لَولاwere it not for سَنِيُّSani (the exalted) الدَّولَةِal-Dawla (of the state) بنُson of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
لَولا سَنِيُّ الدَّولَةِ بنُ مُحَمَّدٍ
ماnot كانَwas لِلمَعروفِfor beneficence ذِكرٌmention يُعرَفُis known
ما كانَ لِلمَعروفِ ذِكرٌ يُعرَفُ
Were it not for Sani al-Dawla ibn Muhammad,
If it were not for Saniyu ad-Dawlah ibn Muhammad
no mention of beneficence would be known.
Good deeds would not be known and recognized
كَيفَhow السَّبيلُthe way إِلىto مَديحِكَpraise of you بَعدَماafter
كَيفَ السَّبيلُ إِلى مَديحِكَ بَعدَما
وَصَفواthey described عُلاكَyour eminence بِأَنَّهاby saying that it لاnot تُوصَفُcan be described
وَصَفوا عُلاكَ بِأَنَّها لا تُوصَفُ
How can there be a way to praise you, after
How can I praise you when they have already
they have described your eminence as beyond description?
Described your sublime traits as indescribable?
أَمّاas for دِمَشقُDamascus فَإِنَّهاso indeed it بِكَthrough you رَوضَةٌa garden
أَمّا دِمَشقُ فَإِنَّها بِكَ رَوضَةٌ
ماso long as تَحتَويcontains وَسَحابَةٌand a cloud ماnot تُخلِفُfails its promise
ما تَحتَوي وَسَحابَةٌ ما تُخلِفُ
As for Damascus, through you it is a garden
As for Damascus, through you it's a garden
so long as it holds you, and a cloud that never fails.
That does not lack clouds or rain
بَلَدٌa city أَقَمتَyou settled بِهِin it وَذِكرُكَand your renown سائِرٌtraveling
بَلَدٌ أَقَمتَ بِهِ وَذِكرُكَ سائِرٌ
فيin كُلِّevery ناحِيَةٍregion يَخُبُّtrots وَيوجِفُand gallops
في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ يَخُبُّ وَيوجِفُ
A city where you have settled, while your renown travels
A land where you reside and your name resonates
through every region, trotting and galloping.
In every corner, diminishing and amplifying
لاnot يَسأَلُask العافونَseekers of bounty فيهِin it لأَنَّهُمbecause they
لا يَسأَلُ العافونَ فيهِ لأَنَّهُم
لَمّاwhen رَأواthey saw شَرَفَSharaf (glory) الكُفاةِal-Kufat (of the capable) بِهِin it كُفواthey were provided for
لَمّا رَأوا شَرَفَ الكُفاةِ بِهِ كُفوا
Seekers of bounty do not ask there, because
The needy do not ask in it because when they saw
when they saw Sharaf al-Kufat there, their needs were met.
The honor of self-sufficiency in it, they became self-sufficient