أنلنيgrant me يداa hand خلقتwas created للقبلfor kisses
أنلني يدا خلقت للقبل
فمنfor whoever نالهاattains it بالسماكto al-Simak اتصلis joined
فمن نالها بالسماك اتصل
Grant me a hand created for kisses,
Grant me a hand created for kisses,
For whoever attains it reaches al-Simak.
Whoever attains it is linked by its perfection.
أقبلهاI kiss it قبلةa kiss للجلالfor majesty
أقبلها قبلة للجلال
وأخرىand another لنائلهاfor its bounty المرتجلspontaneous
وأخرى لنائلها المرتجل
I kiss it with one kiss for its majesty,
Kiss it once for its majesty,
And another for its spontaneous bounty.
And again for its eloquent bestower.
تضاءلfell short عنof جودهاits generosity حاتمHatim
تضاءل عن جودها حاتم
ونالتand it won منof الحمدpraise مالمwhat he did not ينلattain
ونالت من الحمد مالم ينل
Hatim was dwarfed by its generosity,
Hatim's generosity fades before it,
And it won praise that he never won.
And it attained praise never attained before.
وكمand how many فيin الجديدthe new منof الطيباتgood things
وكم في الجديد من الطيبات
وإنand even though ضربواthey set forth بالقديمwith the old المثلthe example
وإن ضربوا بالقديم المثل
And how many good things there are in the new,
How many pleasing things does it renew
Even though they cite the old as an example.
Though they cite the old as examples.
تُجدّدit renews فيamong الناسthe people آىmiracles المسيحthe Messiah
تُجدّد في الناس آى المسيح
تميتit kills القنوطdespair وتحيىand revives الأملhope
تميت القنوط وتحيى الأمل
It renews among people the miracles of the Messiah,
It renews the miracles of Christ among people,
It kills despair and revives hope.
Killing despair and reviving hope.
إذاif منعتit withholds فضلهاits bounty سابقprior
إذا منعت فضلها سابق
وإنand if منحتit gives فضلهاits bounty لمdid not يزلcease
وإن منحت فضلها لم يزل
If it withholds, its bounty has gone before;
If it withholds its generosity from one who came before,
And if it gives, its bounty never ceases.
And if it bestows its generosity, it does not cease.
وطالعand the ascendant شاكرهاone grateful to it المشترىJupiter
وطالع شاكرها المشترى
وطالعand the ascendant كافرهاone ungrateful to it فيin زحلSaturn
وطالع كافرها في زحل
And the ascendant of whoever thanks it is Jupiter,
Its thankful recipient rises fortunate,
And the ascendant of one ungrateful to it lies in Saturn.
And its ungrateful recipient rises in adversity.
علمتI have known ويعلمand knows منwhoever فيin الوجودexistence
علمت ويعلم من في الوجود
إذاwhenever قالsays مولاىmy lord قولاa word فعلacts on it
إذا قال مولاى قولا فعل
I know, and all who exist know:
It knows, and all existence knows,
Whenever my lord says a word, he acts on it.
When my Master speaks a word, it becomes deed.
أخوa man of عزمةresolve وعدهhis promise والوعيدand the threat
أخو عزمة وعده والوعيد
هماthey both الرزقsustenance فيin سيرهhis conduct والأجلand the appointed end
هما الرزق في سيره والأجل
A man of resolve—his promise and his threat
Brother of resolve, his promise and threat
Are, in his conduct, sustenance and death.
Are sustenance in their decree and term.
تمرّpass الوعودpromises كمرّlike the passing of السحابclouds
تمرّ الوعود كمرّ السحاب
ووعدكand your promise كالبحرlike the sea يمشيmoves المهلunhurriedly
ووعدك كالبحر يمشي المهل
Promises pass like the passing of clouds,
Promises pass like the passing of clouds,
And your promise, like the sea, moves unhurriedly:
And your promise flows like a slow stream.
يعمencompasses العبادthe people ويغشىand covers البلادthe lands
يعم العباد ويغشى البلاد
إذاwhen الغيثrain فيin أرضland قومa people نزلdescends
إذا الغيث في أرض قوم نزل
It embraces the people and covers the lands,
It sustains all people and covers all lands,
When rain descends upon a people's land.
