كَفَىsuffices بِكَفِّكَwith your palm يَاO يَحْيَىYahya حَياًrain غَدَقاًcopious
كَفَى بِكَفِّكَ يَا يَحْيَى حَياً غَدَقاً
وَمُجْتَلاكَand your countenance المُفَدَّىcherished enough to be ransomed بَارِقاًa lightning flash صَدَقَاproved true
وَمُجْتَلاكَ المُفَدَّى بَارِقاً صَدَقَا
Your palm, O Yahya, suffices as copious rain,
Your palm suffices, O Yahya, as a generous life,
and your cherished countenance as lightning true to its promise.
and your sword, the redeemer, as a truthful separator.
لَمْdid not تَبْدُyou appear إِلاexcept that بَداappeared وَجْهُthe face النَّجَاحِsuccess لَناto us
لَمْ تَبْدُ إِلا بَدا وَجْهُ النَّجَاحِ لَنا
طَلقاًsmiling وَعادَand became حَبِيسُthe captive المُزْنِof the rain clouds مُنْطَلِقَاset free
طَلقاً وَعادَ حَبِيسُ المُزْنِ مُنْطَلِقَا
Whenever you appeared, the face of success appeared to us,
You did not appear except the face of success appeared for us
smiling, and the rain clouds’ captive was set free.
freely, and the prisoner of sadness went out freely.
كَأَنَّماas though يَرْقُبit awaits اسْتِسقَاءهُhis prayer for rain فَمَتَىso whenever
كَأَنَّما يَرْقُب اسْتِسقَاءهُ فَمَتَى
بَرَزَتْit appeared (your palm) جَادَshowered generously upon الوَرَىhumankind هطَّالُهُits downpour وَسَقَىand gave drink
بَرَزَتْ جَادَ الوَرَى هطَّالُهُ وَسَقَى
As though it awaited his prayer for rain; so whenever
As if the land awaits his request for rain, so when
your palm appeared, its downpour drenched humankind and gave them drink.
you went out, the land poured out its rain and watered.