أَلْمِمْstop by بِمَكْناسَةٍat Meknes فَمَوْرِدُهَاfor its watering place
أَلْمِمْ بِمَكْناسَةٍ فَمَوْرِدُهَا
أَحْلَىthe sweetest َموَارِدِنَاof our watering places وَأَبْرَدِهَاand the coolest of them
أَحْلَى َموَارِدِنَا وَأَبْرَدِهَا
Stop at Meknes, for its watering place
Come with a flute whose spring is the sweetest and coolest of our springs.
Stop by Meknes, for its watering spring
Is the sweetest of our watering places, and the coolest.
Read our loved ones, our most virtuous, the best of greetings that supports it.
Is the sweetest and coolest of our springs,
وَاقْرَأْand convey greetings to أَحِبَّتَنَاour beloved ones أَطِبَّتَنَاour physicians
وَاقْرَأْ أَحِبَّتَنَا أَطِبَّتَنَا
أَزْكىthe purest السَّلامِgreeting الذِيwhich يُؤَيِّدُهَاstrengthens her
أَزْكى السَّلامِ الذِي يُؤَيِّدُهَا
And convey to our beloved ones, our physicians,
And smell the fine traits, you are not accustomed to them.
And convey to our beloved ones, our healers,
The purest greeting, which strengthens her.
And inform us, so you enlighten us,
The purest of greetings that sustains them.
وَالْمَحْand behold مَحَاسِنَbeauties تَسْتَطِيرُspread far and wide سَنىًradiance
وَالْمَحْ مَحَاسِنَ تَسْتَطِيرُ سَنىً
وَشِمْand discern شَمَائِلَvirtues لَسْتَyou do not تَعْهَدُهَاknow them
وَشِمْ شَمَائِلَ لَسْتَ تَعْهَدُهَا
And behold beauties that radiate light,
With what glorifies aspirations and glorifies them,
And observe beauties that scatter radiance,
And discern virtues unfamiliar to you.
About a long-lived Umar whose lifetime was a moon,
And behold virtues the like of which you have never known.
وَأُبْand return لِتُخْبِرَنَاto tell us فَتُحْبِرَنَاand so delight us
وَأُبْ لِتُخْبِرَنَا فَتُحْبِرَنَا
بِمَاwith what يُسِيمُsends to graze الْمُنَىhopes فَيُمْجِدُهَاand so exalts them
بِمَا يُسِيمُ الْمُنَى فَيُمْجِدُهَا
And return to tell us, and so delight us,
Lighting up our joys so we head towards it.
And return to tell us, thus bringing us delight,
With what lets hopes graze and exalts them,
Who is Umar? For the high, a burden
Of what pastures our hopes and exalts them,
عَنْabout عُمَرٍUmar طَالَmay it be long عُمْرُهُhis life قَمَراًas a moon
عَنْ عُمَرٍ طَالَ عُمْرُهُ قَمَراً
يُضِيءُlights up أَفْرَاحَنَاour joys فَنَقْصِدُهَاso we seek them
يُضِيءُ أَفْرَاحَنَا فَنَقْصِدُهَا
About Umar—long may he live!—a moon
That protects its supporters and trenches them.
About Omar—may his life be long!—a moon
That lights our joys, so we seek them out.
Who is Umar? For the enemies, harm
Who illuminates our joys so that we seek them out.
مَنْwho عُمَرٌUmar ذَاكَthat man لِلْعُلاَfor glory وَزَرٌa refuge
مَنْ عُمَرٌ ذَاكَ لِلْعُلاَ وَزَرٌ
يَحْفَظُguards أَشْيَاعَهَاits followers وَيَحْفَدُهَاand serves it diligently
يَحْفَظُ أَشْيَاعَهَا وَيَحْفَدُهَا
Who is Umar? That man is a refuge for glory,
That detains them in misery and makes them sit.
Who is Omar? He is a refuge for greatness,
Guarding its followers and serving it diligently.
Who is Umar? An outpouring, a sigh,
Guarding its followers and serving them with diligence.
