تهاطلت الرسائل منك تترى

تهاطلت الرسائل منك تترى

فممنونية لكمو وشكرا

فممنونية لكمو وشكرا

Letters poured down from you, one after another.

Your messages poured forth in succession

So gratitude to you all, and thanks.

Full of gratitude and thanks

إلى التاريخ ملت بها فكانت

إلى التاريخ ملت بها فكانت

إلى الإسلام موعظة وذكرى

إلى الإسلام موعظة وذكرى

You turned them toward history, so they became

Binding to history, they became

an admonition and a reminder for Islam.

Lessons and reminders for Islam

نقص على مطالعها فصولا

نقص على مطالعها فصولا

تخال بسحرك المنثور شعرا

تخال بسحرك المنثور شعرا

We recount chapters to their reader;

I recited their opening chapters

through your magic, one takes prose for poetry.

Your flowing prose seemed like poetry

جنحت بها لإيقاظ الجرشي

جنحت بها لإيقاظ الجرشي

فلما استيقظت جاءتك سكرى

فلما استيقظت جاءتك سكرى

Through them, you sought to awaken the soul,

They roused Al-Jurshi from his slumber

and when it awoke, it came to you intoxicated.

When he awoke, to you he was grateful

كشفت بها الغشاوة عن عيون

كشفت بها الغشاوة عن عيون

وفي الغلس الكثيف شققت فجرا

وفي الغلس الكثيف شققت فجرا

Through them, you lifted the veil from eyes,

They unveiled the blindness from eyes

and in the thick predawn darkness, you broke open a dawn.

And split the dawn through thick darkness

إذا الغربي على الشرقي تباهى

إذا الغربي على الشرقي تباهى

وأعلته الليالي اليوم سعرا

وأعلته الليالي اليوم سعرا

If the Westerner boasts over the Easterner,

When Westerners boast over Easterners

and the nights have raised his worth today,

Raising them these days in esteem

فهذي الأرض والمولود منها

فهذي الأرض والمولود منها

ترفع وهي قد ولدته بدرا

ترفع وهي قد ولدته بدرا

so here is the earth, and the one born of her

This land and those born from it

has risen high, though she bore him as a full moon.

Uplift, though it birthed them as a full moon

ولولا الشمس حفتها بنور

ولولا الشمس حفتها بنور

لما حملته في الأحشاء شهرا

لما حملته في الأحشاء شهرا

And had the sun not surrounded her with light,

Without the sun's light enveloping it

she would not have carried him in her womb for a month.

It could not have carried them a month

كذاك الدين أدبنا فعشنا

كذاك الدين أدبنا فعشنا

أساتذة به في الناس دهرا

أساتذة به في الناس دهرا

Thus religion educated us, and we lived

So too religion refined us, and we lived

as teachers through it among people for an age.

Through it, teachers of mankind eternally

وكان الرشد رائدنا فبتنا

وكان الرشد رائدنا فبتنا

بهديه نعتلي شأنا وقدرا

بهديه نعتلي شأنا وقدرا

And sound judgment was our guide, so we went on

Righteousness was our guide, so we excelled

rising by its guidance in standing and esteem.

With its guidance, scaling glory and esteem

وكان العدل ديدننا فسدنا

وكان العدل ديدننا فسدنا

وكنا في جين الدهر بشرى

وكنا في جين الدهر بشرى

And justice was our constant practice, so we ruled,

Justice was our way, so we blocked

and we were glad tidings on the brow of time [uncertain reading].

And were harbingers in the flow of time

فتحناها به شرقا وغربا

فتحناها به شرقا وغربا

ونرقي فوقهم عصرا فعصرا

ونرقي فوقهم عصرا فعصرا

Through it we conquered the earth, east and west,

With it we opened East and West

and we rise above them, age after age.

And ascended above eras, one after another

فلم نشهر لقهر الغير حربا

فلم نشهر لقهر الغير حربا

ولم نطلب لغير الله نصرا

ولم نطلب لغير الله نصرا

So we did not declare war to subdue others,

We did not brandish war to conquer others

nor did we seek victory for anyone but God.

Nor sought victory except for God

كذا اسلافنا الفضلاء كانوا

كذا اسلافنا الفضلاء كانوا

وهل يكفي التليد الحر فخرا

وهل يكفي التليد الحر فخرا

Thus were our virtuous forebears.

Thus were our noble ancestors

And is ancestral glory pride enough for a free person?

Can mere heritage suffice as pride?

ولما كنت للرحمان عبدا

ولما كنت للرحمان عبدا

بك الحرية العلياء أحرى

بك الحرية العلياء أحرى

And since you are a servant of the Merciful,

Since you were a servant of the Merciful

the loftiest freedom is more fitting for you.

It befits you to weep for the lofty freedom

ولا حرية لو كنت تدري

ولا حرية لو كنت تدري

بتغيير الكتاب وأنت أدرى

بتغيير الكتاب وأنت أدرى

And there is no freedom, if you knew,

No freedom, had you known

in changing the Book—and you know best.

To change the Book, while you knew better

فكن للمسلمين أسد رأيا

فكن للمسلمين أسد رأيا

وكن للكافرين اشد كفرا

وكن للكافرين اشد كفرا

So be soundest in counsel for Muslims,

Be for the Muslims a lion in thought

and toward unbelievers, be fiercest in rejection.

And for unbelievers, be resolutely rejectful

وزدني من سلافتكم كؤوسا

وزدني من سلافتكم كؤوسا

ليحن أن يقال شربت سحرا

ليحن أن يقال شربت سحرا

And give me more cups of your choicest wine;

And give me from your tradition goblets

let the time come for it to be said: 'I drank magic.'

So I may yearn when told I drank sorcery

وهاك تحيتي بالشعر تسري

وهاك تحيتي بالشعر تسري

وسبحان الذي بالعبد أسرى

وسبحان الذي بالعبد أسرى

And take my greeting, travelling by night in verse,

Glory to He who made the servant transcend

and glory be to Him who took the servant on a night journey.