يَا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذِي حَسَنَاتُهُ

يَا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذِي حَسَنَاتُهُ

فَوْقَ الَّذِي نُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ وَنُطْنِبُ

فَوْقَ الَّذِي نُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ وَنُطْنِبُ

O king, whose good deeds

O king whose virtues

Surpass all that we praise and extol at length:

Surpass what we praise and eulogize,

كَمْ غَزْوَةٍ لَكَ في عِدَاكِ عَجِيبَةٍ

كَمْ غَزْوَةٍ لَكَ في عِدَاكِ عَجِيبَةٍ

لاَ شَيْءَ غَيْرَ نَدَاكَ مِنْهَا أَعْجَبُ

لاَ شَيْءَ غَيْرَ نَدَاكَ مِنْهَا أَعْجَبُ

How many a wondrous campaign of yours against your foes!

How many amazing conquests against your foes!

Nothing but your bounty is more wondrous than these.

Nothing but your spear more wondrous.

كَمْ رَحْمَةٍ قَلَّدْتَ أَقْواماً بِهَا

كَمْ رَحْمَةٍ قَلَّدْتَ أَقْواماً بِهَا

أعْنَاقَهُمْ وَالسَّيفُ يُوشِكُ يَسْلُبُ

أعْنَاقَهُمْ وَالسَّيفُ يُوشِكُ يَسْلُبُ

How many mercies you have bestowed as garlands upon peoples,

How many necks you bestowed mercy,

Around their necks, as the sword was about to snatch them away!

When the sword was about to despoil them.

كَمْ مِنَّة لَكَ فِي الْعِبَادِ جَمِيلَةٍ

كَمْ مِنَّة لَكَ فِي الْعِبَادِ جَمِيلَةٍ

كَالشَّمسِ تُنْمِي رَوْضَةً وَتُذَهِّبُ

كَالشَّمسِ تُنْمِي رَوْضَةً وَتُذَهِّبُ

How many lovely favors you have bestowed on humankind,

How much kindness you have for your subjects,

Like the sun, nurturing a garden and gilding it!

Like the sun nurturing a garden and removing decay.

هَذِي كَوَافِلُ حُسْنِ ذِكْرِكَ في الْوَرَى

هَذِي كَوَافِلُ حُسْنِ ذِكْرِكَ في الْوَرَى

وَأَبَرُّ مَا يَبْقَى الْفَعَالُ الطَّيبُ

وَأَبَرُّ مَا يَبْقَى الْفَعَالُ الطَّيبُ

These guarantee your good name among humankind,

These are caravans of the beauty of your reputation in the land,

And the best of what endures is noble action.

And the most pious of deeds is the good that remains.

يَكْفِيكَ فَخْراً أَنَّ أَعْظَمَ أُمَّةٍ

يَكْفِيكَ فَخْراً أَنَّ أَعْظَمَ أُمَّةٍ

تَنْضَمُّ في مُلكٍ إلى اسْمِكَ يُنْسَبُ

تَنْضَمُّ في مُلكٍ إلى اسْمِكَ يُنْسَبُ

It is pride enough for you that the greatest nation

It is pride enough that the greatest nation

Unites in a realm ascribed to your name.

Is ascribed to your kingdom and your name.

فَعَلاَمَ أَنْتَ تُزِيلُ ذِكْرَ مُلُوكِهَا

فَعَلاَمَ أَنْتَ تُزِيلُ ذِكْرَ مُلُوكِهَا

وَأُولَئِكَ الْعُظَمَاءُ مَوْتَي غُيَّبُ

وَأُولَئِكَ الْعُظَمَاءُ مَوْتَي غُيَّبُ

Then why do you erase the memory of its kings,

Why then would you erase the memory of their kings?

When those great ones are dead and gone?

Those great ones, though dead, are not forgotten.

