عُجْturn aside لناديto the gathering of التقىpiety وحيِّand greet البشيراthe bearer of glad tidings
عُجْ لنادي التقى وحيِّ البشيرا
إنَّindeed فيهin it الزوراءal-Zawra (Baghdad) تزهوshines proudly سروراwith joy
إنَّ فيه الزوراء تزهو سرورا
Turn aside to piety's gathering and greet the bearer of glad tidings.
Rejoice, O chosen club, inspired by the Prophet's guidance
There al-Zawra shines with joy.
For in it, Al-Zawra blossoms with joy
قدhas indeed حباهاbestowed upon her ياO سعدSa'd; good fortune بشراكَyour glad tidings سعداًgood fortune
قد حباها يا سعد بشراكَ سعداً
كلُّevery قطرٍland لنورهby its light شعَّshone نوراwith light
كلُّ قطرٍ لنوره شعَّ نورا
Your glad tidings, O Sa'd, have bestowed good fortune upon her;
Blessed are you, O Saad, with your auspicious company
every land has shone brightly in its light.
Each drop of its light radiates light
إذwhen بإقبالwith the arrival of أزهريهاher two radiant ones منfrom الكعthe Kaa—
إذ بإقبال أزهريها من الكع
بة—ba قدindeed جاءهاhe came to her يبثُّspreading الحبوراjoy
بة قد جاءها يبثُّ الحبورا
When, with the arrival of her two radiant ones from the Kaa—
When from Al-Azhar came to it, spreading love
ba, he came to her spreading joy,
With its sincere consent and the Prophet's beloved son
برضاهاwith her Rida النقيِّthe pure وابنand the son of أبيهhis father
برضاها النقيِّ وابن أبيه
مصطفاهاher Mustafa (chosen one) يدعوcalling out وردتُI have arrived سفيراas an envoy
مصطفاها يدعو وردتُ سفيرا
with her pure Rida and his father's son,
It turned the face of Baghdad when people longed
her Mustafa—calling, 'I have come as an envoy,'
For their gathering there, so I brought good news
وجهthe face of بغدادBaghdad حينwhen أماthe two approached لإنساfor the pupil (word fragment)
وجه بغداد حين أما لإنسا
نcompletion of 'pupil' الحجىwisdom فيهماin both of them وصلتُI have come بشيراbearing glad tidings
ن الحجى فيهما وصلتُ بشيرا
to Baghdad's face as they approached: 'For the pupil—
It dawned beautifully when they greeted it
of wisdom in them both, I have come bearing glad tidings.'
Spreading news of its bliss far and wide
فغداso it became حينَwhen صبَّحاهthe two greeted it at dawn بهيًّاradiant
فغدا حينَ صبَّحاه بهيًّا
بلnay حديثthe news of الهناhappiness حلاgrew sweet منشوراspread abroad
بل حديث الهنا حلا منشورا
So it grew radiant when the two greeted it at dawn;
You are the pole of piety, tirelessly striving
nay, the news of happiness grew sweet as it spread.
So yours is glory seen circling around
أنتَyou قطبُthe pole of التقىpiety عليكaround you لدأباًindeed, continually
أنتَ قطبُ التقى عليك لدأباً
فلكُthe sphere of العزِّglory قدindeed يُرىis seen مستديراrevolving
فلكُ العزِّ قد يُرى مستديرا
You are the pole of piety; around you, continually,
The noble one giving freely, the pride of the generous
the sphere of glory is seen revolving.
Whose fragrance is lost amidst plenty
بلnay جوادُthe generous one of العلياloftiness وربُّand lord of فخارٍglory
بل جوادُ العليا وربُّ فخارٍ
طيبهhis fragrance ضاعwafted بالنديِّthrough the gathering عبيراas perfume
طيبه ضاع بالنديِّ عبيرا
Nay, you are loftiness's generous one, a lord of glory,
The companion of generosity, who gave freely as a child
whose fragrance wafts through the gathering as perfume.
