يا مُحْيِيَ العدل ويا مُنْشِرهُ

يا مُحْيِيَ العدل ويا مُنْشِرهُ

مِن بَينِ أَطباقِ البلى وقد هَمَدْ

مِن بَينِ أَطباقِ البلى وقد هَمَدْ

O reviver of justice, O its restorer,

O reviver of justice, O its resurrector,

from amid the layers of decay, after it had lain dead;

From amid layers of decay, when it had lain lifeless;

وَركن الإِسلامِ الَّذي وَطَّدَه

وَركن الإِسلامِ الَّذي وَطَّدَه

طال وأرسى العزّ فيه ووطَّدْ

طال وأرسى العزّ فيه ووطَّدْ

and pillar of Islam, which you made firm—

And pillar of Islam, who strengthened it,

it towered high, while glory cast anchor there and stood secure;

Rose high, anchored glory within it, and made it firm;

وَشارِع المَعروفِ إِذ لا سَفه

وَشارِع المَعروفِ إِذ لا سَفه

يجنحُ لِلقَولِ ولا تَسمَحُ يَد

يجنحُ لِلقَولِ ولا تَسمَحُ يَد

and institutor of beneficence, when no fool

And pioneer of goodness, when no folly

inclines to beneficence, nor any hand gives freely.

Inclines toward speech and no hand gives freely.

محوْتَ ما أَثبتَهُ الجَور مَضى

محوْتَ ما أَثبتَهُ الجَور مَضى

عَلَيهِ إِخلادُ اللَيالي فخلَّد

عَلَيهِ إِخلادُ اللَيالي فخلَّد

You erased what tyranny had established, after

You erased what tyranny had established—there had passed

the succession of nights had passed over it and made it seem eternal:

Over it the nights’ long continuance, making it enduring—

مِن كُلِّ مَكّاسٍ يظلّ قاعِداً

مِن كُلِّ مَكّاسٍ يظلّ قاعِداً

لِما يسوءُ المسلمين بالرَّصَدْ

لِما يسوءُ المسلمين بالرَّصَدْ

every tax collector who remains seated

From every toll collector who stays seated,

in ambush for whatever may harm the Muslims.

Watching for whatever harms the Muslims.

كَانَت لِأَرجاسِ اليهودِ دَولَة

كَانَت لِأَرجاسِ اليهودِ دَولَة

أَزالَها مِنكَ الهَصُور ذو اللّبدْ

أَزالَها مِنكَ الهَصُور ذو اللّبدْ

The abominations of the Jews once held sway;

The vile among the Jews once held sway;

the fierce, shaggy-maned lion in you swept them away.

The crushing, thick-maned lion in you swept it away.

المَلكُ العادِلُ لَفظٌ طابَقَ ال

المَلكُ العادِلُ لَفظٌ طابَقَ ال

مَعنى وَفي الوَصفِ مَعاد مُستَرَدْ

مَعنى وَفي الوَصفِ مَعاد مُستَرَدْ

“The Just King”—a phrase whose wording matches its—

The Just King—a name that matches the

meaning; in that epithet, justice is restored and won back.

Meaning; in the epithet, a return is reclaimed.

خَيرُ النُّعُوت ما جَرَى الوصفُ على

خَيرُ النُّعُوت ما جَرَى الوصفُ على

صفحته جَرْيَ النَّسيم في الوَمَدْ

صفحته جَرْيَ النَّسيم في الوَمَدْ

The finest epithet is one whose description runs across

The best of epithets is one whose description flows over

its page as the breeze runs through sultry heat.

Its surface as a breeze flows through sultry heat.

عَدْلٌ جَنيتُ اليَومَ حُلْوَ رَيْعِهِ

عَدْلٌ جَنيتُ اليَومَ حُلْوَ رَيْعِهِ

وَسَوفَ يُجنَى لَكَ أَحلى مِنهُ غَدْ

وَسَوفَ يُجنَى لَكَ أَحلى مِنهُ غَدْ

A justice whose sweet yield I reap today,

Justice whose sweet yield I have reaped today,

while tomorrow a sweeter yield will be reaped for you.

And tomorrow a sweeter yield will be reaped for you.

لا زالَ للإِسلامِ مِنك عِدَّةٌ

لا زالَ للإِسلامِ مِنك عِدَّةٌ

تُقيمُ مِنهُ كلَّ زَيغٍ وَأَوَدْ

تُقيمُ مِنهُ كلَّ زَيغٍ وَأَوَدْ

May Islam always find in your justice

May Islam always have in you a reserve of strength,

a straightening of every deviation and crookedness.

That straightens all its deviation and crookedness.

الناسُ أَنتَ وَالملوكُ شرطٌ

الناسُ أَنتَ وَالملوكُ شرطٌ

تُعَدُّ لَيْثاً ويُعَدُّون نَقَدْ

تُعَدُّ لَيْثاً ويُعَدُّون نَقَدْ

You are mankind; kings are merely guards:

You are mankind; kings are mere riffraff.

you are reckoned a lion, while they are reckoned paltry sheep.

