خمسfive years مضينhave passed تجنّكconceal you الأستارُthe veils
خمس مضين تجنّك الأستارُ
فيهاduring them وقبركand your tomb كعبةa Kaaba ومنارand a beacon
فيها وقبرك كعبة ومنار
Five years have passed, with veils concealing you
Five decades have passed as the veils concealed you,
throughout them, while your tomb is a Kaaba and a beacon.
Yet your tomb remains a shrine and a minaret.
فيat كلevery مطّلعascent وكلand every ثنيةmountain pass
في كل مطّلع وكل ثنية
ذكرىa remembrance تزاحمcrowd together حولهاaround it الأفكارthoughts
ذكرى تزاحم حولها الأفكار
At every ascent and every mountain pass,
In every dawn and every slope,
a remembrance around which thoughts throng.
Memories crowd around turbulent thoughts.
باقenduring علىdespite عنتhardship الخطوبcalamities وعسفهاand their tyranny
باق على عنت الخطوب وعسفها
مجدa glory تقاصرfall short دونهshort of it الأنظارgazes
مجد تقاصر دونه الأنظار
Enduring despite calamities’ hardship and tyranny
Immortal is your glory in the face of adversities and tyranny,
is a glory beyond the reach of sight.
A glory dwarfed by no other glory.
تتصرمpass away الأيامthe days وهوwhile it is موطدfirmly established
تتصرم الأيام وهو موطد
يعنوbow الخصومthe foes لديهbefore it والأنصارand the supporters
يعنو الخصوم لديه والأنصار
The days pass away, while it stands firm;
Time passes as your glory remains intact,
foes and supporters bow before it.
Foes and allies equally revere you.
وكأنهand as though it were علمa mountain peak يُنيفُtowers علىover الورىhumankind
وكأنه علم يُنيفُ على الورى
ترنوgaze إليهat it وتخشعand bow in awe الأقدارthe fates
ترنو إليه وتخشع الأقدار
And it is like a mountain peak towering over humankind,
You are a banner above the world,
at which the fates gaze and bow in awe.
To which fates aspire and before which they bow.
وتضاءلand dwindle الأشخاصindividuals عنهbeside it ويستويand become equal
وتضاءل الأشخاص عنه ويستوي
فيin ظلهits shadow الأقزامthe dwarfs والجبارand the giant !
في ظله الأقزام والجبار !
And people dwindle beside it, and stand equal
Persons are belittled next to you,
in its shadow, the dwarfs and the giant!
Dwarfs and titans equal in your shade.
ماذاwhat يطيقcan bear الكونthe universe أنto ينساهforget it منof
ماذا يطيق الكون أن ينساه من
سعدSa'd ؟ وكلand every عظيمةmomentous event تذكارa reminder ؟
سعد ؟ وكل عظيمة تذكار ؟
What can the universe bear to forget of
What can the universe forget of Saad?
Sa'd, when every momentous event is a reminder?
And which great feat does not remember him?
هلquestion particle كانhe was إلاanything but فيin العظائمgreat crises موئلاًa refuge
هل كان إلا في العظائم موئلاً
فيon يومa day تشخصstare transfixed عندهduring it الأبصارthe eyes
في يوم تشخص عنده الأبصار
Was he anything but a refuge in great crises,
Where but among the greatest was his abode,
on a day when eyes stood transfixed?
When all eyes looked up to him?
تدويthunder حوليهaround him الخطوبcalamities وتنثنيand recoil
تدوي حوليه الخطوب وتنثني
كأشمlike a lofty mountain يعصفrages حولهaround it الإعصارthe hurricane
كأشم يعصف حوله الإعصار
Calamities thunder around him and recoil;
Troubles raged around him bending,
he is like a lofty mountain around which a hurricane rages.
Like violent winds around a solid mountain.
فإذاthen when مضىpassed الهولthe terror المروّعterrifying وانجلتand cleared away
فإذا مضى الهول المروّع وانجلت
غمراتهits engulfing turmoil وتراختand eased الأخطارthe dangers
غمراته وتراخت الأخطار
Then, with the passing of the dreadful terror and the clearing
When the awful terror subsided,
of its engulfing turmoil and the easing of dangers,
And its billows calmed, and perils receded,
أبصرتyou saw تحتbeneath الهولthe terror بسمةthe smile هادئone who is calm
أبصرت تحت الهول بسمة هادئ
راضcontent أشمproud كأنهas though he were المقدارFate
راض أشم كأنه المقدار
you see beneath the terror the smile of one serene,
Beneath the terror a smile serene was seen,
content and proud, as though he were Fate.
