الملك عندك تستوي أقوامُهُ

الملك عندك تستوي أقوامُهُ

والدهر فيك تنافست أيامُهُ

والدهر فيك تنافست أيامُهُ

Under you, the peoples of the realm are equal.

The king, in you his people find equal;

And time's days have vied with one another over you.

And time, through you, competes its days.

أنت الذي نفع البلاد سلامه

أنت الذي نفع البلاد سلامه

بعد الذي ضر البلاد خصامه

بعد الذي ضر البلاد خصامه

You are he whose peace has benefited the land,

You who brought the land wellness with your peace,

after one whose strife had harmed the land.

After the one who brought the land harm with his feud.

الليل في التدبير لست تنامه

الليل في التدبير لست تنامه

وبغير رأيك لا يضيىء ظلامه

وبغير رأيك لا يضيىء ظلامه

You do not sleep through the night, intent on planning,

At night you do not sleep in your judgment,

and without your judgment its darkness does not brighten.

And without your opinion, its darkness is not illuminated.

أعزز ببرك في الرعايا عادلاً

أعزز ببرك في الرعايا عادلاً

تجري على أقسامها أقسامه

تجري على أقسامها أقسامه

How noble your just benevolence toward your subjects,

Honor your subjects with justice and blessing,

its portions flowing according to their allotted shares.

Making rules flow through their classes.

أنت الذي أحيى الجهاد رحيله

أنت الذي أحيى الجهاد رحيله

والرفق والعدل الجميل مقامه

والرفق والعدل الجميل مقامه

You are he whose departure revived the struggle,

You who revived holy war when it departed,

and whose stay revived kindness and gracious justice.

And gentleness and fine justice have their abode.

كن كيف شئت مشرِّقاً ومغرِّباً

كن كيف شئت مشرِّقاً ومغرِّباً

فالأمر موكول إليك تمامه

فالأمر موكول إليك تمامه

Be as you wish, journeying eastward and westward;

Be as you wish, rising and setting,

for the task's completion is entrusted to you.

For the matter is submitted to you in its entirety.

في الأفق تصعد بالقباب فما ترى

في الأفق تصعد بالقباب فما ترى

إلا ومن أوتادها أجرامه

إلا ومن أوتادها أجرامه

You raise your domed tents into the sky, until you see

In the horizon you ascend with minarets, and you see

its heavenly bodies as nothing but their pegs.

Nothing but its pegs are your planets.

وجرت سفينك في البحار كأنها

وجرت سفينك في البحار كأنها

لك عسكر منشورة أعلامه

لك عسكر منشورة أعلامه

And your ships sailed the seas, as though they were

Your ship sailed the seas as though it were

an army for you, its banners unfurled.

An army for you with banners unfurled.

شرفت بعامرها المدائنُ والقرى

شرفت بعامرها المدائنُ والقرى

وعنتْ لضيغم قفرها آكامه

وعنتْ لضيغم قفرها آكامه

The cities and villages were honored by him who dwelt there,

The cities and villages were ennobled by your rebuilding,

and the hills of their wilderness bowed before a lion.

And the desolate places by your ruins were adorned.

للّه عزمُك في القفار وأنت في

للّه عزمُك في القفار وأنت في

جنح الدجى طلق الحيا بسّامه

جنح الدجى طلق الحيا بسّامه

How wondrous your resolve in the deserts! And you, in

Your resolve in the wilds while you are in

night's dark depths, are bright-faced and ever smiling.

The wings of night, set loose and valiant.

إن يطو ركبك بيدها متمهلاً

إن يطو ركبك بيدها متمهلاً

فالمحل يؤثر أن يقيم غمامه

فالمحل يؤثر أن يقيم غمامه

If your caravan crosses their wastes unhurriedly,

If your journey takes its time with steady pace

the parched land would rather its rain cloud remained.

The place prefers that it establish its clouds.

وستصبح الواحات جنات إذا

وستصبح الواحات جنات إذا

سار البخار بها وساد نظامه

سار البخار بها وساد نظامه

And the oases will become gardens when

The oases will become gardens when

steam travels through them and its system holds sway.

Your steam runs through them and its system prevails.

ولسوف تعمرها بجمع حاشد

ولسوف تعمرها بجمع حاشد

لَجِبٍ يسرك ورده وزحامه

لَجِبٍ يسرك ورده وزحامه

And you will surely populate them with a vast throng,

And you will populate them with a plentiful throng

clamorous, whose arrival and bustle delight you.

Whose flowing and crowding you facilitate.

