أَنرْتجِلُshall we improvise الأَشْعَارَthe verses فِيabout فَرْعِa descendant of هَاشِمٍHashim
أَنرْتجِلُ الأَشْعَارَ فِي فَرْعِ هَاشِمٍ
وَهَلand can لِيَI فِيin بَيْتَيْنِtwo lines أَنْto أَجْمَعَgather الْمَجْدَthe glory
وَهَل لِيَ فِي بَيْتَيْنِ أَنْ أَجْمَعَ الْمَجْدَ
Shall we improvise verses about a descendant of Hashim?
And can I gather all that glory into two lines?
وَفِيand in وَصْفِdescribing عَبْدِAbdullah اللهِGod أَوْor بَعْضِsome of وَصْفِهِhis qualities
وَفِي وَصْفِ عَبْدِ اللهِ أَوْ بَعْضِ وَصْفِهِ
يُقصِّرُfalls short مَنْwhoever يَفْنِيexhausts قَرِيحَتهُhis poetic gift جُهْدَاstrenuously
يُقصِّرُ مَنْ يَفْنِي قَرِيحَتهُ جُهْدَا
Even in describing Abdullah, or some part of his qualities,
One who exhausts his poetic gift falls short, however hard he tries.
وَلَيْتَand you governed أَمِيرَprince الْعُرْبِthe Arabs بِالْيُمْنِin Yemen دَوْلَةًa state
وَلَيْتَ أَمِيرَ الْعُرْبِ بِالْيُمْنِ دَوْلَةً
كَبَاstumbled جَدُّهَاits fortune دَهْراًfor an age فَأَعْلَيْتَهَاso you raised it جِدَّاgreatly
كَبَا جَدُّهَا دَهْراً فَأَعْلَيْتَهَا جِدَّا
Prince of the Arabs, you governed in Yemen a state
Whose fortune had stumbled for an age; you raised it high.
بِعَزْمٍwith resolve وَحَزْمٍand sound judgment أَحْيَيَاboth revived مِنْfrom مَوَاتِهَاits lifelessness
بِعَزْمٍ وَحَزْمٍ أَحْيَيَا مِنْ مَوَاتِهَا
وَرَدَّاand both restored مِنَof الْعِزِّglory الَّذِيthat دَالَwaned مَارِدَاa formidable giant
وَرَدَّا مِنَ الْعِزِّ الَّذِي دَالَ مَارِدَا
Resolve and sound judgment revived it from its lifelessness
And restored a formidable giant of glory that had waned.
فمِصْرُso Egypt وَقَدْand indeed حَيَّتْكَgreeted you يَاO فَخْرَpride of يَعْرُبٍYa‘rub
فمِصْرُ وَقَدْ حَيَّتْكَ يَا فَخْرَ يَعْرُبٍ
تحَيِّيgreets النَّدَىgenerosity وَالنُّبْلَand nobility والْبَأْسَand courage وَالجَدَّاand earnestness
تحَيِّي النَّدَى وَالنُّبْلَ والْبَأْسَ وَالجَدَّا
So Egypt, in greeting you, pride of Ya‘rub,
Greets generosity, nobility, courage, and earnestness.
فَضَائِلvirtues مِلءُfilling الْعَيْنِthe eye مِنْfrom حَيْثُwherever طُولِعَتْthey are viewed
فَضَائِل مِلءُ الْعَيْنِ مِنْ حَيْثُ طُولِعَتْ
جِهَاتُrealms الْعُلَىexcellence فِيهَاwithin them أَرَتْrevealed عَلَماًa standard فَرْداpeerless
جِهَاتُ الْعُلَى فِيهَا أَرَتْ عَلَماً فَرْدا
Virtues fill the eye wherever one looks;
In every realm of excellence, they reveal a peerless standard.
أَمَوْلاَيَO my lord هَلْdo تَدْرِيyou know مَكَاناًa place تَزُورُهُyou visit
أَمَوْلاَيَ هَلْ تَدْرِي مَكَاناً تَزُورُهُ
فَلاَthat does not يَزْدَهِيswell عَجْباًwith pride وَلاَnor يَنْتَشِيrejoice سَعْدَاin good fortune
فَلاَ يَزْدَهِي عَجْباً وَلاَ يَنْتَشِي سَعْدَا
My lord, do you know a place you visit
That does not swell with pride or rejoice in good fortune?
فَلاَso no غَرْوَwonder أَنْthat أَلْقَيْتَyou found مِصْرَEgypt حَفِيَّةًwelcoming
فَلاَ غَرْوَ أَنْ أَلْقَيْتَ مِصْرَ حَفِيَّةً
تُعِيدُrenewing عَلَىagain بَدْءٍanew لِسُدَّتِكَfor your court الوُدَّاaffection
تُعِيدُ عَلَى بَدْءٍ لِسُدَّتِكَ الوُدَّا
No wonder, then, that you found Egypt welcoming,
Renewing its affection for your court again and again.
وَيُسْتَقْبَلُand is welcomed الْبَدْرُthe full moon الَّذِيwhich بِكَin you يُجْتَلَىis revealed
وَيُسْتَقْبَلُ الْبَدْرُ الَّذِي بِكَ يُجْتَلَى
وَتَلْبَسُand she dons فِيin اسْتِقْبَالهِwelcoming him الزَّمَنَthe age الوَرْدَاrose-hued
وَتَلْبَسُ فِي اسْتِقْبَالهِ الزَّمَنَ الوَرْدَا
The full moon revealed in you is welcomed,
And Egypt dons a rosy age to greet it.
وَتهْدِيand she sends إِلىto الأُرْدُنِّJordan أَلْطافَthe graces of نِيلِهَاher Nile
وَتهْدِي إِلى الأُرْدُنِّ أَلْطافَ نِيلِهَا
ثَنَاءًpraise عَلَيْهِfor it وَاحْتِفَاءًand celebration بَمَنْof the one who أَهْدَىbestowed
ثَنَاءً عَلَيْهِ وَاحْتِفَاءً بَمَنْ أَهْدَى
She sends the graces of her Nile to Jordan,
In praise of it and celebration of the one who bestowed them.