تنفست الأيام وابتسم الدهر

تنفست الأيام وابتسم الدهر

ولاحت على الدنيا الطلاقة والبشر

ولاحت على الدنيا الطلاقة والبشر

The days drew breath, and time smiled.

The days breathed and time smiled,

And cheerfulness and gladness shone upon the world.

Serenity and joy appeared in the world,

ونحن بحمد الله في ذروة العلا

ونحن بحمد الله في ذروة العلا

لنا السعد والاقبال والعز والنصر

لنا السعد والاقبال والعز والنصر

And, praise be to God, we are at the pinnacle of glory.

And we, by the grace of God, are at the peak of glory,

Ours are good fortune, prosperity, honor, and victory.

For us is fortune, prosperity, honor and victory.

واعداؤنا ابدى سبا قد تفرقوا

واعداؤنا ابدى سبا قد تفرقوا

وحاق بهم من بأسنا الذل والاسر

وحاق بهم من بأسنا الذل والاسر

And our enemies have scattered like the hands of Saba.

Our enemies, always pouring insults, scattered,

And humiliation and captivity engulfed them through our might.

And humiliation and captivity befell them from our might.

واسباب سبل الامن منهم تقطعت

واسباب سبل الامن منهم تقطعت

وما شعروا انا لنا البر والبحر

وما شعروا انا لنا البر والبحر

And access to safety's paths was cut off from them.

The means to secure paths were cut off from them,

And they did not realize that land and sea are ours.

And they did not realize we possess the land and sea.

ومن شأننا في الحرب آجامها القنا

ومن شأننا في الحرب آجامها القنا

نصول وفي سلم هم الانجم الزهر

نصول وفي سلم هم الانجم الزهر

And it is our way, in war whose thickets are spears,

It is our way in war to unsheathe the sword,

to charge; in peace they are the radiant stars.

We attack, and in peace they are glittering stars.

وسلطاننا طومان باي اجل من

وسلطاننا طومان باي اجل من

سما في الورى فخرا وهذا هو الفخر

سما في الورى فخرا وهذا هو الفخر

And our sultan Tuman Bay is the noblest of those who

Our sultan is the honorable Tuman Bay,

rose among humankind in glory—and this is glory.

More lofty in the world with pride, and this is pride.

وطالعه وافى باسعد طالع

وطالعه وافى باسعد طالع

وفي فلك الاقبال قابله البدر

وفي فلك الاقبال قابله البدر

And his star rose with the most auspicious ascendant.

His ascendant met the happiest ascendant,

And in the sphere of good fortune the full moon faced it.

The full moon in the celestial sphere met him.

له التاج والقصر الذي قد اشاده

له التاج والقصر الذي قد اشاده

حوى شرفا يا حبذا المد والقصر

حوى شرفا يا حبذا المد والقصر

His are the crown and the palace he has built;

For him is the crown and palace he built,

it holds honor—how fine the lengthening and shortening!

It encompassed glory, oh beauty of extension and palace!

هو الملك السامي علا عن مضارع

هو الملك السامي علا عن مضارع

هو الصارم الماضي له النهي والامر

هو الصارم الماضي له النهي والامر

He is the exalted king, risen beyond any peer.

He is the sublime king, unparalleled,

He is the keen, cutting sword; his are prohibition and command.

He is the resolute ruler, for him is the command and prohibition.

هو العادل السلطان والملك الذي

هو العادل السلطان والملك الذي

به طابت الايام واعتدل الدهر

به طابت الايام واعتدل الدهر

He is the just sultan and the king through whom

He is the just sultan and king in whom

the days grew sweet and time came into balance.

The days became pleasant and time equitable.

ابو النصر من بالحمد قد سار ذكره

ابو النصر من بالحمد قد سار ذكره

وقد عز ان يأتي بمثل له العصر

وقد عز ان يأتي بمثل له العصر

Abu al-Nasr, whose renown has spread with praise,

Father of victory, his fame has spread,

and it is hard for the age to bring forth his equal.

The era was too weak to produce his equal.

فلا تنكروا جهلا من الوجه ما حوى

فلا تنكروا جهلا من الوجه ما حوى

فهذا الذي لله في مجده سر

فهذا الذي لله في مجده سر

So do not, in ignorance, deny what his countenance holds;

Do not, in ignorance, deny his qualities,

for this is he in whose glory God has a secret.

This secret of his glory is enough.

فيا من يضاهيه اليك فقدره

فيا من يضاهيه اليك فقدره

تسامى على الشعرى ويكفيك ذا القدر

تسامى على الشعرى ويكفيك ذا القدر

So, you who would rival him, stand back, for his rank

So you who vie with him, know his worth,

has risen above Sirius, and that rank should suffice you.

He surpassed the star Capella, and this status suffices you.

جميل السجايا والمحامد ماجد

جميل السجايا والمحامد ماجد

بنا قد غدا برا على أنه البحر

بنا قد غدا برا على أنه البحر

Beautiful in character and merits, a noble man,

Beautiful natured, glorified, triumphal,

he has grown kind to us, though he is the sea.

Jamil al-Sajaya became, through us, a sea of virtue.

كريم اذا اعطى عظيم اذا سطا

كريم اذا اعطى عظيم اذا سطا

اخو الجوى ذو بأس به النقع والضر

اخو الجوى ذو بأس به النقع والضر

Generous when he gives, mighty when he assails,

Generous when he gave, great when he bestowed,

a man of ardent passion and might, bringing battle-dust and harm.

Brother of bounty, his blows caused wounds and affliction.

