ظل الخلافة سابغ ممدود

ظل الخلافة سابغ ممدود

وغديرها عذب الروا مورود

وغديرها عذب الروا مورود

The caliphate's shade is ample and outstretched.

The Caliphate's shadow remained outstretched,

And its pool, sweet to drink from, is frequented.

Its pools were fresh, flowing water.

والدولة الغراء يحمي غابها

والدولة الغراء يحمي غابها

اسد نمته من الملوك اسود

اسد نمته من الملوك اسود

And the radiant state's forest is guarded

The glorious state, its forest is protected

By a lion reared by lions among kings.

By a lion whose growth made him a dark king.

أعلى أمير المؤمنين بناءها

أعلى أمير المؤمنين بناءها

فبناؤها سامي الفروع مشيد

فبناؤها سامي الفروع مشيد

The Commander of the Faithful raised its edifice;

The Commander of the Faithful built its foundations,

So its edifice is firmly built, with lofty branches.

So its building was lofty, established branches.

عيش الرعية في مغاني عدله

عيش الرعية في مغاني عدله

مثل اسمه السامي الكريم حميد

مثل اسمه السامي الكريم حميد

The subjects' life in the abodes of his justice

The lives of the subjects in the pleasures of his justice,

Is praiseworthy, like his lofty, noble name—Hamid.

Were like his noble, generous name, Hamid.

ملكت مهابته القلوب وأذعنت

ملكت مهابته القلوب وأذعنت

خضع الرقاب له الملوك الصيد

خضع الرقاب له الملوك الصيد

His majesty possessed hearts; and in submission yielded

His awe conquered hearts, and necks

The proud kings before him, their necks bowed.

Of kings submitted to him, prey.

ولكم له من نعمة وعوارف

ولكم له من نعمة وعوارف

عند الإله مقامها محمود

عند الإله مقامها محمود

And how many blessings and benefactions are his,

And how many blessings and nobility does he have

Whose standing before God is praiseworthy!

With God, their status is praiseworthy.

دامعت سعادة ملكة في رفعة

دامعت سعادة ملكة في رفعة

لله مقرون بها التأييد

لله مقرون بها التأييد

May the felicity of kingship endure in exaltation,

Long live the Caliphate in loftiness,

With God's support bound to it.

For God, its support is coupled with success.

وسمت به اعضاد دولته ذرى

وسمت به اعضاد دولته ذرى

عز يفوق فما عليه مزيد

عز يفوق فما عليه مزيد

And through him the supporting arms of his state rose to summits

Its pillars were named through his offspring,

Of surpassing glory, with nothing beyond it.

Glory surpassing, so nothing can be added.

هذا المعظم شيخ إسلام الورى

هذا المعظم شيخ إسلام الورى

من فضله بين الأنام فريد

من فضله بين الأنام فريد

This revered man, the Shaykh al-Islam of humankind,

This esteemed Shaykh al-Islam of the world,

Is he whose excellence is peerless among mankind.

Is unique in virtue among people.

بدر العلا بحر الندى طود الحجا

بدر العلا بحر الندى طود الحجا

نجم الهدى علم التقى المقصود

نجم الهدى علم التقى المقصود

Full moon of glory, sea of bounty, mountain of wisdom,

Full moon of knowledge, sea of dew, towering dignity,

Star of guidance, the sought-out banner of piety.

Star of guidance, pillar of piety, the goal.

بحر إذا وردت مناهل علمه

بحر إذا وردت مناهل علمه

احكامها حمد الصدور ورود

احكامها حمد الصدور ورود

An ocean: when you visit the wellsprings of his knowledge

A sea which if the springs of his knowledge are accessed,

To master them, your arrival praises your departure.

Chests praise in bloom.

القى له الاقليد شرع محمد

القى له الاقليد شرع محمد

شرفاً فدام بكفه الاقليد

شرفاً فدام بكفه الاقليد

Muhammad's sacred law handed him the key

He was given the crown of Muhammad’s law,

As an honor, and the key remained in his palm.

An eternal honor held in his grip.

فمضى يشيد بالعلوم عماده

فمضى يشيد بالعلوم عماده

ان العماد قوامه التشييد

ان العماد قوامه التشييد

So he went on raising its pillar through learning;

He continued building the pillars of knowledge,

Indeed, a pillar's stability rests on firm construction.

For pillars are held firm by building.

