شَرَفاً نُصَيرُ اِرفَع جَبينَكَ عالِياً

شَرَفاً نُصَيرُ اِرفَع جَبينَكَ عالِياً

وَتَلَقَّ مِن أَوطانِكَ الإِكليلا

وَتَلَقَّ مِن أَوطانِكَ الإِكليلا

Honor to you, Nusayr! Raise your brow high,

Nobly we aid, raise your head high,

and receive the wreath from your native lands.

And receive the wreath from your homelands.

يَهنيكَ ما أُعطيتَ مِن إِكرامِها

يَهنيكَ ما أُعطيتَ مِن إِكرامِها

وَمُنِحتَ مِن عَطفِ اِبنِ إِسماعيلا

وَمُنِحتَ مِن عَطفِ اِبنِ إِسماعيلا

May you rejoice in the honor they have bestowed on you,

It congratulates you for the honor it gave you,

and in the favor granted you by the son of Ismail.

And the kindness you obtained from the son of Ishmael.

اليَومَ يَومُ السابِقينَ فَكُن فَتىً

اليَومَ يَومُ السابِقينَ فَكُن فَتىً

لَم يَبغِ مِن قَصَبِ الرِهانِ بَديلا

لَم يَبغِ مِن قَصَبِ الرِهانِ بَديلا

Today is the day of the front-runners; be a young man

Today is the day of the forerunners, so be a gallant man

who seeks no substitute for the race's winning reed.

Who does not seek in the racecourse an alternative rod.

وَإِذا جَرَيتَ مَعَ السَوابِقِ فَاِقتَحِم

وَإِذا جَرَيتَ مَعَ السَوابِقِ فَاِقتَحِم

غُرَراً تَسيلُ إِلى المَدى وَحُجولا

غُرَراً تَسيلُ إِلى المَدى وَحُجولا

And when you run with the foremost steeds, plunge among

And if you run with the forerunners, break through

white blazes and stockings streaming toward the finish,

Seas that flow into the distance and lakes.

حَتّى يَراكَ الجَمعُ أَوَّلَ طالِعٍ

حَتّى يَراكَ الجَمعُ أَوَّلَ طالِعٍ

وَيَرَوا عَلى أَعرافِكَ المِنديلا

وَيَرَوا عَلى أَعرافِكَ المِنديلا

until the crowd sees you the first to appear,

Until the crowds see you the first to rise

and they see the handkerchief upon your mane.

And they see the handkerchiefs atop your peaks.

هَذا زَمانٌ لا تَوَسُّطَ عِندَهُ

هَذا زَمانٌ لا تَوَسُّطَ عِندَهُ

يَبغي المُغامِرُ عالِياً وَجَليلا

يَبغي المُغامِرُ عالِياً وَجَليلا

This is an age with no place for mediocrity;

This is an era with no moderation,

the adventurer seeks what is lofty and grand.

That seeks the risk taker, lofty and glorious.

كُن سابِقاً فيهِ أَوِ اِبقَ بِمَعزِلٍ

كُن سابِقاً فيهِ أَوِ اِبقَ بِمَعزِلٍ

لَيسَ التَوَسُّطُ لِلنُبوغِ سَبيلا

لَيسَ التَوَسُّطُ لِلنُبوغِ سَبيلا

Be foremost in it, or remain apart;

Be a forerunner in it, or remain aloof,

mediocrity is no road to genius.

Moderation is not a path for talent.

يا قاهِرَ الغَربِ العَتيدِ مَلَأتَهُ

يا قاهِرَ الغَربِ العَتيدِ مَلَأتَهُ

بِثَناءِ مِصرَ عَلى الشِفاهِ جَميلا

بِثَناءِ مِصرَ عَلى الشِفاهِ جَميلا

O conqueror of the formidable West, you have filled it

O vanquisher of the imminent West, you have filled it

with beautiful praise of Egypt upon the lips.

With Egypt’s praise, beautiful on the lips.

قَلَّبتَ فيهِ يَداً تَكادُ لِشِدَّةٍ

قَلَّبتَ فيهِ يَداً تَكادُ لِشِدَّةٍ

في البَأسِ تَرفَعُ في الفَضاءِ الفيلا

في البَأسِ تَرفَعُ في الفَضاءِ الفيلا

There you wielded a hand so strong it could almost

You have overturned in it a hand that with intensity

lift an elephant into the air by its might.

Can almost raise the elephant through space.

إِنَّ الَّذي خَلَقَ الحَديدَ وَبَأسَهُ

إِنَّ الَّذي خَلَقَ الحَديدَ وَبَأسَهُ

جَعَلَ الحَديدَ لِساعِدَيكَ ذَليلا

جَعَلَ الحَديدَ لِساعِدَيكَ ذَليلا

Indeed, He who created iron and its might

Indeed He who created iron and its might

has made iron submissive to your forearms.

Made iron submissive to your arms.

زَحزَحتَهُ فَتَخاذَلَت أَجلادُهُ

زَحزَحتَهُ فَتَخاذَلَت أَجلادُهُ

وَطَرَحتَهُ أَرضاً فَصَلَّ صَليلا

وَطَرَحتَهُ أَرضاً فَصَلَّ صَليلا

You shifted it, and its tough frame gave way;

You repelled it and its skins recoiled

and hurled it to the ground, where it rang out with a clang.

