كُنّا مُلوكَ الناسِ قَبلَ مُحَمَّدٍ

كُنّا مُلوكَ الناسِ قَبلَ مُحَمَّدٍ

فَلَمّا أَتى الإِسلامُ كانَ لَنا الفَضلُ

فَلَمّا أَتى الإِسلامُ كانَ لَنا الفَضلُ

We were kings of the people before Muhammad;

We were kings of the people before Muhammad;

then, when Islam came, distinction was ours.

Then, when Islam came, preeminence was ours.

وَأَكرَمَنا اللَهُ الَّذي لَيسَ غَيرَهُ

وَأَكرَمَنا اللَهُ الَّذي لَيسَ غَيرَهُ

إِلَهٌ بِرَيّامٍ مَضَت ما لَها شَكلُ

إِلَهٌ بِرَيّامٍ مَضَت ما لَها شَكلُ

God—beside whom there is no other god—honored us

And God honored us—He besides whom there is no other

with Rayyām, now gone and without peer,

god—with [days?] gone by that have no equal—

بِنَصرِ الإِلَهِ وَالنَبِيِّ وَدينِهِ

بِنَصرِ الإِلَهِ وَالنَبِيِّ وَدينِهِ

وَأَكرَمَنا بِاِسمٍ مَضى ما لَهُ مِثلُ

وَأَكرَمَنا بِاِسمٍ مَضى ما لَهُ مِثلُ

through God’s aid, the Prophet, and his faith;

Through our support of God, the Prophet, and his religion.

and He honored us with a renown from bygone times that has no equal.

And He honored us with a name that has endured, without equal.

أولَئِكَ قَومي خَيرُ قَومٍ بِأَسرِهِم

أولَئِكَ قَومي خَيرُ قَومٍ بِأَسرِهِم

فَما عُدَّ مِن خَيرٍ فَقَومي لَهُ أَهلُ

فَما عُدَّ مِن خَيرٍ فَقَومي لَهُ أَهلُ

Those are my people—the best of all people, every one of them;

Those are my people, the finest people, every one of them;

whatever goodness is reckoned, my people are worthy of it.

Whatever is reckoned as goodness, my people are worthy of it.

يَرُبّونَ بِالمَعروفِ مَعروفَ مَن مَضى

يَرُبّونَ بِالمَعروفِ مَعروفَ مَن مَضى

وَلَيسَ عَلى مَعروفِهِم أَبَداً قُفلُ

وَلَيسَ عَلى مَعروفِهِم أَبَداً قُفلُ

Through their good deeds they surpass the good deeds of those gone before,

With kindness they nurture the kindness of those gone before,

and never is their beneficence placed under lock.

And no lock is ever placed upon their kindness.

إِذا اِختَبَطوا لَم يُفحِشوا في نَدِيِّهِم

إِذا اِختَبَطوا لَم يُفحِشوا في نَدِيِّهِم

وَلَيسَ عَلى سُؤالِهِم عِندَهُم بُخلُ

وَلَيسَ عَلى سُؤالِهِم عِندَهُم بُخلُ

When sought out for bounty, they are not coarse in their assembly,

When favors are sought, they use no foul speech in their assembly;

and those who ask them find no stinginess among them.

Nor do they show stinginess when asked.

وَحامِلُهُم وافٍ بِكُلِّ حَمالَةٍ

وَحامِلُهُم وافٍ بِكُلِّ حَمالَةٍ

تَحَمَّلَ لا غُرمٌ عَلَيهِ وَلا خَذلُ

تَحَمَّلَ لا غُرمٌ عَلَيهِ وَلا خَذلُ

The one among them who takes on a liability discharges every one in full;

And their guarantor fulfills every financial obligation

he shoulders it—no debt remains against him, nor is he forsaken.

he undertakes: no loss falls on him, nor is he forsaken.

وَجارُهُمُ فيهِم بِعَلياءَ بَيتُهُ

وَجارُهُمُ فيهِم بِعَلياءَ بَيتُهُ

لَهُ ما ثَوى فينا الكَرامَةُ وَالبَذلُ

لَهُ ما ثَوى فينا الكَرامَةُ وَالبَذلُ

Their neighbor among them has his house set on high;

And their neighbor's house stands high among them;

as long as he dwells among us, honor and openhanded giving are his.

His are honor and generosity as long as he dwells among us.

وَقائِلُهُم بِالحَقِّ أَوَّلَ قائِلٍ

وَقائِلُهُم بِالحَقِّ أَوَّلَ قائِلٍ

فَحُكمُهُمُ عَدلٌ وَقَولُهُمُ فَصلُ

فَحُكمُهُمُ عَدلٌ وَقَولُهُمُ فَصلُ

The one among them who speaks for truth is the first to speak;

And their speaker is first to speak the truth;

their judgment is justice, and their word decisive.

So their judgment is just, and their speech decisive.

إِذا حارَبوا أَو سالَموا لَم يُشَبِّهوا

إِذا حارَبوا أَو سالَموا لَم يُشَبِّهوا

فَحَربُهُمُ خَوفٌ وَسِلمُهُمُ سَهلُ

فَحَربُهُمُ خَوفٌ وَسِلمُهُمُ سَهلُ

When they fight or make peace, they are unmatched:

When they wage war or make peace, they leave no doubt:

their war is terror, while their peace is gentle.

For their war is terror, and their peace is ease.

وَمِنّا أَمينُ المُسلِمينَ حَياتَهُ

وَمِنّا أَمينُ المُسلِمينَ حَياتَهُ

وَمَن غَسَّلَتهُ مِن جَنابَتِهِ الرُسلُ

وَمَن غَسَّلَتهُ مِن جَنابَتِهِ الرُسلُ

And among us is one trusted by the Muslims throughout his life,

And among us was the Muslims' trusted man throughout his life,

and one whom the messengers washed clean of his janābah.

And he whom the angelic messengers washed free of his ritual impurity.