إِنّي مَرَرتُ عَلى الرِياضِ الحالِيَه

إِنّي مَرَرتُ عَلى الرِياضِ الحالِيَه

وَسَمِعتُ أَنغامَ الطُيورِ الشادِيَه

وَسَمِعتُ أَنغامَ الطُيورِ الشادِيَه

I passed by the adorned gardens,

I passed by gardens sweet and fair,

And heard the melodies of singing birds.

And heard the melodies of birds in song,

فَطَرِبتُ لَكِن لَم يُحِبُّ فُؤادِيَه

فَطَرِبتُ لَكِن لَم يُحِبُّ فُؤادِيَه

كَطُيورِ أَرضي أَو زُهورِ بِلادي

كَطُيورِ أَرضي أَو زُهورِ بِلادي

So I was enraptured, yet my heart did not love them

I was moved, yet my heart offered no love,

As it loved the birds of my land or the flowers of my country.

Like that for the birds of my land or the flowers of my country.

وَشَرِبتُ ماءَ ماءَ النيلِ شَيخِ الأَنهُرِ

وَشَرِبتُ ماءَ ماءَ النيلِ شَيخِ الأَنهُرِ

فَكَأَنَّني قَد ذُقتُ ماءَ الكَوثَرِ

فَكَأَنَّني قَد ذُقتُ ماءَ الكَوثَرِ

And I drank water—the water of the Nile, elder of rivers—

I drank the water of the Nile, the elder of rivers,

So it was as though I had tasted the water of al-Kawthar.

As though I had tasted the waters of Paradise;

نَهرٌ تَبارَكَ مِن قَديمِ الأَعصُرِ

نَهرٌ تَبارَكَ مِن قَديمِ الأَعصُرِ

عَذبٌ وَلَكِن لا كَماءِ بِلادي

عَذبٌ وَلَكِن لا كَماءِ بِلادي

A river blessed since ancient times,

A river blessed since ancient times,

Sweet, and yet not like the water of my country.

Sweet, yet not like the water of my country.

وَقَرَأتُ أَوصافَ المُروأَةِ في السَير

وَقَرَأتُ أَوصافَ المُروأَةِ في السَير

فَظَنَنتُها شَيئاً تَلاشى وَاِندَثَر

فَظَنَنتُها شَيئاً تَلاشى وَاِندَثَر

And I read descriptions of chivalry in biographies,

I read descriptions of chivalry in tales of old,

So I thought it something that had faded and vanished,

And thought it a thing vanished and extinct,

أَو أَنَّها كَالغولِ لَيسَ لَها أَثَر

أَو أَنَّها كَالغولِ لَيسَ لَها أَثَر

فَإِذا المُروأَةُ في رِجالِ بِلادي

فَإِذا المُروأَةُ في رِجالِ بِلادي

Or that it was like the ghoul, with no trace to be found.

Or like the mythical Ghoul, leaving no trace,

Then behold—chivalry in the men of my country.

Until I found chivalry in the men of my country.

وَرَسَمتُ يَوماً صورَةً في خاطِري

وَرَسَمتُ يَوماً صورَةً في خاطِري

لِلحُسنِ إِنَّ الحوسنَ رَبُّ الشاعِرِ

لِلحُسنِ إِنَّ الحوسنَ رَبُّ الشاعِرِ

And one day I drew a picture in my mind

One day I sketched a picture in my mind

Of beauty—indeed, beauty is the poet's lord.

Of beauty—for beauty is the poet's sovereign—

وَذَهَبتُ أُنشِدُها فَأَعيا خاطِري

وَذَهَبتُ أُنشِدُها فَأَعيا خاطِري

حَتّى نَظَرتُ إِلى بَناتِ بِلادي

حَتّى نَظَرتُ إِلى بَناتِ بِلادي

And I set out to sing of it, but my mind grew weary,

I sought to recite it, but my imagination failed,

Until I looked upon the daughters of my country.

Until I gazed upon the daughters of my country.

قالوا أَلَيسَ الحُسنُ في كُلِّ الدُنى

قالوا أَلَيسَ الحُسنُ في كُلِّ الدُنى

فَعَلى ما نَمدَح سِواها مَوطِنا

فَعَلى ما نَمدَح سِواها مَوطِنا

They said, “Is beauty not in all the worlds?

They said, "Is not beauty found throughout the world?

Then why do we praise a homeland other than it?”

Why then do you praise your homeland above all else?"

فَأَجَبتَهُم إِنّي أُحِبُّ الأَحسَنا

فَأَجَبتَهُم إِنّي أُحِبُّ الأَحسَنا

أَبَداً وَأَحسَنُ ما رَأَيتُ بِلادي

أَبَداً وَأَحسَنُ ما رَأَيتُ بِلادي

So I answered them, “I love the most beautiful

I answered them, "I simply love the fairest,

Always, and the most beautiful I have seen is my country.”