مَنْwho عُمَرٌUmar ذَاكَthat man لِلْعِدَاto enemies ضَرَرٌharm
مَنْ عُمَرٌ ذَاكَ لِلْعِدَا ضَرَرٌ
يُقِيمُهَاmakes them stand فِيin الْعَنَاanguish وَيُقْعِدُهَاand makes them sit
يُقِيمُهَا فِي الْعَنَا وَيُقْعِدُهَا
Who is Umar? That man is a bane to enemies,
So his high values come to those who count them.
Who is Omar? He is a bane to his enemies,
Making them stand and sit in anguish.
Who is Umar? His words are pearls.
Keeping them standing and sitting in endless hardship.
مَنْwho عُمَرٌذَاكَUmar—that man نَوْفَلٌa bountiful giver زُفُرٌa valiant lord
مَنْ عُمَرٌذَاكَ نَوْفَلٌ زُفُرٌ
فَاتَتْhave surpassed مََعَالِيهِhis lofty merits مَنْwhoever يُعَدِّدُهَاcounts them
فَاتَتْ مََعَالِيهِ مَنْ يُعَدِّدُهَا
Who is Umar? That man is a bountiful giver, a valiant lord,
Not dominated by those who do not string them.
Who is Omar? He is a generous chief, a brave commander,
His lofty merits surpass anyone who counts them.
Who is Umar? His voice is intoxication,
Whose lofty deeds surpass anyone who tries to count them.
مَنْwho عُمَرٌذَاكَUmar—that man لَفْظُهُhis speech دُرَرٌpearls
مَنْ عُمَرٌذَاكَ لَفْظُهُ دُرَرٌ
لَيْسَdoes not يَسُودُattain eminence مَنْwhoever لَيْسَdoes not يَسْرُدُهَاstring them together
لَيْسَ يَسُودُ مَنْ لَيْسَ يَسْرُدُهَا
Who is Umar? That man's speech is pearls;
Decisive for our passions and reaping them,
Who is Omar? His words are scattered pearls;
None attains eminence who does not string them together.
Days chanting us and rescuing us,
No one attains mastery who does not string them together.
مَنْwho عُمَرٌذَاكَUmar—that man صَوْتُهُhis voice سَكَرٌwine
مَنْ عُمَرٌذَاكَ صَوْتُهُ سَكَرٌ
يَحْسِمُcuts off أَشْجَانَنَاour sorrows وَيَحْصُدُهَاand reaps them
يَحْسِمُ أَشْجَانَنَا وَيَحْصُدُهَا
Who is Umar? That man's voice is wine;
Welcome to a house whose best part is its pillar,
Who is Omar? His voice is a sweet intoxication,
It cuts off our sorrows and reaps them away.
Dressing it in his melodies,
That severs our sorrows and harvests them away.
أيَّامَon days when يُنْشِدُنَاhe sings to us فَيُنْجِدُنَاand so aids us
أيَّامَ يُنْشِدُنَا فَيُنْجِدُنَا
أَهْلاًwelcome بِدَارٍto a dwelling سَبَاكَhas enthralled you أَغْيَدُهَاits graceful one
أَهْلاً بِدَارٍ سَبَاكَ أَغْيَدُهَا
On days when he sings to us, and so comes to our aid:
The father of his father Yahya adorning it,
On days he sings to us, uplifting our spirits,
“Welcome to a dwelling whose graceful one has enthralled you!”
Infiltrating the domes of hearts with it,
"Welcome to a home whose graceful beauty has captivated you."
يُلْبِسُهَاclothes it مِنْfrom أَلْحَانِهِhis melodies حُلَلاًrobes
يُلْبِسُهَا مِنْ أَلْحَانِهِ حُلَلاً
عَمُّthe uncle أَبِيهِof his father يَحْيَىYahya مُنَجِّدُهَاits embellisher
عَمُّ أَبِيهِ يَحْيَى مُنَجِّدُهَا
He clothes it in robes of his melodies;
Prancing, and happiness guiding it,
He dresses it in the fine garments of his melodies,
His father's uncle Yahya is its embellisher.
So the heart turns around, and it is its mold,
While his great-uncle, Yahya, is its master adorner.
