عِشْتَmay you live لِلْمَجْدِfor glory أَطْوَلَthe longest الأَعْمارِlifetimes
عِشْتَ لِلْمَجْدِ أَطْوَلَ الأَعْمارِ
بالِغاًattaining فِيهِin it اَفْضَلَthe finest الإِيثارِselflessness
بالِغاً فِيهِ اَفْضَلَ الإِيثارِ
May you live for Glory the longest of lifetimes,
May you live for glory the longest of lifetimes,
attaining within it the highest selflessness;
attaining therein the noblest selflessness.
وَشَفاكَand may He heal you الإِلهُGod مِنْfrom كُلِّevery داءٍillness
وَشَفاكَ الإِلهُ مِنْ كُلِّ داءٍ
وَوَقاكَand may He protect you الْمَخُوفَwhat is feared مِنْfrom كُلِّevery طارِيunforeseen event
وَوَقاكَ الْمَخُوفَ مِنْ كُلِّ طارِي
may God cure you of every illness,
And may God heal you of every illness,
and shield you from every dreaded misfortune.
and guard you from the terrors of every unforeseen event.
ياO عَلِياًexalted عَنْabove كُلِّevery ضِدٍّopponent وَنِدٍّand peer
يا عَلِياً عَنْ كُلِّ ضِدٍّ وَنِدٍّ
وَبَرِياًand free مِنْfrom كُلِّevery عَيْبٍflaw وَعارِand disgrace
وَبَرِياً مِنْ كُلِّ عَيْبٍ وَعارِ
O you raised above every adversary and peer,
O you exalted above every foe and peer,
and innocent of every fault and disgrace!
and free from every flaw and disgrace.
أَنْتَyou بَدْرُthe full moon العُلىeminence فَكَيْفَthen how وَقَدْand already ضُمَّwere joined (continued)
أَنْتَ بَدْرُ العُلى فَكَيْفَ وَقَدْ ضُمَّ
تْfeminine verb ending إِلَيْهِto it زُهْرُbright النُّجُومِthe stars الدَّرارِيradiant
تْ إِلَيْهِ زُهْرُ النُّجُومِ الدَّرارِي
You are the full moon of eminence—what, then, when
You are the full moon of eminence—how much more, now that
the radiant, flower-bright stars gather around you?
the bright, radiant stars have been joined to it!
قَدْindeed أَتاكَhas come to you الْهَناءُjoy يَرْفُلُwalks in flowing robes فِيin ثَوْrobe (continued)
قَدْ أَتاكَ الْهَناءُ يَرْفُلُ فِي ثَوْ
بِending of 'robe' ثَناءٍpraise باقٍenduring عَلىupon الآثارِrecords of deeds
بِ ثَناءٍ باقٍ عَلى الآثارِ
Gladness has come to you, trailing the folds of a robe
Joy has come to you, sweeping along in a robe
of praise whose traces endure,
of praise that endures in the record of deeds,
بِهِلالٍfor a crescent moon كَأَنَّماas though غُرَّةُthe beginning الشَّهْthe month (continued)
بِهِلالٍ كَأَنَّما غُرَّةُ الشَّهْ
رِending of 'month' بِرُؤْياهُat the sight of him لَيْلَةُthe night الإِبْدارِthe full moon
رِ بِرُؤْياهُ لَيْلَةُ الإِبْدارِ
bearing a crescent—as though the month’s first gleam,
For a crescent moon, as though the month's first night,
at sight of him, were the night of the full moon;
at the sight of him, were the night of the full moon;
وَجَوادٍand a noble steed حازَwon الْمَدىthe finish line وهْوَwhile he فِيin الْمَهْthe cradle (continued)
وَجَوادٍ حازَ الْمَدى وهْوَ فِي الْمَهْ
دِending of 'cradle' سَلِيمِsound in الْخُطىsteps أَمِينِsafe from الْعِثارِstumbling
دِ سَلِيمِ الْخُطى أَمِينِ الْعِثارِ
and a steed that has won the course while still in the cradle,
And a noble steed who won the race while still in the cradle,
steady of step and secure against stumbling;
sure of step, safe from stumbling;
وَحُسامٍand a sword قَدْalready قُلِّدَwas invested with الْمَجْدَglory ماضٍkeen
وَحُسامٍ قَدْ قُلِّدَ الْمَجْدَ ماضٍ
غَيْرِnot خالِيempty الْقِرابِthe scabbard ماضِيkeen in الْغِرارِthe cutting edge
غَيْرِ خالِي الْقِرابِ ماضِي الْغِرارِ
and a keen sword that Glory has girded on—
And a keen sword, already invested with glory,
its scabbard not empty, its edge sharp.
its scabbard not empty, its cutting edge sharp.
حُزْتَyou attained فِيهِin him الْمُنىthe wishes فَأَطْلَعْتَand so you caused to rise مِنْهُfrom him
حُزْتَ فِيهِ الْمُنى فَأَطْلَعْتَ مِنْهُ
قَمَرَthe moon الْمَجْدِof glory فِيin سَماءِthe sky of الْفَخارِpride
قَمَرَ الْمَجْدِ فِي سَماءِ الْفَخارِ
In him you attained your desires, bringing forth from him
In him you have won your wishes, and from him brought forth
the moon of glory in honor’s sky.
the moon of glory in the sky of pride.
