يا مليكاً به الملوك أطافوا

يا مليكاً به الملوك أطافوا

بُت معافاً تحفّك الألطافُ

بُت معافاً تحفّك الألطافُ

O king around whom other kings have gathered,

O sovereign around whom kings have circled,

May you remain in health, encircled by gracious favors.

Pass the night in good health, with gracious favors surrounding you.

للمنى أينَ ما أقمتَ مقامٌ

للمنى أينَ ما أقمتَ مقامٌ

وله أينَ ما انصرفتَ انصرافُ

وله أينَ ما انصرفتَ انصرافُ

Wherever you abide, hopes find a dwelling;

Hope has a dwelling wherever you reside,

and wherever you turn, they turn with you.

And wherever you depart, it too departs.

غير بدعٍ بأن تُخافَ وتُرجى

غير بدعٍ بأن تُخافَ وتُرجى

سيِّدُ القومِ يُرتجى ويُخافُ

سيِّدُ القومِ يُرتجى ويُخافُ

It is no wonder that you are both feared and hoped in:

No wonder you are feared and looked to with hope;

the people’s lord is both hoped in and feared.

A people's chief is looked to with hope and feared.

أيُّ أرضٍ حللتها فهي روضٌ

أيُّ أرضٍ حللتها فهي روضٌ

لأُنوف الملوك فيه استيافُ

لأُنوف الملوك فيه استيافُ

Whatever land you settle becomes a garden,

Whatever land you settle in is a garden,

for there the king has made himself its guest.

Where the noses of kings inhale its scent.

يا نقيب الأشراف وهو نداءٌ

يا نقيب الأشراف وهو نداءٌ

لك تعلو بذكره الأشرافُ

لك تعلو بذكره الأشرافُ

O Naqib of the Ashraf!—a title

O chief of the nobles—a form of address

at whose mention the Ashraf rise in honor.

That, spoken to you, exalts the nobles.

نفحتْ منهم بنشرٍ ولكن

نفحتْ منهم بنشرٍ ولكن

من غوالي فخاركَ الأعطافُ

من غوالي فخاركَ الأعطافُ

A fragrance wafted from them; and yet

From them a fragrance wafted, yet

your very robes are among glory’s rarest perfumes.

Their shoulders drew it from your glory's precious perfumes.

بك طابوا ويكسبُ الماء طيباً

بك طابوا ويكسبُ الماء طيباً

حين يغدو للورد وهو مضافُ

حين يغدو للورد وهو مضافُ

Through you they grew fragrant; even water gains fragrance

Through you they became fragrant; water too acquires fragrance

when it goes as a guest to the roses.

When it comes to be joined to roses.

افرش الله أخمصيكَ خدوداً

افرش الله أخمصيكَ خدوداً

من عداً عنك قد زواها انحرافُ

من عداً عنك قد زواها انحرافُ

Carpet the soles of your feet with the cheeks of the base—

May God carpet the hollows of your feet with cheeks

enemies whom their turning from you has bent aside.

Of foes whom estrangement has turned away from you.

ضلَّ مَن فيك قاسها حيث منها

ضلَّ مَن فيك قاسها حيث منها

لم تنلْ كعب رجلكَ الأكتافُ

لم تنلْ كعب رجلكَ الأكتافُ

Let whoever bears them spite measure their stature against yours:

Whoever compares them with you errs, for their

their shoulders cannot reach even the heel of your foot.

Shoulders have not reached your ankle.

فطأ اليوم أينما شئتَ فخراً

فطأ اليوم أينما شئتَ فخراً

رغمتْ تحتَ نعلكَ الآنافُ

رغمتْ تحتَ نعلكَ الآنافُ

Stride proudly today wherever you please:

So tread proudly today wherever you wish;

beneath your sandal, noses lie humbled.

Noses lie humbled in the dust beneath your sandal.

