كما شئتَ مُر فالدهرُ مُمَتَثِلٌ أمرا

تَسوقُ ظِباه خلفَكَ الفتحَ والنَّصرا

As you wish, so time will obey

Your conquests march behind you, triumph and victory

رأتكَ المَعالي كُفأها حين أقبلت

وما طلبت إلا القَبول لها مهرا

Excellence saw you as its equal when you came forth

Seeking only acceptance as its dowry

إلى الفارسِ المِغوارِ ألقت زِمامَها

سَلوا الطَّعنةَ النجلاءَ والفَتكَةَ البكرا

To the valiant, intrepid horseman it handed over its reins

Ask the sharp, first-thrust lance and the virgin raid

فَسرَت بها كالنُّور في غَسقِ الدُّجى

وكنتَ منَ الإسراعِ كالطَّيفِ في المَسرى

So it advanced with you like light in the gloom of night

And in your haste you were like a specter on the highway

وأبقيتَ مِن مجدٍ تليدٍ أرومةً

وأحييتَ من دينٍ به عَمَّتِ البُشرى

You left behind lasting, continuous glory

And revived a faith that brought good tidings to all humanity

وما وطِئت أقدامُك الرَّبعَ ما حِلاً

من اليُمنِ إلا أعشَبَ الرَّوضُ واخضَّرا

Wherever your feet tread the open desert, it turned green

With herbage on both sides blossoming and flourishing

حَجَجنا لَعَمري مرتين فريضةٌ

ورُؤيةُ هذي الطلعةِ الحجَّةُ الأخرى

For my life, we made the pilgrimage twice an obligatory duty

And to see your radiant aspect is the final pilgrimage

مَليكٌ سَرَت في العالَمينَ خِصالُه

بِذكرِ فتيقِ المِسكِ فاوَحَهُ نَشَرا

A king whose traits spread in both worlds

With the scent of musky youth, it wafted fragrance afar

رَسَت منه للأنظارِ هضبةُ سُؤددٍ

على جانِبيها زَهرُ أخلاقِه افتَرَّا

The hill of Sowda has appeared to all eyes

Its sides adorned with the flowers of his morals, wide open

مَليكٌ إذا أبصرتَه يومَ جُودِه

تَرى الطَّودَ يُدعى من سمَاحَتهِ بَحرا

A king, when you see him on his day of generosity

You see even oceans called from his liberality

وما الضَّيغمُ الجاثي تَوقَّد نَظرةً

بأروعَ منه وهو مُبتسِمٌ ثَغرا

Not even a crouching beggar's glance kindled

More beautifully than his, smiling with his rows of teeth

جرى أل سَعودٍ حيثُ جرَّت رِداءَها ال

مَعالي وحيثُ الطَّفلُ يُتعِدُ الشِّعرى

The house of Saud flowed wherever its cloak flowed

With glories, and where the foal counts the Pleiades

وحيثُ النَّدى والجودُ أدنى صِفاتِهم

وحيثُ يَفِرُّ الموتُ من بَأسِهِم ذُعرا

And where dew and generosity are their lowest traits

And where death flees in terror of their might

إذا درجت فِتيانُهم وكُهولُهم

تُريكَ بُدورَ الأرضَ والأنجمَ الزُّهرا

When their youths and elders march forth

You see the lands and stars bejeweled

أَفَخرَ مُلوكِ الأرضِ لا زِلتَ فَخرَهُم

ويَكفيهِمُ أن لا تَزال لهم فَخرا

O most glorious of earth's kings, you remained their pride

And it suffices them that you remain their glory forever

أعدتَ زمانَ الراشدينَ عدالةً

وأمناً وإحياءً لشِرعَتِنا الغَرَّا

You restored the era of the Rightly Guided in justice

Safety, revival of our noble Law

وفتَّحتَ في نورِ الشَّريعةِ أعيُناً

وأظلمتَ من أعدائها المُقَلَ الحَمرا

And opened with the light of Sharia eyes that were closed

And darkened the eyes of its enemies, red with hatred

أنرتَ مَن الإسلامِ سُدفَة لَيلِه