فَازَsucceeded مَنْwhoever فازَsucceeded مِنْهُfrom him يَوْمَthe day تَجَلَّىhe shone forth
فَازَ مَنْ فازَ مِنْهُ يَوْمَ تَجَلَّى
بِجِلاءِwith the brightening of الْقُلُوبِhearts وَالأَبْصارِand eyes
بِجِلاءِ الْقُلُوبِ وَالأَبْصارِ
Fortunate is whoever gains from him on the day he appears
Whoever gained from him, the day he shone forth, won
in splendor before hearts and eyes.
the brightening of hearts and eyes,
وَأَقْرَّand gladdened الْعُيُونَthe eyes مِنُْfrom بِمَأْمُوwith a hoped-for one (continued)
وَأَقْرَّ الْعُيُونَ مِنُْ بِمَأْمُو
لٍending of 'hoped-for one' لَهُfor him الْمَكْرُماتُnoble deeds دارُan abode قَرارِpermanence
لٍ لَهُ الْمَكْرُماتُ دارُ قَرارِ
And he has gladdened eyes with one hoped for from you—
And gladdened the eyes thereby with one hoped for,
one for whom noble deeds are an abiding home.
for whom noble deeds are an abiding home.
قَدْindeed تَحَلَّتْhas adorned itself بِذِكْرِهِwith his mention غُرَّةُthe shining brow المَجْof glory (continued)
قَدْ تَحَلَّتْ بِذِكْرِهِ غُرَّةُ المَجْ
دِending of 'glory' وَسارَتْand traveled شَوارِدُfar-ranging الأَشْعارِpoems
دِ وَسارَتْ شَوارِدُ الأَشْعارِ
Glory’s brow has adorned itself with mention of him,
The shining brow of glory has been adorned with his mention,
and far-roaming verses have spread abroad.
and far-ranging poems have spread.
حَسَرَunveiled الدَّهْرُtime عَنْهُfrom him وانْجابَand cleared away غَيْمُthe cloud of الthe
حَسَرَ الدَّهْرُ عَنْهُ وانْجابَ غَيْمُ ال
غَيْثِrain عَنْfrom كَوْكَبِthe star of الْعَلاءِeminence السَّارِيtraveling by night
غَيْثِ عَنْ كَوْكَبِ الْعَلاءِ السَّارِي
Time drew back its veil from him, and the rain-bearing cloud
Time has unveiled him, and the rain cloud has cleared
cleared from the night-traveling star of high glory.
from the night-traveling star of eminence.
فَتَمَلَّso savor fully الْهَناءَthe joy وَاسْعَدْand rejoice بِهِin him حِلْa companion (continued)
فَتَمَلَّ الْهَناءَ وَاسْعَدْ بِهِ حِلْ
فَending of 'companion' سُرُورٍdelight صافٍunclouded مِنَfrom الأَكْدارِsorrows
فَ سُرُورٍ صافٍ مِنَ الأَكْدارِ
So drink deeply of gladness, and rejoice in it—the companion
So savor the joy and rejoice in him, a companion
of sweet joy made pure of every care.
of delight unclouded by sorrows.
وَلَئِنْand even if خِلْتَهُyou deem him صَغِيراًsmall فَماfor not زاceased (continued)
وَلَئِنْ خِلْتَهُ صَغِيراً فَما زا
لَending of 'ceased' صِغارُthe young الْكِرامِof the noble غَيْرَother than صِغارِsmall
لَ صِغارُ الْكِرامِ غَيْرَ صِغارِ
Though you may think him small, never have
And though you deem him small, never have
the young among the noble been truly small.
the young among the noble been small.
والْفَتىand a young man عِنْدَaccording to قَدْرِهِhis worth وَعُلاهُand his eminence
والْفَتى عِنْدَ قَدْرِهِ وَعُلاهُ
وَكِبارُand the great اللِّئامِof the ignoble غَيْرُnot كِبارِgreat
وَكِبارُ اللِّئامِ غَيْرُ كِبارِ
A youth is measured by his worth and eminence,
A young man's measure is his worth and eminence,
while the great among the ignoble are not great.
and the great among the ignoble are not great.
فَوقاكَso may He protect you الإِلهُGod فِيهِconcerning him وَفِيand concerning مَجْglory (continued)
فَوقاكَ الإِلهُ فِيهِ وَفِي مَجْ
دِكَending of 'your glory' ماwhatever يُتَّقَىis feared مِنَamong الأَقْدارِfate's decrees
دِكَ ما يُتَّقَى مِنَ الأَقْدارِ
May God preserve you, through him and through the glory
So may God protect you, in him and in your glory,
that is yours, from every fate one fears—
from whatever is feared among fate's decrees,
أبَداًforever ماas long as اسْتَقَلَّsets out رَكْبٌa caravan وماand as long as جاgave generously (continued)
أبَداً ما اسْتَقَلَّ رَكْبٌ وما جا
دَending of 'gave generously' بِرِيِّwith watering الْبِلادِthe lands صَوْبُa downpour of قِطارِrain
دَ بِرِيِّ الْبِلادِ صَوْبُ قِطارِ
forever: so long as a caravan sets out, and so long as
Forever, as long as a caravan sets out, and as long as
pouring rain gives the lands their fill of water—
showers generously water the lands.
كَوْكَبٌa star تَسْتَنِيرُyou are illumined حَتّىuntil تَراهُyou see him
كَوْكَبٌ تَسْتَنِيرُ حَتّى تَراهُ
قَمَراًa moon باهِراًdazzling أَباfather of أَقْمارِmoons
قَمَراً باهِراً أَبا أَقْمارِ
a star by whose light you are guided, until you behold him
A star by whose light you shine, until you see him
a radiant moon, father of moons.
a dazzling moon, father of moons.
