بَنيO sons of الزَهراal-Zahra لَكُمyours مَجدglory أَثيلdeep-rooted
بَني الزَهرا لَكُم مَجد أَثيل
وَعزand honor شامِخlofty وَعلاand eminence مُنيفtowering
وَعز شامِخ وَعلا مُنيف
O sons of al-Zahra, yours is deep-rooted glory,
O sons of Zahra, your glory is eternal
And lofty honor and towering eminence;
And your might lofty, your nobility sublime
عُلُوّاeminence لَيسَnot يَعلوهovercomes it اِنصِرامcoming to an end
عُلُوّا لَيسَ يَعلوه اِنصِرام
وَفَخرand pride لاnot تَغيرهalters it الصروفfortune's vicissitudes
وَفَخر لا تَغيره الصروف
An eminence no decline can overcome,
Your sublimity none can transcend
And pride unchanged by fortune's vicissitudes.
Your pride time's vicissitudes cannot alter
وَأَنتُمand you كَعبةthe Kaaba of المَعروفkindness تَسعىhasten
وَأَنتُم كَعبة المَعروف تَسعى
لَكُمtoward you آمالُناour hopes وَبكمand around you تَطوفcircle
لَكُم آمالُنا وَبكم تَطوف
And you are the Kaaba of kindness, toward which hasten
You are the Kaaba of kindness people hasten to
Our hopes, and around you they circle.
Our hopes in you repose, around you they revolve
وَمِنكُمand from you كلevery عَصرage هاشميa Hashimite
وَمِنكُم كل عَصر هاشمي
بِمِحرابat the prayer niche of الفُخارglory لهhe has عكوفconstant devotion
بِمِحراب الفُخار له عكوف
And from you, in every age, comes a Hashimite
In every age, a Hashimite like the station of prayer
Who dwells devotedly in the prayer niche of glory.
Stands vigil at the altar of glory
وَهذاand this عَصرناour age قَدindeed لاحَappeared فيهِin it
وَهذا عَصرنا قَد لاحَ فيهِ
شَريفa nobleman منamong أَجلِكُمyour most illustrious عَفيفchaste
شَريف من أَجلِكُم عَفيف
And in this age of ours there has appeared
And this is an age in which has emerged
A chaste nobleman, among your most illustrious.
A noble one from your lineage, chaste
فَريدunique فيin مَحاسِنِهhis virtues وَلكِنand yet
فَريد في مَحاسِنِه وَلكِن
فَريدa lone man لاnot تُقاوِمهrival him ألوفthousands
فَريد لا تُقاوِمه ألوف
Unique in his virtues, and yet
Unique in his virtues, though unique
One man whom thousands cannot rival.
Myriads cannot equal him
أَباO father of عمرUmar أَتيتُكI have come to you مُستَجيراseeking refuge
أَبا عمر أَتيتُك مُستَجيرا
وَلَيسَand there is no عَلىupon الَّذيthe one who يَأتيكَcomes to you خَوفfear
وَلَيسَ عَلى الَّذي يَأتيكَ خَوف
O Abu Umar, I have come to you seeking refuge,
Abu Umar, I have come to you seeking refuge
And whoever comes to you has nothing to fear.
For one who comes to you has no cause for fear
وَأَمرىand my affair مشكلcomplicated صَعبdifficult وَلكِنand yet
وَأَمرى مشكل صَعب وَلكِن
عَلَيكَfor you ميسرmanageable سَهلeasy خَفيفlight
عَلَيكَ ميسر سَهل خَفيف
And my affair is complicated and difficult, yet
My affair is difficult and complex
For you it is manageable, easy, and light.
But for you easy and effortless
وَلَيسَand there is no عَلَيكَupon you حقclaim لازِمbinding ليfor me
وَلَيسَ عَلَيكَ حق لازِم لي
سِوىexcept اِنّيthat I بسوحin the courts of عَلاكyour eminence ضَيفa guest
سِوى اِنّي بسوح عَلاك ضَيف
And I have no binding claim upon you,
You owe me no obligatory right
Except that I am a guest in the courts of your eminence.
Except that I am your guest at your abode
وَلكِنand yet فيin مُوافَقَةthe matching of اِسمكyour name سَمىmy name
وَلكِن في مُوافَقَة اِسمك سَمى
لماfor what أَمّلتهI hoped for it سِرّa secret لَطيفsubtle
لما أَمّلته سِرّ لَطيف
But in your name's matching mine
But in the concord in your name lies a subtle mystery
Lies a subtle secret concerning what I hoped for.