ولولاكَ للإسلام ما أبصَر الفَجرا

You illuminated the dark night of Islam

Without you, Islam would not have seen the dawn

أتَذكُرُ يا عبدَ العزيزِ ولم تَكُن

بِناسٍ وليلُ الجَهلِ قد سَدلَ السِّترا

I remember, O Abdulaziz, though you were not yet

A man, and the night of ignorance had let down its veil

وإذا عمَّتِ الفَوضى وعمَّ بَلاؤُها

وعاثَ فساداً أهلُها وارتَضَوا كُفرا

When chaos was widespread and its affliction everywhere

And its people sowed corruption and were content with unbelief

وقد نَفقَت سوقُ الفُجورِ وشُيِّدَت

مَعالِمُه واستَعذَبوا طَعمَه المُرَّا

When the market of sin flourished and its landmarks erected

And they found its taste sweet and pure

ومُدَّت يدُ العُدوانِ تَفتِكُ جُهدَها

وسالت دُموعُ الدِّينِ من مُقلةٍ غَبرى

And the hand of aggression stretched to wreak havoc

And tears of faith flowed from a dusty eye

وماتت عنِ الإسلامِ والدِّينِ غيرةٌ

وَطمَّ عليه السَّيلُ من بِدَع كُبرى

When zeal for Islam and the faith had died

And the flood overwhelmed it with great innovations

فَرَدَّدَ فيكَ الدِّينُ طَرفَ رَجائهِ

ونادى الرَّجا سِراً فَلبيَّتَه جَهرا

Religion turned to you with the glance of its hope

And called for help in secret, and you answered its call openly

وثارَ منَ الآسادِ ثائرُ شِبلِها

وقد أَبرزَ النَّابَ المُحَدَّدَ والظُّفرا

The cub of its lion roared to life

Baring its sharp fangs and claws for victory

وما كنتَ بالمَوفورِ قَبلُ ذَخيرةً

ولكنَّ عونَ اللهِ أعظِم بهِ ذُخرا

You were not richly provisioned before

But God's help provides the greatest provision

وما قلَّ مِن باللَّهِ كانَ اعتِصامُه

وما كثُرَ المَوفورُ بالخَيرِ مُغتَرَّا

Whoever trusts in God will not be lacking

And abundant provisions do not make one arrogant

حرارةُ إيمانٍ وصدقُ عَويمةٍ

وعِزَّةُ نفسٍ لا تُباعُ ولا تُشرى

The fervor of faith, honesty of purpose

And dignity of a soul that cannot be bought or sold

فَسِرتَ بِجيشِ الأربعينَ ولم تَكُن

لِتَرهَبَ من أعدائِك العَدَدَ الكَثرا

So you marched with the army of forty, though you were not

To intimidate the multitudes of your enemies

نعم كانَ جيشُ الأربعينَ وقد طَما

وفاضَ على وجهِ الثَّرى عَسكَراً مُجرا

Yes, it was the army of forty, adamant

Overflowing the face of the earth with swift steeds

فسرت بهم أن يصبروا في نفوسهم

فعن نصر دين الله لن يجدوا صبرا

You made them steadfast in spirit

For they would find no steadfastness in aiding God's religion

ضَرَبتَ بِهم قلبَ الفَلاةِ ورُبَّما

شَقَقتَ بِهِم عن بَطنِ أفيحَ مُغبَرَّا

You struck the heart of the wasteland, and perhaps

You cleaved open a dusty plain

تَرى صافِناتِ الخَيلِ تَختالُ تَحتَهُم

كأنَّ الجِيادَ الصَّافناتِ بِهم سَكرى

You see the galloping horses prancing under them

As if the galloping steeds were drunk with them

فأدهمُ أمَّا الليلُ فهو إهابُهُ

ويُسفِرُ عن صُبحٍ منَ النَّصرِ إن كَرَّا

They come roaring at night as it conceals them

To reveal by dawn a morning of victory, if it wills

وأشقرُ في لَونِ الضُّحَى غيرَ أنَّه

يَجُرُّ على الأعداءِ ليلَ الرَّدى جَرَّا

Blond in the complexion of dawn, except

