جَهِّزْprepare لَنَاfor us فِيon الأرضthe earth غزوةَa campaign مُحْتَسِبْone seeking God's reward
جَهِّزْ لَنَا فِي الأرض غزوةَ مُحْتَسِبْ
وانْدُبْand summon إليهاto it منwhoever يُساعدُwill help وانْتَدِبْand volunteer yourself
وانْدُبْ إليها من يُساعدُ وانْتَدِبْ
Prepare for us on earth a campaign for God's reward.
And summon whoever will help to join it, and volunteer yourself.
واحمِلand mount عَلَىupon خيلِthe steeds الهوىof passion شِيَمَthe qualities الصِّباof youth
واحمِل عَلَى خيلِ الهوى شِيَمَ الصِّبا
واعقِدand bind لجيشِfor the army اللَّهوof revelry أَلوِيَةَthe banners الطَّرَبْof rapture
واعقِد لجيشِ اللَّهو أَلوِيَةَ الطَّرَبْ
And mount the qualities of youth upon the steeds of passion,
And bind banners of rapture for the army of revelry.
واهتِفْand call بأجنادِto the troops السرورof joy وقُدْand lead بِهَاwith them
واهتِفْ بأجنادِ السرور وقُدْ بِهَا
نحوَtoward الرياضِthe gardens وأنتwhile you are أَكرمُthe noblest مَنْof those who رَكِبْhave ridden
نحوَ الرياضِ وأنت أَكرمُ مَنْ رَكِبْ
And call upon the troops of joy, and lead them
Toward the gardens—you, the noblest who ever rode—
جيشاًan army تَكونshall be طبولُهُits drums عِيْدَانَهُits lutes
جيشاً تَكون طبولُهُ عِيْدَانَهُ
وقرونُهُand its horns النَّاياتِthe flutes تُسْعِدُهاaid them القَصَبْthe reed pipes
وقرونُهُ النَّاياتِ تُسْعِدُها القَصَبْ
An army whose drums shall be its lutes,
And whose horns are flutes, supported by reed pipes.
واهزُزْand brandish رِماحاًspears منof تباشيرglad tidings المُنىof hopes
واهزُزْ رِماحاً من تباشير المُنى
واسلُلْand unsheathe سيوفاًswords منof مُعَتَّقَةِaged wine العِنَبْof grapes
واسلُلْ سيوفاً من مُعَتَّقَةِ العِنَبْ
And brandish spears of the glad tidings of hope,
And unsheathe swords of aged grape-wine.
وانصِبْand set up مجانيقاًcatapults منof النَّيَمِnīm (meaning uncertain here) الَّتِيwhich
وانصِبْ مجانيقاً من النَّيَمِ الَّتِي
أَحجارُهُنَّtheir stones منof الرَّواطِمِgreat wine-cups وَالنَّخَبْand deep draughts
أَحجارُهُنَّ من الرَّواطِمِ وَالنَّخَبْ
And set up catapults of nīm,
Whose stones are great wine-cups and deep draughts,
لمعاقلٍagainst fortresses منof سَوسَنٍirises قَدْalready شَيَّدَتْhave raised
لمعاقلٍ من سَوسَنٍ قَدْ شَيَّدَتْ
أَيديthe hands الربيعof spring بِنَاءهاtheir structure فَوْقَabove القُضُبْthe stems
أَيدي الربيع بِنَاءها فَوْقَ القُضُبْ
Against fortresses of irises, whose structure
The hands of spring have raised above the stems.
شُرُفاتُهاtheir battlements منof فضَّةٍsilver وحُمَاتُهَاand their defenders
شُرُفاتُها من فضَّةٍ وحُمَاتُهَا
حولَaround الأَميرِthe prince لهمthey have سُيوفٌswords منof ذَهَبْgold
حولَ الأَميرِ لهم سُيوفٌ من ذَهَبْ
Their battlements are silver, and their defenders,
Around the prince, have swords of gold,
مُتَرَقِّبينَawaiting لأَمرهhis command وَقَدْwhile he has ارْتقىclimbed
مُتَرَقِّبينَ لأَمره وَقَدْ ارْتقى
خَلَلَamid البناءِthe structure ومَدَّand stretched out صَفْحَةَthe face مُرتقِبْof a watcher
خَلَلَ البناءِ ومَدَّ صَفْحَةَ مُرتقِبْ
Awaiting his command, while he has climbed
Amid the structure and thrust out a watcher's face,
كأَميرlike the prince لُونَةَof Lūna قَدْalready تطلَّعَpeered out إِذْwhen دَناdrew near
كأَمير لُونَةَ قَدْ تطلَّعَ إِذْ دَنا
عبدُʿAbd (servant) الملِيكِal-Malīk (the Sovereign) إِلَيْهِto him فِيin جَيشٍan army لَجبْclamorous
عبدُ الملِيكِ إِلَيْهِ فِي جَيشٍ لَجبْ
Like the prince of Lūna peering out as
ʿAbd al-Malīk approached him with a clamorous army.