Pleased and content as though it was fate.
روحa spirit تجلis exalted عنabove الحياةlife وأهلهاand its people
روح تجل عن الحياة وأهلها
وصروفهاand its vicissitudes وتحفهاand surround it الأسرارmysteries
وصروفها وتحفها الأسرار
A spirit exalted above life and its people,
A soul lofty above life and its people,
and its vicissitudes, with mysteries surrounding it.
Its caprices, secrets and coverings.
روحthe spirit البطولةof heroism والبطولةand heroism طلسمa talisman
روح البطولة والبطولة طلسم
كالسحرlike magic تدهشyou are amazed عندهbefore it وتحارand you are bewildered
كالسحر تدهش عنده وتحار
The spirit of heroism—and heroism is a talisman,
The soul of heroism which is a charm,
like magic: before it you are awestruck and bewildered.
Bewitching and perplexing like sorcery.
أquestion particle فذاكرthen remembering أنتyou الجموعthe crowds وحشدهاand their massing
أ فذاكر أنت الجموع وحشدها
لماwhen دعاcalled سعدSa'd الجموعthe crowds فثارواso they rose up ؟
لما دعا سعد الجموع فثاروا ؟
Do you then remember the crowds and their massing,
Do you recall the masses when stirred by Saad?
when Sa'd called the crowds, and they rose up?
What did you see? A volcano? A roaring wave?
ماذاwhat أquestion particle بركانa volcano تفجرerupted أمor ترىyou see
ماذا أ بركان تفجر أم ترى
موجa wave أشمtowering أحمblack ؟ أمor تيّارa torrent ؟
موج أشم أحم ؟ أم تيّار ؟
What was it—a volcano bursting forth, or do you see
Or the magic of heroism and the flames of its fervor,
a towering, black wave? Or a torrent?
Igniting souls and making them blaze?
سحرthe magic البطولةof heroism أوor شواظthe blaze لهيبهاof its flame
سحر البطولة أو شواظ لهيبها
يذكيkindles النفوسsouls فكلهاso each of them مغوارa fearless warrior
يذكي النفوس فكلها مغوار
The magic of heroism, or the blaze of its flame,
A memory sanctified by the noble country,
kindles souls, so each is a fearless warrior.
Jealously guarding the glory of its past.
ذكرىa remembrance تقدسهاholds it sacred البلادthe nation كريمةnoble
ذكرى تقدسها البلاد كريمة
وتصونand safeguards روعةthe splendor مجدهاof its glory وتغارand is jealously protective
وتصون روعة مجدها وتغار
A noble remembrance the nation holds sacred,
Part of the nation's history, not just
safeguarding the splendor of its glory with jealous care.
The story of one man concluded and folded.
هيit بعضpart of تاريخthe history البلادof the nation فلمso it did not تكنbe
هي بعض تاريخ البلاد فلم تكن
تاريخthe history فردof an individual ينطويis folded away ويثارand is brought up again !
تاريخ فرد ينطوي ويثار !
It is part of the nation’s history; it was not
A memory robed in majesty,
the history of one man, folded away and brought up again!
Before which enmities and sins fade away.
ذكرىa remembrance يحفencircles بهاaround it الجلالmajesty وتنزويand shrink away
ذكرى يحف بها الجلال وتنزوي
بإزائهاbefore it الأحقادgrudges والأوزارand sins
بإزائها الأحقاد والأوزار
A remembrance encircled by majesty; shrinking away
A memory lofty like a sacred thing,
before it are grudges and sins.
Beneath its shade all turn righteous.
ذكرىa remembrance تطلlooks forth كأنهاas though it were قدسيةsacred
ذكرى تطل كأنها قدسية
فالكلso everyone تحتbeneath ظلالهاits shadows أبرارrighteous
فالكل تحت ظلالها أبرار
A remembrance that looks forth as though sacred,
so all beneath its shadows are righteous.
Partial English translation: 38 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1