مَنالُ العُلى إِلّا عَلَيكَ مُحَرَّمُ

وَكُلُّ مَديحٍ في سِواكَ يُذَمَّمُ

The heights of glory are forbidden to all but you,

The reach of glory is forbidden to all but you,

And all praise of others is deplored.

And every praise bestowed on another is but blame.

وَلا مَجدَ إِلّا قَد حَوَيتَ أَجَلَّهُ

وَلا فَضلَ إِلّا أَنتَ فيهِ المُقَدَّمُ

There is no glory but what you have comprehended,

There is no glory of which you have not encompassed the greatest part,

No merit but you are foremost in it.

Nor any virtue in which you do not stand foremost.

وَمَن يَعتَقِد غَيرَ الذي جاءَ نَصُّهُ

لَكُم في كِتابِ اللَهِ لا شَكَّ يَأثَمُ

Whoever believes other than what His scripture dictates,

Whoever believes other than what the text has revealed

You have no doubt they sin.

Regarding your status in God's Book, surely commits a sin.

أَلَستُم أَقمتُم مَيلَ نَهجِ مُحمدٍ

وَقَد كادَ يَعفو أَو يَبيدُ وَيَهرمُ

Have you not followed the path of Muhammad?

Did you not straighten the curvature in Muhammad’s path

Though it has nearly faded and perished and crumbled.

When it had well-nigh faded, perished, or grown old?

سَيَأتي قَتيلُ الطَفِّ في الحَشرِ شاهِداً

بِهذا وَحِجرٌ وَالمَقامُ وَزَمزَمُ

The martyred infant will come on Judgement Day

The slain martyr of Al-Taff shall come at the Gathering to witness

As a witness, by this stone, this station, and Zamzam.

To this truth—along with the Stone, the Station, and Zamzam.

غَداةَ كَسَوتُم كَعبَةَ اللَهِ وَاِعتَلى

بِأَبطَحِها الدينُ القَويمُ المُعَظَّمُ

Tomorrow you adorned the House of God, as

The morning you draped God's Kaaba, and the True Religion

The true, revered, mighty faith ascended its stones.

Rose high within its valley, upright and magnified.

وَلَم يَبقَ فيها قُبَّةٌ أَو ذَريعَةٌ

إِلى الشِركِ إِلّا وَهيَ تُمحى وَتُهدَمُ

No shrine or path to polytheism remains

No dome remained therein, nor any pretext

But it is erased and demolished.

Leading to idolatry, but that it was erased and destroyed.

مَعالٍ مَتى تُذكَر تَصاغَرَ عِندَها

مَعالي مُلوكٍ أُخِّروا أَو تَقَدَّموا

What great deeds, when mentioned, humble

Noble deeds which, when recounted, make small

The glories of passed or future kings!

The exploits of all kings, be they of times past or to come.

فَلا مَجدَ إِلّا خَشيَةُ اللَهِ وَالتُقى

وَلا فَخرَ إِلّا الشَرعُ فيهِ المُقَدَّمُ

There is no glory but fearing God and piety,

For there is no glory save in the fear of God and piety,

No pride but the Law wherein you excel.

And no pride save that in which the Sacred Law stands foremost.

لِيَهنِكَ يا عَبدَ العَزيزِ بنَ فَيصَلٍ

مَغانِمُ تُدعى وَهيَ في الأَجرِ مَغنَمُ

So take comfort, Abd al-Aziz ibn Faysal,

Congratulations to you, O Abdulaziz bin Faisal,

In spoils called and which in reward are a prize.

For spoils that are named as such, yet in divine reward are true gain.

إِذا شَقَّ أَمرَ المُسلِمينَ مُضَلِّلٌ

فَأَنتَ لَهُ المَوتُ الزُؤامُ المُحَتَّمُ

When a misguided soul rends the Muslims,

Whenever a deceiver seeks to fracture the unity of the Muslims,

You are death, ruin, his destined doom.

You become to him a sudden, inevitable death.

