سَلامٌ كَنَشرِ الرَوضِ باكرَهُ العَهدُ
وَأَمسَت ذَواتُ الطَوقِ في أَيكِهِ تَشدو
A greeting like a meadow’s fragrance when returning rain visits it at dawn,
A greeting like the fragrance of a garden visited at dawn by fresh rain,
while ring-necked doves sing at evening in its grove.
And at dusk the ring-necked doves were singing in its grove,
عَلى مَعهَدٍ سامي الذُرا واسِع الدِرا
إِلَيهِ تَناهى الفَخرُ وَالفَضلُ وَالمَجدُ
Upon an abode of lofty heights and spacious courts,
Upon an abode of lofty summits and spacious grounds,
where pride, excellence, and glory have reached their utmost bounds.
Where pride, excellence, and glory have reached their height.
لَهُ شَرَفٌ لَو حَلَّتِ الشَمسُ بُرحَهُ
لَما كُسِفَت يَوماً وَلا راعَها ضِدُّ
It possesses such eminence that, if the sun alighted in its open court,
Its eminence is such that, were the sun to settle in its open courts,
it would never be eclipsed, nor ever be alarmed by a rival.
It would never be eclipsed, nor would any rival frighten it.
وَمَنزِلَةٌ تَسمو المَنازِل قَد رَنا
إِلَيها عَلى سامي مَنازِلِهِ السَعدُ
And a station that towers above all stations—Fortune has gazed
And a station surpassing all stations, gazed upon
toward it from the loftiest of its own stations.
By Fortune from the loftiest of its own stations.
سَقاها وَحَيّاها الإِلَه مَنازِلاً
لِسُكّانِها وَسطَ الحَشا أَبَداً وَجدُ
May God water and bless them—those abodes
May God water and bless those abodes,
for whose dwellers an everlasting longing lives deep within the heart.
For whose inhabitants the heart forever holds a longing.
فَلِلَّهِ لَيل في حِماها قَطَعتُهُ
بُحسنِ حَديثٍ دونَ لَذّتِهِ الشَهدُ
Oh, what a night I spent within their sanctuary,
So, praise be to God for a night I spent within their sanctuary,
in beautiful conversation, beside whose delight even honey falls short!
In lovely conversation, whose pleasure honey could not match.
حَديثٌ لَو أَنَّ المَيتَ يُدعى بِمثلِهِ
أَجابَ وَلَبّى بَعدَ ما ضَمّه لَحدُ
Conversation such that, were a dead man summoned with its like,
Conversation such that, were a dead man summoned with its like,
he would answer, “At your service!” even after the grave had enfolded him.
He would answer and heed the call, after a grave had enfolded him.
Sol 6.1