وَاذْكُرْand recall ضُرُوبَforms of كِفَاحِهِhis struggle لِبِلاَدِهِfor his country
وَاذْكُرْ ضُرُوبَ كِفَاحِهِ لِبِلاَدِهِ
مَاas much as اسْطَاعَhe could فِيin حَلٍّsettled life وَفِيand in تَرْحَالِtravel
مَا اسْطَاعَ فِي حَلٍّ وَفِي تَرْحَالِ
And recall the many forms of his struggle for his country,
As best he could, whether settled or traveling.
مَاnot كَادَnearly حَفْلٌa gathering بَاحِثٌdiscussing فِيconcerning شَأْنِهَاits affairs
مَا كَادَ حَفْلٌ بَاحِثٌ فِي شَأْنِهَا
يَنْأَىlay distant عَلَىbeyond مِقْدَامِهَاits intrepid champion الْجوَّالِthe wanderer
يَنْأَى عَلَى مِقْدَامِهَا الْجوَّالِ
Hardly a gathering discussing its affairs
Lay beyond the reach of its intrepid wanderer.
زَارَhe visited الحَوَاضِرَthe cities فِيin أُرُبَّةEurope أُنْسُهَاtheir companionship
زَارَ الحَوَاضِرَ فِي أُرُبَّة أُنْسُهَا
يُسْلِيbrings solace وَذَاكَand that الصَّبardent lover لَيْسَis not بِسَالِيconsoled
يُسْلِي وَذَاكَ الصَّب لَيْسَ بِسَالِي
He visited the cities of Europe; their company
Brings solace, yet that ardent lover is not consoled.
لَمْdid not تَخْلُbe empty مِنْهُof him مَقَامَةٌan assembly شَرْقِيةٌEastern
لَمْ تَخْلُ مِنْهُ مَقَامَةٌ شَرْقِيةٌ
فِيin الغَرْبِthe West تَعْقِدُهَاconvene it هُنَاكَthere جَوَالِيexpatriate communities
فِي الغَرْبِ تَعْقِدُهَا هُنَاكَ جَوَالِي
He missed no Eastern gathering
Held there in the West by expatriate communities.
وَأَظَللَّهُand gave him shade بَلَدٌa land جَدِيدٌnew كُلَّماwhenever
وَأَظَللَّهُ بَلَدٌ جَدِيدٌ كُلَّما
ضَنَّbegrudged القَدِيمُthe old one عَلَيْهِto him بِالإظْلاَلِwith shade
ضَنَّ القَدِيمُ عَلَيْهِ بِالإظْلاَلِ
And a new land gave him shade whenever
The old begrudged him shade.
تَحْيَاlive الحُقُوقُrights بِقَدْرِin proportion to يَقْظَةِthe vigilance of أَهْلِهَاtheir holders
تَحْيَا الحُقُوقُ بِقَدْرِ يَقْظَةِ أَهْلِهَا
لِحِفَاظِهَاin safeguarding them وَتَمْوتُand die بِالإِغْفَالِthrough neglect
لِحِفَاظِهَا وَتَمْوتُ بِالإِغْفَالِ
Rights live in proportion to their holders’ vigilance
In safeguarding them, and die through neglect.
مَاwhat الْحَقُّright وَهْوَwhile it is اللُّسْنُtongues غَيْرُnot نَوَاطِقٍspeaking
مَا الْحَقُّ وَهْوَ اللُّسْنُ غَيْرُ نَوَاطِقٍ
مَاwhat الْعِلْمُknowledge وَهْوَwhile it is الكُتْبُthe books فٍيin أًقْفَالِlocks
مَا الْعِلْمُ وَهْوَ الكُتْبُ فٍي أًقْفَالِ
What is right worth when tongues do not speak?
What is knowledge worth when books are locked away?
لاَlet us not نَنْسَforget عَهْدَthe days of جَنِيفَGeneva وَالإِلْفَand concord الَّذِيwhich
لاَ نَنْسَ عَهْدَ جَنِيفَ وَالإِلْفَ الَّذِي
عَادتْbrought back طَوَالِعُهُits first signs بِخَيْرِwith the best of تَوَالِيoutcomes
عَادتْ طَوَالِعُهُ بِخَيْرِ تَوَالِي
Let us not forget the days in Geneva, and the concord whose
First signs brought the best of outcomes.
