1. كَذا ينتهي البَدْرُ المُنيرُ إلى الشمْسِ

    وتَمْتَزجُ النفسُ الكريمةُ بالنَفْسِ

    Thus the luminous full moon reaches the sun,

    And the noble soul mingles with the soul.

  2. وتَلْتَحِمُ الأنسابُ من بَعْدِ بُعْدِها

    وتدنو القلوبُ المُوحشاتُ إلى الأنسِ

    And lineages join after their estrangement,

    And lonely hearts draw near to companionship.

  3. ويُجْمَعُ شملُ الوَصْلِ من فُرْقَةِ القِلى

    ويُرْفَعُ بَنْدُ الوَصلِ من مَصْرَعِ النِّكْسِ

    And the bonds of union are gathered out of hatred's division,

    And union's banner is raised from where it lay overturned.

  4. كجمعِ سُلَيْمانَ النبيِّ بصِهْرِكُمْ

    ذوي يَمَنٍ والشامِ والجِنِّ والإنسِ

    Like Solomon the prophet's gathering, through your marriage alliance,

    Of the people of Yemen and Syria, the jinn and humankind;

  5. وتأليفِ ذِي القرْنَينِ إذ هُدِيَتْ لَهُ

    كرِيمةُ دارَا دَعوَةَ الرُّومِ والفُرسِ

    And Dhu al-Qarnayn's uniting—when he was given

    Dara's noble daughter—the cause of the Romans and Persians.

  6. فأْهلاً بذاتِ التَّاجِ من سَلَفِ العُلا

    إلى ابنِ ذَوي التِّيجانِ فِي سالِفِ الحَرْسِ

    So welcome the crowned lady, from exalted forebears,

    To the son of crowned lords of ages long past;

  7. إلى وارِثِ الأحسابِ هُوداً وتُبَّعاً

    وباني العُلا بالدِّينِ سَمْكاً عَلَى أُسِّ

    To the heir of ancestral honors, of Hud and Tubbaʿ,

    And builder of glory through faith, raising height upon a foundation;

  8. ولابِسِ حِلْمٍ قَدْ تناهى مَدى النُّهى

    وحاجِبِ مُلكٍ قَدْ عَلا حاجِبَ الشَمْسِ

    And wearer of forbearance reaching wisdom's furthest bounds,

    And chamberlain of a kingdom risen above the sun's brow.

  9. ويا رُبَّ حَرْبٍ أسْمَعَتهُ دعاءها

    بِهِنْدِيَّةٍ عُرْبٍ وألسِنَةٍ خُرْسِ

    And oh, how many a war made him hear its summons

    Through Arabic-speaking Indian blades and mute tongues!

  10. فكم سَلَّ من كَرْبٍ وأنْقَذَ من عَمىً

    وَروَّح من رُوحٍ ونفَّسَ من نَفْسِ

    So how much anguish he dispelled, how often he rescued from blindness,

    And refreshed many a spirit and relieved many a soul,

  11. وأسْبَلَ من غَيْثٍ ومَلَّأَ من يَدٍ

    وكم فَكَّ من غُلٍّ وأطْلَقَ من حَبْسِ

    And poured down much rain and filled many a hand,

    And how many fetters he loosed, how often he freed from captivity!

  12. زكا فَرعُها فِي آلِ ذِي النُّونِ سُنَّةً

    بِهَا رَاقَتِ الأثمارُ فِي يابِسِ الغرسِ

    Its branch flourished in the house of Dhu al-Nun—a tradition

    Through which the fruits grew fair amid withered plantings.

  13. فلِلَّهِ أكْفاءٌ تدانَوْا لِصَفْقَةٍ

    من الصِّهْرِ قَدْ جلَّتْ عن الغَبنِ والوَكسِ

    So glory to God for equals who drew together for a bargain

    Of marriage alliance, too exalted for unfair dealing or loss.

