حَيَّيْتُI saluted فيin شخصthe person of الجمالِيal-Jamali
حَيَّيْتُ في شخص الجمالِي
بلداa land حوىheld شَطرَhalf of الجمالِbeauty
بلدا حوى شَطرَ الجمالِ
In the person of al-Jamali, I saluted
I greeted Iraq's beauty
a land that held half of beauty.
A country that contained perfection
بلدًاa land أحنُّI yearn لساكنيـfor the inhabitants
بلدًا أحنُّ لساكنيـ
ـهof it، كأنهمas though they صحبيmy friends وآليand my family
ـه، كأنهم صحبي وآلي
A land whose inhabitants I yearn for,
A country I yearn for its inhabitants
as though they were my friends and family.
As if they were my companions and family
إنif كنتُI was لمdid not أَزُرِvisit العراIraq (word fragment)
إن كنتُ لم أَزُرِ العرا
قcompletes 'Iraq' ولمand did not أشُدَّfasten لهfor it رحاليmy saddlebags
ق ولم أشُدَّ له رحالي
Though I have not visited Iraq,
Though I've not visited Iraq
nor readied my saddlebags for it,
Nor traveled to it
فلكمyet how often أَقَلَّتنيcarried me إليـto
فلكم أَقَلَّتني إليـ
ـهit الكتْبُbooks فيin جُنحthe darkness of اللياليthe nights
ـه الكتْبُ في جُنح الليالي
yet how often I was carried there
The books at night
by books in the dark of night!
Took me to it
بلدٌa land إلىinto أحضانهits arms
بلدٌ إلى أحضانه
آوىsheltered الحضارةَcivilization منfrom ضلالgoing astray
آوى الحضارةَ من ضلال
A land that, within its embrace,
A country that hosted civilization
sheltered civilization from going astray.
Away from misguidance
نظَمَstrung المعَارفَthe sciences تاجُهُits crown
نظَمَ المعَارفَ تاجُهُ
نظْمَthe stringing of الفريدthe choicest منamong اللآلئpearls
نظْمَ الفريد من اللآلئ
Its crown strung the sciences
Its crown organized knowledge
as the choicest pearls are strung.
Like unmatched pearls
أدَّىconveyed إلىto الجيلthe generation الجديـnew (word fragment)
أدَّى إلى الجيل الجديـ
ـدcompletes 'new' رسالةَthe message of الأممthe nations الخواليlong past
ـد رسالةَ الأمم الخوالي
It conveyed to the new generation
It delivered to the new generation
the message of nations long past.
The message of past nations
إنif يتَّصِلْmeet طَرَفاthe two ends of الثقاculture (word fragment)
إن يتَّصِلْ طَرَفا الثقا
فةcompletes 'culture'، فهْوthen it is حلْقةthe link of الاتصالconnection
فة، فهْو حلْقة الاتصال
If the two ends of culture meet,
If the two ends of culture connect
it is the link that joins them.
It is the link between them
أينwhere الرُّصافةal-Rusafa، وَهْيَand it is كالْlike the
أين الرُّصافة، وَهْيَ كالْ
فردوسparadise وارفةُabundant in الظلالshade؟
فردوس وارفةُ الظلال؟
Where is al-Rusafa, which is like
Where is Rusafa, like paradise
paradise, lush with shade?
With its widespread shade?
إذwhen شمسُthe sun of دجلةَthe Tigris فيin الزواdecline (word fragment)
إذ شمسُ دجلةَ في الزوا
لcompletes 'decline'، وكلُّand every شمسsun فيin زوالdecline
ل، وكلُّ شمس في زوال
As the sun of the Tigris declines,
When the sun of the Tigris sets
and every sun declines.
And every sun sets
بغدادُBaghdad تحكمrules فيover الورىhumankind
بغدادُ تحكم في الورى
حكمthe rule of المواليmasters فيover المواليdependents
حكم الموالي في الموالي
Baghdad rules over humankind
Baghdad rules the world
as masters rule their dependents.
As kings rule over kingdoms
والكونand the world ينعَمُenjoy أهلُهُits inhabitants
والكون ينعَمُ أهلُهُ
بالعدلwith justice فيin ظلthe shade of الهلالthe crescent
بالعدل في ظل الهلال
And the world's inhabitants enjoy
And its people live in prosperity
justice beneath the crescent's shade.
With justice under the crescent
كيفhow العراقُIraq وأهلُهand its people؟
كيف العراقُ وأهلُه؟
أتُرىdo you suppose العراقَIraq بخيرin good حالcondition؟
أتُرى العراقَ بخير حال؟
How fare Iraq and its people?
How is Iraq and its people?
