لَكَfor you ياO خَليلُKhalil مِنَin القُلوبِthe hearts مَكانٌa place
لَكَ يا خَليلُ مِنَ القُلوبِ مَكانٌ
هُوَit فَوقَabove ماthat which بِسَمائِهِin its heaven كيوانُKaywan (Saturn)
هُوَ فَوقَ ما بِسَمائِهِ كيوانُ
You, O Khalil, have a place in hearts,
You have a place in hearts, O Khalil,
higher than the heaven that holds Kaywan.
That is above all that the heavens contain,
لَمdid not يَختَلِفdisagree أَحَدٌanyone عَلَيكَabout you كَأَنَّماas though
لَم يَختَلِف أَحَدٌ عَلَيكَ كَأَنَّما
لَكَfor you كُلُّall أَربابِpossessors النُهىunderstanding خِلّانُclose friends
لَكَ كُلُّ أَربابِ النُهى خِلّانُ
No one has disagreed about you, as though
No one differs about you, as if
all people of understanding were your close friends.
All the experts of law are your allies,
كُلُّall الخَواطِرِthe thoughts فيin وَلائِكَdevotion to you خاطِرُone thought
كُلُّ الخَواطِرِ في وَلائِكَ خاطِرُ
وَجَميعُand all أَلسُنِtongues عارِفيكَthose who know you لِسانُone tongue
وَجَميعُ أَلسُنِ عارِفيكَ لِسانُ
All thoughts are one thought in devotion to you,
All thoughts revolve around your loyalty,
and all the tongues of those who know you are one tongue.
And all the tongues of those who know you are one tongue,
وَيَرىand one sees التَكَلُّفَaffectation فيin سِواكَothers besides you وَإِنَّماbut only
وَيَرى التَكَلُّفَ في سِواكَ وَإِنَّما
شَرَعٌalike عَلَيكَtoward you السِرُّthe private وَالإِعلانُand the public declaration
شَرَعٌ عَلَيكَ السِرُّ وَالإِعلانُ
And one sees affectation in others; for you alone,
Affectation is seen in anyone other than you,
the private and the public are alike.
For you are the secret and the proclamation.
يَكفيكَsuffices for you ماwhat lies بَينَamong العَناصِرِthe communities أَنَّكَthat you are الthe
يَكفيكَ ما بَينَ العَناصِرِ أَنَّكَ ال
وَطَنيpatriot لاno بِغَضٍّhatred وَلاnor شَنَآنُrancor
وَطَني لا بِغَضٍّ وَلا شَنَآنُ
It is enough for you, among the communities, that you are the
It suffices you what is between the elements that you are
patriot, with neither hatred nor rancor.
My homeland, with no hatred or enmity,
عَجَباًhow wondrous لَهُfor it جَمعُgathering القُلوبِthe hearts عَلىin الوَلاdevotion
عَجَباً لَهُ جَمعُ القُلوبِ عَلى الوَلا
قَلَمٌa pen بِكَفِّكَin your hand ساحِرٌenchanting فَتّانُcaptivating
قَلَمٌ بِكَفِّكَ ساحِرٌ فَتّانُ
How wondrous its gathering of hearts in devotion—
Marvelously, hearts are united in loyalty to you,
a pen in your hand, enchanting and captivating!
Your pen in your hand is a charming sorcerer,
وَإِذاand when تَجَرَّدَis drawn لِلنِضالِfor battle فَإِنَّهُthen indeed it is
وَإِذا تَجَرَّدَ لِلنِضالِ فَإِنَّهُ
لِأَعَزُّsurely the mightiest ماthat which نَصَرتَyou aided بِهِwith it الأَوطانُthe homelands
لِأَعَزُّ ما نَصَرتَ بِهِ الأَوطانُ
And when it is drawn for battle, it is
And when it is stripped for battle, it is
surely the mightiest means with which you have aided homelands.
