لكyours is فيin المعاليlofty honors همةambition تتصعدrises ever higher
لك في المعالي همة تتصعد
ويدand a hand نداهاits bounty العدreckoning ليسdoes not يعددenumerate
ويد نداها العد ليس يعدد
Yours is an ambition ever rising toward lofty honors,
You have lofty aspirations to ascend,
and a hand whose bounty no reckoning can count,
And a hand whose generosity cannot be counted,
وسماحةand generosity أعطتكhas granted you قاصيةthe farthest reach المنىof hopes
وسماحة أعطتك قاصية المنى
يبلىwears away الزمانtime وذكرهاand its remembrance يتجددis renewed
يبلى الزمان وذكرها يتجدد
and a generosity that has granted you the farthest reach of hopes;
And you have given generously, fulfilling all wishes,
time wears away, while its remembrance is renewed.
Time passes but your memory is renewed,
بددتyou scattered شلranks (reading uncertain) الجورinjustice وهوwhile it was مجمعunited
بددت شل الجور وهو مجمع
وجمعتand you gathered شملranks العدلjustice وهوwhile it was مبددُscattered
وجمعت شمل العدل وهو مبددُ
You scattered injustice's ranks while they were united,
You have undone the knots of injustice while united,
and gathered justice's ranks while they were scattered.
And united the ties of justice while separated,
وغدوتand you have come to تنجدaid معتفيكthose seeking your bounty بنائلwith a gift
وغدوت تنجد معتفيك بنائل
ماnot زالceased يتهمgoes to Tihamah فيin البلادthe lands وينجدand goes to Najd
ما زال يتهم في البلاد وينجد
You have come to aid those seeking your favor with bounty
You have come to the aid of your protected, with spears,
that ever travels through Tihamah and Najd across the land.
That still pierce the countries and bring victory,
وغدوتand you have come to تنجدaid معتفيكthose seeking your bounty بنائلwith a gift
وغدوت تنجد معتفيك بنائل
ماnot زالceased يتهمgoes to Tihamah فيin البلادthe lands وينجدand goes to Najd
ما زال يتهم في البلاد وينجد
You have come to aid those seeking your favor with bounty
You have come to the aid of your protected, with spears,
that ever travels through Tihamah and Najd across the land.
That still pierce the countries and bring victory,
عضدa support لدينto the religion of اللهGod أنتyou وأنهand indeed He
عضد لدين الله أنت وأنه
لكfor you ماas long as حييتyou live بكلwith every لطفkindness يعضدlends support
لك ما حييت بكل لطف يعضد
You are a support to God's religion, and He
You have supported the religion of God,
supports you with every kindness as long as you live.
For as long as you live, with every gentle support,
فلكso yours are العوارفbenefactions لمnot تزلceased معروفةrecognized
فلك العوارف لم تزل معروفة
فيamong الناسthe people والفضلand excellence الذيwhich لاnot يجحدُis denied
في الناس والفضل الذي لا يجحدُ
Yours are the favors ever recognized
Your noble qualities have always been known,
among the people, and the excellence none denies.
Among people, and virtuous deeds that cannot be denied,
يبيضshines white وجهكyour face للوفودfor the delegations طلاقةwith cheerfulness
يبيض وجهك للوفود طلاقة
والعامand the year باللزباتwith hardships عامa year أسودblack
والعام باللزبات عام أسود
Your face shines bright with cheer for the delegations,
Your radiant face welcomes delegations,
while the year is black with hardships.
While the commoners live in a gloomy year,
قسماan oath بمنby Him who سمكraised السماءthe sky بقدرةwith power
قسما بمن سمك السماء بقدرة
وبمنand by Him who لهto Him تعنوbow humbly الوجوهfaces وتسجدand prostrate themselves
وبمن له تعنو الوجوه وتسجد
I swear by Him who raised the sky with power,
I swear by the One who built the sky with His power,
and by Him before whom faces bow and prostrate:
And to whom faces bow down and prostrate,
إنindeed البخيلthe miser بفعلهfor his conduct لمذممis surely blameworthy
إن البخيل بفعله لمذمم
أبداforever وإنand indeed محمداMuhammad لمحمدُis surely praised
أبدا وإن محمدا لمحمدُ
the miser is surely condemned for his conduct
Truly the miser is blamed for his deeds,
forever, while Muhammad is surely praised.
