إلى خازن اللَه في خلقه

إلى خازن اللَه في خلقه

سراجِ النهارِ وبدرِ الظلَم

سراجِ النهارِ وبدرِ الظلَم

To God's treasurer among His creatures,

To the Keeper of Allah among His creation

The lamp of day and the full moon of darkness.

The lamp of daytime and the full moon in darkness

ركبنا غرابيبَ زفافةً

ركبنا غرابيبَ زفافةً

بدجلةَ في موجها الملتظم

بدجلةَ في موجها الملتظم

We boarded raven-black craft, swift-moving,

We rode the bridal carriages

On the Tigris, amid its closely massed waves.

In the waves of Tigris, steadily undulating

اذا ما قصدنا لقا طولها

اذا ما قصدنا لقا طولها

ودهم قراقيرها تصطدم

ودهم قراقيرها تصطدم

Whenever we made for its Qatul,

When we intended to meet its length

While its great black vessels collided,

And the fever of its tremors collided

سكنا الى خير مسكونةٍ

سكنا الى خير مسكونةٍ

تيممها راغبٌ من أمم

تيممها راغبٌ من أمم

We found repose in the finest dwelling-place,

We settled in the best of inhabited places

Which an eager seeker approached from nearby.

Aiming for it, a desirer among nations

مباركةٍ شادَ بُنيانها

مباركةٍ شادَ بُنيانها

بخير المواطنِ خيرُ الأمم

بخير المواطنِ خيرُ الأمم

A blessed place, whose buildings were raised

Blessed, whose structure was built

In the finest of places by the best of humankind.

With the best of sites, the best of peoples

كأنَّ بها نشرَ كافورةٍ

كأنَّ بها نشرَ كافورةٍ

لبردٍ نداها وطيب النسَم

لبردٍ نداها وطيب النسَم

As though it held the fragrance of camphor,

As if musk was scattered over it

For the coolness of its dew and the sweetness of its breezes.

For coolness, its breeze and good scent

كظهر الأديم اذا ما السحا

كظهر الأديم اذا ما السحا

بُ صابَ على متنها وانسجم

بُ صابَ على متنها وانسجم

Like the back of a hide when the cloud

Like leather when rubbed

Rains upon its surface, pouring steadily.

With oil on its surface and made smooth

مبرأة من وحول الشتاءِ

مبرأة من وحول الشتاءِ

اذا ما طمى وحلُه وارتكم

اذا ما طمى وحلُه وارتكم

Free of winter's mire,

Safe from winter, its surroundings

When its mud rises and heaps up.

When it was flooded by its coming and heaping

فما ان يزال بها راجلٌ

فما ان يزال بها راجلٌ

يمر الهوينى ولا يلتطم

يمر الهوينى ولا يلتطم

So there is always a pedestrian there,

So a traveller still does not stop

Passing leisurely, without colliding,

Passing secure and unharmed

ويمشي على رسله آمناً

ويمشي على رسله آمناً

سليمَ الشراكِ نقيَّ القدم

سليمَ الشراكِ نقيَّ القدم

And walking at his ease, secure,

And walks steadily on his feet

His sandal strap intact, his foot clean.

Unshod, clean of step

وللنونِ والضبِّ في بطنها

وللنونِ والضبِّ في بطنها

مراتعُ مسكونةٌ والنعم

مراتعُ مسكونةٌ والنعم

And for fish and spiny-tailed lizards, in its belly,

And for hares and deer within it

Are inhabited feeding grounds—and for livestock too.

Grazing grounds inhabited and blessings

غدوت على الوحش مغترةً

غدوت على الوحش مغترةً

رواتع في نورها المنتظم

رواتع في نورها المنتظم

In the morning I found the wild beasts unwary,

I went out to the beasts intoxicated

Grazing freely among its neatly ordered blossoms.

Meadows in its steady light

ورحتُ عليها وأسرابها

ورحتُ عليها وأسرابها

تحومُ بأكنافها تبتسم

تحومُ بأكنافها تبتسم

And at evening I went to it, while its flocks

And I walked among it and its flocks

Circled about its outskirts, smiling.

Circling its edges, smiling

يضيق الفضاءُ به إن غدا

يضيق الفضاءُ به إن غدا

بطودي أعاريبه والعجم

بطودي أعاريبه والعجم

The wide expanse grows narrow for him when he sets out in the morning,

Space is too narrow for it if it goes

With the twin mountains of his Bedouins and non-Arabs.

With my tribes and non-Arabs

ترى النصر يقدم راياته

ترى النصر يقدم راياته

إذا ما خفقن أمامَ العلم

إذا ما خفقن أمامَ العلم

You see victory leading his banners,

You see victory advancing its banners

Whenever they flutter before the standard.

When they flutter before the banner

وفي اللَه دوخَ أعداءَهُ

وفي اللَه دوخَ أعداءَهُ

وجرَّد فيهم سيوفَ النقَم

وجرَّد فيهم سيوفَ النقَم

And for God's sake he subdued his enemies,

And in Allah he defeated his enemies

And unsheathed against them the swords of retribution.

And unleashed against them swords of vengeance

وفي اللَه يكظمُ من غيظه

وفي اللَه يكظمُ من غيظه

وفي اللَه يصفحُ عمن جرم

وفي اللَه يصفحُ عمن جرم

And for God's sake he restrains some of his anger,

And in Allah he swallows his anger

And for God's sake he pardons whoever has offended.

And in Allah he forgives those who sinned

رأى شيمَ الجودِ محمودةً

رأى شيمَ الجودِ محمودةً

وما شيمُ الجُودِ إلا قسم

وما شيمُ الجُودِ إلا قسم

He saw the traits of generosity as praiseworthy,

He saw the traits of generosity as praiseworthy

And generosity's traits are but allotted gifts.

And the traits of generosity are nothing but excellence

فراحَ على نعمٍ واغتدى

فراحَ على نعمٍ واغتدى

كأن ليس يُحسِن إلا نعم

كأن ليس يُحسِن إلا نعم

So he passed evening and morning saying 'Yes,'

So he set out with blessings and became wealthy

As though he knew only how to say 'Yes.'

As if none does good except the blessed