لَمَّاwhen رأيتُكَI saw you تَرعَىyou uphold ذِمَّةَthe covenant of العَرَبِthe Arabs
لَمَّا رأيتُكَ تَرعَى ذِمَّةَ العَرَبِ
عَلمتُI knew أنَّكَthat you منهاof them خالصَpure in النَسَبِlineage
عَلمتُ أنَّكَ منها خالصَ النَسَبِ
When I saw you uphold the Arabs' covenant,
I knew you were of pure Arab descent.
وكيفَand how تُنكَرُbe denied فيamong الأعرابِthe Bedouin Arabs نِسبتُهُhis lineage
وكيفَ تُنكَرُ في الأعرابِ نِسبتُهُ
فتىًa youth لهُfor him عُمَرُUmar الفاروقُal-Faruq (the Discerner) خيرُbest أبِfather
فتىً لهُ عُمَرُ الفاروقُ خيرُ أبِ
And how could his lineage among the Bedouin Arabs be denied—
A youth for whom Umar al-Faruq is the best of fathers?
ياO حافظَkeeper of العهدِthe covenant فيin سرٍّsecret وفيand in علَنٍpublic
يا حافظَ العهدِ في سرٍّ وفي علَنٍ
وحافظَand keeper of الوُدِّaffection عنfrom بُعدٍafar وعنand from كَثَبِclose at hand
وحافظَ الوُدِّ عن بُعدٍ وعن كَثَبِ
O keeper of the covenant in secret and in public,
And keeper of affection, from afar and close at hand.
أرَىI see رَسائلَكَyour letters البَيضاءَwhite لوif عُصِرَتwere squeezed
أرَى رَسائلَكَ البَيضاءَ لو عُصِرَت
منهاfrom them المَوَدَّةُaffection سالتْwould flow بالنَّدَىwith dew الرَّطِبِmoist
منها المَوَدَّةُ سالتْ بالنَّدَى الرَّطِبِ
I see your white letters—were they squeezed,
Affection would flow from them with moist dew.
بَينيbetween me وبينَكَand between you عَهدٌa covenant لاnot يُغيِّرُهُalters it
بَيني وبينَكَ عَهدٌ لا يُغيِّرُهُ
بُعدُthe distance of الدِّيارِthe dwellings وهَولُand the terror of الحَرْبِwar والحَرَبِand loss of possessions
بُعدُ الدِّيارِ وهَولُ الحَرْبِ والحَرَبِ
Between me and you is a covenant unaltered by
Distance between our homes and the terror of war and dispossession.
إنif لمnot يَكُنْbe بَينَناbetween us فيamong قَومِناour people نَسَبٌkinship
إن لم يَكُنْ بَينَنا في قَومِنا نَسَبٌ
قِدْماًof old فقدthen indeed جَمَعَناhas united us نِسبةُthe kinship of الأدَبِliterature
قِدْماً فقد جَمَعَنا نِسبةُ الأدَبِ
If there is no kinship between us among our people
From days of old, the kinship of letters has nevertheless united us.
ماwhat ليfor me وللدَّارِand with the dwelling إنْif شَطَّتlies far away فَمغرِسُناfor our planting-place
ما لي وللدَّارِ إنْ شَطَّت فَمغرِسُنا
طَيُّthe folds of التَرَائبِthe breastbones لاnot مَطويَّةُthe folded expanse of التُرَبِthe earth
طَيُّ التَرَائبِ لا مَطويَّةُ التُرَبِ
What care I for the dwelling if it lies far away? For our roots lie
In the folds of the breast, not the folds of the earth.
إذاwhen ظَفِرتُI win بقَلبٍa heart غيرِnot مُبتعِدٍdistant
إذا ظَفِرتُ بقَلبٍ غيرِ مُبتعِدٍ
فماso not أباليI care برَيعٍabout a hill غيرِnot مُقتَربِnearby
فما أبالي برَيعٍ غيرِ مُقتَربِ
When I win a heart that does not draw away,
I care nothing for a hill that is not near.
لاmay not أوحشَleave lonely اللهُGod مِمَّنwithout one who ظَلَّcontinued يُؤْنسُنيkeeps me company
لا أوحشَ اللهُ مِمَّن ظَلَّ يُؤْنسُني
طُولَthroughout المدَىthe span of time بورُودِthrough the arrival of الرُسْلِthe messengers والكُتُبِand the letters
طُولَ المدَى بورُودِ الرُسْلِ والكُتُبِ
May God never leave me lonely without him who has kept me company
For so long, through the arrival of messengers and letters.
