ألا مَنْ مبلغٌ عنّي سلامي

ألا مَنْ مبلغٌ عنّي سلامي

رئيساً في العراق على النّظام

رئيساً في العراق على النّظام

Ah, who will carry my greetings from me

Ah, who will convey my greeting on my behalf

Oh you who will convey my greetings

to a leader in Iraq, guardian of order?

To a chief in Iraq, charged with keeping order?

To the president bringing order to Iraq

تحية مخلصٍ بالوُدّ يُبدي

تحية مخلصٍ بالوُدّ يُبدي

صبابةَ ذي فؤاد مستهام

صبابةَ ذي فؤاد مستهام

A sincere man’s salutation, revealing through affection

A greeting from one sincere, who expresses with affection

Sincere salutations of affection I send

the ardor of one with an enamored heart;

The longing of one with a love-stricken heart.

To the spirited one of noble heart

ويبلغه على البعد اشتياقاً

ويبلغه على البعد اشتياقاً

من الداعي إلى الشَّهم الهمام

من الداعي إلى الشَّهم الهمام

and convey to him, across the distance, a longing

And convey to him, despite the distance, longing

And convey to him from afar my yearning

from the supplicant to that gallant, intrepid hero.

From the supplicant to the noble, valiant man.

From one who prays for the magnanimous hero

لقد طلعت فائله علينا

لقد طلعت فائله علينا

طلوع البدر في جنح الظلام

طلوع البدر في جنح الظلام

His auspicious presence has dawned upon us

Indeed, his [virtues?] have risen upon us,

His family has indeed risen over us

like the full moon rising in the depths of darkness.

Like the full moon rising in the gloom of darkness.

Like the rising of the full moon in the darkness of night

سنشكره على ما كانَ منه

سنشكره على ما كانَ منه

كشكر الروض آثار الغمام

كشكر الروض آثار الغمام

We shall thank him for what has come from him

We shall thank him for what he has done,

We will thank him for his past generosity

as the meadow thanks the raincloud’s traces.

As a garden gives thanks for the rainclouds' traces.

As the meadow thanks the traces of rainclouds

وما أسداه من كرم السجايا

وما أسداه من كرم السجايا

وفاءٌ بالمودة والذمام

وفاءٌ بالمودة والذمام

And what his noble character bestowed

And what he has bestowed through his generous nature

And for his overflowing kindness and loyalty

was faithfulness to affection and the bond of honor.

Is fidelity to affection and bonds of honor.

Keeping his word and protecting what is entrusted to him

زهت في ناصر أبيات شعر

زهت في ناصر أبيات شعر

أتَتْ فالمدح من حُرِّ الكلام

أتَتْ فالمدح من حُرِّ الكلام

Verses of poetry about Nasir shone splendidly;

Verses of poetry shone in praise of Nasir;

My poetry has shone in praise of Nasir

they came—for praise springs from noble speech.

They came forth, for praise is of the finest speech.

With words that flowed freely in eulogy

لقد أثنى الرئيسُ بها عليه

لقد أثنى الرئيسُ بها عليه

ثناءً باحترام واحتشام

ثناءً باحترام واحتشام

Through them, the President indeed extolled him

Indeed, the chief praised him with these verses,

The president praised him approvingly

with praise full of respect and reverence.

With praise marked by respect and reverence.

With utmost respect and propriety

تُسَرُّ بها لعمري أولياءٌ

تُسَرُّ بها لعمري أولياءٌ

وتعقد عنه السنة الخصام

وتعقد عنه السنة الخصام

By my life, his friends rejoice in them,

Friends delight in them, by my life,

His friends rejoiced at my words

while adversaries’ tongues are tied against him.

And adversaries' tongues are tied concerning him.

That ended all dispute and contention

وإنَّ الفضل يعرفه ذووه

وإنَّ الفضل يعرفه ذووه

به امتاز الكرام عن اللئام

به امتاز الكرام عن اللئام

Indeed, merit is recognized by those who possess it;

And merit is recognized by those who possess it;

His merit is acknowledged by his peers

through it the noble are distinguished from the base.

