أتاكَ كما تأتِي اللآلئُ في العِقدِ

نَوابغُ فاسٍ كلُّ نِدٍّ إلى نِد

You came to me like pearls come together on a necklace

The geniuses of Fez, each peer coming to its peer

وما مِنهُمُ إلاَّ طَموحٌ إلى العُلاَ

سَبوقٌ على الغاياتِ مُستوصِلُ الكَدِّ

None but has lofty ambitions to ascend

A frontrunner to the goals, persevering and striving

لَقد زُرتمونَا والرَّوابِطُ جَمَّةٌ

وجئتم كمَا جاءَ النَّسيمُ مِن الوَرد

You have certainly visited us while the bonds are complete

And you came like a breeze comes from roses

لَكُم عندنا مِن خالصِ الوُدِّ مَا كَفى

فهَل عندَكُم لِي مثلُ ما لكُمُ عِندِي

You have with us sincere affection enough

So do you have for me what I have for you?

نعَم فاسُ لِلحمراءَ تُخلِصُ وُدَّها

ومَا زال كلٌّ منهمَا مُخلِصَ الوُد

Yes, Fez sincerely loves the Red City

And each of them continues to have sincere love

أتيتُمُ بالتَّمثِيل أكبرَ مُرشِدٍ

وليسَ سِوى التمثيلِ يُهدِي إلى الرُّشد

You have come with the greatest example

And nothing but the example leads to guidance

نعَم إنَّ شوقي وَهوَ أكبرُ شَاعِرٍ

تَنكَّرَ عنه الليثُ في داخِل اللَّبدِ

Yes, Shauqi, who is the greatest poet

The lion within did not recognize him

تأمَّل شوقي عن قَريبٍ فما اهتدَى

وما ضَرَّ شوقي لو تأمَّل عن بُعد

Shauqi contemplated from up close but was not guided

And it would not have harmed Shauqi to contemplate from afar

أَاحمدَ شوقي للقوافي رجالُها

كَأنتَ وللتَّاريخ ذو الأخذِ والرَّدِّ

Do I blame Shauqi for the meter of his poetry

While you are for history with its discussions and responses?

أفاروقَ أفريقيَا امتشَقتَ مُهنَّدا

وقبَّلته شوقا وطوَّحتَ بالغِمد

Afrooq of Africa, you have extracted a sword

And kissed it with passion and waved with the scabbard

ورُحتَ به رَكضا لأندلسٍ بِها

تَصدُّ ذوي الأغراض عن سيِّىء القصدِ

And you went galloping with it to Andalusia

Blocking those with evil intentions from foul purposes

فأبقيتَ للإسلام باذخ مَجدِه

ولولاكَ أضحىَ الدينُ مُفتقِدَ المجد

Thus you maintained for Islam its towering glory

Otherwise, the faith would have lost its glory

وذُدتَ عنِ الإسلام مَن رام كَيدُه

وأطفأتَ نِيرَانا مُؤَجَّجَةَ الوَقد

You protected Islam from those who intended its destruction

And extinguished intensely blazing fires

ولم تكتَرث بالغانياتِ وعُودِها

وتَسويةِ الأوتار في نَغمةَ الرَّصد

You did not care for the promises of singing girls

And the tuning of strings to the tone of amusement

ولم تحتَفل بالرَّاح من كفِّ كاعِبٍ

لِترشُفَ مِن ثَغرٍ وتَهوِي على نَهدِ

You did not celebrate the wind from a performer’s palm

To take a sip from a mouth and swoop upon a breast

بِك استَنجَدُوا طُراًّ فكنتَ لِصوتِهم

صَدىً شِيمَة الأُسدِ الضَّوارِيى مَعَ الأُسدِ

Through you they sought help hastily, and you were

For their voices an echo, the nature of lions with lions

وحاشاكَ لم تنظر بِمقلَةِ طامِعٍ

لِقصرِ ابنِ عبَّادٍ وما بِه مِن رِفدِ

And it is far from you - you did not look with a greedy eyelid

At the palace of Ibn Abbad and what it contains of plenty

بنِي الغَربِ أوطانا بني الشَّرقِ وحدةً

بني الضادِ أبناء الحَنِيف بَنِي المجدِ

Build, people of the West, homelands; people of the East, unity

People of conviction, people of the Chosen Prophet, people of glory

يَعزُّ علينا القصرُ يفقِدُ مَجدَهُ

ويُمسِي ابنُ عبَّادٍ به نَحسُ السَّعدِ

The palace pains us, losing its glory

And Ibn Abbad spends the night in it, star of misfortune

يَعزُّ علينا أَن نرَاه مُصَفَّدا

يُسَاق إلى أغماتَ يَرسِفُ في القَيدِ

It pains us to see it shackled

Led to deep darkness, immersed in chains

ولكن لِنصرِ الدَّينِ دينِ محمَّدٍ

وإنقَاذِه مِن بُؤرَة الهَلكِ والنَّكدِ

But for the victory of the religion, the religion of Muhammad

And saving it from the abyss of ruin and misery

نُضَحِّي بعبَّادٍ وآخرَ كابنهِ

ومثلِه مِمَّن لا يُفيدُ ولا يُجدي

We sacrifice Abbad and another like his son

And the like of him who brings no benefit or purpose

لِتبكُوا معِي ذاك العظيمَ وفقدَه

ولاَ تتركُوني أبكه بينكُم وَحدِي

That you may weep with me for that great one and his loss

And do not leave me to weep for him among you alone

وها رُوحُه العُليَا تُرفرِفُ فَوقَنا

وإن كانَ منه الجِسمُ غُيِّبَ في اللَّحد

Even if his body is concealed in the grave

People of Fez, you have visited us with the intention

أَأبنَاءَ فاسٍ زُرتمونا وقَصدُكُم

تَوثُّقُ وَصلٍ بينَنا دائمِ العَهدِ

To strengthen ties between us, lasting and binding

So welcome to you among sincere friends once

فأهلاً بكُ عندَ الأخِلاَّءِ مرَّةً

وألفاً لدَى الباشا العَزيز الحِمَى الفردِ

And a thousand times in the presence of the dear, protective, unique Pasha

The ally of sublime glory, the daring, lofty one whose

حَليفِ العًلا الشَّهمِ التهامِي مَن غدت

مَكارمُه تربُو عَن الحَصر والعَدِّ

Virtues have risen beyond counting and limits

May the Lord of the Throne preserve him as a refuge and sanctuary

أدامَه ربُّ العرشِ كَهفا ومَلجاً

وأبقاهُ بَدراً لاَحَ في طَالع السَّعدِ

And keep him as a full moon shining in the ascendant of good fortune