لماwhen عصتنيdefied me القوافيthe rhymes صحتُI cried out ياO امليmy hope
لما عصتني القوافي صحتُ يا املي
فأقبلتso they came صاغراتٍsubmissive وهيwhile they تبسمsmile ليat me
فأقبلت صاغراتٍ وهي تبسم لي
When the rhymes defied me, I cried, “O my hope!”
When rhymes disobeyed me I cried, "Oh my hope!"
Then they came submissively, smiling at me,
So they came to me humbly, smiling at me.
منof كلevery قافيةٍrhyme بالحسنwith beauty حاليةٍadorned
من كل قافيةٍ بالحسن حاليةٍ
يظلُّremains سامعُهاits listener كالشاربِlike a drinker الثَملِintoxicated
يظلُّ سامعُها كالشاربِ الثَملِ
Each a rhyme adorned with beauty,
From every rhyme beautifully fitting my state,
Whose listener remains like an intoxicated drinker.
Its hearer remains as one drunk with wine.
نزذَهتُهاI kept them pure عنfrom كذابٍfalsehood أوor مصانعةٍflattery
نزذَهتُها عن كذابٍ أو مصانعةٍ
وصنتُهاand I guarded them عنfrom رخيصِcheap القولspeech مبتذلِtrite
وصنتُها عن رخيصِ القول مبتذلِ
I kept them free of falsehood or flattery,
I made them pure of lies or affectation,
And guarded them from cheap, trite speech.
And guarded them from cheap, commonplace words.
وماand not قصدتُI aimed بهاthrough them يوماًever إلىtoward وطرِa personal aim
وما قصدتُ بها يوماً إلى وطرِ
إلاexcept إلىtoward واجبa duty أوor حادثan event جللِmomentous
إلا إلى واجب أو حادث جللِ
And never did I use them to pursue a personal end,
And I never once intended them for vanity,
Only to fulfill a duty or mark a momentous event.
Except for duty or a momentous event.
ياO أَيهاyou النصبthe monument المرموقgazed upon بالمقلby the eyes
يا أَيها النصب المرموق بالمقل
واللَهِby God انيindeed I منكbefore you اليومtoday فيin خجلِshame
واللَهِ اني منك اليوم في خجلِ
O monument on which eyes are fixed,
O lofty monument inscribed with my poetry,
By God, I am ashamed before you today.
By God, today I stand before you ashamed.
وقفتَyou stood تعلنproclaiming ماwhat نالتهُshe attained it سيِّدةٌa lady
وقفتَ تعلن ما نالتهُ سيِّدةٌ
عنon behalf of قومهاher people منof فخارٍglory قبلُbefore لمnot يُنلِwas attained
عن قومها من فخارٍ قبلُ لم يُنلِ
You stand proclaiming what a lady has won
You stand proclaiming what glory a woman attained,
For her people—a glory never attained before.
From her people, of pride, that was never attained before.
كأَنَّas though أبطالناour heroes كلَّتhad faltered عزائمهمtheir resolves
كأَنَّ أبطالنا كلَّت عزائمهم
فقلَّدواso they entrusted الغيدَgraceful women عنهمin their stead رايةthe banner البطلِof the hero
فقلَّدوا الغيدَ عنهم راية البطلِ
As though our heroes’ resolve had faltered,
It's as if our heroes lost all their resolve,
So they entrusted fair women with the hero’s banner in their stead.
And handed over to her the banner of the hero.
شيَّدنَthey (the women) built مدرسةthe school الإحسانِof charity كاملةًcomplete
شيَّدنَ مدرسة الإحسانِ كاملةً
وقصَّرواand they fell short عنof بناءٍa building غيرnot مكتملِcompleted
وقصَّروا عن بناءٍ غير مكتملِ
They built the School of Charity to completion,
They established the school of benevolence, completed,
While the men fell short, leaving a building unfinished.
And neglected any building incomplete.
كمhow great the difference بينَbetween منthose who خُلقواwere created للهوfor amusement والغزلِand flirtation
كم بينَ من خُلقوا للهو والغزلِ
وبينand between منthose who خُلقواwere created للجدfor earnestness والعملِand work
وبين من خُلقوا للجد والعملِ
How great the gulf between those created for amusement and flirtation
What a difference between those created for diversion and romance,
And those created for earnestness and work!