Forever—and the fairest I have seen is my country."

قالوا رَأَيناها فَلَم نَرَ طَيِّباً

قالوا رَأَيناها فَلَم نَرَ طَيِّباً

وَلّى صِباها وَالجَمالُ مَعَ الصِبا

وَلّى صِباها وَالجَمالُ مَعَ الصِبا

They said, “We saw it but saw nothing good.

They said, "We looked, yet saw nothing delightful;

Its youth has passed, and beauty goes with youth.”

Its youth has fled, and beauty departs with youth."

فَأَجَبتُهُم لِتَكُن بِلادي سَبسَباً

فَأَجَبتُهُم لِتَكُن بِلادي سَبسَباً

قَفراً فَلَستُ أُحِبُّ غَيرَ بِلدي

قَفراً فَلَستُ أُحِبُّ غَيرَ بِلدي

So I answered them, “Let my country be a vast plain,

I answered them, "Let my country be a barren waste,

Barren; still I love none but my country.”

A desolate void; I still love none but my country."

قالوا تَأَمَّل أَيَّ حالٍ حالَها

قالوا تَأَمَّل أَيَّ حالٍ حالَها

صَدَعَ القَضاءُ صُروحَها فَأَمالَها

صَدَعَ القَضاءُ صُروحَها فَأَمالَها

They said, “Consider what a state it is in!

They said, "Consider the state it has fallen into,

Fate has cracked its palaces and made them lean.

Fate has cracked its edifices and brought them low.

سَتَموتُ إِنَّ الدَهرَ شاءَ زَوالَها

سَتَموتُ إِنَّ الدَهرَ شاءَ زَوالَها

أَتَموتُ كَلّا لَن تَموتُ بِلادي

أَتَموتُ كَلّا لَن تَموتُ بِلادي

It will die; time has willed its demise.”

It shall die, for Time has willed its end."

Will it die? Certainly not! My country will not die.

Will it die? Never! My country shall not die.

هِيَ كَالغَديرِ إِذا أَتى فَصلُ الشِتا

هِيَ كَالغَديرِ إِذا أَتى فَصلُ الشِتا

فَقدَ الخَريرَ وَصارَ يَحكي المَيتا

فَقدَ الخَريرَ وَصارَ يَحكي المَيتا

It is like a brook when winter's season comes:

She is like the stream when winter arrives:

It loses its murmur and comes to resemble the dead.

It loses its murmur and seems to resemble the dead,

أَو كَالأَزاهِرِ حَبَستَهُ لَكِن مَتى

أَو كَالأَزاهِرِ حَبَستَهُ لَكِن مَتى

يَعُدِ الرَبيعُ إِلى الإِنشادِ

يَعُدِ الرَبيعُ إِلى الإِنشادِ

Or like blossoms—you held it captive—but when

Or like flowers held dormant, yet as soon as

Spring returns to singing...

Spring returns, it rises again to song.

الكَوكَبُ الوَضّاحُ يَبقى كَوكَباً

الكَوكَبُ الوَضّاحُ يَبقى كَوكَباً

وَلَئِن تَسَتَّرَ بِالدُجى وَتَنَقَّبا

وَلَئِن تَسَتَّرَ بِالدُجى وَتَنَقَّبا

The radiant star remains a star,

The brilliant star remains a star,

Even if it hides in darkness and veils itself.

Even if veiled in darkness and hidden from sight.

لَيسَ الضَبابُ بِسالِبٍ حَسَنَ الرُبى

لَيسَ الضَبابُ بِسالِبٍ حَسَنَ الرُبى

وَالبُؤسُ لا يَمحو جَمالَ بِلادي

وَالبُؤسُ لا يَمحو جَمالَ بِلادي

Fog does not take away the beauty of the hills,

The mist does not rob the hills of their beauty,

And misery does not erase the beauty of my country.

Nor does misery erase the beauty of my country.

لا عَزَّ إِلّا بِالشَبابِ الراقي

لا عَزَّ إِلّا بِالشَبابِ الراقي

الناهِضِ العَزَماتِ وَالأَخلاقِ

الناهِضِ العَزَماتِ وَالأَخلاقِ

There is no glory except through high-minded youth,

There is no glory save in noble youth,

Lofty in resolve and character,

Rising with determination and high morals,

الثائِرِ المُتَفَجِّرِ الدَفّاقِ

الثائِرِ المُتَفَجِّرِ الدَفّاقِ

لَولاهُ لَم تَشمَخ جِبالُ بِلادي

لَولاهُ لَم تَشمَخ جِبالُ بِلادي

Rebellious, erupting, overflowing.

Revolutionary, explosive, surging forth—

Without it, the mountains of my country would not stand tall.

Were it not for them, the mountains of my country would not stand tall.