الْيَوْمَtoday أَبْهَجَتِhave brought joy المُنىhopes إِبْهَاجَهَاtheir rejoicing
الْيَوْمَ أَبْهَجَتِ المُنى إِبْهَاجَهَا
وَتَوسَّطَتْand has reached the midst of شَمْسُthe sun الضُّحىthe forenoon أَبْرَاجَهَاits celestial mansions
وَتَوسَّطَتْ شَمْسُ الضُّحى أَبْرَاجَهَا
Today, hopes have brought their fullest joy,
and the forenoon sun has reached the midst of its celestial mansions.
ماwhat لِلْوزارَةِis with the vizierate لاnot تضِيءُit shines لَنَاfor us وَقَدْwhen already
ما لِلْوزارَةِ لا تضِيءُ لَنَا وَقَدْ
أَضْحىhas become سِرَاجُthe lamp العَالَمِينَall the worlds سِرَاجَهَاits lamp
أَضْحى سِرَاجُ العَالَمِينَ سِرَاجَهَا
Why should the vizierate not shine for us, when
the lamp of all the worlds has become its lamp?
شَمْسٌa sun تبدَّتْappeared فِيamid ذَوَائِبِthe crests of يَعْرُبٍYaʿrub
شَمْسٌ تبدَّتْ فِي ذَوَائِبِ يَعْرُبٍ
رَكِبَتْmounted إِلَىto الرُّتَبِthe ranks العُلىthe loftiest مِعْرَاجَهَاits ladder of ascent
رَكِبَتْ إِلَى الرُّتَبِ العُلى مِعْرَاجَهَا
A sun appeared amid Yaʿrub’s crests,
mounting its ladder to the loftiest ranks.
لَمْnot تَنْتَقِلْdid it advance قِدْماًformerly لأَوَّلِto the first مَنْزِلٍstation
لَمْ تَنْتَقِلْ قِدْماً لأَوَّلِ مَنْزِلٍ
فِيin المجْدِglory حَتَّىuntil اسْتَقْبَلَتْit turned toward مِنْهَاجَهَاits path
فِي المجْدِ حَتَّى اسْتَقْبَلَتْ مِنْهَاجَهَا
It had never before advanced to the first station
of glory until it turned toward its path.
أَنْجَبْتَهُyou begot him ذُخْرَa reserve for الخِلافَةِthe caliphate إِنْif شَكَتْit complained
أَنْجَبْتَهُ ذُخْرَ الخِلافَةِ إِنْ شَكَتْ
أَلَماًof pain تَضَمَّنَhe guaranteed بُرْءَهَاits recovery وَعِلاجَهَاand its treatment
أَلَماً تَضَمَّنَ بُرْءَهَا وَعِلاجَهَا
You begot him as the caliphate’s reserve: should it complain
of pain, he guarantees its recovery and treatment.
وَسَلَلْتَهُand you unsheathed him سيفاًas a sword لكلِّfor every مُلِمَّةٍcalamity
وَسَلَلْتَهُ سيفاً لكلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ
يَفْرِيit cleaves بِأَوَّلِwith the first ضَرْبَةٍstroke أَوْدَاجَهَاits jugular veins
يَفْرِي بِأَوَّلِ ضَرْبَةٍ أَوْدَاجَهَا
And you unsheathed him as a sword against every calamity,
cleaving its jugular veins with the first stroke.
فَنَظَمْتَso you strung فِيupon صَدرِthe breast of الوزارةthe vizierate عِقْدَهاits necklace
فَنَظَمْتَ فِي صَدرِ الوزارة عِقْدَها
وَعَقَدْتَand you fastened فِيupon رأسِthe head of الرِّيَاسَةِleadership تاجَهَاits crown
وَعَقَدْتَ فِي رأسِ الرِّيَاسَةِ تاجَهَا
Thus you strung its necklace upon the vizierate’s breast,
and fastened its crown upon the head of leadership.
والخيلُand the horses جَانِحَةٌinclining eagerly إِلَيْهِtoward him كُلَّماwhenever
والخيلُ جَانِحَةٌ إِلَيْهِ كُلَّما
رُفِعَwas raised اللِّوَاءُthe banner وأَوْجَسَتْand they sensed إِسْرَاجَهاtheir saddling
رُفِعَ اللِّوَاءُ وأَوْجَسَتْ إِسْرَاجَها
And the horses strain toward him whenever
the banner is raised and they sense their saddling.