لوif كُنتُI were أدريI know لهُof him شَخصاًa bodily form أُمثّلُهُI picture him
لو كُنتُ أدري لهُ شَخصاً أُمثّلُهُ
لكانَthen he would be فيin الوَهْمِimagination عنfrom عَينيَّmy eyes لمnot يَغِبِbe absent
لكانَ في الوَهْمِ عن عَينيَّ لم يَغِبِ
If I knew his form and could picture him,
In imagination, he would never vanish from my eyes.
ياO عاقلاًwise man عَقلَتْhas bound قَلبيmy heart مَوَدَّتُهُhis affection
يا عاقلاً عَقلَتْ قَلبي مَوَدَّتُهُ
لاmay not أطلَقَrelease اللهُGod هذاthis الأسرَcaptivity فيthroughout الحِقَبِthe ages
لا أطلَقَ اللهُ هذا الأسرَ في الحِقَبِ
O wise man, whose affection has fettered my heart,
May God never end this captivity through the ages.
مَلَكْتَنيyou have possessed me ببديعِwith wondrous اللُطفِkindness منكَfrom you فإنْso if
مَلَكْتَني ببديعِ اللُطفِ منكَ فإنْ
بَغَىsought سِواكَsomeone other than you اقِتناصيmy capture كنتُI would be كالسَّلَبِlike plundered goods
بَغَى سِواكَ اقِتناصي كنتُ كالسَّلَبِ
You have made me yours with your wondrous kindness; so if
Another sought to capture me, I would be like plundered goods.
ياOh حَبَّذاhow lovely is أرضُthe land of مِصرٍEgypt والذينَand those who بهاare in it
يا حَبَّذا أرضُ مِصرٍ والذينَ بها
وحَبّذاand how lovely is نَهلةٌa draught منfrom نيلهاits Nile العَذِبِsweet
وحَبّذا نَهلةٌ من نيلها العَذِبِ
Oh, how lovely is Egypt's land, and those who dwell there!
And how lovely a draught from its sweet Nile!
وحبَّذاand how lovely are نَسَماتٌbreezes طابَwas pleasant عُنصُرُهاtheir nature
وحبَّذا نَسَماتٌ طابَ عُنصُرُها
وإنand even if يكُنْbe عُنصُرُthe nature of الأيَّامthe days لمnot يَطِبِbe pleasant
وإن يكُنْ عُنصُرُ الأيَّام لم يَطِبِ
And how lovely are breezes, sweet in their nature,
Even though the nature of the days has not been sweet.
صَبراًbe patient علىwith نَكَدِthe misery of الدُّنياthe world التيwhich طُبِعَتwas fashioned
صَبراً على نَكَدِ الدُّنيا التي طُبِعَت
علىfor مُعاقَبَةِthe succession of الأحداثِcalamities والنُوَبِand misfortunes
على مُعاقَبَةِ الأحداثِ والنُوَبِ
Be patient with the misery of the world, which was fashioned
For the succession of calamities and misfortunes.
والصَبرُand patience أنفَعُmost beneficial ماthat which داوَىtreated الجريحُthe wounded person بهِwith it
والصَبرُ أنفَعُ ما داوَى الجريحُ بهِ
جُرحَthe wound of الفُؤَادِthe heart وأهدَىand the surest of الطُرْقِthe paths للأرَبِto the desired goal
جُرحَ الفُؤَادِ وأهدَى الطُرْقِ للأرَبِ
And patience is the best remedy a wounded person uses to heal
The heart's wound, and the surest path to one's desire.
ماwhat ليسَnot تَقطَعُهُcut it الأسيافُthe swords يَقَطعُهُcuts it
ما ليسَ تَقطَعُهُ الأسيافُ يَقَطعُهُ
مَرُّthe passage of الزمانِtime كقَطعِlike the cutting of النارِfire للحَطبِof firewood
مَرُّ الزمانِ كقَطعِ النارِ للحَطبِ
What swords cannot cut is cut by
The passage of time, as fire cuts through firewood.
Sol 6.1