خَليلَيَّmy two friends حَالَhas intervened البعدُdistance دونَin the way of لقاكماmeeting you both
خَليلَيَّ حَالَ البعدُ دونَ لقاكما
فمَنso who ليfor me ياO ابْنَيْtwo sons of سالمٍSalim أنthat أراكُماI may see you both
فمَن لي يا ابْنَيْ سالمٍ أن أراكُما
My two friends, distance has barred my meeting with you both.
Who then can help me, O sons of Salim, to see you both?
فواللّهِfor, by God ماnot أَنْat all حَالَcame between لمَّاwhen نَأيْتُماyou both went far away
فواللّهِ ما أَنْ حَالَ لمَّا نَأيْتُما
بِعادٌseparation كماof you both بينيbetween me وبينَand between هَوَاكُماlove for you both
بِعادٌ كما بيني وبينَ هَوَاكُما
By God, when you went far away, never did
your absence come between me and my love for you both.
ولاnor حلتُhave I swerved عَمّاfrom what تعلمانyou both know منof الوفاloyalty
ولا حلتُ عَمّا تعلمان من الوفا
ولاnor أَلِفَتْhas grown fond of رُوحيmy soul بديلاًa substitute سِوَاكُماother than you both
ولا أَلِفَتْ رُوحي بديلاً سِوَاكُما
Nor have I swerved from the loyalty you both know,
nor has my soul taken to any substitute for you both.
وددتُI wished لوَif انَّthat الدهرَfate أسْعَفَhad obliged إنِّنيthat I
وددتُ لوَ انَّ الدهرَ أسْعَفَ إنِّني
تجرَّعْتُI had drained كَأْسَthe cup الحَتْفِof death قبلَbefore نَوَاكماthe departure of you both
تجرَّعْتُ كَأْسَ الحَتْفِ قبلَ نَوَاكما
I wished—had fate but granted it—that I
had drained the cup of death before your departure.
فبالرغْمِso, against the will منّيof me أنthat يَرُوحَit goes at evening ويغتديand goes at morning
فبالرغْمِ منّي أن يَرُوحَ ويغتدي
يناوِحُconfronts أفواجَthe hosts الرياحof winds حِمَاكُمَاthe sanctuary of you both
يناوِحُ أفواجَ الرياح حِمَاكُمَا
It grieves me that, evening and morning,
your sanctuary should face the hosts of winds.
لَحَاmay ... curse اللَّهُGod هذاthis الدهرَage فيماfor what أتَىit came بهِwith it
لَحَا اللَّهُ هذا الدهرَ فيما أتَى بهِ
ولاand may ... never سَالمتْmake peace with أيديthe hands الزمانِof time عِداكماthe enemies of you both
ولا سَالمتْ أيدي الزمانِ عِداكما
May God curse this age for what it has brought,
and may the hands of time never make peace with your enemies.
وَخَصَّand may He single out رجالاًcertain men حيثُwherever كانواthey may be فإنَّهُمْfor they
وَخَصَّ رجالاً حيثُ كانوا فإنَّهُمْ
سعَواthey strove جَهْدَهمwith all their might لاmay ... not قدّسواthey be blessed فيin أذاكُماharming you both
سعَوا جَهْدَهم لا قدّسوا في أذاكُما
And may He single out those men wherever they are, for they
strove their utmost—may they never be blessed—to harm you both.
أَبىhas refused اللّهُGod والبيتُand the house التميميُّof Tamim أنthat يَرَىshould see
أَبى اللّهُ والبيتُ التميميُّ أن يَرَى
عَدَوُكُمَاthe enemy of you both منany وَصْمةblemish فيin عُلاكُماthe eminence of you both
عَدَوُكُمَا من وَصْمة في عُلاكُما
God and the Tamimi house have refused to let
your enemy see any blemish in your eminence.
أَلاَah فَسَقَىso may ... water تاروتTarut حَمَّةَthe hot spring مَائِهِof its water
أَلاَ فَسَقَى تاروت حَمَّةَ مَائِهِ
لأجلِكُماfor your sakes صَوبَthe downpour الحَيَاof rain وسَقَاكُمَاand may it water you both
لأجلِكُما صَوبَ الحَيَا وسَقَاكُمَا
Ah, may Tarut, with its hot spring, be watered
for your sakes by pouring rain, and may it water you both.
