أَهْدَيْتَyou gave a gift وَالمُهْدَىand the gift ثَمِينُprecious
أَهْدَيْتَ وَالمُهْدَى ثَمِينُ
للهِto God دَرُّكَyour excellence يَاO أَمِينُAmin
للهِ دَرُّكَ يَا أَمِينُ
You have given a gift, and the gift is precious.
You gifted, and the gift is precious
God bless you, O Amin!
God bless you, O trusted one
مَاhow أَبْدَعَexquisite الكَلِمَthe words المُثَقِّـedifying (continued)
مَا أَبْدَعَ الكَلِمَ المُثَقِّـ
ـفَ(completes 'edifying') فِيهِin it مِنْof أَدَبٍliterature فُنُونُarts
ـفَ فِيهِ مِنْ أَدَبٍ فُنُونُ
How exquisite the edifying words—
How eloquent is this refined poetry
within them are many arts of letters!
Full of literary arts and skills
فِيهِin it المُنَمَّقُthe ornate وَالمُرَوَّand the refined (continued)
فِيهِ المُنَمَّقُ وَالمُرَوَّ
قُ(completes 'refined') وَالمُحَجَّبُand the veiled وَالمُبِينُand the clear
قُ وَالمُحَجَّبُ وَالمُبِينُ
In them are the ornate and the refined,
It has the figurative and the literal
the veiled and the clear.
The veiled and the evident
فِيهِin it القَريبُthe familiar بِلاwithout ابْتِذَاbanality (continued)
فِيهِ القَريبُ بِلا ابْتِذَا
لٍ(completes 'banality') وَالغَرِيبُand the unfamiliar وَمَاand what يَصُونُsafeguards
لٍ وَالغَرِيبُ وَمَا يَصُونُ
In them is the familiar, without banality,
It has the near without affectation
and the unfamiliar, and what safeguards.
The far-fetched, and what it preserves
فِطَنٌinsights بَدَتْappeared تَخْتَالُstrut proudly فِيin
فِطَنٌ بَدَتْ تَخْتَالُ فِي
فُصْحٍeloquent phrases مَحَاسِنُهَاtheir beauties عُيُونُeyes
فُصْحٍ مَحَاسِنُهَا عُيُونُ
Insights appeared, strutting proudly in
Keen in the prime of eloquence
eloquent phrases whose beauties are eyes.
Its beauties are manifest
زُفَّتْwere escorted as brides وَخَفَّand hastened بِهَاwith them إِلَىto
زُفَّتْ وَخَفَّ بِهَا إِلَى
أَلْبَابِنَاour minds اللَّفْظُthe wording الرَّصِينُstately
أَلْبَابِنَا اللَّفْظُ الرَّصِينُ
They were led forth as brides, and borne swiftly to
It flowed gently to our minds
our minds by stately words.
This solid, graceful expression
لُبْنَانُLebanon حَدَّثَنَاspoke to us فَرَنَّـand swayed (continued)
لُبْنَانُ حَدَّثَنَا فَرَنَّـ
ـحَنَاus (completes 'swayed us') التَّذَكُّرُremembrance وَالحَنِينُand longing
ـحَنَا التَّذَكُّرُ وَالحَنِينُ
Lebanon spoke to us, and we were swayed
Lebanon told us, so we were
by remembrance and longing,
Reminded and felt yearning
بِحَدِيثِwith an account of فِتْنَتِهِits enchantment وَإِنَّand indeed
بِحَدِيثِ فِتْنَتِهِ وَإِنَّ
حَدِيثَtalk of لُبْنَانٍLebanon شُجُونُsorrows
حَدِيثَ لُبْنَانٍ شُجُونُ
with tales of its enchantment; indeed,
Talking of its charm, and the
talk of Lebanon is full of sorrows.
Talk of Lebanon is full of sorrows
مَاذَاwhat يَقُولُsays الوَرْدُthe rose فِيـin
مَاذَا يَقُولُ الوَرْدُ فِيـ
ـهِit وَمَاand what يَقُولُsays اليَاسَمِينُthe jasmine
ـهِ وَمَا يَقُولُ اليَاسَمِينُ
What does the rose say within
What does the rose say in it
it, and what does the jasmine say?
And what does the jasmine say
مَاذَاwhat تَقُولُsay ثِمَارُهُits fruits
مَاذَا تَقُولُ ثِمَارُهُ
يَتْلُوfollows الجَنِيَّthe ripe fruit بِهَاamong them الجَنِينُthe unborn fruit
يَتْلُو الجَنِيَّ بِهَا الجَنِينُ
What do its fruits say,
What do its fruits say
as the unborn fruit follows the ripe among them?