لو كان مغوارٌ سواك ارتادها

لو كان مغوارٌ سواك ارتادها

ما أثّرت في رملها أقدامه

ما أثّرت في رملها أقدامه

Had an intrepid warrior other than you explored them,

If an unguided one had come upon them but you,

his feet would have left no mark upon their sand.

He would have left no trace of his steps in their sands.

يا حسن ذاك الركب شاقتني إلى

يا حسن ذاك الركب شاقتني إلى

عصر البداوة عيسُهُ وخيامه

عصر البداوة عيسُهُ وخيامه

How lovely that caravan! I yearned for

Oh, that caravan wearied me back

the age of nomads, stirred by its pale camels and tents.

To the desert’s age, with its Jesus and tents.

فوددت لو كان الفؤاد مجالَه

فوددت لو كان الفؤاد مجالَه

أو كان كحلاً للعيون قَتامه

أو كان كحلاً للعيون قَتامه

So I wished my heart could be its roaming ground,

I wished the heart was its range

or its dust could be kohl for the eyes.

Or that it was kohl for the eyes in their darkness.

شرَّفتَ ذاك العهد فافتخرت به

شرَّفتَ ذاك العهد فافتخرت به

أعرابه وتشبهت أعجامه

أعرابه وتشبهت أعجامه

You honored that age, and in it took pride

You ennobled that time and so it took pride,

its Bedouins, while its non-Arabs followed their example.

Its Bedouins emulated its non-Arabs.

ذكرت تونس والجزائر ما مضى

ذكرت تونس والجزائر ما مضى

من كل مولى زانه إسلامه

من كل مولى زانه إسلامه

Tunisia and Algeria recalled the days gone by

I recalled Tunis and Algiers, what passed

of every lord adorned by his Islam,

Of each master dignified by his Islam.

أيامَ ضمَّهما وما والاهما

أيامَ ضمَّهما وما والاهما

في واحدٍ دينُ الهدى ووئامه

في واحدٍ دينُ الهدى ووئامه

the days when they and the lands around them were joined

Days that gathered them, and what ruled them,

as one by the faith of guidance and its concord;

In one, the religion of guidance and harmony.

أيام يدعو شرق مصرك غربها

أيام يدعو شرق مصرك غربها

فيموج فيه عراقه وشآمه

فيموج فيه عراقه وشآمه

the days when your Egypt's east called to its west,

Days that called eastern Egypt and its west,

and its Iraq and Syria surged within it.

Surging between its Iraq and Greater Syria.

وسعت طرابلس إليك وإنما

وسعت طرابلس إليك وإنما

حيَّت أبرَّ من اصطفاه إمامه

حيَّت أبرَّ من اصطفاه إمامه

And Tripoli hastened toward you; she was only

Tripoli stretched out to you, and it only

greeting the most dutiful man his imam had chosen.

Greeted the most noble, chosen as imam.

وحنت عليك كما حنا سلطانها

وحنت عليك كما حنا سلطانها

علماً بأنك حصنه وحسامه

علماً بأنك حصنه وحسامه

And she turned fondly toward you, as her sultan did,

It yearned for you as its sultan had yearned,

knowing that you are his fortress and his sword.

Knowing you are its fortress and sword.

واستقبلتك كريمة النجوى كما

واستقبلتك كريمة النجوى كما

لاقى الحيا الظمآنُ طال أُوامه

لاقى الحيا الظمآنُ طال أُوامه

And she welcomed you with gracious private words, as

It welcomed you, sublime in its whisper, as

a thirsty man meets rain after long, burning thirst.

The thirsty snake welcomes the water it longed for.

لم لا تعظم قدرك العالي وقد

لم لا تعظم قدرك العالي وقد

غلبت بنصحك حولها أحكامه

غلبت بنصحك حولها أحكامه

Why should she not honor your exalted worth, when

Why do you not esteem your high worth, when

through your counsel his decrees have prevailed around her?

You have overcome its surroundings with your wisdom?

فترى وجوه الوافدين كأنها

فترى وجوه الوافدين كأنها

زهر الرياض تفتحت أكمامه

زهر الرياض تفتحت أكمامه

So you see the faces of those arriving as though they were

Thus you see the faces of visitors as though they are

garden blossoms whose buds have opened.

Garden blossoms unfolding their petals.

لا يرتجي الوادي سواك فإنما

لا يرتجي الوادي سواك فإنما

أنت الوحيد غيوره وهمامه

أنت الوحيد غيوره وهمامه

The valley hopes for none but you, for

No valley hopes but in you, for you alone

you alone are its zealous guardian and its champion.