It drags the night of destruction upon the enemy

بِقَفر ولكن بالقَنا شَجَراً بَدا

كَرَوضٍ جَرى ماءُ الحَديدِ به نَهرا

In Qafr, but in Qana trees appeared

As if the water of iron flowed in it as a river

وأوقَد فحمَ اللَّيلِ جمرُ كَواكب

إلى أن رَمادُ الصُّبحِ من فَوقِها ذُرَّا

The embers of the night kindled the stars

Until the dust of dawn above it scattered

ومُدَّ لِسانُ الصُّبحِ يَلمَسُ رُقعَةَ ال

وُجودِ وقد سالَ الدُّجى فوقَها حِبرا

The tongue of dawn touches the horizon of generosity

And the darkness spills ink upon it

فأوقدتَ نارَ السَّيفِ في حَطَبِ العِدى

وأدرَيتَهُم ما كان من حَقِّه يُدرى

So you ignited in the enemy's timber the fire of the sword

And made them know what was their rightful due

ركوعٌ سجودٌ فيهمُ السُّمرُ والظبى

وقد جعلت مِحرَابَها الصَّدرَ والنَّحرا

Bowing and prostration - in them the summit and antelope

You made their chests and necks their prayer niche

تَخُطُّ سطوراً في صَحائفِ صَدرِهم

ببيضٍ ومِن سُمرِ القنا تُعجِمُ السَّطرا

Drawing lines in the pages of their chests

With the white steel of Qana inscribing the line

لهُ اللهُ في يومٍ عبوسٍ ولَيلةٍ

وكم مثلُها مرَّت وكم مثلُه مَرَّا

For him belongs to God a dark, grim day

And many days like it have passed, and many like him

بكيريَّة واليومُ في القوم يَومُها

يُطالِبُ نسرُ الموتِ في هامِهِم وَكرا

In Bukayriyya, and on that day against them

The eagle of death seeks in their skulls a den

ويومُ سديرٍ والرِّياضِ ومَحملٍ

ويومُ الحَسا والوشمِ والشَّمر والشَّفر

And the day of Sudair, Riyadh and Mahmal

And the day of Hasa, Washm, Shamar and Shaffar

ويوم عسيرٍ والقَصيمِ وحائلٍ

وبالجوفِ والسرحانِ قد حُصِروا حَصرا

And the day of ‘Usayr, Qassim and Hail

Besieged in Jouf and Sarhan without escape

فأفنيتَهم قَتلاً وأسراً وذِلَّةً

وكانَ جزاءُ الظَّالمِ القتلَ والأسرَا

You destroyed them by killing, capture and humiliation

And the fate of wrongdoers is to be killed or captured

ولم تنسَ حقَّ الحِلمِ حين أسَرتَهُم

ومُقلتُهم عَبرى وأنفاسُهم حَرَّى

You did not forget the right of clemency when you captured them

And their tears were flowing, and their breaths burning

أسَرتَهُمُ والصَّفحُ عنهمُ مُنتَوىً

فما هُم منَ الأسرىَ وإن هُم منَ الأسرى

You captured them, yet pardon was their place of shelter

They are not like other captives, though they are captives

ظَفِرتَ بأربابِ الحَفائظِ بَعدَما

عفوتَ وبعدَ العفوِ أولَيتَهُم بِرَّا

You triumphed over the warlords after

Pardoning them, and after pardon you treated them with

فخانوا وعادوا بالِخَسارِ تِجارَةً

وحاقَ بِهم مكرٌ وقد أمِنوا المَكرا

kindness

But they betrayed and returned to loss in trade

لقد نَكَثوا بالعهدِ من خُبثِ نَفسِهم

ألاَ إنَّ خُبثَ النفسِ داؤُه لن يَبرا

And cunning befell them though they felt safe from cunning

Indeed, they broke the pact out of the corruption of their souls

وأعضلَ مِن مرضى القُلوبِ نِفاُُهم

فكانَ الجزاءُ الحَقُّ أن يَسكُنوا القَبرا

For the corruption of the soul, its illness will not be cured

More complex than the sickness of hearts is their rancor

بأطرافِ نجدٍ والقَبائلِ كلِّها

وفَتحُ حجازٍ كانتِ الآيةَ الكُبرى

