سلامٌ عليكم طال شوقي إليكم

سلامٌ عليكم طال شوقي إليكم

وقلبي سواكم في البرية ما أحب

وقلبي سواكم في البرية ما أحب

Peace be upon you; long have I yearned for you.

Greetings to you, my longing for you is long

Peace be upon you; long has my yearning for you endured,

And my heart has loved no one in creation but you.

And my heart loves none but you in the desert

And my heart loves none in all creation but you.

سلامٌ يفوق المسك نشر عبيره

سلامٌ يفوق المسك نشر عبيره

يعمّكم والآل يا سادة العرب

يعمّكم والآل يا سادة العرب

A greeting of peace whose wafting fragrance surpasses musk,

Greetings that spread their fragrance more than musk

A greeting that outstrips musk in spreading its fragrance,

Encompassing you and your household, O lords of the Arabs.

May it reach you and your family, O masters of the Arabs

Encompassing you and your kin, O masters of the Arabs.

أتيتكم عبدا لقصد زيارة

أتيتكم عبدا لقصد زيارة

لعلّي أؤدّي ما عليّ لقد وجب

لعلّي أؤدّي ما عليّ لقد وجب

I have come to you as a servant, intent on a visit,

I have come to you as a servant on a visit

I came to you as a humble servant seeking only to visit,

Hoping to fulfill what has indeed become incumbent upon me.

Hoping to fulfill my duty to you, as is proper

Hoping to discharge the duty binding upon me.

فمنوا على العبد الذليل بدعوةٍ

فمنوا على العبد الذليل بدعوةٍ

ينال بها حسن الختام مع الأرب

ينال بها حسن الختام مع الأرب

So favor the lowly servant with a prayer,

So favor this humble servant with a prayer

So bestow upon this abject servant a supplication,

Through which he may attain a good end and his heart's desire.

Through which I may attain a good end after the war

By which he may attain a blessed end and his desire.

وكان مرادي أن ألاقيكم على

وكان مرادي أن ألاقيكم على

بساطٍ عزيز الملك والحرب في نشب

بساطٍ عزيز الملك والحرب في نشب

And it was my wish to meet you upon

My desire was to meet you on

It was my wish to have met you upon

A carpet of sovereign glory, while war was raging.

A noble carpet, mighty in war during its fury

A carpet of mighty dominion while war was ablaze.

وما كان في ظني أرى سيدي كما

وما كان في ظني أرى سيدي كما

رأيت ألا للّه ما تصنع النوب

رأيت ألا للّه ما تصنع النوب

Nor did I think I would see my lord as

I did not expect to see my master as

And never did I imagine I would see my master as

I have seen him—ah, to God belongs what calamities bring about!

I saw, no! By God, what misfortunes bring

I have seen him—ah, to God belongs what calamities wreak.

فصبراً لحكم اللّه راج ثوابه

فصبراً لحكم اللّه راج ثوابه

فإن ثواب اللّه يأتي على التعب

فإن ثواب اللّه يأتي على التعب

So bear God's decree patiently, hoping for His reward,

So patience for the judgment of God which rewards

So patience for God's decree, hoping for His reward,

For indeed, God's reward comes in return for hardship.

For God's reward comes after hardship

For the recompense of God comes in exchange for toil.