أَمطِريrain down لُؤلُؤاًpearls جِبالَmountains of سَرَنديـSerendi- (first part of Serendib)
أَمطِري لُؤلُؤاً جِبالَ سَرَنديـ
ـبَ-b (completes Serendib) وَفيضيand overflow آبارُwells of تَكرورَTakrur تِبراgold dust
ـبَ وَفيضي آبارُ تَكرورَ تِبرا
Rain down pearls, mountains of Serendib,
Rain down pearls on the Sarandib mountains,
and overflow with gold dust, wells of Takrur.
And may the springs of Tekrour overflow,
أَناI إِنif عِشتُI live لَستُI am not أَعدَمُI lack قوتاًsustenance
أَنا إِن عِشتُ لَستُ أَعدَمُ قوتاً
وَإِذاand if مُتُّI die لَستُI am not أَعدَمُI lack قَبراa grave
وَإِذا مُتُّ لَستُ أَعدَمُ قَبرا
If I live, I shall not lack sustenance;
If I live, I'll not lack livelihood,
and if I die, I shall not lack a grave.
And if I die, I'll not lack a grave.
هِمَّتيmy ambition هِمَّةُambition المُلوكِthe kings وَنَفسيand my soul
هِمَّتي هِمَّةُ المُلوكِ وَنَفسي
نَفسُsoul of حُرٍّa free man تَرىsees المَذَلَّةَhumiliation كُفراunbelief
نَفسُ حُرٍّ تَرى المَذَلَّةَ كُفرا
My ambition is the ambition of kings, and my soul
My ambition is that of kings,
is a free man's soul, which sees humiliation as unbelief.
And my soul is of a free man who sees humiliation as blasphemy.
وَإِذاand if ماemphatic particle قَنِعتُI am content بِالقوتِwith sustenance عُمريmy lifetime
وَإِذا ما قَنِعتُ بِالقوتِ عُمري
فَلِماذاthen why أَزورُI visit زَيداًZayd وَعَمراand Amr
فَلِماذا أَزورُ زَيداً وَعَمرا
And if I am content with sustenance all my life,
And if I'm content with livelihood all my life,
then why should I visit Zayd and Amr?
Why would I visit Zaid and Amr?