ماليwhat have I وللنجمand with the star يرعانيit watches over me وأرعاهُand I watch over it
مالي وللنجم يرعاني وأرعاهُ
أمسىbecame at nightfall كلاناboth of us يعافُshuns الغمضَclosing the eyes جفناهُhis two eyelids
أمسى كلانا يعافُ الغمضَ جفناهُ
What have I to do with the star? It watches over me, and I watch over it.
What is it to me if a star watches over me, and I watch over it
At nightfall, both of us have eyelids that shun sleep.
We both end up closing our eyelids in sleep
ليI have فيكَin you ياO ليلُnight آهاتٌsighs أردِّدُهاI repeat them
لي فيكَ يا ليلُ آهاتٌ أردِّدُها
أوَّاهُalas! لوif only أجْدتbrought relief to المحزونَthe sorrowful أواهa cry of 'alas'
أوَّاهُ لو أجْدت المحزونَ أواه
In you, O night, I have sighs I keep repeating.
O night, I have sighs that I repeat to you
Alas! If only an 'alas' could help the sorrowful.
If only I could find the sorrowful one to sigh to
لاdo not تحسبَنِّيthink me محباًa lover يشتكيcomplaining of وَصباًaffliction
لا تحسبَنِّي محباً يشتكي وَصباً
أهْونْhow trifling! بماwith what فيin سبيلthe cause of الحبlove ألقاهI encounter it
أهْونْ بما في سبيل الحب ألقاه
Do not think me a lover complaining of affliction;
Think not that I am a lover complaining of passion
How trifling is what I suffer for love's sake!
The least I can bear in the path of love, I have borne
إنىindeed I تذكرتُremembered والذكرىand remembrance مُؤَرِّقةٌkeeping one sleepless
إنى تذكرتُ والذكرى مُؤَرِّقةٌ
مجداًa glory تليداًancestral بأيديناwith our hands أضعناهwe squandered it
مجداً تليداً بأيدينا أضعناه
Indeed, I remembered—and memory keeps me sleepless—
I remembered and memory is agonizing
An ancestral glory we squandered with our own hands.
A glorious past that we lost with our own hands
ويحَalas for العروبةArab nationhood كانwas الكونُthe universe مسرحهاits stage
ويحَ العروبة كان الكونُ مسرحها
فأصبَحتso it has become تتوارىit hides away فيin زواياهits corners
فأصبَحت تتوارى في زواياه
Alas for the Arab world! The universe was its stage,
Woe to Arabism! The universe was its stage
And now it hides away in its corners.
Now it hides itself in corners
أنَّىwherever اتجهتyou turn إلىtoward الإسلامIslam فيin بلدa land
أنَّى اتجهت إلى الإسلام في بلد
تجدْهُyou find it كالطيرlike a bird مقصوصاًclipped جناحاهits two wings
تجدْهُ كالطير مقصوصاً جناحاه
Wherever you turn toward Islam in any land,
Wherever I turned to Islam in the country
You find it like a bird with both wings clipped.
I found it like a bird whose wings were clipped
كمhow often صرفَتْنَاhas controlled us يدٌa hand كنّاwe used to نصرِّفهاcontrol it
كم صرفَتْنَا يدٌ كنّا نصرِّفها
وباتand has come to be يملكناrules us شعبٌa people ملكناهwe ruled them
وبات يملكنا شعبٌ ملكناه
How often has a hand we once controlled come to control us,
How many times did a hand that we wielded
And a people we once ruled has come to rule us.
Become in the night the hand that rules us
كمhow many بالعراقin Iraq وكمand how many بالهندin India ذوone bearing شجنٍsorrow
كم بالعراق وكم بالهند ذو شجنٍ
شكاlamented فردَّدَتso echoed الأهرامُthe Pyramids شكواهhis lament
شكا فردَّدَت الأهرامُ شكواه
How many a grieving soul in Iraq, how many in India,
How many in Iraq, how many in India cry in sorrow
Has lamented, and the Pyramids echoed his lament!
