العِلمُknowledge فوقَabove المالِwealth فيin إرشادِهِits guidance
العِلمُ فوقَ المالِ في إرشادِهِ
والمالُand wealth فوقَabove العلمِknowledge فيin إسعادِهِits bringing happiness
والمالُ فوقَ العلمِ في إسعادِهِ
Knowledge surpasses wealth in giving guidance,
Knowledge guides better than riches in prosperity,
And wealth surpasses knowledge in bringing happiness.
Yet riches serve better than knowledge in adversity.
والمُلكُand sovereignty فوقهماabove them both لأنَّbecause اللهGod قدhas
والمُلكُ فوقهما لأنَّ الله قد
أعطاهُbestowed it للإنصافِfor justice بينَamong عبادِهِHis servants
أعطاهُ للإنصافِ بينَ عبادِهِ
And sovereignty surpasses both, for God has
Kingship excels both, for God granted it
Bestowed it to uphold justice among His servants.
To lead people justly.
وأجلُّand the noblest صاحبِholder of دولةٍpower مَنone who يَغرِسplants التْthe... (beginning of 'piety')
وأجلُّ صاحبِ دولةٍ مَن يَغرِس التْ
تَقوَىpiety (split word completed) كأحمَدَlike Ahmad فيin صميمِthe very core of فؤادِهِhis heart
تَقوَى كأحمَدَ في صميمِ فؤادِهِ
And the noblest ruler is he who plants
The greatest ruler plants piety,
Piety, as Ahmad does, in the very core of his heart.
Like Ahmed, in his heart’s core.
سَبَّاقُone who races ahead غاياتِgoals of الكَمالِperfection مُجاهِدٌone who strives
سَبَّاقُ غاياتِ الكَمالِ مُجاهِدٌ
فيin طاعةِobedience to الرَّحمنthe Most Merciful حقَّthe full measure of جِهادِهِhis striving
في طاعةِ الرَّحمن حقَّ جِهادِهِ
Foremost in the race to perfection's goals, he strives
He strives in obeying the Merciful,
In obedience to the Most Merciful, with all due striving.
A true holy struggle.
يَرعَىwatches over رَعيَّتَهُhis subjects بطَرْفٍwith an eye سُهدُهُits sleeplessness
يَرعَى رَعيَّتَهُ بطَرْفٍ سُهدُهُ
أشهَىmore pleasing إليهِto him منthan لذيذِsweet رُقادِهِits slumber
أشهَى إليهِ من لذيذِ رُقادِهِ
He watches over his subjects with an eye whose sleeplessness
He shepherds his people with care,
Is more pleasing to him than its sweet slumber.
Dearer to him than sweetest rest.
ماnot زالَceased ينظُرُlooks فيinto مصالحِthe interests of شعبِهِhis people
ما زالَ ينظُرُ في مصالحِ شعبِهِ
حتىuntil كأنَّas though الشَّعبَthe people منamong أولادِهِhis children
حتى كأنَّ الشَّعبَ من أولادِهِ
He has never ceased attending to his people's interests,
He labors for their wellbeing
Until the people seem to be among his own children.
As if they were his own children.
وإذاand when تلَّبسَbecame clothed بالفَسادِin corruption زَمانُهُhis age
وإذا تلَّبسَ بالفَسادِ زَمانُهُ
نَهَضتْrose يداهُhis two hands إلىtoward صَلاحِremedying فَسادِهِits corruption
نَهَضتْ يداهُ إلى صَلاحِ فَسادِهِ
And when his age becomes clothed in corruption,
When corruption infests his era,
His hands rise to remedy its corruption.
He rises to heal its rot.
بَسَمتْsmiled لدولتهِfor his rule الثُّغورُlips وكبَّرَتْand proclaimed God's greatness
بَسَمتْ لدولتهِ الثُّغورُ وكبَّرَتْ
ودعاand prayed مُصلِّيthe worshipper at الصُّبحِdawn فيin أورادهِhis litanies
ودعا مُصلِّي الصُّبحِ في أورادهِ
Lips smiled at his rule and proclaimed God's greatness,
Borders rejoice in his rule, and dawn prayers
And the dawn worshipper prayed in his litanies.
Chant his name in litanies.
وترنَّمتْand sang بيروتُBeirut حينَwhen ثَوَىhe dwelt بهاin her
وترنَّمتْ بيروتُ حينَ ثَوَى بها
فأجابهاso it answered her لُبنانُLebanon منfrom أطوادِهِits towering mountains
فأجابها لُبنانُ من أطوادِهِ
And Beirut sang when he dwelt within her,
Beirut sings his praise, and Lebanon
So Lebanon answered her from its towering mountains.
Answers from its peaks.
البَدرُthe full moon منamong حسَّادِهِhis enviers والدَّهرُand Time مِنamong
البَدرُ من حسَّادِهِ والدَّهرُ مِن
أحفادهِhis grandchildren والنَّصرُand victory منamong أجنادهِhis troops
أحفادهِ والنَّصرُ من أجنادهِ
The full moon is among his enviers, and Time among
The moon is envied by adversaries, and time
His grandchildren, and victory among his troops.
By progeny, and victory by armies.
والبِشرُand joy فوقَupon جبينهِhis brow والحُكمُand rule طوobedience (first fragment)
والبِشرُ فوقَ جبينهِ والحُكمُ طو
عُobedience (final fragment) يمينهِhis right hand والأمرُand affairs تحتَunder مُرادهِhis will
عُ يمينهِ والأمرُ تحتَ مُرادهِ
And joy rests upon his brow, and rule is
Blessings crown his brow, wisdom his right hand,
Obedient to his right hand, and affairs are subject to his will.
