إنif عُدتَyou return عادَreturns إلىto النُّفوسِthe souls سُرورُjoy
إن عُدتَ عادَ إلى النُّفوسِ سُرورُ
أوor غِبتَyou are absent عَنَّاfrom us فالحَياةُthen life ثُبورُruin
أو غِبتَ عَنَّا فالحَياةُ ثُبورُ
If you return, joy returns to souls.
If you return, joy returns to souls,
Or if you are absent from us, life is ruin.
Or if you are absent from us, life becomes desolate.
إنِّيindeed I لأشكُرُI certainly thank فَضلَكُمyour generosity صَنيعَكُمyour kindness
إنِّي لأشكُرُ فَضلَكُم صَنيعَكُم
والفَضلُand the generosity مِنكُمfrom you دائماًalways مَشكُورُgratefully acknowledged
والفَضلُ مِنكُم دائماً مَشكُورُ
I am indeed grateful for your generosity and your kindness.
I thank your grace, your favor,
And your generosity is always gratefully acknowledged.
And favor from you is always appreciated.
لاnot تُشرِقُshines الدنياthe world وتُبهِجُand gladdens طَلعَةًa face
لا تُشرِقُ الدنيا وتُبهِجُ طَلعَةً
إنif لمnot يُضِئهاilluminates it مِنfrom وُجودِكَyour presence نُورُa light
إن لم يُضِئها مِن وُجودِكَ نُورُ
The world neither shines nor gladdens any face,
The world does not shine and delight a sunrise,
Unless a light from your presence illuminates it.
Unless it is illuminated by the light of your existence.
مُراكشٌMarrakesh قدalready أظلَمَتhas grown dark منbecause of بُعدِكُمyour being far away
مُراكشٌ قد أظلَمَت من بُعدِكُم
والكَونُand the universe يُظلِمُgrows dark إذwhen تَغيبُdisappear بُدورُfull moons
والكَونُ يُظلِمُ إذ تَغيبُ بُدورُ
Marrakesh has grown dark because you are far away.
Marrakech grew dark after you left,
And the universe darkens when full moons disappear.
And the universe darkens when its full moons set.
عادتreturned إلىto جِسميmy body حياةٌlife فارقَتhad departed
عادت إلى جِسمي حياةٌ فارقَت
فكأنَّماso it is as though أنَاI ميِّتٌa dead person مَنشورُresurrected
فكأنَّما أنَا ميِّتٌ مَنشورُ
Life that had departed has returned to my body,
Life that had left my body returned to it,
So it is as though I were a dead man resurrected.
As if I, dead, came back to life.
لكنَّbut نَجلَكyour son كانwas نُوراًa light مُشرِقاradiant
لكنَّ نَجلَك كان نُوراً مُشرِقا
والنَّيراتُand the luminaries تُنيرُshine حينwhen تَسيرُthey move
والنَّيراتُ تُنيرُ حين تَسيرُ
But your son was a radiant light,
But your son was a shining light,
And the luminaries shine as they move.
And the lamps give light when they move.
قَسَماًI swear لقدindeed حاكىhe emulated جميلَfine خِصالِكُمyour qualities
قَسَماً لقد حاكى جميلَ خِصالِكُم
إنِّيindeed I بهof him وحيَاتِكُمby your life لَفَخورُtruly proud
إنِّي به وحيَاتِكُم لَفَخورُ
I swear, he has indeed emulated your fine qualities.
I swear he resembled your beautiful traits-
Indeed, by your life, I am truly proud of him.
I, by him and your lives, am proud.