مَرَّhe passed فِيin بَالِنَاour thoughts فَأَحْيَانَاand so revived us
مَرَّ فِي بَالِنَا فَأَحْيَانَا
كيْفَhow لَوْif زَارَنَاhe visited us وَحَيَّانَاand greeted us
كيْفَ لَوْ زَارَنَا وَحَيَّانَا
He passed through our thoughts and brought us back to life.
He crossed our minds and brought us to life;
What bliss if he visited us and greeted us!
what if he visited us and greeted us?
رَشَأٌa young gazelle وَالنِّفَارُand skittishness شِيمَتُهُhis nature
رَشَأٌ وَالنِّفَارُ شِيمَتُهُ
لاnot لِشَيءٍfor any reason يَصُدُّhe turns away أَحْيَانَاsometimes
لا لِشَيءٍ يَصُدُّ أَحْيَانَا
A young gazelle, with flight his nature—
A young gazelle, whose nature is to shy away;
for no reason at all, he sometimes turns us away.
for no reason, he sometimes turns away.
قَدْalready سَلاhe forgot عَهْدَهُhis pledge وَنَحْنُand we عَلَىon
قَدْ سَلا عَهْدَهُ وَنَحْنُ عَلَى
عَهْدِنَاour pledge لاnot يُطِيقُcan bear سُلْوَانَاforgetting
عَهْدِنَا لا يُطِيقُ سُلْوَانَا
He has forgotten his pledge, while we remain
He has forgotten his pledge, while we remain true
true to ours, unable to forget.
to ours, which cannot bear forgetting.
نَحْنُwe أَهْلَpeople of الهَوَىlove وَنُضَامُand we are wronged وَلاand do not
نَحْنُ أَهْلَ الهَوَى وَنُضَامُ وَلا
نَسْأَلُwe ask العَدْلَjustice مَنْthe one who تَوَلاَّنَاhas taken charge of us
نَسْأَلُ العَدْلَ مَنْ تَوَلاَّنَا
We are the folk of love: wronged, yet we do not
We, the people of love, are wronged, yet do not
ask justice of those who return our love.
ask justice of the one who holds sway over us.
آمِرَاتُcommanding ones العُيُونِthe eyes تَأْمُرُنَاcommand us
آمِرَاتُ العُيُونِ تَأْمُرُنَا
وَنَوَاهِيand prohibitions of الخُصُورِthe waists تَنْهَانَاforbid us
وَنَوَاهِي الخُصُورِ تَنْهَانَا
The squadrons of eyes command us,
The imperious eyes command us,
and the prohibitions of waists forbid us.
and the waists' prohibitions forbid us.
يَعْذُبُis sweet الطَّعْنُstabbing فِيin جَوَانِحِنَاour breasts
يَعْذُبُ الطَّعْنُ فِي جَوَانِحِنَا
إِذْwhen تَكُونُbecome القُدُودُthe figures مُرَّانَاash-wood lances
إِذْ تَكُونُ القُدُودُ مُرَّانَا
Stabbing tastes sweet within our breasts
Stabbing within our breasts is sweet
when graceful figures are our lances.
when slender figures become ash-wood lances.
وَنُبِيحُand we lay open السُّيُوفَthe swords أَكْبُدَنَاour livers
وَنُبِيحُ السُّيُوفَ أَكْبُدَنَا
إِذْwhen تَكُونُbecome الجُفُونُthe eyelids أَجْفَانَاscabbards
إِذْ تَكُونُ الجُفُونُ أَجْفَانَا
We lay our innermost hearts open to swords
And we offer our livers to the swords
when eyelids become their sheaths.
when eyelids serve as scabbards.
مَاno لناfor us غَيْرُother than تِلْكَthat رَائِعَةٌa terror
مَا لنا غَيْرُ تِلْكَ رَائِعَةٌ
فِيin زَمَانِthe time of العَزِيزِthe Mighty One مَوْلانَاour lord
فِي زَمَانِ العَزِيزِ مَوْلانَا
No dread have we but that one
Nothing frightens us besides that,
in the age of al-Aziz, our lord—
in the days of the Mighty One, our lord;
فِيin زَمَانٍan age بِهِin it غَدَتْshe became
فِي زَمَانٍ بِهِ غَدَتْ
رَوْضَa garden of أَمْنٍsecurity أَغَنَّlush رَيَّانَاwell-watered
رَوْضَ أَمْنٍ أَغَنَّ رَيَّانَا
an age in which the land has become
in an age in which she has become
a luxuriant, well-watered garden of peace.
a lush, well-watered garden of peace.