دَلَفتَ لَهُ قَبلَ الشُروقِ بِفَيلَقٍ

أَحَمَّ الرَحى فيهِ المَنايا تُقَسَّمُ

You rode out to meet him at dawn with regiments

You advanced upon him before the sunrise with a legion,

In which death's arrows were randomly loosed.

A dark grinding mill of war, wherein dooms are distributed.

فَأَسقَيتَهُم سُمّاً زُعافاً يَشوبُهُ

بِأَفواهِهِم بِالمَوتِ صابٌ وَعَلقَمُ

You gave them a lethal, bitter drink mixed

You gave them a draught of lethal poison, mingled

With death and venom in their mouths.

In their mouths with death, bitterness, and gall.

تَظَلُّ بِهِ غُرثُ السِباعِ نَواهِلاً

وَعِقبانُهُ مِنها وُقوعٌ وَحُوَّمُ

Their corpses became food for wild beasts,

By which the hungry beasts of prey remain slaked,

And their bones piles for vultures.

And the eagles thereof are either landing to feed or hovering.

كَما قَد جَرى يَوماً عَلى أَهلِ حائِلٍ

وَقَد صُرِفوا عَن مَنهَجِ الرُشدِ أَو عَموا

As it was with the people of Hail one day,

Just as it befell, on a certain day, the people of Hail,

When they strayed from the path of righteousness, or were blind,

When they were diverted from the path of rectitude, or went blind.

وَظَنّوا بِأَنَّ الدارَ كَالإِسمِ حائِلٌ

نَفورٌ عَنِ الأَزواجِ جَدّاءُ مُصرِم

Thinking the name Hail meant estrangement -

They thought their city was true to its name—a barrier—

Aloof from wives, hostile, unbending.

Averting itself from suitors, barren, and severed from reach.

فَأَنكَحتَها صُمَّ الرِماحِ فَأَصبَحَت

كِشافاً بُعيدَ الحَملِ بِالشَرِّ تُتئِمُ

So you married them to the deaf spears, and they awoke

But you wedded her to the hard spears, and she became

Brides revealing, far from conception, evil conforming.

Pregnant with calamity, birthing twins of evil in rapid succession.

فَكَم كاعِبٍ حَسناَ تَلطِمُ وَجهَها

وَأُخرى تَشُقُّ الجَيبَ بِالثُكلِ أَيِّمُ

How a maiden's face was marred by slaps!

How many a fair maiden now strikes her face in grief,

Another rends her clothes in bitter lamentation.

And another tears her garment in bereavement, widowed.

وَكَم نَصَحوا لَو كانَ لِلنُّصحِ مَوضِعٌ

وَكَم عَذَلوا لَو كانَ فيهِم مُحَلَّمُ

How much they were advised, had advice been heard!

How often were they advised, had there been a place for counsel?

How much they were forewarned, had any been reasonable!

How often warned, had there been a prudent man among them?

وَلكِن أَبَوا إِلّا الشِقاقَ فَلَم يَكُن

لَهُم وَزَرٌ إِلّا حُسامٌ وَلَهذمُ

But they insisted on dissent, so they had

But they refused all save defiance, so they found

No tools but swords and daggers.

No refuge awaiting them but the sword and the sharp lance.

وَقالَ زَعيمُ القَومِ لا بَل شَقيُّهُم

إِلى اِبنِ طَلالٍ أَرسِلوا فَهوَ أَحزَمُ

Their leader said "No! Worse than them,

Then spoke the leader of the people—nay, their most wretched one—

Send to Ibn Talal - he is most wise."

"Send word to Ibn Talal, for he is more resolute."

فَلَمّا أَتاهُم زادَهُم مَع خَبالِهِم

خَبالاً وَعُقبى ما أَتَوهُ الَتَنَدُّمُ

But when he came, he increased their madness

But when he came to them, he only added ruin to their ruin,

And they reaped the fruits of their misdeeds, regretting naught.

A compounding of loss; and the outcome of their deed was regret.