لكَ وجهٌ لو باهلَ الشمس يوماً

لكَ وجهٌ لو باهلَ الشمس يوماً

لعرا وجهها المنيرَ انكسافُ

لعرا وجهها المنيرَ انكسافُ

Yours is a face that, if it challenged the sun one day,

You have a face that, were it one day to challenge the sun,

an eclipse would overtake her radiant face.

An eclipse would befall her radiant face.

شفَّ توديعك الورى حين قالوا

شفَّ توديعك الورى حين قالوا

مزمعٌ جوهر العُلى الشفافُ

مزمعٌ جوهر العُلى الشفافُ

Your farewell left all creation wasting away when they said,

Bidding you farewell wore the people down when they said:

“The limpid jewel of loftiness is resolved to depart.”

“The transparent jewel of glory is set to depart.”

ودَّعتْ منكَ منصفاً فهي تدعو

ودَّعتْ منكَ منصفاً فهي تدعو

سرْ على اليُمنِ أنت والإِنصافُ

سرْ على اليُمنِ أنت والإِنصافُ

In you the world bids farewell to one just, and so it prays:

In you they bade farewell to a just man, and so they pray:

“Go forth auspiciously—you and justice together.”

“Travel with good fortune, you and justice.”

لا تسلْ عن قلوبنا فلعمري

لا تسلْ عن قلوبنا فلعمري

كلّها في غدٍ إليك لهافُ

كلّها في غدٍ إليك لهافُ

Do not ask about our hearts; by my life,

Do not ask about our hearts—for, by my life,

tomorrow they will all be yearning after you.

Tomorrow they will all ache with longing for you.

كلَّما جدَّ في ركابكَ سيرٌ

كلَّما جدَّ في ركابكَ سيرٌ

جدَّ للاشتياقِ فيها اعتسافُ

جدَّ للاشتياقِ فيها اعتسافُ

Whenever the pace of your caravan grows more determined,

Whenever your caravan's pace quickens,

longing’s cruelty toward them grows more severe.

Longing's tyranny within them grows fiercer.

بوركتْ نيةٌ دعتكَ لبيتٍ

بوركتْ نيةٌ دعتكَ لبيتٍ

لعلاه آباك قدماً أنافوا

لعلاه آباك قدماً أنافوا

Blessed is the intention that summoned you to a House

Blessed be the intention that called you to the House,

to whose height your forefathers rose long ago.

To whose heights your forefathers rose long ago.

ستؤدِّي فرضَ الطواف وتأتي

ستؤدِّي فرضَ الطواف وتأتي

لحمًى فيه للسرورِ مطافُ

لحمًى فيه للسرورِ مطافُ

You will perform the prescribed circumambulation and come

You will fulfill the duty of circumambulation and come

to the sanctuary, where joy itself makes its rounds.

To a sanctuary where joy makes its rounds.

ثمَّ أُهدي إليكَ تحفةَ بشرٍ

ثمَّ أُهدي إليكَ تحفةَ بشرٍ

ما حوتْ مثلَ درِّها الأصدافُ

ما حوتْ مثلَ درِّها الأصدافُ

Then I offer you a gift of glad tidings,

Then I shall offer you a gift of cheer—

the like of whose pearl no shell has ever held,

No shells have held the like of its pearls—

في تهانٍ لها إليك اختلافٌ

في تهانٍ لها إليك اختلافٌ

وسعودٍ لها عليكَ ائتلافُ

وسعودٍ لها عليكَ ائتلافُ

in congratulations that return to you again and again,

In congratulations that come to you again and again,

and felicities that remain in harmony with you—

And good fortunes that gather in harmony upon you,

كرياض الربيع تونق زهراً

كرياض الربيع تونق زهراً

راق للناظرين منها اقتطافُ

راق للناظرين منها اقتطافُ

like spring gardens, splendid in bloom,

Like spring gardens, delightful in bloom,

whose blossoms delight the eyes that pluck them.

From which plucking flowers delights the onlookers.