بَدرُ السَماءِ أَقَرَّ بِالأَمسِ

بَدرُ السَماءِ أَقَرَّ بِالأَمسِ

أَنَّ الضِياءَ لَهُ مِنَ الشَمسِ

أَنَّ الضِياءَ لَهُ مِنَ الشَمسِ

The full moon of heaven admitted yesterday

The full moon of heaven acknowledged yesterday

that its radiance comes from the sun.

That its light comes from the sun.

وَكَذا بدورُ الأَرضِ أَن سَنا

وَكَذا بدورُ الأَرضِ أَن سَنا

أَنوارُها قَبستهُ مِن شَمسِ

أَنوارُها قَبستهُ مِن شَمسِ

So too the full moons of earth confess that the splendor

And likewise earth's full moons acknowledged that the radiance

of their lights was borrowed from a sun:

Of their lights was borrowed from a sun:

مَولى سَليل عُلاً أَرومَتِهِ

مَولى سَليل عُلاً أَرومَتِهِ

تُعزى لِخالِد سَيِّدِ الأَوسِ

تُعزى لِخالِد سَيِّدِ الأَوسِ

a lord, a scion of exalted stock, whose lineage

A lord, a scion of nobility, whose lineage

is traced to Khalid, master of the Aws—

Is traced to Khalid, chief of the Aws,

نَجلُ الوَليدِ الشَهمِ زِيدَ سناً

نَجلُ الوَليدِ الشَهمِ زِيدَ سناً

وَزكي جَنى مِن ذَلِكَ الغَرسِ

وَزكي جَنى مِن ذَلِكَ الغَرسِ

son of the valiant al-Walid. May he increase in splendor

The son of valiant al-Walid—may his radiance increase—

and reap pure fruit from that planting.

And a pure fruit of that planting.

صَحِبَ النَبيَّ وَفي الهُدى أَوَد

صَحِبَ النَبيَّ وَفي الهُدى أَوَد

حَتّى اِستَقامَ بِهِ عَلى أُسِّ

حَتّى اِستَقامَ بِهِ عَلى أُسِّ

He accompanied the Prophet when right guidance was bent,

He accompanied the Prophet while guidance was bent,

until through him it stood straight upon a firm foundation.

Until through him it stood upright on a foundation.

مِن أَجلِ ذاكَ اِختارَ صُحبَتَهُ

مِن أَجلِ ذاكَ اِختارَ صُحبَتَهُ

وَاِختَصَّهُ لِمَجالِسِ الأُنسِ

وَاِختَصَّهُ لِمَجالِسِ الأُنسِ

For that reason, he chose his companionship

For that reason his companionship was chosen,

and singled him out for intimate gatherings.

And he was singled out for intimate gatherings,

ظِلُّ الإِلَهِ مُرادُ مِن خَشِيَت

ظِلُّ الإِلَهِ مُرادُ مِن خَشِيَت

مِنهُ مُلوكُ الرُومِ وَالفُرسِ

مِنهُ مُلوكُ الرُومِ وَالفُرسِ

God’s shadow, Murad, is one whom

By God's shadow, Murad, whom

the kings of Rome and Persia feared.

The kings of Rum and Persia feared.

لا زالَ رَبُّ العَرشِ يَكلَؤُهُ

لا زالَ رَبُّ العَرشِ يَكلَؤُهُ

بِالنُورِ وَالفُرقان وَالشَمسِ

بِالنُورِ وَالفُرقان وَالشَمسِ

May the Lord of the Throne forever guard him

May the Lord of the Throne ever guard him

by the Light, the Criterion, and the Sun.

With the Light, the Criterion, and the Sun,

وَكَذاكَ ظِلُّ اللَهِ وَالِدهُ

وَكَذاكَ ظِلُّ اللَهِ وَالِدهُ

أَعني سَلِيمَ الطَبعِ وَالنَفسِ

أَعني سَلِيمَ الطَبعِ وَالنَفسِ

And likewise his father, God’s shadow—

And likewise God's shadow, his father—

I mean Selim, sound in nature and soul.

