قِفوا ساعَةً إِنَّ المُحِبَّ لَهُ عَهدُ

قِفوا ساعَةً إِنَّ المُحِبَّ لَهُ عَهدُ

وَلا تَعجَلوا بِالبَينِ إِن لَم يَكُن بُدُّ

وَلا تَعجَلوا بِالبَينِ إِن لَم يَكُن بُدُّ

Pause a while, for the lover has a bond with you.

Stand a while, for the lover has a pact,

And do not hasten parting, if there is no escape.

And hasten not with separation, if there be no necessity,

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ نَحنُ لِلبَينِ وُقَّفٌ

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ نَحنُ لِلبَينِ وُقَّفٌ

أَما لِلهَوى حَقٌّ وَلا لِلنَوى حَدُّ

أَما لِلهَوى حَقٌّ وَلا لِلنَوى حَدُّ

Must we stand for parting every day?

Are we made every day for separation, while love has rights,

Has love no claim, and separation no limit?

And desire has no limits?

تَرامَت بِنا أَحداثُ دَهرٍ نَروضُها

تَرامَت بِنا أَحداثُ دَهرٍ نَروضُها

فَتَطغى وَنَرجو أَن تَلينَ فَتَشتَدُّ

فَتَطغى وَنَرجو أَن تَلينَ فَتَشتَدُّ

Time's calamities have tossed us about; we strive to tame them,

The vicissitudes of time have tossed us about,

But they rebel; we hope they will soften, yet they grow fiercer.

We tame them, hoping they will relent, but they rage harder,

صَبَرنا لَها حَتّى إِذا ما تَذَأَّبَت

صَبَرنا لَها حَتّى إِذا ما تَذَأَّبَت

عَبَأنا لَها بَأساً تُراعُ لَهُ الأُسدُ

عَبَأنا لَها بَأساً تُراعُ لَهُ الأُسدُ

We bore them patiently until they turned wolfish;

We were patient with them until they became disdainful,

We mustered against them a might before which lions tremble.

Then we confronted them with might that makes the lion tremble.

رَضينا بِبَعضِ الأَمرِ حَتّى إِذا أَبى

رَضينا بِبَعضِ الأَمرِ حَتّى إِذا أَبى

غَضِبنا وَبَعضُ الأَمرِ لَيسَ لَهُ رَدُّ

غَضِبنا وَبَعضُ الأَمرِ لَيسَ لَهُ رَدُّ

We were content with some of what befell us, until it refused to yield;

We were satisfied with some affairs until, when he refused,

We grew angry—and some things admit no turning back.

We were angry, for some affairs cannot be reversed,

غَضِبنا فَباتَ الجَيشُ يَرميهِ بأسُهُ

غَضِبنا فَباتَ الجَيشُ يَرميهِ بأسُهُ

وَباتَ الحُسامُ العَضبُ يَلفِظُهُ الغِمدُ

وَباتَ الحُسامُ العَضبُ يَلفِظُهُ الغِمدُ

We grew angry; all night the army was hurled forward by its valor,

We were angry, so the army assailed him with its valour,

And all night the sheath spat out the keen-edged sword.

And the angry, unsheathed swords rattled forth from their scabbards.

قِفوا ساعَةً إِنَّ القُلوبَ بِحاجَةٍ

قِفوا ساعَةً إِنَّ القُلوبَ بِحاجَةٍ

إِلى وَقفَةٍ يَخفى بِها الوَجدُ أَو يَبدو

إِلى وَقفَةٍ يَخفى بِها الوَجدُ أَو يَبدو

Pause a while, for the hearts are in need

Stand a while, for hearts are in need

Of a pause in which longing is hidden or revealed.

Of a pause in which ecstasy may be concealed or revealed,

وَما وَقفَةٌ مِنكُم وَإِن طالَ حينُها

وَما وَقفَةٌ مِنكُم وَإِن طالَ حينُها

بِشافِيَةٍ ما يُعقِبُ النَأيُ وَالبُعدُ

بِشافِيَةٍ ما يُعقِبُ النَأيُ وَالبُعدُ

And no pause of yours, however long it lasts,

Your pausing, however long, cannot compensate

Can cure what separation and distance leave behind.

For the separation and distance that ensue.

لَنا ذِمَّةٌ فيكُم وَلِلَهِ ذِمَّةٌ

لَنا ذِمَّةٌ فيكُم وَلِلَهِ ذِمَّةٌ

فَسيروا وَإِن أَدمى جَوانِحَنا الوَجدُ

فَسيروا وَإِن أَدمى جَوانِحَنا الوَجدُ

We have a claim upon you, and God has a claim;

We have a pact with you, and God has a pact,

So go forth, even if longing has bloodied our ribs.

So go on, though the pangs rend our bosoms.

