هَتفَ البشيرُ به وحَانَ الحينُ

هَتفَ البشيرُ به وحَانَ الحينُ

فأَضاءَ وَجهٌ واسْتنارَ جَبينُ

فأَضاءَ وَجهٌ واسْتنارَ جَبينُ

The herald hailed him, and the hour came.

The herald proclaimed it and the time had come,

So a face shone, and a brow grew radiant.

A face lit up and a forehead shone bright,

وبَدَتْ مواكبُه حِساناً طلقةً

وبَدَتْ مواكبُه حِساناً طلقةً

فَشَدا اللّهيفُ وغَرَّدَ المحزونُ

فَشَدا اللّهيفُ وغَرَّدَ المحزونُ

And his processions appeared, beautiful and cheerful.

His processions appeared beautiful and radiant,

So the anguished one sang, and the sorrowful one warbled.

The hearts fluttered and the grieved sang.

وَيحِي أأنتَ انْشقَّ قَبرُك وانْقَضى

وَيحِي أأنتَ انْشقَّ قَبرُك وانْقَضى

عَبَثُ الخُطوبِ ورأيُها المأفونُ

عَبَثُ الخُطوبِ ورأيُها المأفونُ

Alas for me! Is it you? Your grave has split open, and gone are

Oh you, did your grave burst open and trials cease?

the mischief of calamities and their witless counsel.

The nonsense of ordeals and their buried thoughts?

إن غِبْتَ عن نَظرِ العُيونِ هُنيهةً

إن غِبْتَ عن نَظرِ العُيونِ هُنيهةً

فَقلوبُنا الحرَّى عليكَ عُيونُ

فَقلوبُنا الحرَّى عليكَ عُيونُ

If you were absent from the sight of eyes for a little while,

If you were absent from sights for a little while

then our burning hearts are eyes watching over you.

Our ardent hearts were eyes gazing upon you.

ماذا تَظنُّ بِكَ البلادُ وأهلُها

ماذا تَظنُّ بِكَ البلادُ وأهلُها

تلك القيامةُ لو يكون يقينُ

تلك القيامةُ لو يكون يقينُ

What do the country and its people think of you?

What do the countries and its people think of you?

That is the Resurrection—if only there were certainty!

That resurrection, if only it were a certainty!

مَن أطلقَ الأفكارَ من أوهامِها

مَن أطلقَ الأفكارَ من أوهامِها

أَيَظلُّ طُولَ الدّهرِ وَهْوَ سجينُ

أَيَظلُّ طُولَ الدّهرِ وَهْوَ سجينُ

He who freed thoughts from their delusions—

Who unleashed ideas from their imaginations?

is he to remain a prisoner for all time?

Will it remain for ages while still imprisoned?

أوَلَمْ يقولوا مِحنةٌ حاقَتْ بنا

أوَلَمْ يقولوا مِحنةٌ حاقَتْ بنا

هَيهاتَ يكشُفها فتىً مَفتونُ

هَيهاتَ يكشُفها فتىً مَفتونُ

And did they not say, "A calamity has befallen us;

Did they not say, “A tribulation has befallen us,

a deluded youth could never dispel it!

Alas! No enamored youth can dispel it.”

أَلَهُ جُنودٌ حوله محشودةٌ

أَلَهُ جُنودٌ حوله محشودةٌ

وبَوارجٌ مَبثوثةٌ وسَفِين

وبَوارجٌ مَبثوثةٌ وسَفِين

Has he soldiers mustered around him,

Does he have armies gathered around him?

and battleships deployed, and ships?"

And ships dispersed and sailing?

هذا الذي بَعثَ الشُّعورَ وبَثَّهُ

هذا الذي بَعثَ الشُّعورَ وبَثَّهُ

مِلءَ الكنانةِ والشُّعورُ دَفينُ

مِلءَ الكنانةِ والشُّعورُ دَفينُ

This is he who awakened feeling and spread it

It is he who aroused feelings and scattered them

throughout al-Kinana, while feeling lay buried.