  14. وذكَّرَهُمْ يومُ التخاذُلِ يَوْمَهُمْ

    بموتِ عهودٍ كُنَّ يَحْيَيْنَ بالأمسِ

    And the day of mutual desertion recalled to them their own day

    With the death of pledges that had been alive yesterday.

  15. فأسمَعَهُمْ داعي تُجيبَ فمثَّلوا

    الدَّاعِي إلى الجودِ والبأسِ

    Then Tujib's caller made them hear, and so they embodied

    The caller to generosity and valor.

  16. فيا ذِمَّةَ الصِّهر الَّذِي شَدَّ عَهْدَها

    بخاتِمَةِ الآياتِ من آيةِ الكُرسِي

    So O marriage bond, whose covenant was bound fast

    With the concluding signs from the Verse of the Throne!

  17. فَعَفّتْ رسومَ الغَدْرِ من ظاهرِ الثرى

    وخَطَّتْ وفاءَ العهدِ فِي صَفْحَةِ الشَّمسِ

    So it effaced treachery's traces from the face of the earth,

    And inscribed fidelity to the covenant upon the sun's page,

  18. وسلَّتْ منَ الإقبالِ والهَدْي والهُدى

    صوارِمَ لا تُثْنى بِدِرْعٍ ولا تُرْسِ

    And drew from good fortune, right conduct, and guidance

    Keen swords that no armor or shield can turn back.

  19. إذا غَنِمَتْ جاءَتكَ بالأمنِ والمُنى

    وإن غضِبتْ أنحَتْ عَلَى الشُومِ والتَّعْسِ

    When it wins spoils, it brings you safety and your wishes;

    And if it grows angry, it strikes at ill fortune and misery,

  20. بسَرَّاءَ مِمَّا ثَبَّتَ اللهُ أو مَحا

    وشَحناءَ مما يَنْسخُ اللهُ أو يُنسي

    With gladness from what God has confirmed or effaced,

    And enmity from what God abrogates or makes forgotten.

  21. لها أعيُنٌ أهْدى إلى الحَقِّ من قَطاً

    وألسِنةٌ بالسَّلْمِ أخطبُ من قَسِّ

    It has eyes more surely guided to truth than sandgrouse,

    And tongues more eloquent in peace than Quss.

  22. وما قَصَّرَتْ عن ساعِيَيْ آلِ مُرَّةٍ

    لصُلْحِ بني ذُبْيانَ والحَيِّ من عَبْسِ

    Nor did it fall short of the two mediators of the house of Murra

    In making peace between the sons of Dhubyan and the clan of ʿAbs.

  23. ولله مَا زُفَّتْ ليحيى كتائِبٌ

    مُرَوِّعَةُ الإقدامِ مُرْهِبَةُ الجَرْسِ

    By God, what battalions were brought in bridal procession to Yahya,

    Terrifying in their advance, fearsome in their sound!

  24. يُضِيءُ الدُّجى من عِزِّ من حَلَّ وَسْطَها

    ويُظْلمُ عنها ثاقِبُ الوَهْمِ والحِسِّ

    Darkness gleams with the glory of the one who alighted amid them,

    And the keenest imagination and sense go dark before them.

  25. ويُحجَبُ بالرَّاياتِ فِي مُشرقِ الفَلا

    ويُشْرقُ بالإعظامِ فِي الظُلَمِ الدُّمْسِ

    And that one is veiled by banners in the sunlit desert,

    And shines, revered, amid pitch-black darkness.

  26. وقد رُفِعَتْ رَفْعَ الحصونِ قِبابُها

    عَلَى حُلَلِ الإحصانِ والطُّهْرِ والقُدْسِ

    Their canopies have been raised as fortresses are raised,

    Above robes of chastity, purity, and sanctity.

  27. وحُلِّيَتِ البيضُ الصَّوارم والقنا

    عَلَى الدُّرِّ والياقوتِ لُبساً عَلَى لُبْسِ

    And gleaming, keen swords and lances were arrayed as ornaments

    Over pearls and rubies, one raiment upon another.