تَلِجُit enters مِنْthrough قُبَبِdomes الْقُلُوبِthe hearts بِهَاin them
تَلِجُ مِنْ قُبَبِ الْقُلُوبِ بِهَا
مُخْتَالَةًproudly strutting وَالسُّرُورُand joy يَُرْشُِدُهَاguides it
مُخْتَالَةً وَالسُّرُورُ يَُرْشُِدُهَا
It enters through the domes of hearts, clad in them,
And the mind reasons when it harnesses it.
Entering through the domes of the hearts by means of them,
Proudly strutting, while joy guides it.
If Al-Mutanabbi were a listener,
Strutting proudly, with joy as its guide.
فَالْقَلْبًso the heart يُقْلَبُis overturned وَهَْوwhile it is قَالَبُهَاits mold
فَالْقَلْبً يُقْلَبُ وَهَْو قَالَبُهَا
وَالْعَقْلُand the mind يَعْقِلُcomprehends إِذْas يُقَيِّدُهَاbinds it
وَالْعَقْلُ يَعْقِلُ إِذْ يُقَيِّدُهَا
So the heart is overturned, though it is its mold,
Ecstasy would stir in him as he lavishes it.
For the heart is overturned, yet it serves as its mold,
And the mind grasps it as it binds it fast.
And he would wish that it befriends what it befriended,
And the mind comprehends as he binds it fast.
فَالْمُتَنَبِّيso al-Mutanabbi لَوْif كَانَhad been مُسْتَمِعاًlistening
فَالْمُتَنَبِّي لَوْ كَانَ مُسْتَمِعاً
هَاجَwould have surged لَهُwithin him الْوَجْدُrapture إِذْas يُجَوِّدُهَاrenders it beautifully
هَاجَ لَهُ الْوَجْدُ إِذْ يُجَوِّدُهَا
So, had al-Mutanabbi been listening,
With it his joy and chantress.
If Al-Mutanabbi himself had been a listener,
Rapture would have surged within him as he rendered it beautifully.
And he became elated with an elated one
Passion would have stirred within him as he chanted it excellently,
وَوَدَّand he would have wished لَوْif only آلَفَتْit had harmonized لِمَاwith what اِئْتَلَفَتْhad come into harmony
وَوَدَّ لَوْ آلَفَتْ لِمَا اِئْتَلَفَتْ
بِهِwith it مَسَرَّتُهَاits joy وَمُنْشِدُهَاand its singer
بِهِ مَسَرَّتُهَا وَمُنْشِدُهَا
And he would have wished it attuned to what
Who specializes his verses and singles them out.
And he would have wished to join it, seeing how harmoniously
Its joy and its singer were attuned to.
And he said in gladness and in jest,
Its joy and its singer blended together.
وَصَارَand he would have become مُنْشَرِحاًgladdened لِمُنْسَرِحٍat Munsarih-meter verse
وَصَارَ مُنْشَرِحاً لِمُنْسَرِحٍ
يَخُصُّsingles out أَبْيَاتَهُhis verses وَيُفْرِدُهَاand sets them apart
يَخُصُّ أَبْيَاتَهُ وَيُفْرِدُهَا
And would have rejoiced in a poem in the Munsarih meter,
Addressing Al-Najl, you have continued to rescue it.
And he would have been delighted by its flowing meter,
That singles out his verses and sets them apart.
That distinguishes his verses and makes them unique.
وَقالَand he would have said مِنْout of فَرَحٍjoy وَمِنْand out of مَرَحٍmirth
وَقالَ مِنْ فَرَحٍ وَمِنْ مَرَحٍ
يُخَاطِبُaddressing النَّجْلَthe scion دُمْتَmay you continue تُنْجِدُهَاto aid it
يُخَاطِبُ النَّجْلَ دُمْتَ تُنْجِدُهَا
And would have said, out of joy and mirth,
And he would have said, out of joy and exuberance,
Addressing the scion: “May you always lend it aid!”
Addressing the son: "May you forever elevate them!"
Partial English translation: 33 of 36 Arabic lines translated.