يا واصفَ العرب الكرام لأمةٍ

يا واصفَ العرب الكرام لأمةٍ

فيها ذمامٌ للحجى وذِمارُ

فيها ذمامٌ للحجى وذِمارُ

O you who describe the noble Arabs to a nation

O you who describe the generous Arabs as a nation

Where reason enjoys pledged protection and defense;

Among whom zeal for the sacred and valor remain

ومُكرِّماً للجاهليةِ فِطرةً

ومُكرِّماً للجاهليةِ فِطرةً

حَسَدتْ عليها بيدَها الأمصارُ

حَسَدتْ عليها بيدَها الأمصارُ

And honor the pre-Islamic age's native character,

And who honor the intrinsic nature of the Pre-Islamic Era

For which the cities envied its deserts;

Which all other civilizations envied with their hands

ومعيدَ ذاك الجيلِ سيرَته كما

ومعيدَ ذاك الجيلِ سيرَته كما

شهد العيانُ ودلتْ الآثارُ

شهد العيانُ ودلتْ الآثارُ

And retell that generation's story, just as

And who restore the ways of that generation as

Eyewitness testimony attested and the traces showed;

Witnessed by onlookers and indicated by relics

وممثل الأخلاقِ طاهرةً كما

وممثل الأخلاقِ طاهرةً كما

بدت النجومُ وفاحت الأزهارُ

بدت النجومُ وفاحت الأزهارُ

And portray moral character in its purity, as

And represent virtuous morals as they

The stars shone forth and the flowers spread their scent;

Appeared like stars and fragrant flowers

ومفسراً للغرب كيف تملكتْ

ومفسراً للغرب كيف تملكتْ

في الشرق أهلَ النجدةِ الأشعارُ

في الشرق أهلَ النجدةِ الأشعارُ

And explain to the West how poetry enthralled

And explain to the West how

The men of valor in the East;

Poetry of help owned the East

ولربما أضحوا ومن شعرائهم

ولربما أضحوا ومن شعرائهم

ملك مطاع بينهم قهارُ

ملك مطاع بينهم قهارُ

And often they came to have among their poets

And some of their poets became

A king obeyed among them, all-commanding;

An obeyed king among them, a conqueror

نعمت شهادتك التي زادوا بها

نعمت شهادتك التي زادوا بها

عطفَ الغريب وحبذا الإقرارُ

عطفَ الغريب وحبذا الإقرارُ

How fine your testimony, by which they deepened

Yes, your testimony which they augmented

The stranger's sympathy—how welcome the acknowledgment!

Won over the stranger and pleased approbation

أنصفتَ بالخبر اليقين معاشراً

أنصفتَ بالخبر اليقين معاشراً

ظَلمَتهمُ من قبلك الأخبارُ

ظَلمَتهمُ من قبلك الأخبارُ

You did justice, with a truthful account, to peoples

With true news you were fair to a people

Whom earlier accounts had wronged;

Who before you were wronged by reports

أكبرتَ عشقهمُ وعفتهم ومن

أكبرتَ عشقهمُ وعفتهم ومن

يأبى الشرابَ وفي حشاه النارُ

يأبى الشرابَ وفي حشاه النارُ

You extolled their love and chastity—and who

You exalted their passion, chastity, and one

Would refuse drink with fire within his breast?—

Who rejects drink though fire is in his bowels

ووفاءَ ربات الجمال وإنما

ووفاءَ ربات الجمال وإنما

عند الحرائر يَشرُف الأحرارُ

عند الحرائر يَشرُف الأحرارُ

And the fidelity of beautiful women; only

And the loyalty of beautiful ladies, for with

Among freeborn women do freeborn men gain honor.

The noble, the free are honored

ووقفتَ واستوقفتَ في أطلالهم

ووقفتَ واستوقفتَ في أطلالهم

يهتاجك التحنانُ والتَذكارُ

يهتاجك التحنانُ والتَذكارُ

And you stopped, and bade others stop, amid their ruins,

You stood and made others stop at their ruins

Stirred by yearning and remembrance;

Where yearning and recollection stir you

ومشيتَ بين ربوعِهم في روضةٍ

ومشيتَ بين ربوعِهم في روضةٍ

أثمارها الآداب والأفكارُ

أثمارها الآداب والأفكارُ

And walked among their dwellings in a garden

And walked among their meadows, in a garden

Whose fruits are literature and ideas;

Whose fruits are manners and ideas

لن يُبليَ الإعصار رونقَها وإن

لن يُبليَ الإعصار رونقَها وإن

أبلى الديارَ وأهلَها الإعصارُ

أبلى الديارَ وأهلَها الإعصارُ

No whirlwind shall wear away its luster, though

No storm can fade its bloom, though

The whirlwind has worn away the homes and their people.

It may fade the abodes and people with storms

شاقتنيَ الأخبارُ حتى أصبحتْ

شاقتنيَ الأخبارُ حتى أصبحتْ

وكأنما في مسمعي أوتارُ

وكأنما في مسمعي أوتارُ

The tales so stirred my longing that they seemed

Reports exhausted me until I became

Like strings resounding in my ear;

As though strings were in my hearing

وأرانيَ القوم الحديثَ فأصبحوا

وأرانيَ القوم الحديثَ فأصبحوا

وكأنهم في ناظري حُضارُ

وكأنهم في ناظري حُضارُ

And the tale brought the people before me, until

And people's talk made me visualize them

They seemed present before my eyes.