أَمْرُهَاher affairs فِيin يَدِthe hand of الرَّشِيدِal-Rashid هُدىًin guidance
أَمْرُهَا فِي يَدِ الرَّشِيدِ هُدىً
وَابْنِand the son of عَبْدِAbd العَزِيزِal-Aziz إِحْسَانَاin benevolence
وَابْنِ عَبْدِ العَزِيزِ إِحْسَانَا
Her governance in al-Rashid’s hand is guidance,
Her affairs lie in the hand of one like al-Rashid in guidance,
and in Ibn Abd al-Aziz’s, beneficence.
and the son of Abd al-Aziz in benevolence.
مَلِكٌa king سَابِقُoutstripping المُلوكِthe kings إذَاwhen
مَلِكٌ سَابِقُ المُلوكِ إذَا
كَانَتْare المَحْمَدَاتُpraiseworthy deeds مَيْدَانَاa racecourse
كَانَتْ المَحْمَدَاتُ مَيْدَانَا
A king who outstrips all kings whenever
A king who outstrips kings when
praiseworthy deeds become the field of contest,
praiseworthy deeds are the racecourse;
مَالِيءٌfilling مِنْfrom جَمِيلِthe beauty of قُدْوَتِهِhis example
مَالِيءٌ مِنْ جَمِيلِ قُدْوَتِهِ
كُلَّevery قَلْبٍheart رِضىًcontentment وَإِيمَانَاand faith
كُلَّ قَلْبٍ رِضىً وَإِيمَانَا
filling, through the beauty of his example,
filling, through the beauty of his example,
every heart with contentment and faith.
every heart with contentment and faith.
يُبْصِرُhe perceives الغَيْبَthe unseen مِنْthrough فَرَاسَتِهِhis insight
يُبْصِرُ الغَيْبَ مِنْ فَرَاسَتِهِ
وَيُعِيدُand he brings back العَصِيَّthe rebel قَدْalready دَانَاsubmitted
وَيُعِيدُ العَصِيَّ قَدْ دَانَا
Through his insight he sees the unseen
He sees the unseen through his keen insight,
and deems the recalcitrant already subdued.
and brings back the rebel, now submissive.
آيَةُthe sign of الحِلْمِforbearance فِيin سِياسَتِهِhis governance
آيَةُ الحِلْمِ فِي سِياسَتِهِ
أَنْthat يَرُدَّhe turns المُسِيَّthe wrongdoer مِعْوَانَاa willing helper
أَنْ يَرُدَّ المُسِيَّ مِعْوَانَا
The marvel of his forbearance in governing
The sign of forbearance in his governance
is that he turns the wrongdoer into a helper.
is that he turns the wrongdoer into a willing helper.
كُلُّevery شَأْنٍevent لِلدَّهْرِof fate جَازَpassed بِهِby him
كُلُّ شَأْنٍ لِلدَّهْرِ جَازَ بِهِ
زَادَهُadded to him فِيin عَلائِهِhis eminence شَانَاdistinction
زَادَهُ فِي عَلائِهِ شَانَا
Every affair that fate brings upon him
Every turn of fate that came his way
increases his eminence and stature.
added distinction to his lofty standing.
يَقَعُstrikes الخَطْبُthe crisis قَاسِياًharsh فَإذَاthen when
يَقَعُ الخَطْبُ قَاسِياً فَإذَا
مَاemphatic particle تَوَلَّىhe undertakes مِرَاسَهُgrappling with it لانَاit softened
مَا تَوَلَّى مِرَاسَهُ لانَا
Calamity strikes harshly, but once
A crisis strikes harshly, but when
he undertakes to grapple with it, it softens.
he undertakes to grapple with it, it softens.
مَنْwho كَعَبَّاسِlike Abbas فِيin تَفَرُّدِهِhis peerlessness
مَنْ كَعَبَّاسِ فِي تَفَرُّدِهِ
عَزَّwas mighty نَصْراًin victory وَجَلَّand was majestic سُلْطَانَاin sovereignty
عَزَّ نَصْراً وَجَلَّ سُلْطَانَا
Who can compare with Abbas in his uniqueness,
Who is like Abbas in his peerlessness?
mighty as a champion, majestic in sovereignty?
He is mighty in victory and majestic in sovereignty.
عَيَّدَتْcelebrated مِصْرُEgypt عِيدَهُhis festival فَجَلَتْand so unveiled
عَيَّدَتْ مِصْرُ عِيدَهُ فَجَلَتْ
صُوَراًimages لِلسُّعُودِof good fortune أَلوَانَاcolors
صُوَراً لِلسُّعُودِ أَلوَانَا
Egypt celebrated his feast and displayed
Egypt celebrated his festival and unveiled
happiness in forms of every hue.
images of good fortune in varied hues.
وَتَلاand followed الثَّغْرُthe port تِلْوَهَاin her wake فَعَدَاthen surpassed
وَتَلا الثَّغْرُ تِلْوَهَا فَعَدَا
شَأْوَهَاher achievement بَهْجَةًin splendor وَإِتْقَانَاand perfection
شَأْوَهَا بَهْجَةً وَإِتْقَانَا
The Port followed in her wake, then surpassed
And the port followed in her wake, then surpassed
her reach in splendor and artistry.
her achievement in splendor and perfection.
