المُلكُkingship يُحمىis guarded بملكٍby a king منof بَنيthe sons of العَزَفيal-Azafi
المُلكُ يُحمى بملكٍ من بَني العَزَفي
وَالعلمُand learning يَحياthrives بِيحيىthrough Yahya الخَيرِthe Good ذيpossessing الشَرَفِhonor
وَالعلمُ يَحيا بِيحيى الخَيرِ ذي الشَرَفِ
Kingship is guarded by a king of the Banu al-Azafi.
And learning thrives through noble Yahya the Good.
مُستحكِمُfirm in الرَأيjudgment لاdoes not يَغتالundermine فِكرَتَهُhis thought
مُستحكِمُ الرَأي لا يَغتال فِكرَتَهُ
دَهاthe cunning of الرِجالِmen وَلاnor يَنقادُdoes he yield للجَنَفِto injustice
دَها الرِجالِ وَلا يَنقادُ للجَنَفِ
Firm in judgment, he lets no one undermine his thinking:
Neither the cunning of men nor a turn toward injustice sways him.
فَسبتَةso Ceuta الغَربِof the west قَدhas أَلقَتhanded over مَقالِدَهاits keys
فَسبتَة الغَربِ قَد أَلقَت مَقالِدَها
إلَيهِto him فاستعصمَتand sought protection بِالكافِلِin the protector الأَنِفِthe proud
إلَيهِ فاستعصمَت بِالكافِلِ الأَنِفِ
Western Ceuta has placed its keys
In his hands and found refuge in its proud protector.
مِنfrom أُسرَةِa house of المُلكِkingship لخمٍLakhm طالَماfor so long مَنَعُواthey defended
مِن أُسرَةِ المُلكِ لخمٍ طالَما مَنَعُوا
ذِمارَهُits honor بِالظُباwith blades وَالذُبَّلِand slender spears القُصُفِthat shatter
ذِمارَهُ بِالظُبا وَالذُبَّلِ القُصُفِ
He comes from Lakhm, a royal house that long defended
Its honor with sword blades and slender spears.
همُthey are المُلوكُthe kings فَلاso no مَلكٌking يُقاسُis compared بِهمwith them
همُ المُلوكُ فَلا مَلكٌ يُقاسُ بِهم
مِنamong الوَرىmankind أيُقاسُis it compared الدرُّthe pearl بِالصَدَفِwith the shell
مِن الوَرى أيُقاسُ الدرُّ بِالصَدَفِ
They are the kings; no ruler can be compared with them
Among mankind. Can a pearl be compared with its shell?
إنيindeed I وَإِنalthough فاتَنيI missed تَقبيلُkissing راحَتِكُمyour palm
إني وَإِن فاتَني تَقبيلُ راحَتِكُم
لَقَدcertainly بَعَثتُI sent بِهاto it مَعwith طائرِthe bird of الصُحفِthe letters
لَقَد بَعَثتُ بِها مَع طائرِ الصُحفِ
Though I have missed the chance to kiss your palm,
I have sent a kiss to it by the winged messenger of letters.
أَخالُI imagine أَنَّthat البَنانَthe fingers الرَخصَsoft يَلمَسُهاtouch it
أَخالُ أَنَّ البَنانَ الرَخصَ يَلمَسُها
وَكَمand how many عَليلٍan ailing person بِتخييلِthrough imagining الوِصالِreunion شفيwas healed
وَكَم عَليلٍ بِتخييلِ الوِصالِ شفي
I imagine your soft fingers touching it;
How many an ailing person has been healed by imagining reunion!
أَرتاحُI yearn للقُربِfor nearness لَكنbut كَمhow many عَوائقَobstacles ليI have
أَرتاحُ للقُربِ لَكن كَم عَوائقَ لي
مِنof خِضرِمٍa vast sea مُربِدٍdark أَوor مَهمَهٍa wilderness قُذُفِfar-reaching
مِن خِضرِمٍ مُربِدٍ أَو مَهمَهٍ قُذُفِ
I yearn to be near, but how many barriers stand before me:
A vast, dark sea or a far-reaching wilderness.
وَماand my yearning is not اِرتِياحيbecause I بِأَنيdid not لَمgain أَنَلhonor شَرَفاindeed
وَما اِرتِياحي بِأَني لَم أَنَل شَرَفا
بمصرَin Egypt بَلrather نِلتُI gained فيهاthere مُنتَهىthe utmost الشَرفِof honor
بمصرَ بَل نِلتُ فيها مُنتَهى الشَرفِ
My longing does not mean that I gained no honor
In Egypt; there I attained the height of honor.
لأَرضعتَنِيfor she suckled me أَخلافُthe udders of المُنىhopes ضَرَباa draught
لأَرضعتَنِي أَخلافُ المُنى ضَرَبا
وَانشقتَنيand made me inhale زَهرَthe blossoms of الرَوضَةِthe garden الأُنُفِfresh
وَانشقتَني زَهرَ الرَوضَةِ الأُنُفِ
For Egypt let me drink deeply from the udders of hope
And breathe in the blossoms of a fresh garden.
وَأَطلَعتَنيand raised me بَدراًas a full moon بَينَamong أَنجُمِهاher stars
وَأَطلَعتَني بَدراً بَينَ أَنجُمِها
حَتّىuntil جَلَتwas lifted بيَthrough me عَنهاfrom her لَبسةُthe veil of السدَفِdarkness
حَتّى جَلَت بيَ عَنها لَبسةُ السدَفِ
She raised me like a full moon among her stars
Until, through me, her veil of darkness was lifted.
وَسرَّحتand she let roam ناظِريmy gaze فيamong أَوجهٍfaces فُسُحٍopen
وَسرَّحت ناظِري في أَوجهٍ فُسُحٍ
وَأَعيُنٍand eyes لُخصٍsoft-lidded وَآنُفٍand noses ذُلفِupturned
وَأَعيُنٍ لُخصٍ وَآنُفٍ ذُلفِ
She let my gaze wander over open faces,
Soft-lidded eyes, and upturned noses.
أَولادُthe children of يافثَJapheth كَمhow many مِنof نافِثٍa spell-breather لَهُمُamong them
أَولادُ يافثَ كَم مِن نافِثٍ لَهُمُ
بِالسحرِwith magic أغنيَةًa song فيover المُغرَمِthe enamored الدَنِفِlovesick
بِالسحرِ أغنيَةً في المُغرَمِ الدَنِفِ
Among the children of Japheth, how many breathe spells,
Singing enchantments over the lovesick sufferer!
لَكنَّbut ذاكَthat ارتياحٌa yearning هاجَstirred ساكِنَهُwhat lay quiet within it
لَكنَّ ذاكَ ارتياحٌ هاجَ ساكِنَهُ
ذِكرىthe memory of مَكانٍa place بِهِin which نَشئيmy upbringing وَمُؤتَلَفِيand my familiar company
ذِكرى مَكانٍ بِهِ نَشئي وَمُؤتَلَفِي
Yet this yearning stirred what had lain quiet within me:
The memory of the place where I grew up and found my companions.
Translation model: Sol 6