I mean Selim, sound in disposition and soul.

صَبَّ الإِلَهُ عَلى ثَراهُ حَياً

صَبَّ الإِلَهُ عَلى ثَراهُ حَياً

وَسَقاه كَوثَرَ جَنّة القُدسِ

وَسَقاه كَوثَرَ جَنّة القُدسِ

May God pour life-giving rain upon his grave

May God pour life-giving rain upon his grave,

and give him drink from Kawthar in the holy Garden.

And give him Kawthar of the holy garden to drink,

وَأَتَمّ نِعمَتُهُ عَلَيكَ بِما

وَأَتَمّ نِعمَتُهُ عَلَيكَ بِما

أَعطاكَه ذُو العَرش وَالكُرسي

أَعطاكَه ذُو العَرش وَالكُرسي

And may He perfect His blessing upon you through what

And perfect His blessing upon you through what

the Lord of the Throne and the Footstool has granted you.

The Lord of the Throne and the Seat has bestowed upon you.

يا مَن دَقيقُ صِفات مِدحَتِه

يا مَن دَقيقُ صِفات مِدحَتِه

جَلَّت عَنِ الأَفكارِ وَالحَدسِ

جَلَّت عَنِ الأَفكارِ وَالحَدسِ

O you, the subtle qualities worthy of praising you

O you, the subtle qualities of whose praise

transcend all thought and intuition.

Transcend thought and conjecture:

قَد حَجَّ بابَكَ وَهوَ كَعبَتُهُ

قَد حَجَّ بابَكَ وَهوَ كَعبَتُهُ

دَرويش فَضلِك راجياً أَمسِ

دَرويش فَضلِك راجياً أَمسِ

A dervish has made pilgrimage to your door, his Kaaba,

Indeed, your door—his Kaaba—was visited on pilgrimage

hoping yesterday for your bounty.

Yesterday by a dervish hoping for your bounty.

لَفظَتهُ أَقطارُ البِلاد إِلى

لَفظَتهُ أَقطارُ البِلاد إِلى

رَحب المباءَةِ لَيسَ بِالنكسِ

رَحب المباءَةِ لَيسَ بِالنكسِ

The farthest regions of the land cast him forth toward

The regions of the lands cast him out toward

a spacious abode—not as one abased.

One whose dwelling is spacious, no base fellow.

لا زِلتَ في نِعَمٍ مُخَلَّدَةٍ

لا زِلتَ في نِعَمٍ مُخَلَّدَةٍ

تَغدُو وَتُصبِح مِثلَ ما تُمسي

تَغدُو وَتُصبِح مِثلَ ما تُمسي

May you ever remain amid everlasting blessings,

May you ever remain in everlasting blessings,

going forth at dawn and waking as blessed as at evening,

Going forth at dawn and greeting morning as you greet evening.

بِمُحَمَّدٍ خَيرِ البَريَّةِ مَن

بِمُحَمَّدٍ خَيرِ البَريَّةِ مَن

نَطَقَ الصَواب وَآلِهِ الحُمسِ

نَطَقَ الصَواب وَآلِهِ الحُمسِ

by Muhammad, the best of all creation, who

By Muhammad, the best of creation, who

spoke the truth, and by his valiant family—

Spoke what is right, and by his steadfast family,

ما حَنَّ لِلوَطَن الغَريبُ وَما

ما حَنَّ لِلوَطَن الغَريبُ وَما

غَنّى حَمامٌ طَيّبَ الجَرسِ

غَنّى حَمامٌ طَيّبَ الجَرسِ

as long as the stranger yearns for home, and as long as

As long as the stranger yearns for his homeland, and as long as

a sweet-voiced dove sings.

Sweet-voiced doves sing.