And those created for seriousness and action!
وإِنand indeed قوميmy people وانand although كانواthey are ذويpossessing عددٍnumbers
وإِن قومي وان كانوا ذوي عددٍ
لكنهمyet they عنfrom طِلابseeking المجدglory فيin شَغلِpreoccupation
لكنهم عن طِلاب المجد في شَغلِ
Indeed, my people, though great in number,
And though my people are numerous,
Are nevertheless too preoccupied to seek glory.
They are busy with seekers of glory.
ياO بنتَdaughter of سرسقSursock كمhow often حلَّيتِyou adorned منfrom عطلٍlack of adornment
يا بنتَ سرسق كم حلَّيتِ من عطلٍ
جيدthe neck of اليتيمthe orphan وكمand how many داويتِyou healed منof عللِailments
جيد اليتيم وكم داويتِ من عللِ
O daughter of Sursock, how often you have adorned the once-bare
O daughter of Sarsaq, how you have adorned many vagrants,
Neck of the orphan, and how many ailments you have healed!
The orphan's neck, and healed many sick!
وكمand how often سعيتِyou strove لهذاfor this الأمرundertaking صابرةًpatiently
وكم سعيتِ لهذا الأمر صابرةً
سعيthe striving of المجدthe diligent person بلاwithout منٍّboasting of favors ولاand without مللِweariness
سعي المجد بلا منٍّ ولا مللِ
And how often you strove patiently for this undertaking,
And how you have striven for this matter patiently,
With diligent effort, never boasting of favors or growing weary,
Seeking glory tirelessly and uncomplaining!
حتىuntil بنيتِyou built لناfor us صرحاًan edifice تقرُّfind delight بهin it
حتى بنيتِ لنا صرحاً تقرُّ به
عيونناour eyes ونباهيand we proudly rival سائرَall other المللِreligious communities
عيوننا ونباهي سائرَ المللِ
Until you built us an edifice that delights
Until you built for us a palace in which
Our eyes, and we proudly rival all other religious communities.
Our eyes delight, and we boast to all nations.
فاليومso today نكرمwe honor فيكin you الفضلvirtue مجتمعاًgathered together
فاليوم نكرم فيك الفضل مجتمعاً
ونحتفيand we pay tribute بجليلِto the nobility of الخلقِcharacter والعملِand deed
ونحتفي بجليلِ الخلقِ والعملِ
So today we honor all virtue gathered in you,
Today we honor in you gathered virtues,
And pay tribute to nobility of character and deed.
And celebrate lofty character and deeds.
والفضلُand virtue يظهرُbecomes apparent بالتكريمthrough honoring رونقهُits luster
والفضلُ يظهرُ بالتكريم رونقهُ
كالسيفlike a sword جوهرهُits steel يزدانgains splendor بالصقلِthrough polishing
كالسيف جوهرهُ يزدان بالصقلِ
And virtue’s luster is revealed through honor,
Merit shows its elegance through esteem,
Like a sword whose steel gains splendor through polishing.
Like a sword whose essence is graced by polishing.
وربَّand many a حفلةceremony تكريمٍof honor تثيرstirs بناwithin us
وربَّ حفلة تكريمٍ تثير بنا
روحَthe spirit of النشاطvigor وتدعوناand calls us إلىtoward المثلِideals
روحَ النشاط وتدعونا إلى المثلِ
And many a ceremony of honor stirs within us
And many a ceremony of honor stirs in us
The spirit of vigor and calls us toward ideals.
The spirit of vitality and calls us to the heights.
لاmay not زلتِyou cease to be خيرthe best مثالِexample للجميعfor everyone ولاand may not
لا زلتِ خير مثالِ للجميع ولا
زلناwe cease نؤَملwe hope for فيكِin you الخيرgoodness ياO أمليmy hope
زلنا نؤَمل فيكِ الخير يا أملي
May you never cease to be the finest example for all, and may
You remain the best example for all, and we
We never cease to hope for goodness in you, O my hope!
Still hope for the good from you, O my hope!