So their rightful due was for them to inhabit the grave

On the outskirts of Najd and all the tribes

تَقاسَمتَها بعدَ اللِّقاءِ غَنيمةٌ

فمِن مُجتَنٍ نَصراً ومِن مُجتَنٍ كَسرا

And the opening of Hejaz - that was the greatest sign

You divided its spoils after the encounter

فمن جُثتِ القتلى أسَرتَهم كَما

أدَرتَ عليهم من كؤوسِ الرَّدَى خَمرا

To some victory's share, and to some defeat's share

So just as you made the slain their captives

كأنَّ رِكاباً فُتِّحت في جُفونِهم

لِتُطفئَ ما بالصَّدرِ يَلتهبُ الصَّدرا

You made them drink from cups of destruction wine

As if saddled steeds were cleaved into their eyelids

وفُزتَ بِنَصرٍ حين لم يَنجُ منهمُ

سوى مَن على الساقَين من عُمرٍ فَرَّا

To extinguish the burning embers in their chests

And you won victory - none survived but those

وكم بينَ مَن يغزو لِدينِ مُحمَّدٍ

لِينصرَهُ نصراً وينشُرَه نَشرا

Who fled on their legs from the fray

Between one who fights for Muhammad's religion

وبين الذي يَغزو ويُجهِدُ نفسَه

ليُشِبع لذَّاتٍ ويَنعَمَ بالذِّكرى

To aid it, spreading it far and wide

And one who fights and exerts himself

فهذا لَعَمري مَيِّتٌ قبلَ موتِهِ

وذلك عُمرُ الدَّهرِ أضحى له عُمرا

Only to satisfy his pleasures and enjoy reminiscing

By my life, the latter is dead before his death

حياةُ الفتَى إدراكُ سرِّ حياتِهِ

وما الموتُ إلا جَهلُه ذلكَ السِّرَّا

While the former lives forevermore

A young man's life is perceiving the secret of his life

إذا لم يقِم ملكٌ شَعائرَ دينِهِ

وأعوزَهُ للدِّينِ نَشرٌ فلا خَيرا

Death is nothing but ignorance of that mystery

If a king neglects his religion's rites

فدُم لِلعِدى تُرديهمُ منكَ نظرةٌ

وتَسقيهمُ سُمًّا وتُصليهمُ جَمرا

And lacks spreading it, then no good

Let blood water their eyes with a glance from you

ولا تُغمِدِ السيفَ الطَّويلَ نِجادهُ

فليسَ سِواهُ مُرهَمٌ يكشفُ الضُّرَّا

Give them poison to drink and burning embers to pray on

Do not sheathe the long, noble sword

وأبلجَ وضَّاحَ المُحَيَّا إذا بَدا

دُجى مُدلَهمَّاتِ الخُطوب يَلُح فَجرا

Nothing else will drive away harm like it

It shone white when first unsheathed

وأمنٌ يُجيرُ الشاةَ من خُبثِ أطلسٍ

ومن خيسٍ لَيثٍ يُحِمُ الظبيةَ الوَعَّر

If the darkness of gloomy tribulations appears at dawn

And safety that protects sheep from wicked foxes

بدأتَ طريراً دونَ عشرينَ حِجَّة

وأتمَمتَ لِلخمسينَ أعمالَك الكُبرى

And wretched wolves that ambush the lost antelope

You began in Turaif shy of twenty

وما زالَ منكَ الدِّينُ يرجو امتدادَهُ

فلا زلتَ يا عبدَ العزيزِ له ذُخرا

And completed by fifty your greatest deeds

Still religion hopes for your extension

حباكَ إلهُ العرشِ أشرَفَ رُتبَةٍ

وعَظَّمَ منكَ اللهُ جاهَكَ والقَدرا

O Abdulaziz, you remain its treasure

God has granted you the noblest rank

وأولاكَ مُلكاً في جوارِ نَبيِّهِ

وألهمَكَ التَّوفيقَ والعدلَ والبرَّا

And given you from Himself great stature and destiny

And inspired you with guidance, justice and righteousness

تَبوَّأتَه عرشَ العُروشِ وكيفَ لا

ومن خيرِ خلقِ اللهِ قد جاوَرَ القَبرا

You assumed the throne of thrones - how not?

