بِالأَمْسِyesterday أُكْبِرَwas exalted صَرْحُthe edifice جَدِّكَyour grandfather
بِالأَمْسِ أُكْبِرَ صَرْحُ جَدِّكَ
وَاليَوْمَand today أُكْبِرَwas exalted صَرْحُthe edifice جِدَّكْyour diligence
وَاليَوْمَ أُكْبِرَ صَرْحُ جِدَّكْ
Yesterday your grandfather's edifice was exalted;
Yesterday your grandfather's palace was grand,
And today the edifice of your diligence is exalted.
And today your father's palace is grander.
مَاnot كانَwas جَدُّكَyour grandfather بِالمَآثِرin noble deeds
مَا كانَ جَدُّكَ بِالمَآثِر
وَالْمَفَاخِرِand glories غَيْرَother than نَدِّكْyour equal
وَالْمَفَاخِرِ غَيْرَ نَدِّكْ
Your grandfather was not, in noble deeds
Your grandfather was unmatched in his virtues and glories,
And glories, anything but your equal.
Except by your father, his heir.
وَصَفَdescribed المُؤَرِّخthe historian جَاهَهُhis prestige
وَصَفَ المُؤَرِّخ جَاهَهُ
إِذْsince جَدَّهُhis fortune عَالٍhigh كَجَدكْlike your fortune
إِذْ جَدَّهُ عَالٍ كَجَدكْ
The historian described his prestige,
The historian described his grandeur,
Since his fortune was high, like yours.
When his father was eminent like yours.
فَكَأنَّنَاso it is as though we فِيمَاin what نُطَالِعُwe read عَنْهُabout him
فَكَأنَّنَا فِيمَا نُطَالِعُ عَنْهُ
نَشْهَدُwe witness فَضَلَthe merit كَدِّكْyour toil
نَشْهَدُ فَضَلَ كَدِّكْ
So, in what we read about him, it is as though we
So in what we read about him,
Witness the merit of your toil.
We witness your father’s superiority.
فِيin مِصْرَEgypt كَانَhe was بِمَجْدِهِin his glory
فِي مِصْرَ كَانَ بِمَجْدِهِ
مَاwhat أَنْتَyou فِيin مِصْرَEgypt بِمَجْدِكْin your glory
مَا أَنْتَ فِي مِصْرَ بِمَجْدِكْ
In Egypt, in his glory, he was
In Egypt he was glorified,
What you are in Egypt, in your glory.
As you are now glorified in Egypt.
وَبِعَهْدِهِand in his time زَهِيَتْflourished
وَبِعَهْدِهِ زَهِيَتْ
مُوَاطِنهُhis lands كَزَهْوَتِهَاlike their flourishing بِعَهْدِكْin your time
مُوَاطِنهُ كَزَهْوَتِهَا بِعَهْدِكْ
And in his time there flourished
And in his era, his lands flourished,
His lands, as they flourish in your time.
As they now flourish in your era.
أَعْظمْتُI admired هَمَّكyour ambition وَالمَعَالِيand lofty honors
أَعْظمْتُ هَمَّك وَالمَعَالِي
وَاقِعَاتٌlying دُونَbelow قَصْدِكْyour aim
وَاقِعَاتٌ دُونَ قَصْدِكْ
I have admired your ambition, while lofty honors
I exalt your ambitions and ascensions,
Lie below your aim.
Events below your aim.
إِنْif عُزَّis prized قَصْرُكَyour palace فِيamong الْقُصُورِpalaces
إِنْ عُزَّ قَصْرُكَ فِي الْقُصُورِ
أَلسْتَare you not أَنْتَyou فَسِيحexpansive وَحْدِكyou alone
أَلسْتَ أَنْتَ فَسِيح وَحْدِك
If your palace is prized among palaces,
If your palace is the greatest of palaces,
Are you not expansive in yourself alone?
Are you not yourself ample and independent?
يَاO أَيُّهاyou الْخِلُّthe friend العَزِيزُcherished
يَا أَيُّها الْخِلُّ العَزِيزُ
وَكُلُّand all وُدٍّaffection بَعْضُpart of وُدِّكْyour affection
وَكُلُّ وُدٍّ بَعْضُ وُدِّكْ
O you, cherished friend,
O noble successor,
And all affection is but part of yours.
Every love is part of your love.
يَاO طَالِبَseeker of الغَايَاتِgoals تُدْرِكُهَاyou attain them
يَا طَالِبَ الغَايَاتِ تُدْرِكُهَا
وَإِنْand even if بَعُدَتْthey are distant بِجَهْدِكْthrough your effort
وَإِنْ بَعُدَتْ بِجَهْدِكْ
O seeker of goals, you attain them,
O seeker of goals, you will attain them
Even if distant, through your effort.
Even if they are distant, by your effort.
يَاO خيْرَbest بِذَّالٍlavish giver لِسَعْيكَof your effort
يَا خيْرَ بِذَّالٍ لِسَعْيكَ
غَيْرَnot بَخالٍstingy بِرِفْدِكْwith your aid
غَيْرَ بَخالٍ بِرِفْدِكْ
O best at lavishing your effort,
O best rewarder of your endeavor,
Not stingy with your aid.
Not stingy with your generosity.
هَذِيthis العَرُوسُbride أَعَزُّdearest مَاwhat
هَذِي العَرُوسُ أَعَزُّ مَا
أُوتِيتَyou were given مِنْamong آيَاتِtokens وَجْدِكْyour ardent love
أُوتِيتَ مِنْ آيَاتِ وَجْدِكْ
This bride is the dearest of what
This bride is the most precious
You have been given among the tokens of your love.
Of the signs you were granted in passion.
بِنْتُdaughter of الفَرِيدَةِthe peerless one فِيamong الجواهِرِjewels
بِنْتُ الفَرِيدَةِ فِي الجواهِرِ
خَيْرِthe finest وَاسِطَةٍcentral gem لَعَقْدِكْfor your necklace
خَيْرِ وَاسِطَةٍ لَعَقْدِكْ
Daughter of the peerless one among jewels,
The unique pearl among jewels,
The finest central gem for your necklace,
The best intermediary for your bond.
فَتَّانَةٌenchanting بِالحُسْنِin beauty عَامِدَةٌintent
فَتَّانَةٌ بِالحُسْنِ عَامِدَةٌ
إِلىupon الحُسْنَىgoodness كعَمْدِكْlike your intent
إِلى الحُسْنَى كعَمْدِكْ
Enchanting in beauty, intent
A beauty upright in charm,
Upon goodness, as you are,
Leaning toward the beautiful like your pillar.
مِنfrom آلِthe family of نَحَّاسٍNahhas وَنِعْمَand excellent is
مِن آلِ نَحَّاسٍ وَنِعْمَ
العُنْصُرِthe ancestral line الثَّانِيsecond لِوَلْدِكْfor your offspring
العُنْصُرِ الثَّانِي لِوَلْدِكْ
From the Nahhas family—and excellent is
From the house of Nahhas, an excellent
The second ancestral line for your offspring!
Second element for your offspring.
أَفَكانَwas it, then بَاهِرُdazzling خُلْقُهَاher nature
أَفَكانَ بَاهِرُ خُلْقُهَا
أَمْor خُلْقَهاher character سَبَباًa cause لِوَجْدكْof your ardent love
أَمْ خُلْقَها سَبَباً لِوَجْدكْ
Was it her dazzling nature
Was her radiant creation the cause
Or her character that inspired your love?
Or was her creation the cause of your fervor?
Sol 6.1