You are reckoned a lion, and they short-legged sheep.

مِثلكَ لا يَسخو بِهِ زَمانُهُ

مِثلكَ لا يَسخو بِهِ زَمانُهُ

ومثل ما أُوتيتَ لم يؤتَ أَحَدْ

ومثل ما أُوتيتَ لم يؤتَ أَحَدْ

Time is never so generous as to bring forth another like you,

Time does not give freely of your like,

nor has anyone been granted the like of what you were granted.

And no one has been given the like of what you received.

أَيا نورَ دينٍ خَبا نورُهُ

أَيا نورَ دينٍ خَبا نورُهُ

وَمُذ شَاعَ عَدْلُكَ فيهِ اِتَّقَدْ

وَمُذ شَاعَ عَدْلُكَ فيهِ اِتَّقَدْ

O light of a faith whose light had dimmed—

O light of a faith whose light had dimmed,

once your justice spread through it, it blazed anew.

And since your justice spread through it, it blazed.

رَآكَ الصَليبُ صليبَ القَنا

رَآكَ الصَليبُ صليبَ القَنا

ةِ أَمينَ العثارِ مَتينَ العَمَدْ

ةِ أَمينَ العثارِ مَتينَ العَمَدْ

The Cross saw you, unyielding as spear-shafts,

The Cross saw you firm of spear-shaft,

secure against stumbling and firm in support.

Sure against stumbling, stout of pillars.

تَهمُّ فَتَسْلُبه ما اِقْتَنَى

تَهمُّ فَتَسْلُبه ما اِقْتَنَى

وَتَدأَى فتثكلُهُ ما اِحتَشدْ

وَتَدأَى فتثكلُهُ ما اِحتَشدْ

You resolve against it and strip it of all it has gained;

You resolve, then strip it of what it has acquired;

you strike first and bereave it of all it has mustered.

And you scheme, then bereave it of what it has mustered.

زبَنْتَهُمُ أمس عَن صَرْخَدٍ

زبَنْتَهُمُ أمس عَن صَرْخَدٍ

ففضُّوا كأنّ نعاماً شَرَدْ

ففضُّوا كأنّ نعاماً شَرَدْ

Yesterday you drove them back from Ṭarkhad,

You drove them away from Ṣarkhad yesterday;

and they scattered like ostriches bolting away.

So they scattered like fleeing ostriches.

وَيَومَ العُرَيْمة أقبَلْتهم

وَيَومَ العُرَيْمة أقبَلْتهم

عُراماً تَثعلبَ مِنهُ الأَسَدْ

عُراماً تَثعلبَ مِنهُ الأَسَدْ

On the day of al-ʿUraymah you bore down upon them

And on the day of al-ʿUrayma, you confronted them

with a fury that made lions themselves turn foxlike.

With ferocity that made the lion turn foxlike.

حَبَيْتَ مَليكهم في الصِّفاد

حَبَيْتَ مَليكهم في الصِّفاد

وعَفْوُكَ عنه أعمّ الصَّفدْ

وعَفْوُكَ عنه أعمّ الصَّفدْ

You bestowed fetters upon their king,

You favored their king with fetters,

yet your pardon of him was the greater gift.

And your pardon of him was the most ample bounty.

وقبلُ أَزَرْتَهُمُ في الرُّها

وقبلُ أَزَرْتَهُمُ في الرُّها

مَوازِقَ مزَّقْنَ جُرْدَ الجُرَدْ

مَوازِقَ مزَّقْنَ جُرْدَ الجُرَدْ

Earlier, at al-Ruhā, you hemmed them into

And earlier, at al-Ruhā, you made them encounter

deadly straits that tore apart their sleek steeds.

Rending assaults that tore apart the sleek-bodied steeds.

بقيتَ تُرَقِّعُ خَرْقَ الزّما

بقيتَ تُرَقِّعُ خَرْقَ الزّما

نِ قِياماً لأَبنائِهِ إنْ قَعَدْ

نِ قِياماً لأَبنائِهِ إنْ قَعَدْ

May you remain, patching the rent in Time,

May you live on, patching the rents of Time,

rising for its children whenever Time sits idle;

Standing up for its sons if it sits down.

تُثَقِّفُ مِن زَيفِهِ ما اِلْتَوَى

تُثَقِّفُ مِن زَيفِهِ ما اِلْتَوَى

وتُصْلِحُ من طَبْعِهِ ما فَسَدْ

وتُصْلِحُ من طَبْعِهِ ما فَسَدْ

straightening whatever its falseness has warped,

You straighten whatever has twisted in its falseness,

and repairing whatever its dislocation has spoiled.

And mend whatever has gone corrupt in its nature.