أَبو البِحارِ وَما تَحويهِ مِن سَمَكٍ

أَبو البِحارِ وَما تَحويهِ مِن سَمَكٍ

يا نَهرُ أَنتَ وَمَن يُنشي الرِياحينا

يا نَهرُ أَنتَ وَمَن يُنشي الرِياحينا

Father of the seas and the fish they hold,

O father of the seas and what fish inhabit

You are, O river, and the one who brings forth fragrant herbs.

O river, you and the one who stirs up the winds

وَالدَوحُ وَالطَيرُ وَالأَعطارُ تَخلُقُها

وَالدَوحُ وَالطَيرُ وَالأَعطارُ تَخلُقُها

وَاللَونُ أَخرَجَتهُ يَزهو أَفانينا

وَاللَونُ أَخرَجَتهُ يَزهو أَفانينا

And the great trees, the birds, and the fragrances—you create them,

The dew and the birds and fragrances you create

And color—you brought it forth, radiant in varied forms.

The colors you brought forth, brightening our eyes

تُعطي إِلى الطائِرِ الصَدّاحِ مَأكَلَهُ

تُعطي إِلى الطائِرِ الصَدّاحِ مَأكَلَهُ

مِنَ الحُبوبِ وَما تُحيي مِنَ الثَمَرِ

مِنَ الحُبوبِ وَما تُحيي مِنَ الثَمَرِ

You give the sweet-singing bird its food,

You give the chirping bird his food

Of grains and the fruit you bring to life,

Of grains and fruits that give life

لِكَي يَطيرَ إِلى الآفاقِ مُنتَقِلاً

لِكَي يَطيرَ إِلى الآفاقِ مُنتَقِلاً

وَيَأمَنَ المَوتَ جوعاً وَهوَ في سَفَرِ

وَيَأمَنَ المَوتَ جوعاً وَهوَ في سَفَرِ

So that it may fly toward the horizons, traveling,

So he can fly to the horizons migrating

And be safe from death by hunger while on its journey.

And be safe from dying of hunger on his journey

وَأَنتَ تُعطي سِماكَ البَحرِ عَن سِعَةٍ

وَأَنتَ تُعطي سِماكَ البَحرِ عَن سِعَةٍ

ما تَشتَهيهِ مِنَ المَأكولِ ديدانا

ما تَشتَهيهِ مِنَ المَأكولِ ديدانا

And you generously give the fish of the sea

And you give the fish of the sea in abundance

The food they crave: worms.

What they crave to eat of worms

تُحيي لَها العُشبَ كَي تَرعاهُ في دَعَةٍ

تُحيي لَها العُشبَ كَي تَرعاهُ في دَعَةٍ

وَالريحُ تَنشِقُهُ روحاً وَرَيحانا

وَالريحُ تَنشِقُهُ روحاً وَرَيحانا

You bring grass to life for them to graze upon at ease,

You give life to the grass so they can graze at leisure

And the wind breathes it in as refreshment and fragrance.

As the breeze ripples through, spirit and delight

نَشَرتَ قَوسَ إِخاءَ رَمزِ نَهضَتِنا

نَشَرتَ قَوسَ إِخاءَ رَمزِ نَهضَتِنا

وَكَم نَشَرتَ لَنا يا نَهرُ مِن سورِ

وَكَم نَشَرتَ لَنا يا نَهرُ مِن سورِ

You unfurled a bow of brotherhood, the emblem of our revival,

You spread the bow of fraternity, symbol of our revival

And how many chapters you have unfolded for us, O river!

How many vistas you spread for us, O river

وَكَم نَشَرتَ خَيالاً كُلُّ جَوهَرِه

وَكَم نَشَرتَ خَيالاً كُلُّ جَوهَرِه

مُرَكَبٌ مِن مَزيجِ النورِ وَالثَمرِ

مُرَكَبٌ مِن مَزيجِ النورِ وَالثَمرِ

And how many visions you have unfolded, whose whole essence

How many visions you unfurled, essence of each

Is composed of a blend of light and fruit.