وَظَنّوا بِأَنَّ اللَهَ يُخلِفُ وَعدَهُ

وَهَيهاتَ وَعدُ الصادِقِ الوَعدِ أَحكَمُ

They thought God would break His promise -

They imagined that God would fail in His promise;

Never! The promise of the Truthful is most binding.

Far from it! The promise of the True One is most sure.

وَقَد قالَ جُندي غالِبٌ لا مَحالَةٌ

بِذاكَ قَضائي في البَرِيَّةِ مُبرَمُ

A conquering soldier said "It is inevitable -

For He has said, "My host shall surely be victorious,"

My judgement in the wilderness is decided."

"With this, My decree over creation is sealed."

أَطَلَّ عَلَيهِم واحِدٌ في كَمالِهِ

وَلكِنَّهُ في البَأسِ جَيشٌ عَرَمرَمُ

Alone in his perfection he approached them,

One man appeared upon them, singular in his perfection,

But in war an army, intrepid and ruthless.

Yet in valor, he was a vast, overwhelming army.

بِفِتيانِ صِدقٍ في اللِقاءِ أَعِزَّةٍ

لَهُم نَسَبٌ ما شابَهُ قَطُّ أَعجَمُ

With sincere youths in battle most honoured,

Accompanied by youths of truth, mighty in the encounter,

Of a lineage never tainted by non-Arabs.

Possessing a lineage never tainted by foreign blood.

عَلى ضُمَّرٍ بَينَ الوَجيهِ وَلاحِقٍ

تُعارِضُ ما أَبقى الجَديلُ وَشَدقَمُ

Pressing on firmly between steadfast and pursuer,

Mounted on lean steeds, akin to Al-Wajih and Lahiq,

Racing what the swift camels and she-camels outpaced.

Rivaling the remnants of the lines of Al-Jadil and Shadqam.

أُولاكَ بَنو الإِسلامِ حَيَّ هَلاً بِهِم

وَأَكرِم بِهِم أَكرِم بِهِم حَيثُ يُمَّموا

Those are the sons of Islam - hail to them!

Those are the sons of Islam—hail and welcome to them!

Most honoured wherever they gather!

How noble they are! How noble, wherever they turn their course!

هُمُ عَرَفوا حَقَّ الإِلهِ وَرُسلِهِ

وَحَقَّ وُلاةِ المُسلِمينَ وَعَظَّموا

They knew the right of God and His messengers,

They recognized the right of God and His messengers,

And the right of the Muslim leaders they revered.

And the right of the rulers of the Muslims, which they revered.

رَأَوا أَنَّهُ لا دينَ إِلّا بِطاعَةٍ

لِمَن هُوَ بِالديِ الحَنيفِيِّ قَيِّم

They saw obedience was the only religion

They perceived that there is no faith without obedience

To the one upright in the true Hanifi creed.

To the one who stands as guardian of the True Faith.

وَذاكَ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بنُ فَيصَلٍ

إِمامُ الهُدى لِلمَكرُماتِ مُتَمِّمُ

That is the Commander of the Faithful ibn Faysal,

And that is the Commander of the Faithful, Ibn Faisal,

Leader of guidance, perfecter of glorious deeds.

The Imam of Guidance, the perfecter of noble virtues.

فَلَمّا رَأوا حِزبَ الإِلهِ يَقودُهُ

إِلَيهِم رَبيطُ الجَأشِ في الهَولِ مُقدِمُ

When they saw the party of God led by

When the enemy saw the Party of God led towards them

The fearless lion amidst terror approaching,

By one steadfast of heart, advancing through the terror,

تَوَلَّوا سِراعاً وَالسُيوفُ شَوارِعٌ

بِأَكتافِهِم وَالسَمهَرِيُّ تُحَطِّمُ

They fled quickly, swords bared,

They turned in hasty flight, while swords were drawn

And the Hindu swords decapitating.

At their shoulders, and Samhari spears were shattering.

وَمَن قَد نَجا مِنهُم إِذا سَمِعَ النِدا

يُراعُ وَبِالأَمواتِ في اللَيلِ يَحلُمُ

Who survived of them, when he hears a call,

And he who survived among them, upon hearing a call,

Cowers, and dreams of the dead in the night.