عن البيض لا تلهيه بيض كواعب

عن البيض لا تلهيه بيض كواعب

ولا عن طوال السمر تشغله السمر

ولا عن طوال السمر تشغله السمر

Fair, budding-breasted maidens do not distract him from bright swords,

Do not distract him from the fair ones with fair ones,

nor do dusky women divert him from long, tawny spears.

Or from the dark-skinned beauties with dark-skinned.

به عاد نثر الشمل منتظما وقد

به عاد نثر الشمل منتظما وقد

تطابق في اوصافه النظم والنثر

تطابق في اوصافه النظم والنثر

Through him the scattered company is once more united, and

Through him scattered unity was restored,

verse and prose agree in describing him.

In his traits prose and poetry came together.

ومن عجب في الارض سبعة ابحر

ومن عجب في الارض سبعة ابحر

ومن جود كفيه لنا ابحر عشر

ومن جود كفيه لنا ابحر عشر

And among marvels: on earth there are seven seas,

A wonder on earth, seven seas,

yet from the bounty of his two hands we have ten seas.

And from his palms' generosity, ten seas for us.

تقلدني درا مدائحه التي

تقلدني درا مدائحه التي

به لي قوافيها زهت وحلا الشعر

به لي قوافيها زهت وحلا الشعر

His praises garland me with pearls—praises whose

He granted me the gift of his praises which

rhymes have shone for me through him, and poetry has grown sweet.

Adorned and beautified poetry through their rhymes.

فيا ملك العليا وبدر سعودها

فيا ملك العليا وبدر سعودها

ويا من به جبر لمن ناله كسر

ويا من به جبر لمن ناله كسر

So, O king of high glory and full moon of its good fortunes,

Oh king of the lofty, and full moon of its felicity,

and O you through whom the broken find mending,

He through whom the broken were mended!

حللت دمشق الشام فانضم شملها

حللت دمشق الشام فانضم شملها

وأضحت إلى لقياك ناظرة مصر

وأضحت إلى لقياك ناظرة مصر

you came to Damascus of the Levant, and its people were reunited.

You have resolved Damascus, so its unity returned,

And Egypt now looks forward to meeting you.

And it looks to meeting you like Egypt.

يهنيك نصر الله والفتح بعده

يهنيك نصر الله والفتح بعده

فشمس الضحى ضاءت وقد طلع الفجر

فشمس الضحى ضاءت وقد طلع الفجر

May God's victory and the conquest that follows it gladden you.

God’s victory and subsequent opening congratulate you,

For the midmorning sun has shone, and dawn has risen.

The sun of morning shone and dawn broke.

وعما قليل منهم تبلغ المنى

وعما قليل منهم تبلغ المنى

وتظفر بالاعدا وينشرح الصدر

وتظفر بالاعدا وينشرح الصدر

And soon you will gain from them what you desire,

In a little while you will attain your goals,

and triumph over the enemies, and your breast will expand with relief.

Vanquish the enemy, and the breast expands.

فخذها قصيدا بالهنا طاب نشرها

فخذها قصيدا بالهنا طاب نشرها

وفاح لنا بالطيب من عرفها النشر

وفاح لنا بالطيب من عرفها النشر

So accept her as an ode, her unfolding sweet with gladness,

So take it as a poem which glowed with delight in spreading,

and a fragrant scent has wafted to us from her aroma.

Its perfume was fragrant when circulated.

لنحوك قد وافت من الفقر تشتكي

لنحوك قد وافت من الفقر تشتكي

أغثها فلا زبد يغيث ولا عمرو

أغثها فلا زبد يغيث ولا عمرو

She has come toward you, complaining of poverty.

It came to you, complaining of poverty,

Give her aid, for neither foam nor Amr brings relief.

Revive it, neither spume nor life can help.

عسى نظرة منها القبول وينجلي

عسى نظرة منها القبول وينجلي

سحاب الغنى عنها وينهزم الفقر

سحاب الغنى عنها وينهزم الفقر

May a glance bring acceptance, and may

Hopefully a glance from you of acceptance, and

the cloud of wealth clear from her, and poverty be routed.

The cloud of wealth lifts from it and poverty retreats.

فلا برحت رايات مجدك والعلا

فلا برحت رايات مجدك والعلا

بها السعد مقرون ويقدمها النصر

بها السعد مقرون ويقدمها النصر

So may the banners of your glory and eminence never cease

The banners of your glory and elevation did not cease,

to have good fortune bound to them, with victory leading them.

With them good fortune is paired and it leads to victory.

ولا زلت تولينا الهبات ولم يزل

ولا زلت تولينا الهبات ولم يزل

لك المدح يا رب الندى ولك الشكر

لك المدح يا رب الندى ولك الشكر

And may you never cease bestowing gifts upon us, and may

You continued to grant us gifts and praise did not stop

praise remain yours, O lord of generosity, and thanks be yours.

For you, oh lord of dew, and for you thanks.

ودمت مديد العمر بالبسط كاملا

ودمت مديد العمر بالبسط كاملا

زمانا طويلا ليس يقضى له حصر

زمانا طويلا ليس يقضى له حصر

And may you endure, long-lived, perfect in prosperity,

And you remained, lengthening life fully empowered,

for a long span to which no limit can be set,

For a long, long time that cannot be limited.

سريع الوفا يا بحر ما اينعت ربا

سريع الوفا يا بحر ما اينعت ربا

وجاد لها سكبا بمرسله القطر

وجاد لها سكبا بمرسله القطر

swift to keep faith, O sea, as long as hillsides flourish

Swift in loyalty, oh sea, how excellent is the juice you yielded,

and rain, through its sender, pours generously upon them in torrents.

And generous its pour from your pouring clouds.