فلَئنْso if indeed غَنِمْتَyou captured as spoils هناكthere أَمثالَthe likenesses الدُّمىof statues
فلَئنْ غَنِمْتَ هناك أَمثالَ الدُّمى
فهُناthen here بيوتُare chambers المِسكِof musk فاغنَمْso take as spoils وانْتَهِبْand plunder
فهُنا بيوتُ المِسكِ فاغنَمْ وانْتَهِبْ
So if there you captured statue-like beauties,
Here are chambers of musk: take your spoils and plunder,
تُحَفاًgifts لشعبانٍfrom Shaʿbān جلاhas unveiled لَكَto you وَجْهَهُhis face
تُحَفاً لشعبانٍ جلا لَكَ وَجْهَهُ
عِوَضاًin place مِنَof الوردِthe roses الَّذِيthat أهدىgave رَجَبْRajab
عِوَضاً مِنَ الوردِ الَّذِي أهدى رَجَبْ
Gifts from Shaʿbān, who has unveiled his face to you,
In place of the roses Rajab gave.
فاقْبَلْso accept هدِيَّتَهُhis gift فقدfor indeed وافىhe has arrived بِهَاwith it
فاقْبَلْ هدِيَّتَهُ فقد وافى بِهَا
قدراًa measured amount إِلَىuntil أَمدthe appointed time الصيامof fasting إذاwhen وجبْit becomes obligatory
قدراً إِلَى أَمد الصيام إذا وجبْ
So accept his gift, for he has brought it,
In measure to last until the time when fasting is required.
واسْتَوفِand enjoy fully بهجتَهاits splendor وطيبَand the sweetness نسيمهاof its breeze
واسْتَوفِ بهجتَها وطيبَ نسيمها
فإذاthen when دَناdraws near رمضانُRamadan فاسْجُدthen prostrate yourself واقترِبْand draw close
فإذا دَنا رمضانُ فاسْجُد واقترِبْ
And enjoy its full splendor and the sweetness of its breeze;
Then, when Ramadan draws near, prostrate yourself and draw close.
وصلِand join الجهادَholy war إِلَىto الصِّيامِfasting بَعَزْمَةٍwith the resolve
وصلِ الجهادَ إِلَى الصِّيامِ بَعَزْمَةٍ
منof ثائرٍan avenger يُرْضيwho pleases الإلهَGod إِذَاwhen غَضِبْhe grows angry
من ثائرٍ يُرْضي الإلهَ إِذَا غَضِبْ
And join holy war to fasting with the resolve
Of an avenger who pleases God when he grows angry.
فالنَّصْرُfor victory مضمونٌis assured عَلَىupon برّrighteousness الهُدىof guidance
فالنَّصْرُ مضمونٌ عَلَى برّ الهُدى
وعواقِبُand the final outcomes الرّاحَاتِof repose أثمارُare the fruits التَّعَبْof toil
وعواقِبُ الرّاحَاتِ أثمارُ التَّعَبْ
For victory is assured through righteous guidance,
And the comforts that come at last are the fruits of toil.
وارفَعْand raise رغائِبَthe hopes مَاof what نَوَيْتَyou have intended إِلَىto الَّذِيthe One who
وارفَعْ رغائِبَ مَا نَوَيْتَ إِلَى الَّذِي
ماnot زِلْتَyou have ceased ترفعُهاraising them إِلَيْهِto Him فلمand have not تَخِبْbeen disappointed
ما زِلْتَ ترفعُها إِلَيْهِ فلم تَخِبْ
And raise your hopes for what you intend to Him
To whom you have always raised them, never disappointed,
حتىuntil تؤوبَyou return وَقَدْand have already نَظَمْتَstrung قلائداًnecklaces
حتى تؤوبَ وَقَدْ نَظَمْتَ قلائداً
فَوْقَabove المنابرthe pulpits لاnot تُغَيِّرُهاalter them الحِقَبْthe ages
فَوْقَ المنابر لا تُغَيِّرُها الحِقَبْ
Until you return, having strung necklaces
Above the pulpits, unaltered by the ages,
بجواهرٍwith jewels منof فخرthe glory يومِكof your day فِيagainst العِدىthe foes
بجواهرٍ من فخر يومِك فِي العِدى
تبْأَىwill glory بِهَاin them فِيthroughout الدَّهْرِtime تيجانُthe crowns العَرَبْof the Arabs
تبْأَى بِهَا فِي الدَّهْرِ تيجانُ العَرَبْ
With jewels of the glory of your day against the foes,
In which the crowns of the Arabs shall glory throughout time:
فتحa conquest تكادalmost سطورُهُits lines منfrom نورِهاtheir radiance
فتح تكاد سطورُهُ من نورِها
تبدُوappear فتُقْرَأُand are read خلْفَbehind طَيَّاتِthe folds الكُتُبْof books
تبدُو فتُقْرَأُ خلْفَ طَيَّاتِ الكُتُبْ
A conquest whose lines, from their radiance, almost
Shine forth to be read through the folds of books.
واقبَلْand accept هَدِيَّةَthe gift عبدِكَof your servant الراجيwho hopes الَّذِيwho
واقبَلْ هَدِيَّةَ عبدِكَ الراجي الَّذِي
أَهدىhas offered إليكto you الدُّرَّpearls منfrom بحرthe sea الأدبْof literature
أَهدى إليك الدُّرَّ من بحر الأدبْ
And accept the gift of your hopeful servant, who
Has offered you pearls from the sea of literature.