نادَى حِمى المُلكِ حَسْبي عَزَّةً وكَفَى

نادَى حِمى المُلكِ حَسْبي عَزَّةً وكَفَى

إلى مَتَى وبماذا أطلُبُ الشَرَفا

إلى مَتَى وبماذا أطلُبُ الشَرَفا

The royal sanctuary proclaimed: Honor enough for me—enough!

The zeal of kingship sufficed me with honor and was enough

How much longer, and by what means, shall I seek distinction?

For how long and for what should I seek glory?

عبدُ العزيزِ تَولاّني فكنُتُ بهِ

عبدُ العزيزِ تَولاّني فكنُتُ بهِ

كصاعِدٍ دَرَجاً لمَّا انتَهَى وقَفا

كصاعِدٍ دَرَجاً لمَّا انتَهَى وقَفا

Abd al-Aziz took me under his care, and through him I became

Abdul Aziz took care of me, so through him

like one climbing steps who stopped when he reached the end.

I was like one climbing a ladder till I stopped when I reached the top

قُلْ للذي يشتكي غَدْرَ الزَّمانِ بنا

قُلْ للذي يشتكي غَدْرَ الزَّمانِ بنا

مَهلاً ألسْتَ تَرَى كيفَ الزَّمانُ وَفَى

مَهلاً ألسْتَ تَرَى كيفَ الزَّمانُ وَفَى

Tell him who complains of time's treachery toward us:

Say to him who complains of the betrayal of time regarding us

Wait! Do you not see how time has kept faith?

Gently! Do you not see how time has been faithful?

أفادَنا فوقَ ما ترجوهُ أنفُسُنا

أفادَنا فوقَ ما ترجوهُ أنفُسُنا

حتى أقامَ علينا أفضلَ الخُلفَا

حتى أقامَ علينا أفضلَ الخُلفَا

It has given us more than our souls hope for,

It gave us more than what our souls hoped for

even appointing over us the best of caliphs.

Until it established over us the best of successors

هل مِثلُ عبدِ العزيزِ اليومَ من مَلِكٍ

هل مِثلُ عبدِ العزيزِ اليومَ من مَلِكٍ

كلاّ ولا كانَ في الدَّهرِ الذي سَلفَا

كلاّ ولا كانَ في الدَّهرِ الذي سَلفَا

Is there any king today like Abd al-Aziz?

Is there anyone today like Abd al-Aziz among kings?

No, nor was there one in ages past.

No, nor was there anyone like him in time past

شخصُ الكَمالِ كأنَّ اللهَ صَوَّرَهُ

شخصُ الكَمالِ كأنَّ اللهَ صَوَّرَهُ

من مَعدِنِ اللُّطفِ لا طِيناً ولا خَزَفا

من مَعدِنِ اللُّطفِ لا طِيناً ولا خَزَفا

Perfection personified, as though God had fashioned him

The embodiment of perfection as if God shaped him

from the substance of gentleness, not clay or earthenware.

From the essence of grace, not clay or pottery

أحيا الصَحابةَ عَدْلاً عَصرُ دَولتِهِ

أحيا الصَحابةَ عَدْلاً عَصرُ دَولتِهِ

كأنَّما فيهِ صُورُ البَعثِ قد هَتَفا

كأنَّما فيهِ صُورُ البَعثِ قد هَتَفا

Through justice, the age of his reign revived the Companions,

In his time of rule he revived the justice of the companions

as though the trumpet of Resurrection had sounded within it.

As if in him the images of resurrection cried out

لو أمكَنَ البحرَ أنْ يُهدِيهِ جَوهَرهُ

لو أمكَنَ البحرَ أنْ يُهدِيهِ جَوهَرهُ

لم يُبقِ في جَوفِهِ دُرّاً ولا صَدَفا

لم يُبقِ في جَوفِهِ دُرّاً ولا صَدَفا

If the sea could present him with its jewels,

If the sea could gift him its essence

it would leave neither pearls nor shells in its depths.

It would not leave in its depths a pearl or shell

هذا الخليفةُ ظِلُّ اللهِ مُنبَسِطاً

هذا الخليفةُ ظِلُّ اللهِ مُنبَسِطاً

في أرضِهِ لِعبادِ اللهِ مُكتَنِفا

في أرضِهِ لِعبادِ اللهِ مُكتَنِفا

This caliph is God's shadow, spread wide

This caliph is God's shade outstretched

upon His earth, enfolding God's servants.