For the best of God's creation has neighbored the grave

بِه مِن جوارٍ زِد سُروراً وغِبطَةً

فساكِنُه خيرُ الورى بكَ قد سُرَّا

Through that blessed neighboring, increase in joy and glory

For its dweller, best of mortals, has been gladdened by you

وكيف وقد أحيَيتَ سُنَّتَهُ وقد

أقَمتَ حُدوداً من شَريعتِه الغَرَّا

And how, when you have revived his way (Sunnah)

And established limits from his noble Law

وقُمتَ بما أوصَى به اللهُ خَلقَهُ

وجئتَ إلى الأوثانِ أفنَيتَها كَسرا

You have taken what God ordered for His creation

And come to the idols, destroying them

ولولاكَ يا مَن وطَّدَ الأَمنَ سَيفُه

لَمَا كنتُ في أرضٍ وأصبحتُ في أُخرى

Without you, O he whose sword fortified security

I would not have been in one land or awakened in another

ولِدتَ بِشَهِر الحجِّ مَغزى إشارةٍ

إليكَ بتَظيم فعظمتَهُ شَهرا

You were born in the month of Pilgrimage, a sign

Pointing to you, honoring it as a month

فَدُم لِحِمى الإسلامِ تَحمي لِواءَهُ

ودُم لِبني الإسلامِ إن تَستَنِد ظَهرا

So remain protecting Islam's banner, defending its sanctity

And remain for Islam's children if they seek support

ودُم رابضاً حولَ العرَينِ ولا تَنَم

فما زالتِ الأعداءُ تَرمُقُه شَزرا

Remain stationed around the den, do not sleep

For enemies still eye it with glittering blades

ومِن شاعرٍ لم يعرفِ المَدحَ شِعرُهُ

فَخُذهَا على استِحيائها غادةً بِكرا

What poet who knew not flattery - take his verse

In its shyness, a virgin ode

وعِزَّة نفسٍ لا تُبيحُ لِشاعرٍ

مَديحاً ولكن كانَ منِّي الثَّنا شُكرا

The pride of a soul that does not permit a poet

Praise, but my verses were only thanks

فما هي إلا سردُ أعمالِكَ التي

أضاءَت فَغَطَّى نورُها البَرَّ والبَحرا

They are only recounting your deeds

Whose light covered land and sea, blinding

وعفوا أيا مولايَ إن كنتُ عاجزاً

على حصرِ ما الأرقامُ أعجزَها حَصرا

Forgive me, my master, if I was incapable

Of encompassing what numbers themselves cannot encompass

فما أنتَ إلا الشمسُ يَرتَدُّ طَرفُنا

كليلاً إذا رُمنا لِنُصِرَها قَسرا

You are none but the sun - our eyes recoil

Dazzled if we attempt to gaze at it directly

وكيف يعُدُّ الشعرُ منكَ محاسِناً

ولو أنني أفنيتُ في مدحِكَ الشِّعرا

How can poetry enumerate your beauties?

Even if I exhausted my poetry in praising you

فدونَكَها فهي انتَحَتكَ على النَّوى

كَكُفءٍ وقد أبدى الحياءُ لها عُذرا

Leave them without you, for they have chosen you

As their equal, the bashful showing them excuse

منَ المغربِ الأقصى أتتكَ تَحِية

يُبَلِّغُها عن أهلِه شاعرُ الحَمرا

From Morocco's furthest west a greeting comes to you

Conveyed by their people's poet of the red sands