف بالخلق السمح
وبالمبدإand of the principle القويstrong القويمupright
وبالمبدإ القوي القويم
The praisers sing of his generous character
And those who portray him sing of his generous character
and his strong, upright principles:
And of his strong, upright principle.
جهبذan expert ينقدdistinguishes الصحيحthe genuine منfrom الزيفthe counterfeit
جهبذ ينقد الصحيح من الزيف
ويجفوand shuns سبيلthe path of كلevery مليمblameworthy person
ويجفو سبيل كل مليم
a master critic who distinguishes the genuine from the false
An expert who distinguishes the genuine from the counterfeit,
and shuns the path of every blameworthy man.
And shuns the path of every wrongdoer.
فتراهso you see him ومالهand he has no فيin مجالa field
فتراه وماله في مجال
منany ضريبequal وماand not لهfor him فيin me خصيمadversary
من ضريب وما له في خصيم
You see him in any field with no
Thus you see him, with none in any field
equal, and among rivals with no peer.
To match him—and in me he has no adversary.
كلeach يومday يوحىinspiration is given إليهto him فيجلوand so he reveals
كل يوم يوحى إليه فيجلو
للنهىto discerning minds بيناتclear signs ذكرa message حكيمwise
للنهى بينات ذكر حكيم
Each day inspiration comes to him, and he reveals
Every day he receives inspiration, and so reveals
to minds lucid proofs of wise counsel,
To discerning minds the clear signs of a wise message,
صادراتissuing forth فيin وجهةthe direction of الخيرgoodness عنfrom عقلa mind
صادرات في وجهة الخير عن عقل
حصيفdiscerning وعنand from فؤادa heart رحيمcompassionate
حصيف وعن فؤاد رحيم
all proceeding toward the good from a mind
Flowing toward goodness from a mind
judicious, and from a merciful heart.
Of sound judgment, and from a compassionate heart.
منwhoever سريjourneys by night فيthrough الحياةlife وهيand they are هداهhis guidance
من سري في الحياة وهي هداه
وجدfinds الصبحdawn فيin الظلامthe darkness البهيمpitch-black
وجد الصبح في الظلام البهيم
Whoever journeys through life with these as his guide
Whoever journeys by night through life, with these as his guide,
finds dawn within the blackest darkness.
Finds dawn in the pitch-black darkness.
أتمنىI wish for الاسهابspeaking at length والشوطand the course رحبwide
أتمنى الاسهاب والشوط رحب
غيرbut أنيthat I أخافfear غيظthe anger of الحليمthe forbearing man
غير أني أخاف غيظ الحليم
I wish I might speak at length—the course is broad—
I long to speak at length, and the course is wide,
but I fear the anger of this forbearing man.
But I fear the forbearing man's anger.
ليتهif only he يقبلwould accept الثناءpraise كماjust as يقبلcomes forward
ليته يقبل الثناء كما يقبل
إذwhen يعتفيهseeks his bounty كلevery عديمdestitute person
إذ يعتفيه كل عديم
Would that he accepted praise as he receives
If only he accepted praise as readily as he comes forward
every destitute soul who seeks his bounty.
When any destitute person seeks his bounty.
أيهاO الآلthe family والمحبونand well-wishers منamong واشجone linked by
أيها الآل والمحبون من واشج
عرقblood ومنand among وليa friend حميمclose
عرق ومن ولي حميم
O family and loving friends, joined by a deeply rooted
O family and well-wishers, whether bound
blood-tie and by intimate loyalty:
By blood or joined in close friendship,
هنئواcongratulate . هنئواcongratulate العروسينthe newlyweds وادعواand pray
هنئوا . هنئوا العروسين وادعوا
أنthat يعيشاthe two may live فيin غبطةhappiness ونعيمand bliss
أن يعيشا في غبطة ونعيم
congratulate—congratulate—the bridal pair, and pray
Congratulate, congratulate the newlyweds, and pray
that they may live in happiness and bliss.
That they may live in happiness and bliss.
Sol 6.1