وكَأَنَّنِيand it is as though I بِجَبِينِهِat his brow فِيin لُجَّةٍa deep sea
وكَأَنَّنِي بِجَبِينِهِ فِي لُجَّةٍ
للحَرْبِof war يَخْرِقُhe cleaves بالقَنَاwith lances أَموَاجَهَاits waves
للحَرْبِ يَخْرِقُ بالقَنَا أَموَاجَهَا
And I seem to see his brow amid a deep sea
of war, as he cleaves its waves with lances,
حَتَّىuntil يُغيّبَhe conceals فِيamong النُّجُومِthe low-growing plants دِماءَهَاits blood
حَتَّى يُغيّبَ فِي النُّجُومِ دِماءَهَا
دَفْناًby burying وَيَرْفَعَand raises فِيinto السَّمَاءِthe sky عَجَاجهَاits dust
دَفْناً وَيَرْفَعَ فِي السَّمَاءِ عَجَاجهَا
until he hides its blood among the low-growing plants,
burying it, and raises its dust into the sky,
ويَؤُوبَand returns بالفتحِwith victory المُبِينِmanifest وَقَدْwhen already كَسَاhad clothed
ويَؤُوبَ بالفتحِ المُبِينِ وَقَدْ كَسَا
نَفَلُthe spoils العُداةِof the enemies شِعَابَهاits ravines وَفِجاجَهَاand its passes
نَفَلُ العُداةِ شِعَابَها وَفِجاجَهَا
and returns with manifest victory, while already
the enemy’s spoils have clothed its ravines and passes.
ياO قِبْلَةًa direction of prayer لِلآمِلينَfor the hopeful وَكَعْبَةًand a Kaaba
يا قِبْلَةً لِلآمِلينَ وَكَعْبَةً
تَدْعُوit summons بِحَيّwith ‘come!’ عَلَىto النَّدَىgenerosity حُجَّاجَهاits pilgrims
تَدْعُو بِحَيّ عَلَى النَّدَى حُجَّاجَها
O qibla for the hopeful, and a Kaaba
summoning its pilgrims with ‘Come to generosity!’
ومُبارِزَand challenger of الأُسْدِthe lions الغِضابِthe wrathful وَقَدْwhen already غَلَتْhad seethed
ومُبارِزَ الأُسْدِ الغِضابِ وَقَدْ غَلَتْ
حربٌa war تُوَكِّلُcharges بالحتوفِwith dealing death هِياجَهَاits fury
حربٌ تُوَكِّلُ بالحتوفِ هِياجَهَا
And challenger of wrathful lions, when there seethes
a war that charges its fury with dealing death!
أَنتَyou الَّذِيare the one who فَرَّجْتَyou dispelled عَنِّيfrom me كُرْبَةًan affliction
أَنتَ الَّذِي فَرَّجْتَ عَنِّي كُرْبَةً
للدهرof Time قَدْalready سَدَّتْit had barred عَلَيَّupon me رِتَاجَهاits great gate
للدهر قَدْ سَدَّتْ عَلَيَّ رِتَاجَها
You are the one who lifted from me an affliction
of Time that had barred its great gate upon me.
وجلوتَand you unveiled ليfor me فَلَقَthe dawn المُنىof hopes منfrom ليلةa night
وجلوتَ لي فَلَقَ المُنى من ليلة
طاوَلْتَyou outlasted فِيin ظُلَمِthe darkness الأَسىof sorrow إِدلاجَهاits night journey
طاوَلْتَ فِي ظُلَمِ الأَسى إِدلاجَها
And you unveiled for me the dawn of hopes from a night
whose night journey you outlasted amid sorrow’s darkness.
وسقيتَنِيand you gave me to drink منfrom جودِthe bounty كَفِّكَof your palm مُنعِماًgraciously
وسقيتَنِي من جودِ كَفِّكَ مُنعِماً
كأْساًa cup وجدتُI found منfrom الحياةِlife مِزاجَهَاits blend
كأْساً وجدتُ من الحياةِ مِزاجَهَا
And graciously you gave me to drink, from your palm’s bounty,
a cup whose blend I found to be life itself.
فَلأُلْبِسَنَّso I shall surely clothe الدهرTime فيكin your honor مَلابِساًgarments
فَلأُلْبِسَنَّ الدهر فيك مَلابِساً
للحَمْدِof praise أحكمَperfected مَنْطِقيmy speech دِيباجَهاtheir brocade
للحَمْدِ أحكمَ مَنْطِقي دِيباجَها
So I shall surely clothe Time, in your honor, in garments
of praise, whose brocade my speech has perfected,
جُدُداًever new عَلَىthroughout طولِthe length الزمانِof time أبىrefused لَهُto it
جُدُداً عَلَى طولِ الزمانِ أبى لَهُ
حُرُّthe keenness of التيقُّظِvigilance والنُّهىand reason إِنْهاجَهاwearing them threadbare
حُرُّ التيقُّظِ والنُّهى إِنْهاجَها
ever new throughout all time, which is forbidden
by keen vigilance and reason to wear them threadbare,
ماas long as عاقَبَsucceeded الليلُthe night النهارَthe day ورَجَّعَتْand repeated
ما عاقَبَ الليلُ النهارَ ورَجَّعَتْ
وُرْقُthe gray ones الحمائِمِof the doves بالضُّحَىat forenoon أَهْزاجَهاtheir songs
وُرْقُ الحمائِمِ بالضُّحَى أَهْزاجَها
as long as night follows day, and
the gray doves repeat their songs at forenoon.