The strongest thing you supported the nations with,
هَيهاتَfar from possible يَبلُغattains شَأوَthe extent فَتكِكَyour deadly onslaught بِالعِدىagainst the foes
هَيهاتَ يَبلُغ شَأوَ فَتكِكَ بِالعِدى
مَنhe who فيin يَدَيهِhis two hands صارِمٌa keen sword وَسِنانُand a spearhead
مَن في يَدَيهِ صارِمٌ وَسِنانُ
Far from matching your deadly prowess against foes
Alas! None can match your deadly blows against the enemy,
is he whose hands hold a keen sword and spearhead.
Whoever has a sword and blades in his hands.
قَدindeed زينَhas been adorned الأَدَبُthe literary gift الَّذيwhich أوتيتَهُyou were given it
قَد زينَ الأَدَبُ الَّذي أوتيتَهُ
جَماgreatly أَنِthat الأَخلاقَthe character traits فيكَin you حِسانُbeautiful
جَما أَنِ الأَخلاقَ فيكَ حِسانُ
The literary gift bestowed upon you has been adorned
Literature you were given has adorned
greatly by the beauty of your character.
The beauty of morals that are good in you,
وَوَفاءٌand loyalty طَبَعَinnate nature ماnot تَخلِفُyou fail عَنin regard to أَخٍa brother
وَوَفاءٌ طَبَعَ ما تَخلِفُ عَن أَخٍ
وَزَمانُناand our age إِخوانُهُits brothers خُوّانُbetrayers
وَزَمانُنا إِخوانُهُ خُوّانُ
And loyalty is your nature: you never fail a brother,
And loyalty inherent in what you leave for a brother,
though the brothers of our age are betrayers.
While our time’s brethren are treacherous.
تَاللَهِby God فيon الأَجيادِthe necks مِنكَfrom you قَلائِدُnecklaces
تَاللَهِ في الأَجيادِ مِنكَ قَلائِدُ
غَرَّradiant وَفيand in الآذانِthe ears مِنكَfrom you جُمانُpearls
غَرَّ وَفي الآذانِ مِنكَ جُمانُ
By God, necks bear necklaces from you,
By God, you have necklaces in generosity,
radiant ones, and ears bear pearls from you.
Bangles in ears, and rings from you.
لَوif جِئتَyou had come فيin عَصرَthe age القَريضِpoetry لَماwould not have عَلَتrisen
لَو جِئتَ في عَصرَ القَريضِ لَما عَلَت
يَوماًever بِنابِغَةٍthrough Nabighah لَهاits own ذِبيانُDhubyan
يَوماً بِنابِغَةٍ لَها ذِبيانُ
Had you come in the age of verse, never would
If you came in the era of poets, never would
Dhubyan ever have won renown through its Nabighah.
Naabighah rise one day with her fortresses.
وَلَئِنand even if عَداكَpassed you by مَوازِنوكَthose weighing you فَكَمthen how many فَتىًa youth
وَلَئِن عَداكَ مَوازِنوكَ فَكَم فَتىً
مُذsince خَفَّbecame lighter عَنكَthan you عَلاrose بِهِwith him الميزانُthe scales
مُذ خَفَّ عَنكَ عَلا بِهِ الميزانُ
And though those weighing you have passed you by, how many a youth
And if your rivals war against you, how many a man
has risen on the scales since weighing less than you!
Has risen high since the scales tilted away from you.
أَوor كانَتِwere الدُنياthe world قُسوسَpriests فَصاحَةٍeloquence
أَو كانَتِ الدُنيا قُسوسَ فَصاحَةٍ
بِحَذاbeside عُكاظٍUkaz فَإِنَّكَthen indeed you are المَطرانُthe archbishop
بِحَذا عُكاظٍ فَإِنَّكَ المَطرانُ
Or, were the world a priesthood of eloquence,
Or if the world were judges of poor eloquence,
beside Ukaz, you would be the archbishop.
You are the rain for the orators of Okaz.