وجَهْلٌand folly بناon our part استسقاؤناour praying for rain صَيّبَa downpour الحَيَاof rain
وجَهْلٌ بنا استسقاؤنا صَيّبَ الحَيَا
لدارٍfor a dwelling يُغَادِيvisits each morning سَاحتيهاits two courtyards حَيَاكُماthe rainlike bounty of you both
لدارٍ يُغَادِي سَاحتيها حَيَاكُما
Yet it is folly for us to pray for pouring rain
for a dwelling whose two courtyards your rain of bounty visits each morning.
لعمريby my life لأضحَىhas indeed become ليلُهاits night كنهارِهاlike its day
لعمري لأضحَى ليلُها كنهارِها
لماbecause of what انبثَّhas spread فيthroughout أرجائِهاits quarters منof سناكُماthe radiance of you both
لما انبثَّ في أرجائِها من سناكُما
By my life, its night has indeed become like its day,
because your radiance has spread throughout its quarters.
وإنَّand indeed قُرَىthe villages البحرينof Bahrain أضحَىhas become نهارُهاtheir daylight
وإنَّ قُرَى البحرين أضحَى نهارُها
دُجَىًdarkness بعدماafter فارقتُماهاyou both left them كِلاكُماboth of you
دُجَىً بعدما فارقتُماها كِلاكُما
And the daylight in Bahrain’s villages has turned
to darkness since you both departed from them.
لَعمريby my life لنِعْمَtruly excellent are المستجيبانِthe two who respond أنتُماyou both
لَعمري لنِعْمَ المستجيبانِ أنتُما
لمنfor whoever ساورتْهُassailed him نكبةٌa calamity فدعاكُماso he called on you both
لمن ساورتْهُ نكبةٌ فدعاكُما
By my life, how nobly you both answer
anyone assailed by misfortune who calls upon you both.
ونِعْمَand excellent are حُسَامَيtwo keen swords نعمةٍof bounty أنتُماyou both لِمنfor whoever
ونِعْمَ حُسَامَي نعمةٍ أنتُما لِمن
تكنَّفَهُsurrounded him أعداؤُهhis enemies فانتَضَاكُماso he unsheathed you both
تكنَّفَهُ أعداؤُه فانتَضَاكُما
And what fine twin swords of bounty you are for one
whose enemies surround him, so he unsheathes you both.
ونعمَand excellent is مُنَاخُthe lodging الطارقينof night visitors إذاwhen ارتمتْflung
ونعمَ مُنَاخُ الطارقين إذا ارتمتْ
بهمthem about نُوَبٌmisfortunes فاستعصَمُواso they sought refuge بِنَداكماin the bounty of you both
بهم نُوَبٌ فاستعصَمُوا بِنَداكما
And what fine lodging you are for night visitors, when
misfortunes fling them about and they seek refuge in your bounty.
وكَهْفَيْand two caves حِمىًof refuge يغشَىcomes to الأنامُmankind ذُراكماthe heights of you both
وكَهْفَيْ حِمىً يغشَى الأنامُ ذُراكما
ويَعصِمُand protects منfrom رِيبِthe perils الزمانِof time ذُرَاكُماthe heights of you both
ويَعصِمُ من رِيبِ الزمانِ ذُرَاكُما
And you are two caves of refuge: mankind seeks your heights,
and your heights shield them from the perils of time.
فأُقْسِمُso I swear لوْif أَنّيthat I أُسَائِلُwere to ask واحداًa single person
فأُقْسِمُ لوْ أَنّي أُسَائِلُ واحداً
منof الناسِthe people مَنْwho خيرُthe best الورىof mankind ماnot عَدَاكماwould pass beyond you both
من الناسِ مَنْ خيرُ الورى ما عَدَاكما
So I swear: were I to ask a single one
of mankind, 'Who is best among mortals?' he would name none but you both.
أَلاَah رضِيَmay ... be pleased اللهُGod المهَيمنُthe All-Watchful عنكماwith you both
أَلاَ رضِيَ اللهُ المهَيمنُ عنكما
وبَارَكَand may He bless فيin أصلٍa stock كريمٍnoble نَمَاكماbrought you both forth
وبَارَكَ في أصلٍ كريمٍ نَمَاكما
Ah, may God, the All-Watchful, be pleased with you both,
and bless the noble stock that brought you both forth.
ولازالَand may ... remain ماas long as استصحبتُماyou both keep company with سرمدَthe eternity البقَاof life
ولازالَ ما استصحبتُما سرمدَ البقَا
علىupon هامِthe heads of منwhoever عاديتماهyou both opposed him خُطاكُماthe footsteps of you both
على هامِ من عاديتماه خُطاكُما
And may you both, throughout your everlasting lives,
keep your footsteps upon the heads of those you oppose.