بِنِهايةthrough the culmination of الأَرَبdesire اِغتنمseize لَكَfor yourself مَأرباa goal
بِنِهاية الأَرَب اِغتنم لَكَ مَأربا
فَهوَfor it is الرَبيعspring زَهاgrew resplendent بِأَزهارwith the blossoms of الرُبىthe hills
فَهوَ الرَبيع زَها بِأَزهار الرُبى
Through Nihāyat al-Arab (The Ultimate Aim), attain a goal of your own.
At the end of spring, seize for yourself a meadow,
For it is spring, resplendent with the blossoms of the hills.
For it is spring adorned with the blossoms of meadows.
رقّتgrew delicate شَمائلهits qualities وَراقَand was pleasing شَميمهاtheir fragrance
رقّت شَمائله وَراقَ شَميمها
طَبعاًnaturally فَكانَso it became إِلىto الطِباعthe temperaments محبّباbeloved
طَبعاً فَكانَ إِلى الطِباع محبّبا
Its graces are delicate, and their fragrance is pleasing,
Its features have softened and its fragrance is delightful,
By nature; thus it became dear to every temperament.
Naturally it became beloved to nature.
وَسَماand rose عَلىabove وَردthe roses of الخَمائلthe groves مورداًas a wellspring
وَسَما عَلى وَرد الخَمائل مورداً
يصبيcaptivates النُفوسthe souls لِنَشرfor the spreading of أَنفاسthe breaths of الصِباyouth
يصبي النُفوس لِنَشر أَنفاس الصِبا
And as a wellspring, it surpassed the roses of the groves,
And it rained upon the meadows of beauty a downpour
Captivating souls by spreading the breaths of youth.
That inspires souls to spread the breaths of youth.
أَعجبhow wondrous! بِهِat it سفراًas a book بَداappeared لَكَto you مُسفِراunveiling
أَعجب بِهِ سفراً بَدا لَكَ مُسفِرا
عَنfrom أَوجهthe faces of الحُسنbeauty البَديعwondrous لِتعجباso that you may marvel
عَن أَوجه الحُسن البَديع لِتعجبا
How wondrous it is—a book appearing before you, unveiling
Marveling at it, a journey appeared to you a revelation
The faces of wondrous beauty, so that you may marvel.
Of the beautiful faces of beauty, for marveling.
أَبدىrevealed فَأَبدَعand showed brilliance مِنfrom وَقائعthe events of مَنthose who مَضواpassed away
أَبدى فَأَبدَع مِن وَقائع مَن مَضوا
عَرَباًArabs فَأَعربand spoke eloquently فيin البَيانexposition وَأَغرَباand was strikingly original
عَرَباً فَأَعرب في البَيان وَأَغرَبا
It revealed, with brilliance, events of those long gone—
It revealed and created from the events of those who passed
Arabs—and was eloquent in exposition and strikingly original.
Arabs, so it spoke eloquently and strangely.
لاno رَيبَdoubt فيabout فَضلthe merit of المُؤلّفthe author أَنَّهُthat he
لا رَيبَ في فَضل المُؤلّف أَنَّهُ
وَردreached المَناهلthe springs فَاِستَخارَthen chose الأَعذَباthe sweetest
وَرد المَناهل فَاِستَخارَ الأَعذَبا
There is no doubt of the author's merit: he
There is no doubt in the merit of the author, that
Reached the springs and chose the sweetest.
He frequented the springs, so he chose the sweetest.
ماnot زالَceased يُحسنperforms well خدمةservice to الوَطَنthe homeland الَّتيwhich
ما زالَ يُحسن خدمة الوَطَن الَّتي
شَرفتbecame noble إِلىuntil أَنthat لاحَshone ثمّةthere كَوكَباas a star
شَرفت إِلى أَن لاحَ ثمّة كَوكَبا
He has always served the homeland well, a service that
He kept excelling in serving the nation which
Grew noble, until he shone there as a star.
Honored him until a star shone there.
لاdo not تُنكرنَّever deny يَدthe bounty of السَخيِّthe generous man فَإِنَّهاfor it
لا تُنكرنَّ يَد السَخيِّ فَإِنَّها
حتمan obligation عَلَيهِupon him وَلَوand even if تَخلّلwrapped himself بِالعَباin a cloak
حتم عَلَيهِ وَلَو تَخلّل بِالعَبا
Never deny the generous man's bounty, for it
Do not deny the hand of the generous one, for it
Is binding upon him, even if he wraps himself in a cloak.
Obligates him even if interspersed with play.
وَالهمّةand the resolve الإسكندريّةAlexandrian طالَماso often
وَالهمّة الإسكندريّة طالَما
سارَتjourneyed مشرّقةًeastward وَسِرتand you journeyed مغرّباwestward
سارَت مشرّقةً وَسِرت مغرّبا
And the Alexandrian resolve has so often
The Alexandrian ambition has always
Journeyed eastward, while you journeyed westward.
Traveled shining and traveled setting.
أَكرمhow noble! بِصاحبهاwith its master الَّذيwho صحبaccompanied النهىreason
أَكرم بِصاحبها الَّذي صحب النهى
وَجَلاand revealed مِنَfrom الراحthe wine المُسلسلsmoothly flowing مشرباa draught
وَجَلا مِنَ الراح المُسلسل مشربا
How noble is its master, who made reason his companion,
It honored its owner who accompanied propriety
And revealed a draught of smoothly flowing wine.
And surpassed from the resting place the chained drink.
Sol 6.1