سَطَعَتْshone فِيin الدُّجَىthe darkness زَوَاهِرُهُits bright lights
سَطَعَتْ فِي الدُّجَى زَوَاهِرُهُ
تَتَرَاءىappear فِيin اليَمِّthe sea غُرَّانَاbrilliantly white
تَتَرَاءى فِي اليَمِّ غُرَّانَا
Its radiant lights shone through the darkness,
Its bright lights shone in the darkness,
shimmering resplendently upon the sea.
appearing in the sea, brilliantly white.
فَإذَاand behold بَحْرُهُits sea وَشَاطِئُهُand its shore
فَإذَا بَحْرُهُ وَشَاطِئُهُ
جِسْمُa body of نُورٍlight أَغَارَmade jealous كِيوَانَاKiwan (Saturn)
جِسْمُ نُورٍ أَغَارَ كِيوَانَا
Then, behold, its sea and its shore became
And behold, its sea and shore:
a body of light that made Saturn jealous.
a body of light that made Kiwan jealous.
أَهْلَO people of إِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةٍAlexandria شَرَفاًhonor
أَهْلَ إِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةٍ شَرَفاً
هَكَذَاthus البِرُّdevotion أَوْor فَلاthen not كَانَاmay it exist
هَكَذَا البِرُّ أَوْ فَلا كَانَا
People of Alexandria—what honor!
People of Alexandria, honor be yours!
Such is devotion; otherwise, let it not be.
Thus should devotion be—or not be at all!
قَدْindeed عَهِدْتُI have known الخُلُوصَsincerity شِيمَتَكُمْyour nature
قَدْ عَهِدْتُ الخُلُوصَ شِيمَتَكُمْ
وَكَعَهْدِيand as I knew it شَهِدْتُهُI witnessed it الآنَاnow
وَكَعَهْدِي شَهِدْتُهُ الآنَا
I have long known true loyalty as your nature,
I have known sincerity to be your nature,
and, just as I knew it, I have witnessed it now.
and now I have witnessed it just as I knew it.
رَاعَنِيawed me صِدْقُهُits truth فَخُيِّلَand so it seemed لِيto me
رَاعَنِي صِدْقُهُ فَخُيِّلَ لِي
أَنَّthat عَيْنَthe eye of العَزِيزِthe Mighty One تَرْعَانَاwatches over us
أَنَّ عَيْنَ العَزِيزِ تَرْعَانَا
Its sincerity amazed me, and I imagined
Its truth awed me, and it seemed to me
that al-Aziz’s eye was watching over us.
that the Mighty One's eye was watching over us.
كُلَّمَاwhenever مَرَّتِpassed السِّنُونُthe years بِكُمْover you
كُلَّمَا مَرَّتِ السِّنُونُ بِكُمْ
زِدْتُمُونَاyou gave us more عَلَيْهِof it بُرْهَانَاproof
زِدْتُمُونَا عَلَيْهِ بُرْهَانَا
With every year that passes over you,
Whenever the years pass over you,
you give us still further proof of it.
you give us further proof of it.
إِنَّindeed شَعْباًa people هَذِيthis حَمِيَّتُهُits zeal
إِنَّ شَعْباً هَذِي حَمِيَّتُهُ
لَمْdid not يَضِعْbe lost حَقُّهُits right وَلاnor هَانَاwas humbled
لَمْ يَضِعْ حَقُّهُ وَلا هَانَا
A people whose ardor is such as this
Surely, a people whose zeal is such
will never lose its rights or be humiliated.
has not lost its right, nor been humbled.
دَامَmay remain عَبَّاسٌAbbas لِلْحِمَىfor the homeland أَسداًa lion
دَامَ عَبَّاسٌ لِلْحِمَى أَسداً
وَلِعَيْنِand for the eye of الزَّمَانِTime إِنْسَانَاa pupil of the eye
وَلِعَيْنِ الزَّمَانِ إِنْسَانَا
May Abbas remain a lion for the homeland
May Abbas remain a lion for the homeland,
and the pupil of the eye of Time.
and the pupil of Time's eye.
وَلْيَدُمْand may endure ذَلِكَthat الْوَلاءُloyalty فَكَمْfor how often
وَلْيَدُمْ ذَلِكَ الْوَلاءُ فَكَمْ
صَانَguarded مُلْكاًa kingdom وَسَرَّand gladdened أَوْطَانَاhomelands
صَانَ مُلْكاً وَسَرَّ أَوْطَانَا
And may that loyalty endure—how many
And may that loyalty endure, for how often
a realm it has safeguarded, and homelands gladdened!
it has guarded a kingdom and gladdened homelands!