Are its zealous protector.

أولى بعافية تدوم وصحة

أولى بعافية تدوم وصحة

من ذي مقاصده وذا إقدامه

من ذي مقاصده وذا إقدامه

Most deserving of lasting well-being and health

You who are most deserving of lasting health and wellness,

is he whose aims are these, whose daring is such.

More than one with purposes or daring.

شهدت كنوزك باحتراسك مثلما

شهدت كنوزك باحتراسك مثلما

شهدت بشدة من مضى أهرامه

شهدت بشدة من مضى أهرامه

Your treasures testify to your vigilance, just as

Your treasures testify to your safekeeping, just as

the pyramids of those long gone testify to their might.

The pyramids testify to the might of those passed.

لا يشغلنك عن جهادك زخرف

لا يشغلنك عن جهادك زخرف

حسبُ القصورِ منَ الجَسورِ لِمامه

حسبُ القصورِ منَ الجَسورِ لِمامه

Let no splendor distract you from your struggle;

Let not the embellishments of palaces from bridges

palaces need only a bold man's passing visits.

Distract you from your holy war and duty.

فلأنت موسى غير أنك إن تعظ

فلأنت موسى غير أنك إن تعظ

فرعون عصرك تغتفر آثامه

فرعون عصرك تغتفر آثامه

For you are Moses, except that if you admonish

For you are Moses, except if you reproach

the Pharaoh of your age, you forgive his sins.

The Pharaoh of your time, his sins are forgiven.

أبرأته برضاك عنه بعد ما

أبرأته برضاك عنه بعد ما

طالت على آلامه أعوامه

طالت على آلامه أعوامه

You healed him with your favor, after

You pardoned him by being pleased with him after

his years had dragged on in pain.

His agonies lasted for years.

لا تبلوَنِّي بالمطال فإنني

لا تبلوَنِّي بالمطال فإنني

ولِهٌ تحيط بداره لُوّامه

ولِهٌ تحيط بداره لُوّامه

Do not try me with delay, for I am

Do not test me with expectations, for I

a man distraught with longing, his home beset by reproachers.

Am infatuated, encompassing your abode with glances.

باقٍ على ظمأ فلا ترنامُهُ

باقٍ على ظمأ فلا ترنامُهُ

أهدى إليه غنىً ولا تحوامه

أهدى إليه غنىً ولا تحوامه

He remains thirsty; neither his warbling

Remaining thirsty, so do not slumber,

has brought him wealth, nor his circling flight.

Offer him riches, and do not deprive.

أفنى الليالي مغرماً بالنصح في

أفنى الليالي مغرماً بالنصح في

من لا يعي فجنى عليه غرامه

من لا يعي فجنى عليه غرامه

He wore the nights away, passionately counseling

I spent nights enamored with advice for

one who would not heed; his passion did him harm.

One who does not comprehend, so his love was ruin.

إن يدّع المجد الرجال فإنما

إن يدّع المجد الرجال فإنما

في الشعر آية مجده ووسامه

في الشعر آية مجده ووسامه

If men lay claim to glory, it is only

If men claim glory, then surely

in poetry that his glory's proof and badge are found.

In poetry are the signs of his glory and medal.

أتريده لجديد ملكك شاعراً

أتريده لجديد ملكك شاعراً

ومتى تعود حقائقاً أحلامه

ومتى تعود حقائقاً أحلامه

Do you want him as a poet for your new reign?

Do you want him as a poet for your new reign?

And when will his dreams become realities?

And when do dreams revert to realities?

لولا اليقين ونخوة وحمية

لولا اليقين ونخوة وحمية

لقضت على آماله أوهامه

لقضت على آماله أوهامه

Were it not for conviction, pride, and ardor,

Were it not for certainty, gallantry, and zeal

his misgivings would have destroyed his hopes.

Illusions would have ended his hopes.

قَدِّرْ لشعبك أن يقرَّب كل من

قَدِّرْ لشعبك أن يقرَّب كل من

نصر الحمى فحياته إكرامه

نصر الحمى فحياته إكرامه

Decree for your people: bring near everyone who

Ordain for your people to honor all who

has defended the homeland, for honoring him is his life.

Support the protectors, so their lives are in your bounty.

وأحقُّ بالتكريم والتقريب مَن

وأحقُّ بالتكريم والتقريب مَن

هذي بشائره وذا إلهامه

هذي بشائره وذا إلهامه

And most deserving of honor and favor is he

And most deserving of honor and nearness is one

whose glad tidings are these, whose inspiration is this.

Whose tidings and inspirations are these.