And you threw it to the ground clanging noisily.

لِمَ لا يَلينُ لَكَ الحَديدُ وَلَم تَزَل

لِمَ لا يَلينُ لَكَ الحَديدُ وَلَم تَزَل

تَتلو عَلَيهِ وَتَقرَأُ التَنزيلا

تَتلو عَلَيهِ وَتَقرَأُ التَنزيلا

Why should iron not yield to you, when you have never ceased

Why does iron not bend for you when you have always

reciting over it and reading the Revelation?

Recited revelations and read the Scripture to it?

الأَزمَةَ اِشتَدَّت وَرانَ بَلاؤُها

الأَزمَةَ اِشتَدَّت وَرانَ بَلاؤُها

فَاِصدِم بِرُكنِكَ رُكنَها لِيَميلا

فَاِصدِم بِرُكنِكَ رُكنَها لِيَميلا

The crisis has grown fierce, and its affliction hangs heavy;

The crisis intensified and its afflictions spread

so strike its pillar with your own, that it may tilt.

So strike its pillar with your pillar to make it lean.

شَمشونُ أَنتَ وَقَد رَسَت أَركانُها

شَمشونُ أَنتَ وَقَد رَسَت أَركانُها

فَتَمَشَّ في أَركانِها لِتَزولا

فَتَمَشَّ في أَركانِها لِتَزولا

You are Samson, and its pillars stand firm;

You are Samson and its pillars have been planted

so stride among its pillars, that they may fall.

So walk through its pillars to make them collapse.

قُل لي نُصَيرُ وَأَنتَ بَرٌّ صادِقٌ

قُل لي نُصَيرُ وَأَنتَ بَرٌّ صادِقٌ

أَحَمَلتَ إِنساناً عَلَيكَ ثَقيلا

أَحَمَلتَ إِنساناً عَلَيكَ ثَقيلا

Tell me, Nusayr—you are upright and truthful—

Tell me, O truthful and benevolent ally

have you borne a person who weighed heavily on you?

Have you once carried upon yourself a heavy human?

أَحَمَلتَ دَيناً في حَياتِكَ مَرَّةً

أَحَمَلتَ دَيناً في حَياتِكَ مَرَّةً

أَحَمَلتَ يَوماً في الضُلوعِ غَليلا

أَحَمَلتَ يَوماً في الضُلوعِ غَليلا

Have you ever borne a debt in your life?

Have you once carried in your life a religion

Have you ever borne burning anguish within your ribs?

Or once carried in your ribs a simmering anguish?

أَحَمَلتَ ظُلماً مِن قَريبٍ غادِرٍ

أَحَمَلتَ ظُلماً مِن قَريبٍ غادِرٍ

أَو كاشِحٍ بِالأَمسِ كانَ خَليلا

أَو كاشِحٍ بِالأَمسِ كانَ خَليلا

Have you borne injustice from a treacherous kinsman,

Have you borne injustice from a betraying kin

or a spiteful foe who yesterday was a close friend?

Or a bosom friend who yesterday was dear?

أَحَمَلتَ مِنّا بِالنَهارِ مُكَرَّراً

أَحَمَلتَ مِنّا بِالنَهارِ مُكَرَّراً

وَاللَيلِ مِن مُسدٍ إِلَيكَ جَميلا

وَاللَيلِ مِن مُسدٍ إِلَيكَ جَميلا

Have you borne reminders of favors, repeated by day

Have you borne from us by day repeated

and by night, from one who has done you a kindness?

And by night affection from a slanderer to you?

أَحَمَلتَ طُغيانَ اللَئيمِ إِذا اِغتَنى

أَحَمَلتَ طُغيانَ اللَئيمِ إِذا اِغتَنى

أَو نالَ مِن جاهِ الأُمورِ قَليلا

أَو نالَ مِن جاهِ الأُمورِ قَليلا

Have you borne the tyranny of a base man when he grows rich,

Have you borne the tyranny of the vile when he grew rich

or gains even a little worldly standing?

Or gained a little prestige from the course of events?

أَحَمَلتَ في النادي الغَبِيِّ إِذا اِلتَقى

أَحَمَلتَ في النادي الغَبِيِّ إِذا اِلتَقى

مِن سامِعيهِ الحَمدَ وَالتَبجيلا

مِن سامِعيهِ الحَمدَ وَالتَبجيلا

Have you borne the fool in the gathering, when he receives

Have you borne in the foolish club when it convened

from his listeners praise and veneration?

Praise and veneration from its listeners?

تِلكَ الحَياةُ وَهَذِهِ أَثقالُها

تِلكَ الحَياةُ وَهَذِهِ أَثقالُها

وُزِنَ الحَديدُ بِها فَعادَ ضَئيلا

وُزِنَ الحَديدُ بِها فَعادَ ضَئيلا

That is life, and these are its burdens;

That is life and these are its burdens

iron was weighed against them and proved insignificant.

By which iron was weighed and returned paltry.