  28. هِداءٌ هَدى سُبْلَ الرَّغائِبِ وانْتَحى

    يُنَشِّرُ مَيْتَ السَّلْمِ من ظُلَمِ الرَّمْسِ

    A bridal procession that guided the paths of desire and set out

    To resurrect dead peace from the darkness of the grave.

  29. ويومُ بِناءٍ قَدْ بَنى فرْجَةَ المُنى

    بعُرْسٍ غَدَتْ منه المكارِمُ في عُرْس

    And a day of marriage that built an opening for hopes,

    With a wedding that brought noble deeds themselves into bridal celebration.

  30. وقد أذَّنا فِي الأرضِ حَيَّ ومَرْحَباً

    إلى المَشهَدِ المذكورِ والمَنظَرِ المُنْسي

    And both announced throughout the earth: "Come, and welcome!"

    To the memorable gathering and the sight that makes one forget.

  31. يُريكَ النجومَ الزُهْرَ فِي مَجْلِسِ القِرى

    من الطَّاسِ والإبريقِ والجام والكأسِ

    It shows you the radiant stars in the gathering of hospitality,

    From bowl, ewer, goblet, and cup.

  32. وسَقْيٌ يُنَسِّي الإلفَ ريقةَ إلفِهِ

    وطعْمٌ لهُ وقعُ الحياةِ من النَّفْسِ

    And drink that makes a lover forget his beloved's saliva,

    And food whose impact on the soul is that of life itself.

  33. وأمواهُ وَرْدٍ فِي وُرُودِ حِياضِها

    شفاءُ الظِّماءِ الهِيمِ من غُلَّةِ الخِمسِ

    And rosewater, whose basins, when approached,

    Cure the thirst-maddened of the burning thirst of a five-day watering cycle.

  34. وغَيمٌ من العُودِ الذَّكيِّ تراكَمَتْ

    أعاِليهِ حَتَّى كِدْنَ يُوجَدْنَ باللَّمْسِ

    And a cloud of fragrant aloeswood—piled up

    Were its upper reaches, until they could almost be felt by touch.

  35. وغالِيَةٌ تكسو المشيبَ شَبابَهُ

    وتُنَبِتُ سُودَ العُذْرِ فِي الأوْجُهِ المُلْسِ

    And ghaliya perfume that clothes gray hair in youth,

    And makes black sideburns sprout on smooth faces.

  36. مكارمُ أضحت للرجال مغانماً

    بلا نصب المغزي ولا سُنَّةِ الخُمْس

    Acts of generosity became spoils for men,

    Without the toil of raiding or the customary fifth share.

  37. فإنْ حَمَلَتْ من بعدِها سَيْفَ فِتْنَةٍ

    يَدٌ فَتَخَلَّتْ من أنامِلِهَا الخَمْسِ

    So if, after this, a sword of discord is borne

    By a hand, may it be bereft of its five fingers.

  38. وإن أوْتَرَتْ قَوساً إلى رَمْيِ مُسْلِمٍ

    فلا انْفَصَلَتْ عن مَقْبِضِ العَضْمِ والعَجْسِ

    And if it strings a bow to shoot at a Muslim,

    Then may it never come free of the bow's grip and middle.

  39. ولا ضاعَتِ الأنسابُ بالغَدر والقِلى

    ولا بِيعَتِ الأحسابُ بالثَّمَنِ البَخْسِ

    And may lineages never be lost through betrayal and hatred,

    And may ancestral honors never be sold for a paltry price.

  40. ولا زالَ مَا ترْجُوهُ أقْرَبَ من غَدٍ

    ولا انْفَكَّ مَا تخشاهُ أبْعَدَ من أَمْسِ

    And may what you hope for always be nearer than tomorrow,

    And may what you fear always be farther away than yesterday.