حسنت سجاياه فهن قلائد

حسنت سجاياه فهن قلائد

في جيد ابكار العلا وعقود

في جيد ابكار العلا وعقود

His qualities are fair: they are necklaces,

His good traits adorned him, like necklaces

And jewelled strands around the necks of glory's maidens.

Around the neck of the lofty, studded with knowledge.

سيف صقيل الشفرتين مهند

سيف صقيل الشفرتين مهند

عضب إذا كل الحديد حديد

عضب إذا كل الحديد حديد

A sword, polished on both edges, of Indian steel,

A polished dual-edged sword, whetted,

Keen-edged and sharp when iron grows blunt.

Steel, as all iron is steel when sharpened.

الله سدد للعدى من رأيه

الله سدد للعدى من رأيه

سهماً أصاب فحبذا التسديد

سهماً أصاب فحبذا التسديد

From his judgment God aimed at the foes

May God steady for the enemy his opinion -

An arrow that struck its mark—how excellent the aim!

An arrow that strikes true, excellent aiming.

متيقظ لا يعتري اجفانه

متيقظ لا يعتري اجفانه

الا غراراً في الظلام هجود

الا غراراً في الظلام هجود

Ever watchful, his eyelids are never overtaken

Wakeful, no drowsiness affects his eyelids,

By sleep in the darkness, except for a fleeting spell.

Except sometimes in darkness, conjectures.

في حل مشكلة ودفع ملمة

في حل مشكلة ودفع ملمة

أو فك عان شفه التسهيد

أو فك عان شفه التسهيد

In resolving a difficulty and warding off a calamity,

In solving a problem and rejecting disasters,

Or freeing a captive, sleeplessness has worn him down.

Or undoing tightness, easing.

مستبشراً يلقى وفود ثنائه

مستبشراً يلقى وفود ثنائه

ومن الثناء على الكرام وفود

ومن الثناء على الكرام وفود

Joyfully he receives the delegations that praise him,

Looking forward, he meets praise’s delegations,

And from praise come delegations to the generous.

And praise of the generous has delegations.

فالوجه روض والسماحة جدول

فالوجه روض والسماحة جدول

طوبى لمن يرد الندى ويرود

طوبى لمن يرد الندى ويرود

So his face is a meadow, and his generosity a stream;

His face is a garden, his generosity a stream,

Blessed is he who comes to that bounty and seeks its pastures.

Blessed is he who visits the dew and makes it flow.

متفرّد جمع النجوم مناقبا

متفرّد جمع النجوم مناقبا

فأبين ان يحصى لهن عديد

فأبين ان يحصى لهن عديد

Peerless, he has gathered the stars as virtues,

Peerless, combining all virtues’ stars,

So they refused to have their number counted.

Yet I see the counting of them has no limit.

يا أيها المولى العظيم ومن له

يا أيها المولى العظيم ومن له

بالفضل يشهد كاشح وحسود

بالفضل يشهد كاشح وحسود

O great lord, you for whom

O Exalted Master, and whoever witnesses

The spiteful and envious bear witness to excellence!

His superiority, envious and resentful.

وكمال فضل أولي المكارم والعلا

وكمال فضل أولي المكارم والعلا

ان العدى لهم بذاك شهود

ان العدى لهم بذاك شهود

And the crowning merit of men of noble deeds and glory

The perfection of the generous and knowledgeable’s merit,

Is that their enemies bear witness to it.

Is that the enemy thus bears witness.

دم سالماً في ظل أسنى دولة

دم سالماً في ظل أسنى دولة

غرّاء طالع سعدها مسعود

غرّاء طالع سعدها مسعود

Remain safe in the shade of the most splendid state,

Live in peace in the shadow of the oldest state,

Radiant, whose rising star of fortune is auspicious.

Its good fortune’s star rose fortunate.

وعليك من نعمى خلافة أحمد

وعليك من نعمى خلافة أحمد

وندى أمير المؤمنين برود

وندى أمير المؤمنين برود

And upon you, from the blessings of Ahmad's caliphate,

And upon you from my blessings, Ahmad’s Caliphate,

And the bounty of the Commander of the Faithful, lie mantles.

And the dew of the Commander of the Faithful is cooling.

تحضى بالطاف وبيض مواهب

تحضى بالطاف وبيض مواهب

في كل شارقة لها تجديد

في كل شارقة لها تجديد

You are favored with kindnesses and shining-white gifts,

You enjoy care and the whites of gifts,

With every rising sun they are renewed.

Each dawn for it has renewal.