By it, the noble are distinguished from the base.

The generous stand out from the mean

رآه مدحت الدنيا حُساماً

رآه مدحت الدنيا حُساماً

وقد يغنيه عن حمل الحسام

وقد يغنيه عن حمل الحسام

Midhat of the World regarded him as a sword,

The world's Midhat saw him as a sword,

My praise made him a sword of the world

and he may thereby spare him from carrying a sword.

And he may spare him the need to carry a sword.

Rendering needless the bearing of arms

فقدَّمه المشيرُ ليوم بُؤسٍ

فقدَّمه المشيرُ ليوم بُؤسٍ

يقدُّ من الخوارج كل هام

يقدُّ من الخوارج كل هام

So the marshal sent him forward for a day of calamity,

So the marshal put him forward for a day of hardship,

The counselor introduced him in days of woe

to cleave every head among the rebels.

To cleave every head among the rebels.

To face the reckless attacking rebels

فيا لله من والٍ مشيرٍ

فيا لله من والٍ مشيرٍ

عظيم الشأن عالي القدر سامي

عظيم الشأن عالي القدر سامي

By God, what a governor, what a marshal—

So, O God, what a governor and marshal!

O Lord, what a counselor and minister

great in stature, lofty in rank, sublime!

Great in standing, high in rank, exalted.

Great of stature, high of rank, lofty of position

لئن باهَتْ به الزوراء أرْبَتْ

لئن باهَتْ به الزوراء أرْبَتْ

بهمته على حلب وشام

بهمته على حلب وشام

If Baghdad boasts of him, it has surpassed,

If indeed al-Zawra boasts of him, she has surpassed

Zawra' shone because of him

through his resolve, Aleppo and Damascus.

Aleppo and Sham through his resolve.

And his resolve lifted Aleppo and Damascus

إذ انتظم العراقُ به فأضحى

إذ انتظم العراقُ به فأضحى

يفاخرُ غيرَه بالانتظام

يفاخرُ غيرَه بالانتظام

For through him Iraq was set in order, and so came

For Iraq was set in order through him, and now

Iraq gained order through him

to vie proudly with all others in orderliness.

Boasts to others of its orderly state.

Boasting over others of its organization

ودمَّر بالصوارم مفسديها

ودمَّر بالصوارم مفسديها

وأوْرَدهم بها وِرْدَ الحمام

وأوْرَدهم بها وِرْدَ الحمام

With swords he destroyed its corrupters

And with sharp swords he destroyed its corrupters,

He destroyed its corrupters with swords

and, with those blades, brought them to death’s watering place.

And with those swords made them drink the draught of death.

And made them enter the fate of doves

ومدَّ إلى الحَسا كفًّا فطالت

ومدَّ إلى الحَسا كفًّا فطالت

ونال بطولها صعب المرام

ونال بطولها صعب المرام

He stretched out a hand to al-Hasa, and it reached far,

And he stretched a hand toward al-Hasa, and it reached far,

He stretched out a victorious hand to Hasa

and by its long reach attained the difficult aim.

And by its reach won what was hard to attain.

Attaining through its length the difficult goal

رمى من بالعراق عُصاةَ نجدٍ

رمى من بالعراق عُصاةَ نجدٍ

وزيرٌ ما رمى مرماه رامي

وزيرٌ ما رمى مرماه رامي

He struck those in Iraq—the rebels of Najd—

He who was in Iraq shot at the rebels of Najd—

He struck the Najd rebels violating Iraq

a vizier whose mark no marksman ever matched.

A vizier whose mark no marksman ever hit.

A minister whose throw hits the target

وأدّى خِدمة عَظُمَتْ وجَلَّتْ

وأدّى خِدمة عَظُمَتْ وجَلَّتْ

بهمته لسلطان الأنام

بهمته لسلطان الأنام

And he rendered a service mighty and exalted,

And he rendered a service both great and glorious,

He performed a magnificent, glorious service

through his resolve, to the Sultan of humankind.

Through his resolve, for the sovereign of mankind.

With his resolve, for the Sultan of Mankind