بغداد دام أنسها وبشرها

بغداد دام أنسها وبشرها

عاد إليها مجدها وفخرها

عاد إليها مجدها وفخرها

Baghdad—may her joy and gladness endure!

Baghdad, may its intimacy last, and may its good tidings return

Her glory and pride have returned to her.

Its glory and pride have come back to it

من بعد ما كادت وحاشا مجدها

من بعد ما كادت وحاشا مجدها

من الخمول ان يبيد ذكرها

من الخمول ان يبيد ذكرها

After she had nearly—far be it from her glory—

After its glory had nearly faded

Seen her renown perish in obscurity.

And its fame was about to perish from negligence

ولم تزل نحوسها مظلمة

ولم تزل نحوسها مظلمة

حتى اضاء بالسعود بدرها

حتى اضاء بالسعود بدرها

And her ill fortunes remained dark

Its misfortunes had long been dark

Until her full moon shone with good fortune.

Until the full moon of Al Saud illuminated it

واستنهضت احرار صدق نهضت

واستنهضت احرار صدق نهضت

كانها الآساد درّ درّها

كانها الآساد درّ درّها

And she roused true free men, who rose

And the truly free arose with determination

Like lions—how splendid they are!

As if they were roaring lions

فجرّدت عزائماً وشيدت

فجرّدت عزائماً وشيدت

مكارماً يسمو ويعلو قدرها

مكارماً يسمو ويعلو قدرها

So they unsheathed their resolve and built up

They girded their loins and built

Noble deeds whose worth rises and soars.

Nobilities that ascend high and raise its value

فلا تخادع مستبداً نفسه

فلا تخادع مستبداً نفسه

فما يسود اليوم الا حرّها

فما يسود اليوم الا حرّها

So let no despot's own soul deceive him;

So do not let your soul be fooled by a tyrant

For none but her free men rule today.

For none rules today except the free among its people

يا مستبدّ الرأي ولى زمن

يا مستبدّ الرأي ولى زمن

أنت على رغم المعالي صدرها

أنت على رغم المعالي صدرها

O despot in opinion, gone is the age

O you with stubborn opinions, times have changed

When you stood at the head of lofty honors against their will.

Despite grandeur, it sighs heavily

انك معذور إذا رمت العلى

انك معذور إذا رمت العلى

لكنما العلياء كيف عذرها

لكنما العلياء كيف عذرها

You are excused if you seek the heights;

You are excused if you aspire for greatness

But what excuse can high honor have?

But how can the exalted be excused?

لا تبك الا زمناً قد انقضى

لا تبك الا زمناً قد انقضى

بنعمة كان قصيراً عمرها

بنعمة كان قصيراً عمرها

Weep only for a time now past,

Only weep for a time now past

With a blessing whose life was brief.

With bounty that was short-lived

ما شكرتك حاجة قضيتها

ما شكرتك حاجة قضيتها

وكان ابقى لو علمت شكرها

وكان ابقى لو علمت شكرها

No need you fulfilled ever thanked you;

No need of yours have you thanked it for

Yet its gratitude would have endured longer, had you known.

It would have lasted longer had you known thankfulness

ان طباع السوء مذ تقسمت

ان طباع السوء مذ تقسمت

اصبح فيك لؤمها وكبرها

اصبح فيك لؤمها وكبرها

Indeed, since evil traits were apportioned,

Indeed when bad manners spread

Their baseness and arrogance have lodged in you.

Meanness and arrogance filled you

فدع ميادين السباق للألى

فدع ميادين السباق للألى

يحسن فيها جريها وكرّها

يحسن فيها جريها وكرّها

So leave the racing grounds to those

So leave the race courses for the noble

Who run and charge upon them with skill.

Who run well in it, charge and attack

مكاتب قد نظمت قلائداً

مكاتب قد نظمت قلائداً

يزين اجياد الكمال درّها

يزين اجياد الكمال درّها

Schools have been strung as necklaces,

Offices have been organized like necklaces

Their pearls adorning the necks of perfection.

Adorning them are the best of deeds

كأنها الرياض يجنى زهرها

كأنها الرياض يجنى زهرها

كانها الأفلاك تجلى زهرها

كانها الأفلاك تجلى زهرها

As though they were gardens whose blossoms are gathered,

As if they were gardens with flowers harvested

As though they were celestial spheres whose bright stars are unveiled.

Or planets with shining stars

والجعفري المكتب الذي به

والجعفري المكتب الذي به

من العلوم الغرّ ما يسرها

من العلوم الغرّ ما يسرها

And al-Jaʿfari is the school that holds

And the Jafari office where

Illustrious branches of learning that delight her.

The pearls of knowledge delight them

فيه من الاحرار فتية سمت

فيه من الاحرار فتية سمت

همتها وعقلها وفكرها

همتها وعقلها وفكرها

Within it are young free men, lofty

In it are noble youths whose ambitions

In their aspiration, intellect, and thought.

And minds and thoughts are sublime

كل ذكي قبست فكرته

كل ذكي قبست فكرته

نار ذكاء لا يبوخ جمرها

نار ذكاء لا يبوخ جمرها

Each bright youth's thought has drawn a spark from

Every bright mind kindles

A fire of intelligence whose embers never die.

A fire of brilliance that does not die down

قد وطدت اساسه عصابة

قد وطدت اساسه عصابة

موفر عند الاله اجرها

موفر عند الاله اجرها

A group has made its foundation firm;

Its foundations have been laid down by a band

Their reward is abundant with God.

Whose reward is guaranteed by God

لهم إلى بيض المساعي طرب

لهم إلى بيض المساعي طرب

تروقهم نشوتها وسكرها

تروقهم نشوتها وسكرها

They thrill to pure-white endeavors;

To them, the efforts of the righteous are a joy

The rapture and intoxication of those deeds delight them.

Bringing them delight and intoxication

فهم خليقون بكل مدحة

فهم خليقون بكل مدحة

يجلى عليهم نظمها ونثرها

يجلى عليهم نظمها ونثرها

So they are worthy of every tribute,

They deserve every word of praise

Its verse and prose arrayed upon them.

Prose or poetry that reveals their light

هبوا بني الأحرار واغنموا العلى

هبوا بني الأحرار واغنموا العلى

فقد تشوقت إليكم غرّها

فقد تشوقت إليكم غرّها

Arise, sons of the free, and seize high honor!

Rise, O free men, and attain the heights

For its brightest glories have yearned for you.

For its luxury desires you

وفي طلاب العز جدّوا واصبروا

وفي طلاب العز جدّوا واصبروا

ان زعيم الطالبين صبرها

ان زعيم الطالبين صبرها

And in pursuit of glory, strive and persevere;

And in seeking honor, persevere and be patient

For patience in its pursuit is the seekers' guarantor.

For the leader of seekers has patience

فانما الدنيا بعلم وحجى

فانما الدنيا بعلم وحجى

ان فقدا لم يغن شيئا وفرها

ان فقدا لم يغن شيئا وفرها

For worldly life rests only on knowledge and reason;

The world only lasts with knowledge and discourse

If both are lost, its abundance avails nothing.

Without them, nothing else avails or substitutes