ياoh حَبَّذاhow lovely حلبُAleppo المُنِيفةُthe lofty أنهاthat she is
يا حَبَّذا حلبُ المُنِيفةُ أنها
أرضٌa land تَناهىreached perfection حُسنُهاher beauty وبَهاؤُهاand her splendor
أرضٌ تَناهى حُسنُها وبَهاؤُها
Oh, how lovely is lofty Aleppo! She is
a land whose beauty and splendor have reached perfection.
رقَّتgrew refined معانيهاher qualities فرقَّso grew refined مديحُهاher praise
رقَّت معانيها فرقَّ مديحُها
مُذsince رقَّgrew refined منهاfrom her صَفوُهاher clarity وصَفاؤُهاand her purity
مُذ رقَّ منها صَفوُها وصَفاؤُها
Her qualities grew refined, and so did her praise,
since her clarity and purity grew refined.
قدindeed لَذَّbecame delightful فيهاwithin her العيشُlife عيشاًa life صافياًserene
قد لَذَّ فيها العيشُ عيشاً صافياً
إذsince لَذَّgrew delightful منهاfrom her ماؤُهاher water وهواؤُهاand her air
إذ لَذَّ منها ماؤُها وهواؤُها
Life within her is delightful, a life serene,
for her water and her air are delightful.
قدindeed طابgrew wholesome منهاin her العُنصُرانthe two elements فطابso grew wholesome
قد طاب منها العُنصُران فطاب
عُنصُرُthe nature أهلهاof her people أبداًforever وصحَّand proved sound شِفاؤُهاher healing
عُنصُرُ أهلها أبداً وصحَّ شِفاؤُها
Her two elements are wholesome, and wholesome is
her people's nature always; her healing is assured.
إِنif تُعضِلِprove intractable الأَدواءُthe ailments بالأَرواحِin souls والand the
إِن تُعضِلِ الأَدواءُ بالأَرواحِ وال
أَشباحِbodies فَهيَthen they بهاin her يكونُis found دَواؤُهاtheir cure
أَشباحِ فَهيَ بها يكونُ دَواؤُها
If ailments prove intractable in souls and
bodies, it is within her that their cure is found.
قدindeed خِلتُI fancied للمَوؤُدfor one buried alive يُحيِيrevives تُربُهاher soil
قد خِلتُ للمَوؤُد يُحيِي تُربُها
نفحاًwith a fragrant breath وللمفؤُدِand for the heart-afflicted يَشفِيheals ماؤُهاher water
نفحاً وللمفؤُدِ يَشفِي ماؤُها
I fancied her soil could revive one buried alive
with a fragrant breath, and her water could heal the heart-afflicted.
جُمِعَتwere gathered بهاin her كلُّall المحاسنbeauties جَمَّةًin abundance
جُمِعَت بها كلُّ المحاسن جَمَّةً
جمعاًa gathering صحيحاًcomplete فاستزادَso sought more سَناؤُهاher radiance
جمعاً صحيحاً فاستزادَ سَناؤُها
All beauties were gathered abundantly in her,
in a perfect union, and her radiance sought still more.
جادَwatered generously الحياthe rain أَفنانَهاher boughs وجِنانَهاand her gardens
جادَ الحيا أَفنانَها وجِنانَها
فزَكَتso flourished مغارسُهاher plantings ولَذَّand grew sweet جَناؤُهاher harvested fruit
فزَكَت مغارسُها ولَذَّ جَناؤُها
Rain generously watered her boughs and gardens,
so her plantings flourished, and her fruit grew sweet.
وسَرَىand drifted بهاthrough her أَرَجُthe fragrance النسيمof the breeze مُعطِّراًperfuming
وسَرَى بها أَرَجُ النسيم مُعطِّراً
أَنحاءَهاher quarters فتأَرَّجَتso grew fragrant أَرجاؤُهاher reaches
أَنحاءَها فتأَرَّجَت أَرجاؤُها
And the breeze's fragrance drifted through her, perfuming
her quarters, so her reaches grew fragrant.
كمhow many a مَنزِلٍdwelling فيهاin her بروقُlightning flashes بَهاؤُهُits splendor
كم مَنزِلٍ فيها بروقُ بَهاؤُهُ
ومساكنٍand dwellings باهتboasted بِهاof them آلاؤُهاher blessings
ومساكنٍ باهت بِها آلاؤُها
How many a dwelling in her has lightning-bright splendor,
and dwellings of which her blessings have boasted!