Do you think Iraq is faring well?
Is Iraq in good condition?
أترىdo you suppose الأواخرَthe later generations منamong بنيـthe sons
أترى الأواخرَ من بنيـ
ـهof it قدalready احتذَوْاthey followed حذوَin the footsteps of الأواليthe earlier generations؟
ـه قد احتذَوْا حذوَ الأوالي؟
Do you think the later generations of its sons
Did its later generations
have followed in their forebears' footsteps?
Follow the example of the early ones?
حدِّثْtell، فقدfor perhaps يشفيcure حديspeech (word fragment)
حدِّثْ، فقد يشفي حدي
ثكُcompletes 'your speech' داءَthe ailment of ذيone with الداءِthe illness العضالintractable
ثكُ داءَ ذي الداءِ العضال
Tell me, for your words may cure
Speak, your words may cure
the ailment of one whose sickness defies cure.
The disease of the terminally ill
أناI إنif سمعتُكI heard you أسمعُI hear الـthe
أنا إن سمعتُك أسمعُ الـ
تـَّكبيرproclaiming 'God is greatest' منfrom شَفَتَيْthe two lips of «بلالBilal»
تـَّكبير من شَفَتَيْ «بلال»
When I hear you, I hear
If I hear you, I hear
the cry 'God is greatest' from Bilal's lips.
The glorification from Bilal's lips
أناI بالعروبةin Arabism واثقٌconfident
أنا بالعروبة واثقٌ
ثقتيmy confidence بوحدةin the oneness of ذيthe Possessor of الجلالMajesty
ثقتي بوحدة ذي الجلال
I have faith in Arabism,
I'm confident in Arabism
as I have faith in the oneness of the Lord of Majesty.
As I'm confident in the One God
فدعso let الزمانَtime يروغbe evasive والْـand the
فدع الزمانَ يروغ والْـ
أَيامَdays تمعنpersist فيin المِطالprocrastination
أَيامَ تمعن في المِطال
So let time be evasive, and
Let time waver and days
the days persist in procrastination.
Insist on procrastination
إنindeed المعاليَlofty attainments قدmay تدلّplay coy
إن المعاليَ قد تدلّ
دلالthe coyness of رباتladies of الحجالcurtained chambers
دلال ربات الحجال
Lofty attainments may indeed play coy,
Great things may indicate
with the coyness of ladies in their curtained chambers.
Like the indication of shy girls
دعهاlet them تدلّplay coy كماas تشاwish (word fragment)
دعها تدلّ كما تشا
ءcompletes 'wish' فسوفfor they will تسمحconsent بالوصالto union
ء فسوف تسمح بالوصال
Let them play coy as they wish;
Let them indicate as they wish
for they will yet consent to union.
For they will allow the reunion
لاno بدescape منfrom نصرa victory تحقّـachieves (word fragment)
لا بد من نصر تحقّـ
ـقهcompletes 'achieves it' العروبةArabism فيin المآلthe final outcome
ـقه العروبة في المآل
There must be a victory
Victory for Arabism will come
that Arabism will achieve in the end.
In the end
حييتُI saluted بالشعرwith poetry العراIraq (word fragment)
حييتُ بالشعر العرا
قcompletes 'Iraq'، وللعراقand to Iraq الفضلُthe credit، لآليnot to me (apparently لا لي)
ق، وللعراق الفضلُ، لآلي
I saluted Iraq with poetry,
I greeted Iraq in poetry
and the credit is Iraq's, not mine.
And Iraq deserves the credit
إنيindeed I أدينam indebted لشطِّto the bank of دجلـthe Tigris (word fragment)
إني أدين لشطِّ دجلـ
ـةَcompletes 'Tigris' بالروائعfor the marvels منfrom خياليmy imagination
ـةَ بالروائع من خيالي
I am indebted to the Tigris's bank
I'm indebted to the bank of the Tigris
for the marvels of my imagination.
For the masterpieces of my imagination
إنif كانit is يجريflowing فيthrough رباthe uplands of
إن كان يجري في ربا
بغدادَBaghdad بالعذبwith sweet water الزلالclear and pure
بغدادَ بالعذب الزلال
If it flows through the uplands
If it flows in the meadows of Baghdad
of Baghdad with sweet, limpid water,
With sweetness like drinkable silver
فلكمthen how often جرىit flowed فيin مصرEgypt، بلnay
فلكم جرى في مصر، بل
فيin الشرقthe East بالسحرwith enchantment الحلالlawful
في الشرق بالسحر الحلال
then how often it has flowed in Egypt—nay,
It flowed so much in Egypt
throughout the East—with lawful enchantment!
And the East with legal magic
Sol 6.1