Filling the quivers while feelings lay dormant.

نَادَى بلادِي فَاسْتجابتْ أُمّةٌ

نَادَى بلادِي فَاسْتجابتْ أُمّةٌ

ليست بغيرِ هَوى البلادِ تدينُ

ليست بغيرِ هَوى البلادِ تدينُ

He called to my country, and a nation answered,

He called my country and a nation responded

one that professes no faith but love of country.

Not swayed except by the country’s passion.

تبغي الحياةَ عزيزةً ويَغيظُها

تبغي الحياةَ عزيزةً ويَغيظُها

أن يُستباحَ من اللّيوثِ عَرينُ

أن يُستباحَ من اللّيوثِ عَرينُ

It seeks a life of dignity, and is enraged

It seeks life, honorable, and is angered

that a den of lions should be violated.

That its lair be violated by the lions.

أَبَتِ القُعودَ مع الخوالفِ بعدما

أَبَتِ القُعودَ مع الخوالفِ بعدما

أَخذَ اللّواءَ القائدُ الميمونُ

أَخذَ اللّواءَ القائدُ الميمونُ

It refused to sit idle with those who stayed behind, after

It refused to sit with the dissenters after

the blessed commander took up the banner.

The blessed leader took up the banner.

ومَضَتْ تذودُ اليأسَ عن آمالها

ومَضَتْ تذودُ اليأسَ عن آمالها

وتُعلِّمُ الأحداثَ كيف تلينُ

وتُعلِّمُ الأحداثَ كيف تلينُ

And it pressed on, driving despair from its hopes,

It went to ward off despair from its hopes

and teaching misfortunes how to yield.

And teach events how to be gentle.

هذا الذي شَرعَ الجهادَ لِقومِه

هذا الذي شَرعَ الجهادَ لِقومِه

فَهَدى الكتائبَ نهجُه المسنونُ

فَهَدى الكتائبَ نهجُه المسنونُ

This is he who instituted the struggle for his people,

It is he who paved the path of strife for his people,

so his established path guided the battalions.

Guiding the regiments in his blessed path.

إنّ المُضلَّلَ في الحياةِ لَمن يَرَى

إنّ المُضلَّلَ في الحياةِ لَمن يَرَى

أن الحياةَ وَساوِسٌ وظُنونُ

أن الحياةَ وَساوِسٌ وظُنونُ

Truly, the misguided one in life is he who believes

The one misguided in life is he who sees

that life is misgivings and conjectures.

That life is merely whims and notions.

هيَ ما رأيتَ فكلُّ شيءٍ دونها

هيَ ما رأيتَ فكلُّ شيءٍ دونها

إن كنتَ تكرَهُ أن تضامَ يَهونُ

إن كنتَ تكرَهُ أن تضامَ يَهونُ

It is what you have seen; all else beside it,

It is what you saw, everything else besides it,

if you hate to be wronged, counts for little.

If you disdain being unjustly subjugated.

إنّا وَفَيْنا للبلادِ فلم نَخُنْ

إنّا وَفَيْنا للبلادِ فلم نَخُنْ

والدّهرُ يَظلِمُ والخُطوبُ تَخونُ

والدّهرُ يَظلِمُ والخُطوبُ تَخونُ

We have indeed kept faith with the country and have not betrayed it,

We kept faith with the country and did not betray,

while time is unjust and calamities betray.

While time is unjust and tribulations treacherous.

نَسخُو بأَنفُسِنا نُريدُ حياتها

نَسخُو بأَنفُسِنا نُريدُ حياتها

إنْ صَدَّ هَيّابٌ وكفَّ ضنينُ

إنْ صَدَّ هَيّابٌ وكفَّ ضنينُ

We give our lives freely, seeking its life,

With our own lives we desire its life,

even if a coward turns away and a miser holds back.

If a yelling warrior or biting snake deters.