تُفنيbanish الهُمومَcares غِياضُهاher thickets ورياضُهاand her gardens
تُفني الهُمومَ غِياضُها ورياضُها
وحِياضُهاand her pools وثِمارُهاand her fruits ونَماؤُهاand her growth
وحِياضُها وثِمارُها ونَماؤُها
Her thickets and gardens banish cares,
and her pools, her fruits, and her flourishing growth.
مُذsince صَفَّقَتclapped ايديthe hands الغُصونِof the branches بأَيكهاin her groves
مُذ صَفَّقَت ايدي الغُصونِ بأَيكها
غَنَّتsang علىupon أوراقهاher leaves وَرقاؤُهاher gray dove
غَنَّت على أوراقها وَرقاؤُها
Since the branches' hands clapped within her groves,
her gray dove has sung upon her leaves.
فكأَنَّهاso she seems جِنسٌa genus لأَنواعfor the species البَهاof beauty
فكأَنَّها جِنسٌ لأَنواع البَها
أَلِفُthe alif (first letter) المباهيthe glories الرائقاتِdelightful وباؤُهاand their ba (second letter)
أَلِفُ المباهي الرائقاتِ وباؤُها
So she is like a genus for beauty's species,
the alif and ba of delightful glories.
عُصِمَتshe was protected فكانتso she became مَعصِماًa stronghold متغلِّقاًtightly closed
عُصِمَت فكانت مَعصِماً متغلِّقاً
مستحكماًfirmly fortified بُنيانُهاher structure وبناؤُهاand her construction
مستحكماً بُنيانُها وبناؤُها
She was protected and became a closely barred stronghold,
her structure and construction firmly fortified.
منfrom كلevery قطرٍregion رادَهاsought her out الوُرَّادُthe visitors
من كل قطرٍ رادَها الوُرَّادُ
فانشدهواso they were astounded وقالواand they said اينwhere همthey أَكفاؤُهاher equals
فانشدهوا وقالوا اين هم أَكفاؤُها
From every region, visitors sought her out;
so they were astounded and said, "Where are they—her equals?"
قدindeed ادركتshe attained شأوَthe utmost reach الكَمالِof perfection فأَجمَعُواso they agreed unanimously
قد ادركت شأوَ الكَمالِ فأَجمَعُوا
ذيthis غايةٌa goal ماthat ليسَis not يُدرَكattained شاؤُهاits reach
ذي غايةٌ ما ليسَ يُدرَك شاؤُها
She has attained perfection's utmost reach; they all agreed:
"This is a goal whose reach cannot be attained."
مُنِعَتshe was kept apart عنfrom الأَكفاءِequals فيماin what مُنِعَتshe was kept apart
مُنِعَت عن الأَكفاءِ فيما مُنِعَت
أُعجُوبةُthe marvel الدُنياof the world وليسَand there is not سَواؤُهاher equal
أُعجُوبةُ الدُنيا وليسَ سَواؤُها
She was kept beyond her peers in all that set her apart—
the marvel of the world, and none is her equal.
قامتundertook بَنُوهاher sons فيin تكاليفthe duties التُقَىof piety
قامت بَنُوها في تكاليف التُقَى
بمحَّبةٍwith love خَفَّتgrew light بهاthrough it أَعباؤُهاits burdens
بمحَّبةٍ خَفَّت بها أَعباؤُها
Her sons undertook the duties of piety
with love through which its burdens grew light.
بأَمانةٍwith trustworthiness ودِيانةٍand devotion وصِيانةٍand integrity
بأَمانةٍ ودِيانةٍ وصِيانةٍ
ورَصانةٍand dignity جلَّتshe grew exalted فجلَّso grew great ثَناؤُهاher praise
ورَصانةٍ جلَّت فجلَّ ثَناؤُها
With trustworthiness, devotion, and integrity,
and dignity, she grew exalted, and so did her praise.
اللَهُGod زِدهاgrant her more عِزَّةًmight ومَهابةًand majesty
اللَهُ زِدها عِزَّةً ومَهابةً
حتىuntil تَذِلَّare humbled لِعزِّهاbefore her might أَعداؤُهاher enemies
حتى تَذِلَّ لِعزِّها أَعداؤُها
O God, grant her more might and majesty,
until her enemies are humbled before her might.
Sol 6.1