Over His land, encompassing God's servants

عِنايةُ اللهِ ترعى مَجْدَ دولتِهِ

عِنايةُ اللهِ ترعى مَجْدَ دولتِهِ

والسَّعدُ في بابِهِ المرفوعِ قد عَكَفا

والسَّعدُ في بابِهِ المرفوعِ قد عَكَفا

God's providence watches over the glory of his reign,

God's care protects the glory of his state

and good fortune has abided at his lofty gate.

And good fortune stands vigil at his lofty court

الواسعُ المُلكِ قد عَمَّتْهُ رَحمتُهُ

الواسعُ المُلكِ قد عَمَّتْهُ رَحمتُهُ

فلم تَفُتْ وَسَطاً منهُ ولا طَرَفا

فلم تَفُتْ وَسَطاً منهُ ولا طَرَفا

He of the vast realm—his mercy has encompassed it,

The vastness of his rule, his mercy enveloped

so it has missed neither its center nor its edge.

Not missing a middle or an edge

والثاقِبُ الفِكرِ لو كانت إنارتُهُ

والثاقِبُ الفِكرِ لو كانت إنارتُهُ

في البدرِ ما مَسَّهُ نَقصٌ ولا خُسِفَا

في البدرِ ما مَسَّهُ نَقصٌ ولا خُسِفَا

And he of piercing intellect—if its radiance were

And the piercing of his thought, if its illumination

in the full moon, no waning would touch it, nor would it be eclipsed.

Were the full moon, it would suffer no loss or eclipse

في كَفِّهِ سيفُ عَدلٍ طالَ قائِمُهُ

في كَفِّهِ سيفُ عَدلٍ طالَ قائِمُهُ

في غِمْدِ حلمٍ بخَلْقِ اللهِ قد لَطفَا

في غِمْدِ حلمٍ بخَلْقِ اللهِ قد لَطفَا

In his palm is a sword of justice with a long hilt,

In his hand is the sword of justice, its blade raised

in a sheath of forbearance, gentle toward God's creatures.

In the sheath of clemency with God's creation, gentle

فحيثما وَجَبَ الفَتْكُ الرَّهيبُ سَطا

فحيثما وَجَبَ الفَتْكُ الرَّهيبُ سَطا

وحيثما احتُمِلَ الصَّفحُ الجميلُ عَفا

وحيثما احتُمِلَ الصَّفحُ الجميلُ عَفا

So wherever fearsome slaughter was required, he struck;

So wherever terrible slaughter was warranted, it struck

and wherever gracious pardon was possible, he forgave.

And wherever pardon could be allowed, it forgave

يا من بهِ تُضرَبُ الأمثالُ في زَمَنٍ

يا من بهِ تُضرَبُ الأمثالُ في زَمَنٍ

قد طابَ فيهِ لنا كأسُ الهَنا وصَفا

قد طابَ فيهِ لنا كأسُ الهَنا وصَفا

O you of whom proverbs are made, in an age

O you by whom examples are given in an age

in which the cup of bliss has grown sweet and clear for us.

In which the cup of delight was made sweet for us to sip

لقد تَقدَّمتَ ما بينَ المُلوكِ كما

لقد تَقدَّمتَ ما بينَ المُلوكِ كما

تُقَدِّمُ النَّاسُ بينَ الأحرُفِ الأَلِفَا

تُقَدِّمُ النَّاسُ بينَ الأحرُفِ الأَلِفَا

You have indeed taken precedence among kings, just as

You have advanced among kings as people advance

people put alif first among the letters.

The first letter among letters, the alphabet's start

نَرُومُ وَصفَكَ في ما أنتَ حائزُهُ

نَرُومُ وَصفَكَ في ما أنتَ حائزُهُ

فتغلِبُ الوَصفَ منّا والذي وَصَفا

فتغلِبُ الوَصفَ منّا والذي وَصَفا

We seek to describe you in all you possess,

We aim to describe you in what you possess

yet you surpass our description and the describer.

But description falls short of you, who described

فلا تَزَلْ غالباً باللهِ مُنتَصِراً

فلا تَزَلْ غالباً باللهِ مُنتَصِراً

تُولِي الجميلَ وتَستولي الثَّنا خَلَفا

تُولِي الجميلَ وتَستولي الثَّنا خَلَفا

So may you ever prevail through God, victorious,

So may you remain, with God, victorious forever

bestowing kindness and winning praise in return.

Turning to good and gaining praise, successor after successor