ورثتُ من سَلَفي رقي لطاعته

ورثتُ من سَلَفي رقي لطاعته

وذلكَ الرقُ للأَسلاف أَحسابُ

وذلكَ الرقُ للأَسلاف أَحسابُ

I inherited from my forebears my bondage in his service;

I inherited from my ancestors obedience

and that bondage is honor for my forebears.

And that obedience brings reward for the ancestors

ما كانَ لولا الرِّضا والسُّؤلُ منه لنا

ما كانَ لولا الرِّضا والسُّؤلُ منه لنا

خصبٌ ومحلٌ وإجداءٌ وإجدابُ

خصبٌ ومحلٌ وإجداءٌ وإجدابُ

Were it not for his favor and the boon sought from him, we would have neither

Without His pleasure and questioning us

plenty nor dearth, bounty nor barrenness.

There would be no fertility, place, generosity or granting

قد قلتُ لولا التُّقى ما غيرُ صارمه

قد قلتُ لولا التُّقى ما غيرُ صارمه

للعُمر والرِّزق مَنّاعٌ ووهّابُ

للعُمر والرِّزق مَنّاعٌ ووهّابُ

I would have said, were it not for piety: none but his keen sword

I said without piety the sword would not change

withholds and bestows life and sustenance.

For life and sustenance there is prevention and granting

مُعمّرٌ بعمود الصُّبح بيتُهم

مُعمّرٌ بعمود الصُّبح بيتُهم

له من الشُّهب أَوتادٌ وأَطنابُ

له من الشُّهب أَوتادٌ وأَطنابُ

Their house is built upon the pillar of dawn;

Their house is made everlasting by the pillar of morning

its tent pegs and ropes are made of bright stars.

It has meteors for pegs and ropes

أَبشرْ بفتح أَمير المؤمنينَ أَتى

أَبشرْ بفتح أَمير المؤمنينَ أَتى

وصيته في جميع الأرض جوّابُ

وصيته في جميع الأرض جوّابُ

Rejoice, Commander of the Faithful, at a victory that has come;

Rejoice in the conquest of the Commander of the Faithful, he came

and its fame roams throughout the earth.

His command covers all the land answering

ما كانَ يخطرُ في بالٍ تصوُّره

ما كانَ يخطرُ في بالٍ تصوُّره

واستصعب الفتح لمّا أُغلقَ البابُ

واستصعب الفتح لمّا أُغلقَ البابُ

The thought of it had never crossed anyone’s mind,

What was not imagined could happen

and conquest grew arduous when the gate was shut.

And the opening was difficult when the door was shut

وخامَ عنه الملوكُ الأقدمونَ وقد

وخامَ عنه الملوكُ الأقدمونَ وقد

مضتْ على النّاس من بلواهُ أَحقابُ

مضتْ على النّاس من بلواهُ أَحقابُ

And the kings of old recoiled from it, while

The ancient kings despaired of it and after

ages of its affliction had passed over the people.

People were tried by its afflictions for ages

وجاءَ عصرُكَ والأيامُ مقبلةٌ

وجاءَ عصرُكَ والأيامُ مقبلةٌ

فكان فيه لفيض الكفر إنضابُ

فكان فيه لفيض الكفر إنضابُ

And your era came, with the days turning favorable,

Your time came and the days are forthcoming

so in it the flood of unbelief was drained dry.

So the abundance of blasphemy was stemmed

نصرٌ أَعادَ صلاحُ الدين رونقَهُ

نصرٌ أَعادَ صلاحُ الدين رونقَهُ

إيجازُه ببليغِ القولِ إسهابُ

إيجازُه ببليغِ القولِ إسهابُ

A victory whose splendor Salah al-Din restored:

A victory Saladin restored its splendor

even a concise account of it in eloquent speech is lengthy.

His concise speech has eloquent expression

قرعُ الظُّبى بالظُّبى في الحرب يُطربُهُ

قرعُ الظُّبى بالظُّبى في الحرب يُطربُهُ

لاقينةٌ صَنَعٌ باللّحن مطراب

لاقينةٌ صَنَعٌ باللّحن مطراب

The clash of blades against blades in war delights him,

The sounds of spears in war delight him

not a singing girl, skilled in melody and stirring rapture.

A musical piece composed with melody

أَحيا الهُدى وأَماتَ الشِّركَ صارمُه

أَحيا الهُدى وأَماتَ الشِّركَ صارمُه

لقد تجلّى الهُدى والشِّركُ منجابُ

لقد تجلّى الهُدى والشِّركُ منجابُ

His keen sword brought guidance to life and put polytheism to death;

It revived guidance and killed idolatry, its sword

guidance has indeed shone forth, and polytheism is dispelled.

Guidance was revealed and idolatry defeated

بفتحه القدسَ للإسلام قد فتحتْ

بفتحه القدسَ للإسلام قد فتحتْ

في قمع طاغية الإشراك أبواب

في قمع طاغية الإشراك أبواب

Through his conquest of Jerusalem for Islam, there have been opened

With its conquest of Jerusalem for Islam, doors

doors to crushing the tyrant of polytheism.

Were opened to suppress the tyranny of polytheism

ففي موافقة البيت المقدَّس لل

ففي موافقة البيت المقدَّس لل

بيت الحرام لنا تيهٌ وإعجابُ

بيت الحرام لنا تيهٌ وإعجابُ

For in the Holy House’s concord with the

So with Jerusalem conforming to the

Sacred House, we have pride and admiration.

Sacred House we are amazed and impressed

والصخرُ والحجرُ الملثومُ جانبهُ

والصخرُ والحجرُ الملثومُ جانبهُ

كلاهما لاعتمار الخلق محرابُ

كلاهما لاعتمار الخلق محرابُ

And the Rock and the Stone whose side is kissed,

The rock and encrusted stone next to it

both are sanctuaries for the people’s pilgrimage.

Both are places of worship for creation

نفى من القدس صلباناً كما نُفيت

نفى من القدس صلباناً كما نُفيت

من بيت مكّة أَزلامٌ وأَنصابُ

من بيت مكّة أَزلامٌ وأَنصابُ

He banished crosses from Jerusalem, just as there were banished

It removed crosses from Jerusalem as

from the House of Mecca, divining arrows and stone idols.

Idols and statues were removed from Mecca’s house

الدهرُ ينصرني ما دام ينسبني

الدهرُ ينصرني ما دام ينسبني

لخدمة الناصر المنصور نسّابُ

لخدمة الناصر المنصور نسّابُ

Time supports me, so long as my lineage is traced

Time supports me as long as it associates me

to the service of al-Nasir, the victorious, by a genealogist.

With serving the victorious, nail-driving supporter

بطاعة النّاصر بن المستضيء أبي ال

بطاعة النّاصر بن المستضيء أبي ال

عباس أحمد للأَيام أصحابُ

عباس أحمد للأَيام أصحابُ

Through obedience to al-Nasir, son of al-Mustadi, Abu al-

With obeying al-Nasir son of al-Mustadhi' bi-llah Abu

Abbas Ahmad, men are companions of the days.

al-'Abbas Ahmad days have companions