إِنْ تَمْحُ مِنْ أَسْفَارِهِمْ أَخْبَارَهُمْ

إِنْ تَمْحُ مِنْ أَسْفَارِهِمْ أَخْبَارَهُمْ

فَالصَّخرُ يُنْحَتُ وَالمَنَاحِتُ تُكْتَبُ

فَالصَّخرُ يُنْحَتُ وَالمَنَاحِتُ تُكْتَبُ

If you erase their histories from their books,

If you erase their chronicles from books,

Then stone will be carved, and carved surfaces inscribed.

The stone would be carved and the parchments written.

وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ النَّاسُ بَعْدَكَ أَمْرَهُمْ

وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ النَّاسُ بَعْدَكَ أَمْرَهُمْ

فَتُلاَمُ مَا طَالَ المَدَى وتُؤَنَّبُ

فَتُلاَمُ مَا طَالَ المَدَى وتُؤَنَّبُ

And people after you will surely know their story,

People will know their affairs after you,

So you will be blamed and rebuked as long as time endures.

So you'd be blamed however long the term and chided.

خَدَعَتْكَ كَاذِبَةُ المُنَى بَوعُودِهَا

خَدَعَتْكَ كَاذِبَةُ المُنَى بَوعُودِهَا

وَالحُرُّ يُخْدَعُ وَالأَمَانِي تَكْذِبُ

وَالحُرُّ يُخْدَعُ وَالأَمَانِي تَكْذِبُ

False hopes have deceived you with their promises,

The deceitful hopes of fate tricked you

And a noble man may be deceived, and wishes lie.

Even the free are fooled, and wishes tell lies.

وَإِذَا نَظَرْتَ إلىَ الْحَقِيقَةِ صَادِقاً

وَإِذَا نَظَرْتَ إلىَ الْحَقِيقَةِ صَادِقاً

فَالذِّكْرُ لَيْسَ يُعِيدُ عُمْراً يَذْهَبُ

فَالذِّكْرُ لَيْسَ يُعِيدُ عُمْراً يَذْهَبُ

And if you look honestly at the truth,

And when you look to the truth sincerely,

Then remembrance cannot restore a life that passes away.

Remembrance cannot restore a life now gone.

أَمَّا الْجِدَارُ فَلَو رَفَعْتَ بِنَاءَهُ

أَمَّا الْجِدَارُ فَلَو رَفَعْتَ بِنَاءَهُ

حَتَّى اسْتّقَرَّ عَلَى ذُرَاهُ الكَوْكَبُ

حَتَّى اسْتّقَرَّ عَلَى ذُرَاهُ الكَوْكَبُ

As for the wall—even if you raised its structure

As for the wall, if you built up its edifice,

Until a star rested upon its heights,

Until stars dwelled upon its heights,

وَلَو الْجِبَالُ جُعِلْنَ بَعْضَ حِجَارِهِ

وَلَو الْجِبَالُ جُعِلْنَ بَعْضَ حِجَارِهِ

وَلُحِمْنَ حَتَّى المَاءُ لاَ يَتَسَرَّبُ

وَلُحِمْنَ حَتَّى المَاءُ لاَ يَتَسَرَّبُ

And even if mountains were made into some of its stones,

And if mountains were made of some of its stones,

And fused so that no water could seep through,

Cemented till no water seeps through,

فَلَيُحْدِثّنَّ النَّاسُ مَا هُوَ فَوْقَهُ

فَلَيُحْدِثّنَّ النَّاسُ مَا هُوَ فَوْقَهُ

عِظَماً وَإتْقَاناً وَمَا هُوَ أَغْرَبُ

عِظَماً وَإتْقَاناً وَمَا هُوَ أَغْرَبُ

Still, people will surely create something surpassing it

People will still make what’s beyond it

In grandeur and craftsmanship, and something stranger still.

In grandeur, perfection, and greater wonder.

وَلَتُصْنَعَنَّ نَوَاسَفٌ تُثْفَى الرُّبَى

وَلَتُصْنَعَنَّ نَوَاسَفٌ تُثْفَى الرُّبَى

بِدُخَانِهَا مَنْثُورَةً تَتَلَهَّبُ

بِدُخَانِهَا مَنْثُورَةً تَتَلَهَّبُ

And explosives will surely be made, the hills set as on a hearth,

And ships of war will be built to eclipse the horizons

By their smoke, scattered and blazing.