As the harvester recites them to the fetus
مَاذَاwhat تَقُولُsays سَمَاؤُهُits sky
مَاذَا تَقُولُ سَمَاؤُهُ
وَنَسِيمُهُand its breeze المُحْيِيlife-giving الحَنُونُtender
وَنَسِيمُهُ المُحْيِي الحَنُونُ
What does its sky say,
What does its sky say
and its life-giving, tender breeze?
And its life-giving, affectionate breeze
مَاذَاwhat تَقُولُsay لِسَامِعِيto the hearers of
مَاذَا تَقُولُ لِسَامِعِي
أَلْحَانِهَاtheir melodies تِلْكَthose الوُكُونُnests
أَلْحَانِهَا تِلْكَ الوُكُونُ
What do they say to those who hear
What does it say to the listeners
their melodies—those nests?
Of those melodies, those entities
مَاذَاwhat يَقُولُsays الدَّوْحُthe great trees عَاlived (continued)
مَاذَا يَقُولُ الدَّوْحُ عَا
شَ(completes 'lived') مُخَلَّداًimmortal وَخَلَتْand passed قُرُونُcenturies
شَ مُخَلَّداً وَخَلَتْ قُرُونُ
What do the great trees say, living
What does the ancient oak say
on, immortal, while centuries have passed?
Immortalized over past eras
مَاذَاwhat يَقُولُsays الأَجْزَعُthe most fearful الْـthe
مَاذَا يَقُولُ الأَجْزَعُ الْـ
ـمُهْتَزُّtrembling وَالطَّوْدِand the mountain المَكِينُsteadfast
ـمُهْتَزُّ وَالطَّوْدِ المَكِينُ
What does the most fearful one say—the
What does the shaken fir tree say
trembling one—and the steadfast mountain?
And the submissive, erect pine tree
مَاذَاwhat يَقُولُsays الرِّيفُthe countryside تَغْenvelops (continued)
مَاذَا يَقُولُ الرِّيفُ تَغْ
مُرُهُit (completes 'envelops it') السَّذَاجَةُsimplicity وَالسُّكُونُand stillness
مُرُهُ السَّذَاجَةُ وَالسُّكُونُ
What does the countryside say, enfolded
What does the countryside say
in simplicity and stillness?
Naïve and tranquil in nature
وَطَبِيعَةٌand nature لِجَمَالِهَاfor its beauty
وَطَبِيعَةٌ لِجَمَالِهَا
فِيin كُلِّevery نَاحِيةٍcorner فُتُونُallure
فِي كُلِّ نَاحِيةٍ فُتُونُ
And nature, whose beauty
Each part has beauty
has allure in every corner?
Where affairs are confusing
لِلأَلمعِيَّةِfor keen insight أَيُّwhat شَّأimportance (continued)
لِلأَلمعِيَّةِ أَيُّ شَّأ
نٍ(completes 'importance') حَيْثُwhere تَشْتَبِهُbecome confused الشُّؤُونُthe matters
نٍ حَيْثُ تَشْتَبِهُ الشُّؤُونُ
What importance keen insight has
Secrets can be sensed
where matters become confused!
Though assumptions miss them
قَدْmay تُسْتَشَفُّbe discerned سَرَائِرٌsecrets
قَدْ تُسْتَشَفُّ سَرَائِرٌ
لَطُفَتْwere subtle فَلَمْso did not تَرَهَاsee them الظُّنُونُconjectures
لَطُفَتْ فَلَمْ تَرَهَا الظُّنُونُ
Secrets may be discerned,
Passing through serious events
too subtle for conjecture to see.
Jokingly, as they tend to be
وَتَمُرُّand it passes فِيin جِدِّthe seriousness of الحَوَاthe events (continued)
وَتَمُرُّ فِي جِدِّ الحَوَا
دِثِ(completes 'events') وَهْيَwhile it أَمْرَحُmost playful مَاwhen تَكُونُit is
دِثِ وَهْيَ أَمْرَحُ مَا تَكُونُ
And it passes through the gravity of
Crafting the most eloquent wisdom
events, at its most playful.
With jesting and nonsense
فَتَصُوغُso it fashions أَبْلَغَthe most eloquent حِكْمَةٍwisdom
فَتَصُوغُ أَبْلَغَ حِكْمَةٍ
وَبِهَاand in it التَّنَدُّرُjesting وَالمَجُونُand ribaldry
وَبِهَا التَّنَدُّرُ وَالمَجُونُ
Thus it fashions the most eloquent wisdom,
Tools of thoughtful inspiration
and in it are jest and ribaldry.
Its writer is trusted
بَدَوَاتُspontaneous impulses فِكْرٍthought وَحْيُهُits inspiration
بَدَوَاتُ فِكْرٍ وَحْيُهُ
هَادٍguiding وَكَاتِبُهُand its writer أَمِينُAmin
هَادٍ وَكَاتِبُهُ أَمِينُ
Spontaneous stirrings of thought, whose inspiration
guides, and whose writer is Amin.
Partial English translation: 40 of 42 Arabic lines translated.