Both names being Abdullah, but
كلاboth الاسمَينthe two names عَبدservant of اللّهGod لكِنbut
كلا الاسمَين عَبد اللّه لكِن
تزيدyou surpass بِأَنَّكَin that you are المَولىthe lord الشَريفnoble
تزيد بِأَنَّكَ المَولى الشَريف
Both names are Abdullah, but
You have the additional boon of being the noble master
You surpass me in being the noble lord.
I found you better than horsemen in the saddle
وَجَدّكand your forefather خَيرthe best منthose who ركبrode المَطاياmounts
وَجَدّك خَير من ركب المَطايا
رَحيمmerciful فيin سَجاياهhis character traits رَؤفcompassionate
رَحيم في سَجاياه رَؤف
And your forefather is the best of those who rode mounts,
Merciful in disposition, kind
Merciful in his character, compassionate.
So be like your righteous ancestors, show clemency
فَكنso be كَجدودِكَlike your forefathers الاِخيارthe virtuous وَاِعطفand show compassion
فَكن كَجدودِكَ الاِخيار وَاِعطف
فَخَيرُfor the best of الناسِpeople ذوpossessing الهممhigh resolve العَطوفcompassionate
فَخَيرُ الناسِ ذو الهمم العَطوف
So be like your virtuous forefathers, and show compassion,
For the best of men are the gentle and clement
For the best of people is the compassionate man of high resolve.
It is the trait of the generous, and you are one of them
وَمنand among شيمthe traits of الكِرامthe generous وَأَنتَand you منهُمamong them
وَمن شيم الكِرام وَأَنتَ منهُم
اِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) واعدواthey promise بِالخَيرِto do good يوفواthey keep their word
اِذا ما واعدوا بِالخَيرِ يوفوا
And among the traits of the generous—and you are one of them—
When they promise good, they fulfill
Is keeping their word whenever they promise kindness.
You have accustomed me to kindness for ages
وَقدand indeed عَوّدتنيyou have accustomed me to المَعروفkindness دَهراfor a long time
وَقد عَوّدتني المَعروف دَهرا
وَلَيسَand there is no بِغَيرat any other than بابِكَyour door ليfor me وُقوفstanding
وَلَيسَ بِغَير بابِكَ لي وُقوف
And you have long accustomed me to kindness,
And I have no recourse but your door
And I stand at no door but yours.
Your lofty ambition has emboldened me
وَهمتكand your resolve العليةlofty أَطمَعتَنيhas raised my hopes
وَهمتك العلية أَطمَعتَني
فَلاso do not تَقطَعcut off رجاthe hope of منone who يستَضيفseeks hospitality
فَلا تَقطَع رجا من يستَضيف
And your lofty resolve has raised my hopes,
So do not cut off the hopes of one who seeks your hospitality
So do not cut off the hope of one who seeks hospitality.
My ultimate purpose is that I love you
وَغايَةand the sum of مَقصَديmy intent اِنّيthat I مُحِبone who loves
وَغايَة مَقصَدي اِنّي مُحِب
قَوِيّstrong in الوُدّaffection لكِنيbut I ضَعيفweak
قَوِيّ الوُدّ لكِني ضَعيف
And the sum of my intent is that I am devoted,
Ardently, but I am weak
Strong in affection, yet I am weak.
Succor me - may God never see you treat me unjustly
أَجرَنيgrant me refuge لاmay never أَراكَmake you see اللَهُGod ضيماinjustice
أَجرَني لا أَراكَ اللَهُ ضيما
وَلاnor may نَزَلتdescend بِساحَتِكَupon your courtyard الحتوفdeadly fates
وَلا نَزَلت بِساحَتِكَ الحتوف
Grant me refuge—may God never let you suffer injustice,
Or allow misfortunes to befall your domain
Nor may deadly fates descend upon your courtyard.
Take my hand - for I am sorely troubled
وَخُذand take بِيَديby my hand فَاِنّيfor I ضِقتI have run out ذَرعاof endurance
وَخُذ بِيَدي فَاِنّي ضِقت ذَرعا
وَكَدّرand has clouded عيشَتيmy life هولa terror مخيفfrightening
وَكَدّر عيشَتي هول مخيف
And take me by the hand, for I am at my wit's end,
And my life is poisoned by frightening turmoil
And a frightful terror has clouded my life.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1