When rain descends upon a people's land.
وياربand oh, many a ريثdelay أفادyielded الجزيلabundance
ويارب ريث أفاد الجزيل
أذاwhen ماemphatic particle أفادyielded اليسيرa little العجِلthe hasty one
أذا ما أفاد اليسير العجِل
And oh, many a delay has yielded abundance,
My Lord, delay the abundant
When haste has yielded only a little.
If the meager hastens to avail.
أمولاىO my lord إنif تكyou have أكرمتنيhonored me
أمولاى إن تك أكرمتني
جميلكyour kindness منfrom قبلُbefore عندat وصلarrived
جميلك من قبلُ عند وصل
O my lord, if you have honored me,
My Master, if you have honored me,
Your kindness had reached me before;
Your beauty from before at our union.
وفضلand the bounty أبيكof your father علىupon كاهليmy shoulders
وفضل أبيك على كاهلي
وعنand about برkindness جدّكyour grandfather بيto me لاdo not تسلask
وعن بر جدّك بي لا تسل
And your father's bounty rests upon my shoulders,
And the favor of your Father upon my shoulders,
And ask not of your grandfather's kindness to me.
Do not ask me about the righteousness of your venerable Grandfather.
وأنتمand you بناةbuilders العلىglory بالنوالthrough generosity
وأنتم بناة العلى بالنوال
وآونةand at times بالظُبَىwith sword-edges والأسلand spears
وآونة بالظُبَى والأسل
And you are builders of glory through generosity,
You are the builders of the heights through bounty,
And at times through sword-edges and spears.
And seasons for gazelles and lions.
أحاديثكمyour stories ملءfilling سمعthe hearing of الزمانTime
أحاديثكم ملء سمع الزمان
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle حديثthe tale of الكرامthe noble أنتقلis passed on
إذا ما حديث الكرام أنتقل
Your stories fill the ear of Time,
Your words fill the hearing of time,
Whenever tales of the noble are passed on.
When the speech of the generous transitions.
طلعتمyou rose علىover الشرقthe East كالنيراتlike luminaries
طلعتم على الشرق كالنيرات
فزنتمso you adorned سماواتهits heavens منfrom عطلlack of adornment
فزنتم سماواته من عطل
You rose over the East like luminaries,
You rose over the east like the shining stars,
And adorned its once-unadorned heavens.
Adorning its heavens from being defunct.
هنيئاmay it be joyous لكfor you العيدthe festival والتهنئاتand congratulations
هنيئا لك العيد والتهنئات
منfrom العصرthe age أملاكهits monarchs والدولand the states
من العصر أملاكه والدول
May you enjoy the festival and the congratulations
Congratulations on your feast and felicitations
From the age, its monarchs and states.
From the era, its kingdoms and states.
وعشتand may you live لأمثالfor the likes of أمثالهits like
وعشت لأمثال أمثاله
إليكto you الهناءhappiness ومنكand from you الجذلjoy
إليك الهناء ومنك الجذل
And may you live to see many, many more like it;
And you have lived for the likes of your likes.
To you comes happiness, and from you comes joy.
To you glad tidings and from you harvests.
خصيبfertile الرحابthe courts رهيبawe-inspiring الجنابthe presence
خصيب الرحاب رهيب الجناب
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle أمرتَyou command الزمانTime امتثلit obeys
إذا ما أمرتَ الزمان امتثل
Fertile in your courts, awe-inspiring in your presence,
Fertile of vastness, formidable of side,
Whenever you command Time, it obeys.
When you command time, it obeys.
وياand oh لطَّفmay He be gracious اللهGod بالمسلمينto the Muslims
ويا لطَّف الله بالمسلمين
وكانand may He be لناfor us العونhelp فيماin what نزلhas befallen
وكان لنا العون فيما نزل
And oh, may God be gracious to the Muslims,
And oh, Allah's gentleness with the Muslims!
And be our help in what has befallen us.
And we had help in what befell.