With their smoke dispersed as fire that burns,

وَلَتَنْفُذَنَّ إِلَى بَكِينَ خَلاَئِقٌ

وَلَتَنْفُذَنَّ إِلَى بَكِينَ خَلاَئِقٌ

بَيْضَاءُ تَغْنَمُ مَا تَشَاءُ وَتَنْهَبُ

بَيْضَاءُ تَغْنَمُ مَا تَشَاءُ وَتَنْهَبُ

And peoples will surely make their way to Beijing,

And creatures white as doves will penetrate to Beijing,

White-skinned, taking whatever they wish as spoils and plundering.

Plundering whatever they wish and pillaging.

تَأْتِي بِهَا فَوْقَ الْبِحَارِ سَفَائِنٌ

تَأْتِي بِهَا فَوْقَ الْبِحَارِ سَفَائِنٌ

كَالْجِنِّ في جِدِّ الْعَوَاصِفِ تَلْعَبُ

كَالْجِنِّ في جِدِّ الْعَوَاصِفِ تَلْعَبُ

Ships will bring them over the seas,

With what will walls around their cities help them

Like the jinn, playing amid the storms' fury.

When in them are faint hearts that flee?

مَاذَا يُفِيدُ السُّورُ حَوْلَ دِيَارِهِمْ

مَاذَا يُفِيدُ السُّورُ حَوْلَ دِيَارِهِمْ

وَقُلُوبُهُمْ فِيهَا ضِعَافٌ هُرَّبُ

وَقُلُوبُهُمْ فِيهَا ضِعَافٌ هُرَّبُ

What use is the wall around their homes,

Better than narrowing their world around them

While their hearts within are weak and prone to flight?

Is to open the world to them however wide.

فَأَبَرُّ مِنْ تَضْيِيقِ دُنْيَاهُمْ بِهِ

فَأَبَرُّ مِنْ تَضْيِيقِ دُنْيَاهُمْ بِهِ

أَنْ تَرْحُبَ الدُّنْيَا بِهِمْ مَا تَرْحُبُ

أَنْ تَرْحُبَ الدُّنْيَا بِهِمْ مَا تَرْحُبُ

Better than constricting their world with it

For security kills courage within them

Is for the world to open as wide to them as it can.

And life with fear is anxiety expected.

أَلأَمْنُ قَتَّالُ الشَّجاعَةِ فِيهِمُ

أَلأَمْنُ قَتَّالُ الشَّجاعَةِ فِيهِمُ

وَحَيَاتُهَا فِيهِمْ مَخَاوِفُ تُرْقَبُ

وَحَيَاتُهَا فِيهِمْ مَخَاوِفُ تُرْقَبُ

Security is the slayer of courage in them,

Weak nations are protected only

And dangers watched for keep it alive within them.

By virtues gained through trials.

لاَ يَعْصِمُ الأُمَمَ الضَّعيفَةَ فِطْرَةً

لاَ يَعْصِمُ الأُمَمَ الضَّعيفَةَ فِطْرَةً

إِلاَّ فَضَائِلُ بِالتَّجارِبِ تُكْسَبُ

إِلاَّ فَضَائِلُ بِالتَّجارِبِ تُكْسَبُ

Nothing safeguards nations weak by nature

These become their sturdy shields against harm

Except virtues acquired through experience;

And their power that will not be defeated.

فَتَكُونُ حَائِطَهَا المَنِيعَ عَلَى الْعِدَى

فَتَكُونُ حَائِطَهَا المَنِيعَ عَلَى الْعِدَى

وَتَكُونُ قُوَّتَهَا الَّتِي لاَ تُغْلَبُ

وَتَكُونُ قُوَّتَهَا الَّتِي لاَ تُغْلَبُ

So they become their impregnable wall against foes,

And they become their strength, which cannot be overcome.