And the pyramids echo back their laments
بنيsons of العمومةِpaternal uncles إنindeed القُرحَaffliction مسّكمواhas touched you
بني العمومةِ إن القُرحَ مسّكموا
ومسَّناand has touched us نحنwe فيin الآلامsuffering أشباهalike
ومسَّنا نحن في الآلام أشباه
Cousins, indeed affliction has touched you,
O kinsmen, your wounds have pierced you
And it has touched us; in suffering we are alike.
And we their likes suffer from similar pains
ياO أهلpeople of يثربYathrib أدمتmade bleed مُقْلَتَيَّmy two eyes يدٌa hand
يا أهل يثرب أدمت مُقْلَتَيَّ يدٌ
بدريةٌof Badr تسألasks المصريَّthe Egyptian جدواهhis aid
بدريةٌ تسأل المصريَّ جدواه
O people of Yathrib, my two eyes were bloodied by a hand
O people of Yathrib, hands have exhausted my tears
Of Badr, asking the Egyptian for aid.
Asking the Egyptian, has it any worth left?
الدينُthe faith والضادُand the tongue of Ḍād منfrom مغناكمyour abode انبعثاboth sprang forth
الدينُ والضادُ من مغناكم انبعثا
فطبَّقاso both encompassed الشرقَthe East أقصاهits farthest reaches وأدناهand its nearest
فطبَّقا الشرقَ أقصاه وأدناه
The faith and the tongue of Ḍād sprang from your abode,
Religion and the letter ‘dhaad’ were revived in your singing
So they covered the East, its farthest reaches and its nearest.
Pervading East and West, south and north
لسناwe do not نمدّextend لكمto you أيمانناour right hands صلةًas a gift
لسنا نمدّ لكم أيماننا صلةً
لكنماrather هوit دَيْنa debt ماnot قضيناهwe have repaid it
لكنما هو دَيْن ما قضيناه
We do not extend our right hands to you as a gift;
We do not stretch out ties of kinship to you
Rather, it is a debt we have not repaid.
Rather it is a debt we have fulfilled
هلquestion particle كانwas دِيْنthe faith of ابنِthe son of عدنانٍAdnan سوىother than فلقdaybreak
هل كان دِيْن ابنِ عدنانٍ سوى فلق
شقّcleft الوجودexistence وليلُwhile the night of الجهلignorance يغشاهshrouded it
شقّ الوجود وليلُ الجهل يغشاه
Was the faith of Adnan's son anything but a dawn
Was the religion of Ibn ‘Adnaan other than the cleaving
That cleft existence while the night of ignorance shrouded it?
That split existence while the night of ignorance covers it?
هيit is الحنيفةُthe upright monotheistic faith عينُthe eye of اللهGod تكلؤهاguards it
هي الحنيفةُ عينُ الله تكلؤها
فكلماso whenever حاولواthey tried تشويههاto disfigure it شاهواthey became disfigured
فكلما حاولوا تشويهها شاهوا
It is the upright faith; the eye of God guards it,
It is the Hanifiyyah, the eye of God that they tried
So whenever they tried to disfigure it, they themselves became disfigured.
To distort but failed however they endeavored
هلquestion particle تطلبونyou ask منfrom المختارthe Chosen One معجزةًa miracle
هل تطلبون من المختار معجزةً
يكفيهsuffices him شعبٌa people منfrom الأجداثthe graves أحياهhe revived them
يكفيه شعبٌ من الأجداث أحياه
Do you ask the Chosen One for a miracle?
Do you ask the Chosen One for a miracle
Enough for him is a people he raised to life from the graves.
When a nation made from youths he brought back to life suffices?
سنُّواthey established المساواةequality لاno عُرْبٌArabs ولاand no عجَمٌnon-Arabs
سنُّوا المساواة لا عُرْبٌ ولا عجَمٌ
ماno لامرىءfor a person شرفٌhonor إلاexcept بتقواهthrough his piety
ما لامرىء شرفٌ إلا بتقواه
They established equality: no distinction between Arab and non-Arab;
Make equality, not Arab nor foreigner
No man has honor except through his piety.