إِذْwhen أَوْهَنَweakened الأَحْزَابَthe parties خُلْفٌdiscord أَفْرَزَتْexuded
إِذْ أَوْهَنَ الأَحْزَابَ خُلْفٌ أَفْرَزَتْ
فِيهَاamong them ضَغَائِنَهُits rancors سُمُومَvenoms of صِلاَلِvipers
فِيهَا ضَغَائِنَهُ سُمُومَ صِلاَلِ
When discord weakened the parties, and there oozed
Among them, from its rancors, the venom of vipers,
مِيثَاقُthe pact of أَحْمَدَAhmad بِشَّرَgave glad tidings to المَرْضَىthe sick عَلَىdespite
مِيثَاقُ أَحْمَدَ بِشَّرَ المَرْضَى عَلَى
يَأْسٍdespair مِنَof الإِبْلاَلِrecovery بِالإِبْلاَلِof recovery
يَأْسٍ مِنَ الإِبْلاَلِ بِالإِبْلاَلِ
Ahmad’s pact gave the sick glad tidings, despite
Their despair of recovery, that they would recover,
وَأَبَانَand made clear لِلإبْدَالِfor changing مِنْfrom حَالone condition إِلَىto
وَأَبَانَ لِلإبْدَالِ مِنْ حَال إِلَى
حَالٍanother condition أَصَحَّthe soundest طَرَائِقِways of الإِبْدالِchange
حَالٍ أَصَحَّ طَرَائِقِ الإِبْدالِ
And showed, for changing from one condition to
Another, the soundest ways of bringing change.
سَعْيٌan endeavor سَعَاهُhe pursued it بِوَحْيِinspired by أَنْقَىthe purest فِكْرةٍthought
سَعْيٌ سَعَاهُ بِوَحْيِ أَنْقَى فِكْرةٍ
لِشِفَاءِto cure دَاءٍan illness فِيin النُّفوسِsouls عُضَالِintractable
لِشِفَاءِ دَاءٍ فِي النُّفوسِ عُضَالِ
An endeavor he pursued, inspired by the purest thought,
To cure an intractable malady in souls.
فَبَدَتْso appeared بَوَادِرُthe first signs of نَفْعِهِits benefit لَكِنْهَاbut they
فَبَدَتْ بَوَادِرُ نَفْعِهِ لَكِنْهَا
مَكَثَتْremained لَيَالِيَfor nights كُنَّthey were غَيْرَnot طِوَالِlong
مَكَثَتْ لَيَالِيَ كُنَّ غَيْرَ طِوَالِ
So the first signs of its benefit appeared, but they
Lasted for nights that were not long.
وَأَجَدَّand renewed هَذَاthis الحَوْلُyear إِلْفاًconcord بَيْنَهُمْamong them
وَأَجَدَّ هَذَا الحَوْلُ إِلْفاً بَيْنَهُمْ
هُوَit is عَوْدُa return to ذَاكَthat البَدْءِbeginning مِنْfrom أَحْوَالِyears past
هُوَ عَوْدُ ذَاكَ البَدْءِ مِنْ أَحْوَالِ
And this year renewed concord among them,
A return to that beginning of years ago.
عَوْدٌa return تَخَلَّصَescaped شَعْبُthe people of مِصْرَEgypt بِفَضْلِهthanks to it
عَوْدٌ تَخَلَّصَ شَعْبُ مِصْرَ بِفَضْلِه
مِنْfrom مَوْقِفٍa position بَيْنَamong الشُّعوبِthe nations مُذَالِdebased
مِنْ مَوْقِفٍ بَيْنَ الشُّعوبِ مُذَالِ
A return, thanks to which the people of Egypt escaped
A position of humiliation among the nations.
شَرَفاًhonor لأَحْمَدَto Ahmad فِيin طَلِيعَةِthe vanguard of مَنْthose who سَعَىstrove
شَرَفاً لأَحْمَدَ فِي طَلِيعَةِ مَنْ سَعَى
لِنَجَاتِهِfor its deliverance وَالخَطْبُwhile the crisis فِيin اسِتْفْحَالِgrowing severity
لِنَجَاتِهِ وَالخَطْبُ فِي اسِتْفْحَالِ
Honor to Ahmad, in the vanguard of those who strove
For their deliverance, as the crisis grew ever graver.