Is struck with terror, and dreams of the dead in the night.

إِلَيكَ إِمامَ المُسلِمينَ تَواهَقَت

بِها ضُمَّرٌ تَطوي المَهامِهَ عَيهَمُ

To you, Leader of the Muslims, Dummar came bounding,

Towards you, O Imam of the Muslims, they hastened,

Her sorrows folded, stumbling in gloom.

Lean mounts crossing the wastelands, swift and strong.

تَعومُ إِذا اِشتَدَّ الهَجيرُ كَأَنَّها

مَعَ الدَوِّ مُحمَرُّ الظَنابيبِ أَصلَمُ

She sails when the winds blow strong as if

Floating through the shimmering midday heat, as if

With the downpour, red canyons churning.

They were red-shinned ostriches traversing the empty plain,

تَذَكَّرُ أَفراخاً بِبَيداءَ حَردَةٍ

وَلِلرّيحِ نَئّآجٌ وَلِلغَيثِ مَسجَمُ

Remembering chicks in the wasteland of Hardah

Remembering chicks left in a desolate waste,

With bleating winds and pouring rain.

While the wind howls and the rain pours down.

فَظَلَّ يُناجي النَفسَ أَينَ مَراحُهُ

وَلا عَلَمٌ يَهديهِ وَاللَيلُ مُظلِمُ

She remained conversing with herself - where is relief?

Asking the soul in whispers: where is the resting place,

No guide shows the way and the night is dark.

With no landmark to guide, and the night pitch dark?

تُبَلِّغُكُم مِنّي أَلوكَةَ صادِقٍ

لَكُم مُخلِصٍ في الوُدِّ لا مُتَبَرِّمُ

She sends you the devotion of a true friend,

Conveying to you from me the message of a truthful man,

Yours loyally, never discontent.

Sincere in his affection for you, unwavering and content.

فَحُبُّكُمُ عِندَ المَهَيمِنِ قُربَةٌ

وَنُصحُكُمُ فَرضٌ علَينا مُحَقَّمُ

For love of you is closeness to the Guardian,

For loving you is an act of devotion before the Guardian,

And advising you an obligation we fulfill.

And counseling you is a binding duty upon us.

وَمَن لا يَراهُ فَهوَ إِمّا مُغَفَّلٌ

وَإِمّا عَلى تَكذيبِهِ الوَحيَ مُقدِمُ

Who does not see this is either heedless

Whoever does not see this is either a fool,

Or puts lies before the revelation.

Or one who dares to deny the Divine Revelation.

وَما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ بنَ سُلطانَ فَيصَلاً

لَهُ ما بَقي مِنّي الثَناءُ المُنَمنَمُ

I will not forget praise for Faysal ibn Sultan -

And I shall not forget—nay, never forget—Faisal bin Sultan,

What remains of my eulogy will perpetuate his name.

To whom belongs my remaining, embellished praise.

أَخا الحَربِ إِن عَضَّت بِهِ الحَربُ لَم يَكُن

جَزوعاً وَلا مِن مَسِّها يَتَأَلَّمُ

Brother of war - if war bites him he will not waver

A brother of war; when war bites hard, he is not

Or feel any pain from its bite.

Panicked, nor does he flinch from its touch.

وَزيرَ إِمامِ المُسلِمينَ الذي لهُ

مَشاهدُ فيها مَعطِسُ الفِسقِ يُرغَمُ

Minister of the Leader of the Muslims, who for him

The vizier of the Imam of the Muslims, who possesses

Oppressors in it are subjugated and muzzled.

Battle-records wherein the nose of wickedness is rubbed in the dust.

إِذا ناكِثٌ أَو مارِقٌ مَرَقَت بِهِ

عَنِ الدينِ نَفسٌ لِلشَّقاوَةِ تَرأَمُ

If a traitor or apostate renounces

Whenever a traitor or renegade is led astray

His religion for wickedness sown,

By a soul that clings to misery, departing from the Faith,

سَما مُشمَعِلّاً فَيصَلٌ نَحوَ دارِهِ

يَخوضُ بِحاراً بَعضُ خُلجانِها دَمُ

Faysal heads with flames kindled to his abode,

Faisal rises swiftly towards his abode,

Sailing a sea part raging blood.

