ياO حاديَdriver of الركبِthe caravan هلhas? مُغْلَنْطِفٌa dense rain-cloud جاداlavished rain
يا حاديَ الركبِ هل مُغْلَنْطِفٌ جادا
أرْوَىwatered البِقاعُthe lands وأوتاداًand mountain-pegs وأوهاداand hollows
أرْوَى البِقاعُ وأوتاداً وأوهادا
O driver of the caravan, has a dense cloud lavished rain,
O guide of the caravan, has Maghnatif become desolate
Watering the lands, the mountain-pegs, and the hollows?
The lands are fertile, strings are plucked and songs are sung
أمor سحَّpoured down مُثْعَنْجِرٌa torrent-bearing cloud بِمُقلتِهِthrough its eye
أم سحَّ مُثْعَنْجِرٌ بِمُقلتِهِ
والريحُand the wind تُسْعِدُassists لَمْحَthe flash البرقِof lightning إسعاداassistance
والريحُ تُسْعِدُ لَمْحَ البرقِ إسعادا
Or has a torrent-bearing cloud poured through its eye,
Or has Muthanjir been erased with its writings
And the wind lent full aid to the lightning’s flash?
And the winds gladden the flashes of lightning with joy
هلhas? أصبحbecome الجوُّthe sky بعدafter السحدِthe rain (uncertain reading) لؤلؤةًa pearl
هل أصبح الجوُّ بعد السحدِ لؤلؤةً
والأرضand the earth لابسةًwearing خزّاًsilken cloth وأبْرَاداand striped cloaks
والأرض لابسةً خزّاً وأبْرَادا
Has the sky, after the rain, become a pearl,
Has the weather become pearl-like after the hail
And the earth put on silken cloth and striped cloaks?
And the earth adorned with green gowns and carpets
هلis there? للديارfor the lands اخضرارٌgreenness بعدafter ماhaving جَدَبَتbecome barren
هل للديار اخضرارٌ بعد ما جَدَبَت
هلhave? أصبحbecome البانthe bān trees (moringa) ميّاساًgracefully swaying وميّاداand bending
هل أصبح البان ميّاساً وميّادا
Have the lands grown green after becoming barren?
Have the abodes become verdant after they withered away
Do the bān trees now sway gracefully and bend?
Have the valleys become watered and irrigated
هلare? الرياضُthe gardens أزاهيرٌblossoms مُدَبَّجةٌrichly patterned
هل الرياضُ أزاهيرٌ مُدَبَّجةٌ
والطيرُand the birds تُنْشِدُsing بالألحانِwith melodies إنشَاداsinging
والطيرُ تُنْشِدُ بالألحانِ إنشَادا
Are the gardens filled with richly patterned blossoms,
Are the gardens adorned with embroidered flowers
And do the birds sing out in melodies?
And the birds chant melodious tunes
إنif ظَلَّendures ذلكthat حَلَّarrives الخيرُblessings مُتَّصِلاًunceasingly
إن ظَلَّ ذلك حَلَّ الخيرُ مُتَّصِلاً
والرزقُand sustenance قدindeed جاءَhas come مُنْسَاقاًdrawn onward ومُنْقَادَاand yielding
والرزقُ قد جاءَ مُنْسَاقاً ومُنْقَادَا
If that endures, blessings arrive without cease,
If this bounty remains continuous
And sustenance indeed comes, drawn onward and yielding.
And sustenance flows steadily and guided
يحكيmirrors نوالَthe bounty of ابنِson of سلطانSultan الذيwho افخترتْtook pride
يحكي نوالَ ابنِ سلطان الذي افخترتْ
بهin him العِبادthe people وقدand indeed سادَhe surpassed الذيwhoever ساداheld sway
به العِباد وقد سادَ الذي سادا
It mirrors the bounty of Ibn Sultan, in whom
It tells of Nawal, son of the Sultan whom
The people have taken pride; he has surpassed whoever held sway.
The servants took pride in, for he who prevailed, prevailed
قرنa formidable adversary النزالcombat وصنديدand a champion القتالbattle ومبذالand a lavish giver of
قرن النزال وصنديد القتال ومبذال
النوالbounty مدينsubmissive صارhe became عبّاداan ardent worshipper
النوال مدين صار عبّادا
A formidable adversary in combat, a champion of battle, and a lavish giver
The knight of battles and lion of fights, bestower
Of bounty, submissive, now an ardent worshipper.
Of bounty, protector of the devout
عظيمgreat in حزمprudence قويstrong in العزمresolve يومon the day of وغىbattle
عظيم حزم قوي العزم يوم وغى
وفيand in السماحةgenerosity يومon the day of السّلمpeace جوّاداlavishly generous
وفي السماحة يوم السّلم جوّادا
Great in prudence, strong in resolve on the day of battle,
Of great wisdom, strong determination in times of turmoil
And lavish in generosity on the day of peace.
And in peace, most generous and noble
وافىtrue to الذمامpledges رجيحsound in العقلjudgment منشرحopenhearted
وافى الذمام رجيح العقل منشرح
وليسand he does not يخلفfail to keep عندwhen making الوعدa promise ميعاداan appointed time
وليس يخلف عند الوعد ميعادا
True to his pledges, sound in judgment, openhearted,
Keeping his word, wise and serene
And, when he promises, he never fails the appointed time.
Never failing to fulfill a promise or appointment
ليثa lion تشبflares بهthrough him نارthe fire of الحروبwars غداhe became
ليث تشب به نار الحروب غدا
يومon the day of الضاربthe striker لضربto striking الأسدthe lions معتاداaccustomed
يوم الضارب لضرب الأسد معتادا
A lion through whom the fire of wars flares; he has become
A lion whose fire flares up in wars
Accustomed, on the striker’s day, to striking lions.
When the striker, accustomed to strike lions, strikes
يصطادhe hunts فيamid الروعterror أقراناًadversaries مصمّمةresolute
يصطاد في الروع أقراناً مصمّمة
لأنهbecause he فيin الوغىbattle للصيدfor hunting صيّاداa hunter
لأنه في الوغى للصيد صيّادا
He hunts resolute adversaries amid terror,
Hunting resolute peers in fright
Because in battle he is a hunter of prey.
For in turmoil, he is an adept hunter
رَبَّmaster of العلومِknowledge وجَزّارُand butcher of الجسومِbodies وبَتّارُand destroyer of
رَبَّ العلومِ وجَزّارُ الجسومِ وبَتّارُ
الظَّلومthe oppressor وللعلياءِand for lofty glory قدindeed شاداhe built
الظَّلوم وللعلياءِ قد شادا
Master of knowledge, butcher of bodies, and destroyer
Lord of knowledge, slaughterer of bodies, humbler
Of the oppressor; he has built toward lofty glory.
Of the unjust, fortifier of the sublime
دُمْendure ياO سعيدُSa'id باقبالٍwith good fortune ومملكةٍand a kingdom
دُمْ يا سعيدُ باقبالٍ ومملكةٍ
أضحتhas become بِعِزِّكَthrough your might أرضَthe earth of اللهGod مقلاداa key
أضحت بِعِزِّكَ أرضَ الله مقلادا
Live on, O Sa'id, with good fortune and a kingdom;
Live in prosperity and a kingdom, O fortunate one
Through your might, God’s earth has become a key.
With your might, God's land has become bejeweled