شَجَانَاsaddened us نَوْحٌthe lament of شَادِيهَاher singer
شَجَانَا نَوْحٌ شَادِيهَا
وَتَصْوِيعُand the scattering of بَوادِيهَاher desert folk
وَتَصْوِيعُ بَوادِيهَا
We are saddened by her singer's lament
and the scattering of her desert folk.
بِلادٌa land كَانَتْonce was النُّعْمَىprosperity
بِلادٌ كَانَتْ النُّعْمَى
تَرَاءىappeared فِيin مَغَانِيهَاher dwellings
تَرَاءى فِي مَغَانِيهَا
A land where prosperity once
was seen amid her dwellings.
فَمَاذَاso what أَنْزَلَتْbrought down فِيهَاupon her
فَمَاذَا أَنْزَلَتْ فِيهَا
مِنَof البُؤْسِmisery أَعَادِيهَاher enemies
مِنَ البُؤْسِ أَعَادِيهَا
What have they brought upon her
of misery, those enemies of hers!
كَوارِثُcalamities أَفْحَشَتْgrew monstrous فتُهِيso ... daunt (word continues)
كَوارِثُ أَفْحَشَتْ فتُهِي
بُcompletion of the preceding verb الأَرْقَامُthe numbers مُحْصِيهَاwhoever counts them
بُ الأَرْقَامُ مُحْصِيهَا
Calamities so monstrous that
the numbers daunt whoever counts them.
رَمَتْهَاassailed her النَّكْبَةُthe calamity الكُبْرَىthe great
رَمَتْهَا النَّكْبَةُ الكُبْرَى
بِجَيْشٍwith an army مِنْof دَواهِيهَاits disasters
بِجَيْشٍ مِنْ دَواهِيهَا
The great calamity assailed her
with an army of its disasters.
جُنُودٌtroops لاno عِدَادَreckoning لَهَاfor them
جُنُودٌ لا عِدَادَ لَهَا
بِهَاwith them غَضَّتْwere choked (probable intended sense) نَوَاحِيهَاher regions
بِهَا غَضَّتْ نَوَاحِيهَا
Troops beyond all counting—
her regions were choked with them.
فَهَبَّتْso she rose لِلزِّيَادِfor defense (probable intended sense) وَلَمْand did not
فَهَبَّتْ لِلزِّيَادِ وَلَمْ
يَرَعْهَاdaunt her بَأْسُthe might of غَازِيهَاher invader
يَرَعْهَا بَأْسُ غَازِيهَا
So she rose in defense, nor
did her invader's might daunt her.
يُجَاهِدُfights كلall فُتْيَتِهَاher young men
يُجَاهِدُ كل فُتْيَتِهَا
وَيجهدُand strives كلall أَهْلِيهَاher people
وَيجهدُ كل أَهْلِيهَا
All her young men fight,
and all her people strive.
فَلَمَّاand when اسْتَنْفَدَتْshe exhausted أَغْلَىthe dearest of
فَلَمَّا اسْتَنْفَدَتْ أَغْلَى
قُرُاهَاher villages فِيin تَفَانِيَهَاher self-sacrifice
قُرُاهَا فِي تَفَانِيَهَا
And when she had spent the dearest
of her villages in her self-sacrifice,
تَوَىperished أَبْطَالُهَاher heroes وَأَبَىand refused
تَوَى أَبْطَالُهَا وَأَبَى
حَيَاةًa life of الذُّلhumiliation بَاقِيهَاher survivors
حَيَاةً الذُّل بَاقِيهَا
her heroes perished, and
her survivors refused a life of humiliation.
نُفُوسٌsouls حُرَّةٌfree صَدَقَتْproved true
نُفُوسٌ حُرَّةٌ صَدَقَتْ
عَلَىin the face of الجُلَّىdire calamity مَعَالِيهَاtheir noble qualities
عَلَى الجُلَّى مَعَالِيهَا
Free souls, whose noble qualities proved true
in the face of dire calamity.
لَئِنْeven though جُلَّتْgrew immense مَصائِبُهَاher misfortunes
لَئِنْ جُلَّتْ مَصائِبُهَا
فَماyet not انْحَلَّتْcame undone أَوَاخِيهَاher bonds
فَما انْحَلَّتْ أَوَاخِيهَا
Though her calamities grew immense,
her bonds did not unravel.
وَلَمْnor تثْلَلْwere shattered عَزَائِمُهَاher resolves
وَلَمْ تثْلَلْ عَزَائِمُهَا
وَلَمْnor تَفْلَلُwere blunted موَاضِيهَاher keen blades
وَلَمْ تَفْلَلُ موَاضِيهَا
Nor were her resolves shattered,
nor her keen blades blunted.
وَمَاnor عدِمَتْshe lacked مُوَاسَاةْconsolation
وَمَا عدِمَتْ مُوَاسَاةْ
مَفَاخِرُهَاher glories تُواسِيهَاconsole her
مَفَاخِرُهَا تُواسِيهَا
Nor has she lacked consolation:
her glories console her.
لَقَدْindeed عَظمتْshe has become great بِحَاضِرِهَاin her present
لَقَدْ عَظمتْ بِحَاضِرِهَا
كَمَاjust as عَظُمَتْshe was great بِماضِيهَاin her past
كَمَا عَظُمَتْ بِماضِيهَا
Indeed, she is great in her present,
as she was great in her past.
فَنَحْنُso we اليَوْمَtoday فِيin ذِكْرَىremembrance of
فَنَحْنُ اليَوْمَ فِي ذِكْرَى
بُطُولتِهاher heroism نُحَيِّيهَاwe salute her
بُطُولتِها نُحَيِّيهَا
So we today, in remembrance
of her heroism, salute her.
وَنُصْفِيَهَاand we sincerely offer her مُوَدَّتنَاour affection
وَنُصْفِيَهَا مُوَدَّتنَا
وَخَيْرُand the finest of الرْاحِwine صافِيهَاits purest
وَخَيْرُ الرْاحِ صافِيهَا
And offer her our pure affection—
and the finest wine is the purest.
وَنَذْكرَand we recall كُلevery عَارِفَةٍkindness
وَنَذْكرَ كُل عَارِفَةٍ
لَهَاof hers بِالشُّكْرِwith gratitude نقْضِيهَاwe repay it
لَهَا بِالشُّكْرِ نقْضِيهَا
And we recall each kindness
of hers, repaying it with gratitude.
إِذَاif ظَلَّتْshe remains إِلَىfor حِينٍa time
إِذَا ظَلَّتْ إِلَى حِينٍ
فَعَدْلُthen the justice of اللهِGod حَامِيهَاher guardian
فَعَدْلُ اللهِ حَامِيهَا
If she remains thus for a time,
then God's justice is her guardian.
ستَبْقَىshe will endure الدَّهْرَfor all time مَاas long as بَقِيَتْremain
ستَبْقَى الدَّهْرَ مَا بَقِيَتْ
فَضَائِلُthe virtues of قَوْمِهَاher people فِيهَاwithin her
فَضَائِلُ قَوْمِهَا فِيهَا
She will endure forever, as long as
her people's virtues remain within her.
وَيَأْتِيand will come النَّصْرُvictory وَفْقَin accordance with مُنَىthe hopes of
وَيَأْتِي النَّصْرُ وَفْقَ مُنَى
تَمَنِّيهَاher longing فَيُرْضِيهَاand so satisfy her
تَمَنِّيهَا فَيُرْضِيهَا
And victory will come to match the hopes
of her longing, and satisfy her.