Wading through seas where the very gulfs are blood.

بِأَمرِ إِمامِ المُسلِمينَ وَرَأيِهِ

وَلا عِزَّ إِلّا بِالإِمامَةِ يُعصَمُ

By order of the Leader of the Muslims, by his opinion -

Acting by the command and counsel of the Imam of the Muslims,

There is no might but by the Imamate protected.

For there is no might safeguarded save through the Imamate.

وَإِخوانُهُ في اللَهِ لا تَنسَ فَضلَهُم

هُمُ نُصرَةُ الإِسلامِ وَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ

And his brothers in God - do not forget their merit!

And forget not the merit of his brethren in God,

They are the aid of Islam, and God knows best.

They are the succor of Islam, and God knows it well.

قَبائِلُ فيها مِن رِجالِ عُتَيبَةٍ

أُسودٌ إِذا حَميَ الوَطيسُ تَقَحَّموا

Tribes among whom are Utayba's men -

Tribes that include, among the men of Otaibah,

Lions, when the fray intensifies they plunge in.

Lions who charge headlong when the battle-furnace blazes.

يَسومونَ في الهَيجا نُفوساً عَزيزَةً

وَلكِنَّها بِالقَتلِ في اللَهِ تُكرَمُ

They risk precious souls in the fray,

Offering up precious souls in the midst of the fray,

But by dying for God they are honoured.

Yet through death for God’s sake, they are honored.

وَفي الحَربِ مِن حَرب لُيوثٌ ضَراغِمٌ

أَشِدّا عَلى الباغينَ في اللَهِ رُحَّمُ

In war, they are ferocious, relentless warriors,

And in the war, from the tribe of Harb, are fierce lions,

Harsher on transgressors for God, compassionate.

Harsh against the oppressors, yet merciful for the sake of God.

وَلَم أَترُكِ الباقينَ جَهلاً بِحَقِّهِم

وَلا أَنَّني في فَضلِهِم مُتَلَعثِمُ

I did not omit the rest out of ignorance of their right,

I have not omitted the others out of ignorance of their due,

Nor inability to articulate their merit.

Nor because I falter in acknowledging their merit,

وَلكِنَّما الأَسماءُ كانَت تَغُرُّني

وَلَم يَكُ عِندي مَن بِذاكَ يُفهِم

But the names distracted me,

But the sheer number of names overwhelmed me,

And I had none to clarify them.

And I had no one at hand to list them all.

جُنودُ إِمامِ المُسلِمينَ الذي لَهُم

إِلى كُلِّ مَعروفٍ مِنَ الخَيرِ سُلَّمُ

The Leader of the Muslims' soldiers, who have

The soldiers of the Imam of the Muslims, who possess

The means for every good and righteous deed.

A ladder ascending to every known virtue.

وَصَلِّ إِلهي كُلَّما ناضَ بارِقٌ

وَما طَلَعَت شَمسٌ وَما لاحَ مِرزَمُ

And pray, my God, whenever dawn gleams

And send blessings, my God, as long as lightning flashes,

And a sun rises or a constellation appears,

And as long as the sun rises or the star Mirzam appears,

عَلى سَيِّدِ الساداتِ نَفسي فِداؤُهُ

أُصَلّي عَلَيهِ مُدَّتي وَأُسلِمُ

Upon the Master of Masters, my soul his ransom,

Upon the Master of Masters—may my soul be his ransom—

I pray for him perpetually and submit,

Upon whom I pray and send peace for all my days.

كَذا آلِهِ الغُرِّ الكِرامِ وَصَحبِهِ

هُمُ صُفوَةُ الرَحمنِ مِنّا هُمُ هُمُ

And so his family, of such high station, and his companions -

Likewise upon his noble family and his companions,

The elect of the Merciful - they, they!

For they are the Merciful’s chosen elite among us; truly, it is they.