طَلَعَ البدرُ وَالظّلامُ تولّى

طَلَعَ البدرُ وَالظّلامُ تولّى

وعلى أنجمِ السماءِ تولّى

وعلى أنجمِ السماءِ تولّى

The full moon rose, and darkness withdrew;

The full moon rose and the darkness fled away,

and he took dominion over the stars of heaven.

And the stars in the sky slowly faded away.

وَهَوى مِنهُ ساقِطاً كُلُّ نَجمٍ

وَهَوى مِنهُ ساقِطاً كُلُّ نَجمٍ

إِذ تَلاشى تَصاغُراً وَاِضمَحَلّا

إِذ تَلاشى تَصاغُراً وَاِضمَحَلّا

And every star fell away from him,

Each star fell from the sky in surrender,

as it dwindled in self-abasement and faded away.

Becoming small and fading into nothingness.

وَأَضاءَت بَيروتُنا وَاِستَنارَت

وَأَضاءَت بَيروتُنا وَاِستَنارَت

وَتَبدَّت بِنورِهِ تَتَحلّى

وَتَبدَّت بِنورِهِ تَتَحلّى

And our Beirut shone and grew radiant,

Our Beirut was illuminated and became radiant,

and appeared adorned with his light.

Adorning itself with its light elegantly.

مَن رَآها غَيرَ الثريّا فَهَلّا

مَن رَآها غَيرَ الثريّا فَهَلّا

أَبصَرَ البدرَ حَيثُ فيها حَلّا

أَبصَرَ البدرَ حَيثُ فيها حَلّا

Whoever saw her as other than the Pleiades—why did he not

Whoever saw it other than thriving, rejoiced,

behold the full moon where he had settled within her?

For they saw the full moon residing in it.

رَقَصت فَرحَةً بِه وَسُرورَاً

رَقَصت فَرحَةً بِه وَسُرورَاً

وَغَدَت بِالّذي تَمَنَّت تَمَلَّى

وَغَدَت بِالّذي تَمَنَّت تَمَلَّى

She danced with joy and gladness because of him,

It danced happily with joy,

and came to delight in what she had wished for.

Becoming content with what it had wished for.

وَبَدَت تَتلو سورَةَ الحَمدِ شُكراً

وَبَدَت تَتلو سورَةَ الحَمدِ شُكراً

إِذ أَحسَّت بِسورَةِ النورِ تُتْلى

إِذ أَحسَّت بِسورَةِ النورِ تُتْلى

And she appeared reciting the Surah of Praise in gratitude,

And it seemed to recite the Surah of Gratitude,

when she became aware of the Surah of Light being recited.

When it sensed the reciting of the Surah of Light.

قابَلَتْهُ عَلى السّرورِ فَقالَت

قابَلَتْهُ عَلى السّرورِ فَقالَت

مَرحَباً مَرحَباً وأهلاً وسهلا

مَرحَباً مَرحَباً وأهلاً وسهلا

She met him with joy and said:

It welcomed it with delight and said,

Welcome, welcome—and be at home and at ease!

Welcome, welcome, welcome my friend.

مَرحَباً بِالهُمامِ عينِ المَوالي

مَرحَباً بِالهُمامِ عينِ المَوالي

أَشرَفِ النّاسِ مَحْتِداً ثمّ أَصلا

أَشرَفِ النّاسِ مَحْتِداً ثمّ أَصلا

Welcome to the noble hero, the choicest of lords,

Welcome O pillar of glory, eye of the loyalists,

the noblest of men in lineage and origin;

Noblest of people, then most judicious.

ذُروةُ العزِّ جَوهَرُ المَجدِ فَخراً

ذُروةُ العزِّ جَوهَرُ المَجدِ فَخراً

وَأَكمَلُ النّاسِ فِطنةً ثمّ عَقلا

وَأَكمَلُ النّاسِ فِطنةً ثمّ عَقلا

the pinnacle of honor, the jewel of glory, a source of pride,

The peak of might, essence of glory, bow down,

and the most perfect of men in discernment and reason.

And most perfect of people in insight and intellect.

كُلُّ عَلياء فَهْيَ دونَ عُلاهُ

كُلُّ عَلياء فَهْيَ دونَ عُلاهُ

لَو عَلَتْ لا تَطولُ مِنهُنَّ رِجلا

لَو عَلَتْ لا تَطولُ مِنهُنَّ رِجلا

Every eminence lies beneath his loftiness;

All glory is beneath his glory,

even if they rose, not one could reach his foot.

If it rose, it would not reach his feet.

فَهوَ عَبدُ المَولى وَمولى شَريفٌ

فَهوَ عَبدُ المَولى وَمولى شَريفٌ

مَن رَأى سَيِّداً كَعَبدِ المَولى

مَن رَأى سَيِّداً كَعَبدِ المَولى

For he is Abd al-Mawla, and a noble lord;

He is the servant of the Master and the noble Master,

who has seen a master like Abd al-Mawla?

Who saw a master like the servant of the Master?

فَاِسأَلِ البحرَ هَل يُدانيهِ عِلماً

فَاِسأَلِ البحرَ هَل يُدانيهِ عِلماً

وَاِسأَلِ السُّحْبَ هل تُحاكيهِ فَضْلا

وَاِسأَلِ السُّحْبَ هل تُحاكيهِ فَضْلا

So ask the sea: does it come close to him in knowledge?

So ask the sea, does it match his knowledge?

And ask the clouds: do they match him in bounty?

And ask the clouds, do they parallel his virtue?

هاكَ أَيّها السّمَيْدَعُ فَضلاً

هاكَ أَيّها السّمَيْدَعُ فَضلاً

بِنتَ خِدْرٍ لَها التخيّلُ أَملى

بِنتَ خِدْرٍ لَها التخيّلُ أَملى

Take, O noble lord, as a kindness,

The daughter of Khadr, imagining led her astray.

a maiden of the secluded chamber, whose words imagination has dictated.

So accept her without any command,

فَاِلْقَها بِالقَبولِ مِن غَيرِ أَمرٍ

فَاِلْقَها بِالقَبولِ مِن غَيرِ أَمرٍ

حَيثُ فيكَ القَبولُ أَحرى وَأَولى

حَيثُ فيكَ القَبولُ أَحرى وَأَولى

So receive her with acceptance, without any command,

For acceptance from you is more proper and appropriate.

for acceptance is more fitting and worthy of you.

And live the lifetime without constriction,

وَعِشِ الدّهرَ لا تُضامُ بِضَيْمٍ

وَعِشِ الدّهرَ لا تُضامُ بِضَيْمٍ

وَعَروسُ الهَناءِ عِندَكَ تُجلى

وَعَروسُ الهَناءِ عِندَكَ تُجلى

And live for all time, never afflicted by injustice,

For the bride of bliss is unveiled before you.

while the bride of happiness is unveiled before you.