Man has no honor but through his piety
ياO منyou who رأىsaw عُمراًUmar تكسوهclothes him بردتُهhis mantle
يا من رأى عُمراً تكسوه بردتُه
والزيتُand oil أدْمٌa relish لهfor him والكوخُand the hut مأواهhis abode
والزيتُ أدْمٌ له والكوخُ مأواه
O you who saw Umar clothed in his mantle,
O you who saw ‘Umar rule dressed
With oil as his relish and a hut as his abode,
In his cloak while oil was his unguent and the hut his dwelling
يهتزtrembles كسرىKisra علىon كرسيِّهhis throne فرَقاًin terror
يهتز كسرى على كرسيِّه فرَقاً
منat بأسهhis might وملوكُand the kings of الرومِthe Romans تخشاهfear him
من بأسه وملوكُ الرومِ تخشاه
Kisra trembles on his throne in terror
Khosrau trembled on his throne in dread
At his might, and the Roman kings fear him.
Of his might and the kings of Rome stood in fear of him
استرشدsought guidance الغربُthe West بالماضيfrom the past فأرشدهso it guided it
استرشد الغربُ بالماضي فأرشده
ونحنand we كانthere was لناfor us ماضٍa past نسيناهwe forgot it
ونحن كان لنا ماضٍ نسيناه
The West sought guidance from the past, and the past guided it;
The West took guidance from the past so it guided them
And we too had a past, which we forgot.
While we had a past we forgot
إناindeed we مشَيْناwe walked وَرَاءَbehind الغربthe West نقبسwe draw a spark منfrom
إنا مشَيْنا وَرَاءَ الغرب نقبس من
ضيائهits light فأصابتناso struck us شظاياهits splinters
ضيائه فأصابتنا شظاياه
Indeed, we walked behind the West, drawing a spark from
We walked behind the West, taking sparks of
Its light, only to be struck by its splinters.
Its brilliance, so we were struck by its fragments
باللهby God سلask خلفbeyond بحرthe Sea of الرومthe Romans عنabout عرَبٍArabs
بالله سل خلف بحر الروم عن عرَبٍ
بالأمسyesterday كانواthey were هناhere واليومand today قدalready تاهواthey went astray
بالأمس كانوا هنا واليوم قد تاهوا
By God, ask beyond the Sea of the Romans about Arabs
By God, ask behind the Byzantine sea about Arabs
Who were here yesterday, but today are lost.
Who yesterday were here but today have vanished
فإنand if تراءتْcomes into view لكto you الحمراءthe Alhambra عنfrom كَثَبclose range
فإن تراءتْ لك الحمراء عن كَثَب
فسائلthen ask الصرحَthe palace أينwhere العزglory والجاهand prestige
فسائل الصرحَ أين العز والجاه
And if the Alhambra comes into view close at hand,
If the red (desert) appears before you in person
Then ask the palace: where are glory and prestige?
Then ask the mansion where is their might and glory?
وانزلْand alight in دمشقDamascus وسائلand ask صخرthe stone of مسجدهاits mosque
وانزلْ دمشق وسائل صخر مسجدها
عمنabout the one who بناهbuilt it لعلperhaps الصخرthe stone ينعاهmourns him
عمن بناه لعل الصخر ينعاه
And alight in Damascus, and question the stone of its mosque
And go down to Damascus and ask its rocky mosque
About the one who built it; perhaps the stone will mourn him.
About who built it, perhaps the rock will lament it
وطُفand roam ببغدادthrough Baghdad وابحثand search فيin مقابرهاits cemeteries
وطُف ببغداد وابحث في مقابرها
علَّperhaps أمرأa man منamong بنيthe sons of العباسAbbas تلقاهyou meet him
علَّ أمرأ من بني العباس تلقاه
And roam through Baghdad, and search its cemeteries;
And circle Baghdad and search among its tombs
Perhaps you will meet a man among the sons of Abbas.