أَخَذتُم سَبيلَ اللَهِ تَستَبِقونَهُ

أَخَذتُم سَبيلَ اللَهِ تَستَبِقونَهُ

إِلى غايَةٍ فيها المَثوبَةُ وَالحَمدُ

إِلى غايَةٍ فيها المَثوبَةُ وَالحَمدُ

You have taken God's path, racing one another along it

You have embarked upon God's cause, striving for it

Toward a goal where reward and praise await.

To a goal wherein lie reward and praise.

هُوَ البَرُّ حَتّى يَفتَدي المَرءُ قَومَهُ

هُوَ البَرُّ حَتّى يَفتَدي المَرءُ قَومَهُ

وَحَتّى يُداوي جُرحَ أُمَّتِهِ الفَردُ

وَحَتّى يُداوي جُرحَ أُمَّتِهِ الفَردُ

It is goodness, even to a man's ransoming his people,

Virtue it is, until a man ransoms his people,

And to an individual's healing the wound of his nation.

And heals the wound that rends his community.

وَما العِقدُ إِلّا حَبَّةٌ عِندَ حَبَّةٍ

وَما العِقدُ إِلّا حَبَّةٌ عِندَ حَبَّةٍ

فَإِن لَم يَكُن سلكٌ يَضُمُّ فَلا عِقدُ

فَإِن لَم يَكُن سلكٌ يَضُمُّ فَلا عِقدُ

And a necklace is only a bead beside a bead;

A necklace is but bead next to bead;

So if no thread binds them together, there is no necklace.

If there is no cord to bind them, there is no necklace.

وَأَضيَعُ ما فَوقَ البَسيطَةِ أُمَّةٌ

وَأَضيَعُ ما فَوقَ البَسيطَةِ أُمَّةٌ

يُمَزِّقُها جَهلٌ وَيَأكُلُها حِقدُ

يُمَزِّقُها جَهلٌ وَيَأكُلُها حِقدُ

And most lost of all things on earth is a nation

The most wretched community above the desert plain

That ignorance tears apart and hatred devours.

Is that which ignorance rends and envy consumes.

إِذا أُمَّةٌ كانَت فِضاضاً قُلوبُها

إِذا أُمَّةٌ كانَت فِضاضاً قُلوبُها

تَهَدَّمَ عالِي مَجدِها وَكَبا الجَدُّ

تَهَدَّمَ عالِي مَجدِها وَكَبا الجَدُّ

When a nation's hearts have become scattered fragments,

When a community's hearts are diverse,

The heights of its glory crumble, and fortune stumbles.

The height of its glory falls and adversity prevails.

سَمِعتُم أَنينَ الآخِذينَ عَلى الثَرى

سَمِعتُم أَنينَ الآخِذينَ عَلى الثَرى

مَضاجِعَهُم وَالذئبُ مِن حَولِهِم يَعدو

مَضاجِعَهُم وَالذئبُ مِن حَولِهِم يَعدو

You heard the groans of those who make upon the earth

You have heard the groans of those who clutch the earth

Their beds, while the wolf runs about them.

As their bed, while about them the wolf circles.

فَما مَلَكَ الفَرشُ الوَثيرُ جُنوبَكُم

فَما مَلَكَ الفَرشُ الوَثيرُ جُنوبَكُم

وَلا راعَكُم عَيشٌ لَذيذُ الجَنى رَغدُ

وَلا راعَكُم عَيشٌ لَذيذُ الجَنى رَغدُ

So soft bedding did not hold your sides captive,

The plush couch has no power to hold you back,

Nor did a life of sweet fruits and plenty dazzle you.

Nor a life of ease full of fruit and plenty.

حَرامٌ عَلَينا أَن تَنامَ عُيونُنا

حَرامٌ عَلَينا أَن تَنامَ عُيونُنا

وَثَمَّ عُيونٌ ما يُفارِقُها السُهدُ

وَثَمَّ عُيونٌ ما يُفارِقُها السُهدُ

It is forbidden to us that our eyes should sleep

Unlawful it is for our eyes to sleep

While there are eyes that sleeplessness never leaves.

While there are eyes that the vigil keeps.

فَسيروا عَلى نورِ الهِلالِ يَحوطُكُم

فَسيروا عَلى نورِ الهِلالِ يَحوطُكُم

مِنَ اللَهِ جُندٌ ما يُغالِبُهُ جُندُ

مِنَ اللَهِ جُندٌ ما يُغالِبُهُ جُندُ

So go forth by the crescent's light; guarding you

So fare forth in the light of the crescent, surrounded

Is a host from God that no host can overcome.

By a host of God, that no host can overcome;

وَعودوا إِلى أَوطانِكُم في غَضارَةٍ

وَعودوا إِلى أَوطانِكُم في غَضارَةٍ

مِنَ العَيشِ مَقرونٌ بِها العِزُّ وَالمَجدُ

مِنَ العَيشِ مَقرونٌ بِها العِزُّ وَالمَجدُ

And return to your homelands in the luxuriance

And return to your homelands in splendour,

Of life, with honor and glory joined to it.

Attended by triumph and glory.