Command under his control.
ياO كعبةَKaaba of القُصَّادِpetitioners ياO مَنْone who شأنُهُhis way
يا كعبةَ القُصَّادِ يا مَنْ شأنُهُ
أنthat لاnot يخيبَbe disappointed الظَنُّexpectation منfrom قُصَّادِهِhis petitioners
أن لا يخيبَ الظَنُّ من قُصَّادِهِ
O Kaaba of petitioners, O you whose way
O Kaaba of the skillful archer,
Is never to disappoint the hopes of your petitioners.
You never disappoint the hopeful.
أنتَyou القديرُthe powerful one متىwhenever دَعاكَcalls upon you ضعيفُناour weak one
أنتَ القديرُ متى دَعاكَ ضعيفُنا
أنto تبسطَstretch out الأيديْthe hands إلىtoward إمدادِهِaiding him
أن تبسطَ الأيديْ إلى إمدادِهِ
You have the power, whenever someone weak among us calls upon you,
When our weak call upon you,
To stretch out hands to his aid.
Stretch out your hands to help them.
النَّاسُpeople يَشكونَcomplain of الزَّمانَTime وإنَّنيyet indeed I
النَّاسُ يَشكونَ الزَّمانَ وإنَّني
أشكوI complain of بَنيهِhis sons فَلَسْتُfor I am not منamong أضدادِهِhis foes
أشكو بَنيهِ فَلَسْتُ من أضدادِهِ
People complain of Time, whereas I
I complain of people, not time,
Complain of his sons, for I am not among his foes.
For I dissent with them.
فَهمُfor they الذينَthose who تغيَّرواhave changed وَهُوَwhile he الذيthe one who
فَهمُ الذينَ تغيَّروا وَهُوَ الذي
لاnot يَعرِفُknows التَّغييرَchange عنfrom مُعتادِهِhis accustomed ways
لا يَعرِفُ التَّغييرَ عن مُعتادِهِ
For they are the ones who have changed, while he
They changed, but time stays
Knows no change from his accustomed ways.
True to its rhythm.
العِلمُknowledge قدhas أمسىbecome ذليلاًabased كاسداًunmarketable
العِلمُ قد أمسى ذليلاً كاسداً
فيهمamong them فذَلَّتْso became abased أهلُهُits scholars لكَسادِهِbecause of its lack of demand
فيهم فذَلَّتْ أهلُهُ لكَسادِهِ
Knowledge has become abased and unmarketable
Knowledge lies feeble and idle;
Among them, so its scholars are abased by its lack of demand.
Its people abased by its recession.
والمالُand wealth عندin the eyes of الأكثرِينَmost people كأنَّهُas though it were
والمالُ عند الأكثرِينَ كأنَّهُ
صَنَمٌan idol وربُّand the master of المالِwealth منamong عُبَّادِهِits worshippers
صَنَمٌ وربُّ المالِ من عُبَّادِهِ
And wealth, in most people's eyes, is like
Wealth to most is an idol,
An idol, and wealth's master is among its worshippers.
And the wealthy among its worshipers.
أحرقتُI burned فِكريmy mind بالعلومِwith the sciences فلمbut did not أنَلْI gain
أحرقتُ فِكري بالعلومِ فلم أنَلْ
إلاّexcept أذَىharm to عَيِنيmy eye بنَسفِfrom the scattering of رَمادِهِits ashes
إلاّ أذَى عَيِني بنَسفِ رَمادِهِ
I burned my mind with learning, yet gained
I burned my mind studying sciences,
Only harm to my eye from the scattering of its ashes.
Only to hurt my eyes with their ashes’ gusts.
وكتبتُand I wrote ماwhat قدindeed أحزَنَsaddened القِرطاسَthe paper مِنbecause of
وكتبتُ ما قد أحزَنَ القِرطاسَ مِن
تَلَفٍloss فكانَso became الحِبرُthe ink ثَوْبَthe garment of حِدادِهِits mourning
تَلَفٍ فكانَ الحِبرُ ثَوْبَ حِدادِهِ
And I wrote what made the paper grieve over
I wrote works that saddened the paper
Loss, so the ink became its mourning garment.
With the ink like their mourning gowns.
ولقدand indeed صبرتُI have been patient علىwith البَلادِthe land ومَطامعيand my aspirations
ولقد صبرتُ على البَلادِ ومَطامعي
ترجوhope for بَياضَthe whiteness of الحظِّfortune بعدafter سَوَادِهِits blackness
ترجو بَياضَ الحظِّ بعد سَوَادِهِ
And I have been patient with the land, while my aspirations
I was patient with my country and hopes,
Hope for fortune's whiteness after its blackness.
Awaiting the white of fortune after darkness.
وَعَدpromised الإلهُGod الصَّابرينَthe patient بلُطفِهِwith His gracious care
وَعَد الإلهُ الصَّابرينَ بلُطفِهِ
كَرَماًout of generosity ولاand no إخلافَbreaking of a promise فيin ميعادِهِHis promise
كَرَماً ولا إخلافَ في ميعادِهِ
God has promised the patient His gracious care,
God promised the patient grace and favor,
Out of generosity, and His promise never fails.
No breach of promise in His appointed time.
Sol 6.1