Perhaps you will find a man of the Abbasids
هذىthese معالمmonuments خرسٌmute كلُّevery واحدةone
هذى معالم خرسٌ كلُّ واحدة
منهنَّof them قامتhas risen خطيباًas an orator فاغراًopening wide فاهits mouth
منهنَّ قامت خطيباً فاغراً فاه
These are mute monuments; every one
These sites are mute, every single one
Of them has risen as an orator, its mouth agape.
Was a speaker but now is silent, mouth agape
اللهGod يعلمknows ماnot قلَّبتُI pored over سيرتَهُمْtheir history
الله يعلم ما قلَّبتُ سيرتَهُمْ
يوماًon any day وأخطأand missed دمعُthe tears of العينthe eye مجراهtheir course
يوماً وأخطأ دمعُ العين مجراه
God knows I have never pored over their history
God knows how I turned over their history
On any day without the eye's tears running their course.
When tears misdirected their course down my cheek
أينwhere الرشيدal-Rashid وقدand indeed طافcircled الغمامthe clouds بهaround him
أين الرشيد وقد طاف الغمام به
فحينand when جاوزpassed beyond بغداداًBaghdad تحداهhe challenged them
فحين جاوز بغداداً تحداه
Where is al-Rashid? The clouds once circled around him,
Where is the Rashid when the clouds circled him?
And when they passed beyond Baghdad, he challenged them.
When he passed Baghdad he challenged them
ماضٍa past تعيشlive علىupon أنقاضهits ruins أمَمٌnations
ماضٍ تعيش على أنقاضه أمَمٌ
وتستمدُّand draw القوىstrength منfrom وحيthe inspiration of ذكراهits memory
وتستمدُّ القوى من وحي ذكراه
A past upon whose ruins nations live,
Nations live on the ruins of a past
And draw strength from the inspiration of its memory.
And draw strength from commemorating its memory
ماwhat بالis the matter with شملthe unity of شعوبِthe peoples of الضادthe tongue of Ḍād منصدعاًtorn apart
ما بال شمل شعوبِ الضاد منصدعاً
رباهُO my Lord! أدركْrescue شعوبthe peoples of الضادthe tongue of Ḍād رباهO my Lord!
رباهُ أدركْ شعوب الضاد رباه
Why is the union of the peoples of Ḍād torn apart?
Why are the peoples of the letter ‘dhaad’ fragmented?
O my Lord, rescue the peoples of Ḍād—O my Lord!
Lord, make the peoples of the letter ‘dhaad’ prosper!
عهدthe age of الخلافةthe caliphate فيon البسفورthe Bosphorus قدalready درستhave vanished
عهد الخلافة في البسفور قد درست
آثارُهits traces طيبmay he make pleasant الرحمنthe Most Merciful مثواهits resting place
آثارُه طيب الرحمن مثواه
The age of the caliphate on the Bosphorus—gone are
The caliphate on the Bosphorus, its traces have been erased
Its traces; may the Most Merciful make its resting place pleasant.
May the Most Merciful be pleased with its resting place
لاO هُمَّGod! قدalready أصبحتhave become أهواؤناour passions شيعاًfactions
لا هُمَّ قد أصبحت أهواؤنا شيعاً
فامنُنْso bestow favor عليناupon us براعٍwith a shepherd أنتYou ترضاهYou approve of him
فامنُنْ علينا براعٍ أنت ترضاه
O God, our passions have now split into factions;
Our desires are not united but scattered into factions
So favor us with a shepherd with whom You are pleased,
So favor us with a leader you will approve
راعٍa shepherd يعيدrestores إلىto الإسلامIslam سيرتَهُits way of life
راعٍ يعيد إلى الإسلام سيرتَهُ
يرعىtends بنيهits sons وعينُand the eye of اللهGod ترعاهwatches over him
يرعى بنيه وعينُ الله ترعاه
A shepherd who restores to Islam its way of life,
A leader who will restore Islam’s ways
Who watches over its sons, while God's eye watches over him.
Leading his children while God watches over him
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.