ياO ابنَson of فَهْدٍFahd وأنتَand you are بدرُa full moon تَمامِfullness
يا ابنَ فَهْدٍ وأنتَ بدرُ تَمامِ
وَحَيَاًand rain صوبُهits downpour حياةُlife الأنامِhumankind
وَحَيَاً صوبُه حياةُ الأنامِ
O son of Fahd—you are a moon at the full,
O son of Fahd, you are the full moon,
and rain whose downpour is life to humankind.
And towards you flows the life of all people,
لَحَظَتْlooked toward عَزْمِتَيmy resolve العِراقَIraq فَسلَّتْthen unsheathed
لَحَظَتْ عَزْمِتَي العِراقَ فَسلَّتْ
هِمَّتيmy ambition للرَّحيلِfor departure سيفَa sword اعتِزامِdetermination
هِمَّتي للرَّحيلِ سيفَ اعتِزامِ
My resolve looked toward Iraq; then was unsheathed
My will has glimpsed Iraq, so it unsheathed
by my ambition, for departure, a sword of determination.
My zeal's sword for travel's determination,
فسَلامٌso peace علىupon جَنابِكَyour presence والمَنand the watering place (first fragment)
فسَلامٌ على جَنابِكَ والمَن
هَلِwatering place (final fragment) والظَّلِّand the shade والأياديand the benefactions الجِسامِgreat
هَلِ والظَّلِّ والأيادي الجِسامِ
So peace upon your presence, and upon the
Greetings to you and the family, and the shade,
watering place, the shade, and the great benefactions.
And the mighty hands,
غيرَexcept أنيthat I أريدُwant منكfrom you كِتاباًa letter
غيرَ أني أريدُ منك كِتاباً
مُفْرَداًseparate يحتويcontains فريدَpeerless الكَلامِspeech
مُفْرَداً يحتوي فريدَ الكَلامِ
Yet I want from you a letter,
Except I want from you a book,
a separate one, containing peerless speech:
Singular, containing the unique speech,
بينbetween نثرprose كأنهas though it were زهراتblossoms الروضthe garden
بين نثر كأنه زهرات الروض
يضحكنthey laugh عنin response to بكاءweeping الغمامthe clouds
يضحكن عن بكاء الغمام
both prose, like the blossoms of the garden,
With prose like flowers of the meadow
laughing in response to the clouds' weeping,
Laughing over the cloud's weeping,
ونِظامٌand verse فيهin it الحَلالُthe lawful kind منof السِّحْthe sorcery (first fragment)
ونِظامٌ فيه الحَلالُ من السِّحْ
رِsorcery (final fragment) تَعالَىis exalted عنabove كلِّevery سِحْرٍsorcery حَرامِforbidden
رِ تَعالَى عن كلِّ سِحْرٍ حَرامِ
and verse whose lawful enchantment
And composition wherein is lawful magic
rises above every forbidden spell.
Transcending all sorcery forbidden,
يَغْتَديbecomes منهfrom it سَمْعُhearing كلِّevery لبيبٍdiscerning man
يَغْتَدي منه سَمْعُ كلِّ لبيبٍ
فيin استماعlistening وقلبُهand his heart فيin ابتِسامِsmiling
في استماع وقلبُه في ابتِسامِ
Through it, every discerning man's hearing becomes
From it, every perceptive person's hearing feasts
intent on listening, while his heart smiles.
In listening while his heart smiles,
فيهin it منof ظاهرِevident العِنايةِthe solicitude ماthat which يُوmakes obligatory (first fragment)
فيه من ظاهرِ العِنايةِ ما يُو
جِبُmakes obligatory (final fragment) حَقِّيmy due علىupon الأميرِthe emir الهُمامِmagnanimous
جِبُ حَقِّي على الأميرِ الهُمامِ
In it is such evident solicitude as will
In it, from Providence's surface, is what necessitates
make my due binding upon the magnanimous emir.
My right upon the noble prince,
فاقضِso fulfill حَقِّيmy due فيهin it بساعدِwith an arm فِكْرٍthought
فاقضِ حَقِّي فيه بساعدِ فِكْرٍ
تُحْيِyou revive شُكْريmy gratitude بهاthrough it مَدَىthroughout الأيَّامِthe days
تُحْيِ شُكْري بها مَدَى الأيَّامِ
So fulfill my due in it with an arm of thought;
So fulfill my right in it with the arm of thought
through it, you will keep my gratitude alive for all time.
That my gratitude may live for days to come.