A blend of light and fruitfulness

وَكَوثَرٌ أَنتَ لِلبَرسيمِ يَنهَلُهُ

وَكَوثَرٌ أَنتَ لِلبَرسيمِ يَنهَلُهُ

عَذباً وَفيضٌ عَلى الأَعشابِ يُحييها

عَذباً وَفيضٌ عَلى الأَعشابِ يُحييها

And you are a Kawthar for the clover, which drinks it

You are a spring for the poppies, they drink you

As sweet water—and an overflow upon the grasses, giving them life.

Sweet, overflowing on the grass, giving life

وَلِلمَراعي الَّتي فاضَت رَوائِحُها

وَلِلمَراعي الَّتي فاضَت رَوائِحُها

تَمُدُّها بِرَحيقِ الماءِ تَسقيها

تَمُدُّها بِرَحيقِ الماءِ تَسقيها

And for the pastures whose fragrances overflow,

And for the meadows where fragrances abounded

You supply them with water's nectar, watering them.

You provide with the nectar of water, quenching them

وَرُبَّ زَهرٍ نَما في ظِلِّهِ وَرَقٌ

وَرُبَّ زَهرٍ نَما في ظِلِّهِ وَرَقٌ

مِن رِقَّةٍ كَجَناحِ الطائِرِ الشادي

مِن رِقَّةٍ كَجَناحِ الطائِرِ الشادي

And many a flower in whose shade leaves grew,

Many a flower grew in its shade, leaves

As delicate as the wing of a singing bird,

So delicate like a bird’s fluttering wings

وَرُبَّ قَمحٍ وَغابٍ مُزهِرٍ أَبَدا

وَرُبَّ قَمحٍ وَغابٍ مُزهِرٍ أَبَدا

أَحيَيتَها أَنتَ يا نَهرُ عَلى الوادي

أَحيَيتَها أَنتَ يا نَهرُ عَلى الوادي

And many a wheat crop and ever-flowering thicket,

And many a wheat field and ever-blooming forest

You yourself brought them to life, O river, throughout the valley.

You gave life by the valley, O river

وَكَم بَكَرتَ إِلى الطُغيانِ تَمنَحُها

وَكَم بَكَرتَ إِلى الطُغيانِ تَمنَحُها

مِن سَلسَلٍ راحَ يَجري في البَساتينِ

مِن سَلسَلٍ راحَ يَجري في البَساتينِ

And how often you have risen early to overflow, granting them

And how much you hurried to flooding, granting it

Some limpid water that began to flow through the gardens.

Cascades that flowed in the orchards

وَكَم بَعَثتَ إِلى الجَميزِ مِن مَدَدٍ

وَكَم بَعَثتَ إِلى الجَميزِ مِن مَدَدٍ

مُرَقرَقٍ سارَ مِنهُ في الشَرايينِ

مُرَقرَقٍ سارَ مِنهُ في الشَرايينِ

And how much sustenance you have sent to the sycamore fig trees,

And how much vitality you sent to the valley

Rippling, some of which flowed through their arteries.

Sparkling, that flowed through its veins

وَأَنتَ خَصبٌ عَلى الجَوزاءِ نُبصِرُهُ

وَأَنتَ خَصبٌ عَلى الجَوزاءِ نُبصِرُهُ

في غَيثِها وَهوَ يَهمي في الخَميلاتِ

في غَيثِها وَهوَ يَهمي في الخَميلاتِ

And you are fertility upon Gemini; we behold it

You are fertile for the riverbeds, we see it

In its rain, as it pours down among the leafy groves.

In her rain as it roars through the ravines

تَعلو بُخارا إِلى آفاقِها صُعدا

تَعلو بُخارا إِلى آفاقِها صُعدا

وَتَستَحيلُ مِياهاً في السَماواتِ

وَتَستَحيلُ مِياهاً في السَماواتِ

You rise as vapor, upward toward its horizons,

Rising as vapor to its horizons, ascending

And turn into water in the heavens.

And turning into water in the heavens