And presided as an elder with grace
وقرينُand companion of السخاءgenerosity مَنhe who جادَgave generously طفلاًas a child
وقرينُ السخاء مَن جادَ طفلاً
بنداهwith his bounty وسادَand held sway شيخاًas an elder كبيراvenerable
بنداه وسادَ شيخاً كبيرا
And generosity's companion, who gave freely as a child
Rejoice in your glowing pavilion
of his bounty, and held sway as a venerable elder.
O father of Al-Mustafa, abode of love
عشْlive بطرفٍwith an eye ماnot زالceased زهواًproud قريراًcontent
عشْ بطرفٍ ما زال زهواً قريراً
ياO أباfather of المصطفىal-Mustafa فتحويso you may possess الحبوراjoy
يا أبا المصطفى فتحوي الحبورا
Live with an eye ever proud and content,
Year after year your house is graced
O Abu al-Mustafa, and may you possess joy.
With messengers bringing glad tidings
كمmany a عامٍyear كذاthus لداركَto your home طلقاًcheerful
كم عامٍ كذا لداركَ طلقاً
يُوفدُsends السعدُgood fortune بالتهانيwith congratulations بشيراa herald of glad tidings
يُوفدُ السعدُ بالتهاني بشيرا
For many a year, thus, to your home, a cheerful
Your sweet singer makes your everyday
herald does Fortune send with congratulations.
Radiant with captive melodies
بلnay ومغناكَand your dwelling طيباًfragrant كلَّevery يومٍday
بل ومغناكَ طيباً كلَّ يومٍ
تجتليهyou behold it بهby it سبيًّاcaptivated منيراradiant
تجتليه به سبيًّا منيرا
Nay, may your dwelling be fragrant; every day
Let your club shine brilliantly
may you behold it, captivated by it and radiant.
With a brilliance shaming the full moon
وكذاand thus فليرقْso let it shine نديُّكَyour gathering مُبدٍdisplaying
وكذا فليرقْ نديُّكَ مُبدٍ
منof بهاءٍsplendor ماthat which يخجلputs to shame البدرthe full moon نوراin brilliance
من بهاءٍ ما يخجل البدر نورا
And thus let your gathering shine, displaying
Gather in your grandfather's hall
a splendor that puts the full moon's light to shame.
Glory at all times, beloved refuge
بلnay كذاthus اعقدْraise رواقthe pavilion of جدّكyour good fortune حاوٍembracing
بل كذا اعقدْ رواق جدّك حاوٍ
كلَّevery وقتٍmoment جلالةmajesty محبوراfilled with joy
كلَّ وقتٍ جلالة محبورا
Nay, thus raise the pavilion of your good fortune, embracing
You have performed a miracle, so make way for me
majesty at every moment, filled with joy.
Stop, pardon me, for I have overstepped
هاكhere, take this ألقيتَyou have cast down معجزاًa miracle فانتحىand it turned يلit swal—
هاك ألقيتَ معجزاً فانتحى يل
قفُ—lows عفواًeffortlessly ماwhat زبرجواthey embellished تسطيراin writing
قفُ عفواً ما زبرجوا تسطيرا
Here: you have cast down a miracle, and it turned to swal—
He brought it alive, the chronicler of years gone by
low effortlessly what they embellished in writing.
Making each verse reveal epochs anew
حيّhail منهfrom it مؤرِّخاًrecording the date of عامthe year ردّاthe two returned
حيّ منه مؤرِّخاً عام ردّا
كلّevery شطرٍhemistich أبدىit displayed فعدَّso count الشطوراthe hemistichs
كلّ شطرٍ أبدى فعدَّ الشطورا
Hail, from it, as a record of the year the two returned,
each hemistich it displays; so count the hemistichs.
Partial English translation: 30 of 32 Arabic lines translated.