يا نهرا سميت بالأصغرين — Maawali Omani

يا نهراً سميتَ بالأصغرين

وأنت أزريتَ على الأصغرِ

O river named al-Asgharayn,

Yet you have put the lesser one to shame.

لو أنصفَ الناسُ جميعاً لما

سمّاك أهلُ الأرضِ بالأصغرِ

Had all people been fair, never would

The people of the earth have called you 'the lesser.'

فطُلْ على أنهارِ كل الوَرَى

من كلِّ أقطارِ القُرَى وافْخَرِ

So tower above the rivers of all humankind,

Throughout every region of the towns, and take pride.

فإنما الفضلُ الجميلُ الذي

يراهُ أهلُ الأرض بالمفخرِ

For noble excellence alone is what

The people of the earth regard as a source of pride.

مالى أرَى الأقرامَ في غفلةٍ

لو أنصفُوا سمّوك بالكَوْثَرِ

Why do I see the noble men in heedlessness?

Had they been fair, they would have called you al-Kawthar.

يا روحَ أرواحٍ بنى آدم

مِن موسر فيهم ومِنْ مُعْسرِ

O soul of the souls of Adam's children,

Of the wealthy among them and of the needy.

يا خيرَ أنهار الورَى كلها

مِن سائر البُلدان والأخضر

O best of all humankind's rivers,

From all the lands and al-Akhdar.

رفعتَ أثمانَك لى تُشترَى

بخلص العِقْيَان والجوهرِ

You have raised your prices for me, to be bought

With pure gold and jewels.

حتى تُرَى فوق العُلا صاعِدَا

محلَّ كيوان أو المشترِى

Until you are seen ascending above the heights,

To the station of Kaywan or Jupiter.

يا سيِّد الأنهار من دارِنا

من كان جاراً لك لم يعسرِ

O lord of the rivers of our homeland,

Whoever is your neighbor never suffers want.

ومن شرى ما أنتَ تسقيه من

نخلٍ ومِن أرضٍ فلم تحسرِ

And whoever sells what you yourself water—

Palm trees and land—you never grow depleted.

قدِّسْتَ من نهرٍ ومن جدولِ

قد فازَ من يشرى ومَنْ يشترى

Hallowed are you, as river and as stream.

Indeed, whoever sells and whoever buys prospers.

إن يخْسر البائعُ ما باعَه

مما سقاهُ يربح المُشترِى

If the seller loses what he has sold

Of what it watered, the buyer profits.

كأنما ماؤك من جنّةٍ

الفردوس أو مِن مِسكها الأذْفر

As though your water came from the garden

Of Paradise, or from its richly fragrant musk.

حلوت طعماً ومذاقاً كما

حَلا مذاقُ الشهد والسُّكَّرِ

You are sweet in flavor and taste, just as

Honey and sugar are sweet to taste.

كأنَّ ماءَ الوَرْدِ قد خولطت

سَلساله من مائِك الأطْهَرِ

As though rosewater had been blended—

Its limpid flow—with some of your purest water.

لولاكَ أمستْ أرضُنا قفرةً

خاليةَ الزرع ولم تُبُذَرِ

Were it not for you, our land would have become barren,

Devoid of crops and left unsown.

ولا حَلاَ فيها لنا منزلٌ

يروقُ في المرْأَى ولا المخبرِ

Nor would a dwelling there have delighted us,

Pleasing in appearance or in its inner character.

وأنتَ ذَا يا أيها الأصغرينِ

بُورِكْتَ من نهرٍ ومنْ جَعْفرِ

And such are you, O al-Asgharayn,

Blessed as river and as flowing stream.

عَسى كما تُصبح لا تأْتلى

تَجْرى بلا كدّ ولم تُزْجرِ

May you never slacken as each morning comes,

Flowing without toil, never held back.

كأنما ماؤك أمدادُه

يُؤْتى بلا كدّ مِن الأبْحُرِ

As though the replenishment of your water

Were brought without toil from the seas.

أنعشك اللهُ بِسُقيا حياً

منهمرِ الأنواءِ مُثْعَنْجِرِ

May God revive you with life-giving rain,

Pouring in seasonal showers, gushing in torrents.

كَىْ تُصْحَ الأرضونَ مخضرّةً

بنبتها المتَّسقِ الأنورِ

So that the lands may thrive, green

With their well-arrayed, radiant vegetation.

فبعضُه مِن أخضرٍ يانعٍ

وبعضُه من أحَمرٍ أحمر

So some of it is lush green,

And some of it is red—deep red;

وبعضُه من يَفَقٍ أبيضٍ

وبعضُه من فاقع أصفرِ

And some of it is brilliant white,

And some of it is vivid yellow.

لا ذُقْتَ نقصا ما هَمَى وابلٌ

ومَا تَلا قارٍ على منبرِ

May you never taste decline, so long as heavy rain pours,

And as long as a reciter recites upon a pulpit.