While Muhammad is praised forever,
ملكa king رقودslumbering; tranquil الحلمin forbearance يقظانwakeful السطاin assault
ملك رقود الحلم يقظان السطا
حلوsweet الرضاin favor مرbitter العداوةin enmity أَصَيدُproud, head held high
حلو الرضا مر العداوة أَصَيدُ
A king, reposeful in forbearance, wakeful in assault,
The king of restful dreams, wakeful by night,
sweet in favor, bitter in enmity, his head held high.
Sweetly content, bitterly hostile,
متجردstripped for combat يومthe day of اللقاءbattle كأنهas though he were
متجرد يوم اللقاء كأنه
سيفa sword علىupon عنقthe neck of العدوthe enemy مجَرَّدُunsheathed
سيف على عنق العدو مجَرَّدُ
Stripped for battle on the day of encounter, as though he were
On the day of battle he is detached, as if,
a sword unsheathed against the enemy's neck,
A bare sword on the neck of the enemy,
غيرexcept أنthat تنصرهaids him علىagainst أعدائهhis enemies
غير أن تنصره على أعدائه
والبيضand white swords تلمعflash والفرائصand the flanks ترعدُtremble
والبيض تلمع والفرائص ترعدُ
except that he is aided against his enemies,
But you support him against his enemies,
while white swords flash and flanks tremble,
As the swords shine and the coats of mail rattle,
نفسa soul مشبعةfully satisfied وعزمand resolve ثاقبpiercing
نفس مشبعة وعزم ثاقب
ويدand a hand مؤيدةstrengthened ورأيand judgment محصدُfirmly knit
ويد مؤيدة ورأي محصدُ
by a well-sated soul and piercing resolve,
A satisfied soul and a piercing resolve,
a strengthened hand and firmly knit judgment.
And a supported hand and a harvesting opinion,
يخضرgrows green عوداin stem والنباتand vegetation مصوحwithered
يخضر عودا والنبات مصوح
ويذوبand he melts جوداwith generosity والغمامand the clouds مصرّدُsparing with rain
ويذوب جودا والغمام مصرّدُ
His stem grows green while vegetation withers,
He flourishes like a green branch and thriving plants,
and he melts with bounty while the clouds give scant rain.
And melts like clouds pouring down rain,
ربpossessor of الرواءa fine countenance الطلقcheerful والرأىand the judgment الذيwhich
رب الرواء الطلق والرأى الذي
بسدادهthrough its soundness شعبthe branches of الأمورaffairs تسددare set right
بسداده شعب الأمور تسدد
Possessor of a cheerful countenance and a judgment
Lord of the open gift and the opinion which,
whose soundness sets the branches of affairs aright.
By its integrity, sets right the affairs of the people,
فعتادهso his equipment فيin الروعbattle's terror أبيضa bright sword صارمkeen-edged
فعتاده في الروع أبيض صارم
ومثقفand a straightened spear لدنsupple ونهدand a sturdy horse أجردَsleek, short-coated
ومثقف لدن ونهد أجردَ
His arms amid battle's terror are a bright, keen sword,
His weapon in calamities is an unsheathed white sword,
a straightened, supple spear and a mighty, sleek horse,
Well-honed and with a polished blade,
وفضولand ample mail محكمةfirmly wrought القتيرin its rivets كأنهاas though it were
وفضول محكمة القتير كأنها
صنfortress (reading uncertain) علىupon متنthe back of الكميthe armored warrior ممردُsmoothly finished
صن على متن الكمي ممردُ
and ample mail with firmly wrought rivets, as though it were
And his perfect small tents are like,
a smoothly finished fortress upon the armored warrior's back.