As though they were civilizations before my sight

لو كانت الذكرى تعيد موَليّاً

لو كانت الذكرى تعيد موَليّاً

منهم لعاد السمحُ والمغوارُ

منهم لعاد السمحُ والمغوارُ

If remembrance could bring back one departed

If reminiscing could bring back a patron

From among them, the generous man and the daring warrior would return.

Among them, conviviality and hospitality would return

طابت غرائزهم فلما فوجئوا

طابت غرائزهم فلما فوجئوا

بنبيهم عرفوا الطريق فساروا

بنبيهم عرفوا الطريق فساروا

Their natures were noble; when they were taken by surprise

Their instincts were good, so when they were surprised

By their Prophet, they knew the path and followed it.

By their prophet they recognized the path and walked it

ومضت عزائمهم فلما جاهدوا

ومضت عزائمهم فلما جاهدوا

أخذ الممالك ذلك التيارُ

أخذ الممالك ذلك التيارُ

And their resolve pressed onward; when they fought,

Their resolves remained steadfast, so when they struggled

That torrent swept up the kingdoms.

That tide seized the kingdoms

فإذا وفَيْتَ لهم فأنت صديقهم

فإذا وفَيْتَ لهم فأنت صديقهم

وإذا رعيتَهُمُ فأنت الجارُ

وإذا رعيتَهُمُ فأنت الجارُ

If, then, you keep faith with them, you are their friend;

If you are loyal to them you are their friend

And if you care for them, you are their neighbor.

And if you look after them you are their neighbor

ذكَّرتَ مصرَ بذلك الفتح الذي

ذكَّرتَ مصرَ بذلك الفتح الذي

أنستْ به آباؤك الأبرارُ

أنستْ به آباؤك الأبرارُ

You reminded Egypt of that conquest in which

You reminded Egypt of that conquest which

Your righteous forefathers took comfort;

Made your noble ancestors forget

عرضوا الممالك وابتلوا أحكامها

عرضوا الممالك وابتلوا أحكامها

شتى إلى أن خُيِّروا فاختاروا

شتى إلى أن خُيِّروا فاختاروا

They surveyed kingdoms and tested their laws,

They offered kingdoms and tested their rulings

In all their variety, until given a choice, they chose.

In various ways until they chose and preferred

إن رحبوا بالمسلمين وأخلصوا

إن رحبوا بالمسلمين وأخلصوا

لهُمُ فهم لمحمد أصهارُ

لهُمُ فهم لمحمد أصهارُ

If they welcomed the Muslims and were loyal

That if they welcomed the Muslims and were sincere

To them, they are Muhammad's kin by marriage.

To them, they would be Muhammad's in-laws

إن الذي قدمتَه لتفاؤل

إن الذي قدمتَه لتفاؤل

بالمقبل المأمول واستبشارُ

بالمقبل المأمول واستبشارُ

Indeed, what you have offered expresses hope

What you have presented hoping

For the longed-for future, and joyful anticipation.

For the expected future and rejoicing

فإن احتفت بك عصبةٌ مصريةٌ

فإن احتفت بك عصبةٌ مصريةٌ

فقد احتفت بك هاشمٌ ونزارُ

فقد احتفت بك هاشمٌ ونزارُ

And if an Egyptian group has paid you honor,

If you are celebrated by an Egyptian group

Then Hashim and Nizar have paid you honor.

You are celebrated by Hashim and Nazar

يا ليتني بين القبائل طائفٌ

يا ليتني بين القبائل طائفٌ

وعليَّ من نعم الإمام شعارُ

وعليَّ من نعم الإمام شعارُ

O, would that I were roaming among the tribes,

Would that I were a pilgrim among the tribes

Wearing a badge of the Imam's favor,

Bearing the blessed Imam's insignia

أدعو وأوقظ كل ساه خامل

أدعو وأوقظ كل ساه خامل

حتى تعودَ حضارة وعُمارُ

حتى تعودَ حضارة وعُمارُ

Calling and waking every heedless idler,

I would call and rouse every sleepy one

Until civilization and its builders return;

Until civilization and construction return

وأضمهمْ حولَ الهلال ليفتدوا

وأضمهمْ حولَ الهلال ليفتدوا

وهمُ حماةُ الملك والأنصارُ

وهمُ حماةُ الملك والأنصارُ

And gathering them around the crescent to give their lives,

And gather them around the crescent to ransom

They, the realm's defenders and supporters;

Themselves, the protectors of the kingdom and its helpers

تُرضي بني عثمانَ منهم ألفةٌ

تُرضي بني عثمانَ منهم ألفةٌ

أولى بأصدقِ من يفي ويغارُ

أولى بأصدقِ من يفي ويغارُ

Their unity would please the sons of Uthman—

A harmony that satisfies the Ottomans among them

Most fitting for the truest in loyalty and protective zeal.

Is more worthy of the most loyal and jealous guardian