A protected enclosure on the back of an ostrich,
ماnot روضةa garden بالحزنon rugged ground حياهاrevived it الحياrain
ما روضة بالحزن حياها الحيا
فغصونهاso its branches مطلولةdew-moistened تتأودُsway
فغصونها مطلولة تتأودُ
No garden on rugged ground, brought to life by rain,
No garden flourishes in sorrow,
its dew-moistened branches swaying,
With branches swaying and bending,
فيهاin it لثغرfor the mouth of الأقحوانthe chrysanthemum تفلجgaps between teeth
فيها لثغر الأقحوان تفلج
ولوجنةand for the cheek of الوردthe rose الجنيfreshly gathered توردُa rosy blush
ولوجنة الورد الجني توردُ
where the chrysanthemum's mouth shows spaced teeth
In it the cheeks of maidens bloom,
and the freshly gathered rose's cheek blushes red,
And pink cheeks and roses blossom,
والماءand the water ماas long as سكنis still النسيمthe breeze صفيحةa metal sheet
والماء ما سكن النسيم صفيحة
وإذاand when استمرcontinues علىin الهبوبblowing فمبردُthen a file
وإذا استمر على الهبوب فمبردُ
and the water is a metal sheet while the breeze lies still,
The water is calm when the breeze is still,
and a file when the breeze keeps blowing,
And cools when the winds blow strong,
يوماever بأحسنany lovelier منthan نداكyour bounty وأنهand indeed it
يوما بأحسن من نداك وأنه
اندىmoister علىupon كبدthe liver of الفقيرthe poor man وأبردُand cooler
اندى على كبد الفقير وأبردُ
is ever lovelier than your bounty, which indeed
One day you were better than his spears, and indeed,
is moister and cooler upon the poor man's liver.
You called out, refreshing the heart of the poor and cooling it,
ياO منyou who إذاwhenever الشعراءthe poets رامواseek وصفهhis description
يا من إذا الشعراء راموا وصفه
نفدruns out الكلامspeech ووصفهand his description لاnot ينفدُruns out
نفد الكلام ووصفه لا ينفدُ
O you—whenever poets seek to describe you,
O you whom, when the poets try to describe,
words run out, but your description never does.
Words run out but describing you is endless,
نفقتsell briskly بضائعهمtheir wares عليكwith you وربماand sometimes
نفقت بضائعهم عليك وربما
أضحتhave come to علىat أبوابthe gates of غيركothers besides you تكسدُgo unsold
أضحت على أبواب غيرك تكسدُ
Their wares sell briskly with you, though sometimes
They have spent their wares on you, and perhaps,
they languish unsold at the gates of others.
Become idle at the doors of others,
كمhow many منةa favor لكof yours لاnot أقومI adequately fulfill بشكرهاits due thanks
كم منة لك لا أقوم بشكرها
ويدand a helping hand منof المعروفkindness تتبعهاfollows it يدُa hand
ويد من المعروف تتبعها يدُ
How many a favor of yours I cannot duly thank you for,
How many favors I cannot thank you for,
and one helping hand followed by another!
As one good deed follows another,
ياO خيرbest of منthose whose تحدىare driven with camel-song إلىto أبوابهhis gates
يا خير من تحدى إلى أبوابه
خوصsunken-eyed camels يراهنsees them البرىthe dust والفدفدُand the open desert
خوص يراهن البرى والفدفدُ
O best of those to whose gates are driven with song
O best of those whose doors,
sunken-eyed camels that the dust and open desert behold.
Are comparison for generosity and bounty,
أسعدrejoice بعيدat the feast of الفطرbreaking the fast ياO متطولاgenerous benefactor
أسعد بعيد الفطر يا متطولا
شكريmy thanks لهto him كنديlike the bounty of يديهhis two hands سرمدُeverlasting
شكري له كندي يديه سرمدُ
Rejoice at Eid al-Fitr, O generous benefactor;
I congratulate you on the happy Eid, O you of great stature,
my thanks to him, like his hands' bounty, are everlasting.
My gratitude to you is eternal,
واسلمand remain safe علىthrough مرthe passing of اللياليthe nights ماas long as دجتgrew dark
واسلم على مر الليالي ما دجت
سدفshades الظلامof darkness وماand as long as أضاءshines الفرقدُFarqad, a star
سدف الظلام وما أضاء الفرقدُ
And remain safe through passing nights, as long as there thicken
And greetings through the long nights that have darkened,
the shades of darkness, and as long as Farqad shines.
With the veils of darkness and the shining of the moon.