لِمَن ذَلِكَ المُلكُ الَّذي عَزَّ جانِبُهُ

لَقَد وَعَظَ الأَملاكَ وَالناسَ صاحِبُه

For whom is that kingdom whose side majesty made strong

Its owner preached morals to angels and men alike

أَمُلكُكَ يا داوُدُ وَالمُلكُ الَّذي

يَغارُ عَلَيهِ وَالَّذي هُوَ واهِبُه

Is it your kingdom, O David, and the kingdom that

He is jealous over it and the Giver of it

أَرادَ بِهِ أَمراً فَجَلَّت صُدورُهُ

فَأَتبَعَهُ لُطفاً فَجَلَّت عَواقِبُه

He wanted something so breasts were filled with awe

So he followed gently and results were momentous

رَمى وَاِستَرَدَّ السَهمَ وَالخَلقُ غافِلٌ

فَهَل يَتَّقيهِ خَلقُهُ أَو يُراقِبُه

He took aim and the arrow flew back while creation slumbered

Does his creation beware Him or keep a vigil on Him

أَيَبطُلُ عيدُ الدَهرِ مِن أَجلِ دُمَّلٍ

وَتَخبو مَجاليهِ وَتُطوى مَواكِبُه

Can the feast of life be annulled for an obscure worm

And its splendor fold up and its processions cease

وَيَرجِعُ بِالقَلبِ الكَسيرِ وُفودُهُ

وَفيهِم مَصابيحُ الوَرى وَكَواكِبُه

And the sorrowful heart return with its visitors

Among them the lamps of the world and its stars

وَتَسمو يَدُ الدَهرِ اِرتِجالاً بِبَأسِها

إِلى طُنُبِ الأَقواسِ وَالنَصرُ ضارِبُه

And the hand of fate capriciously wield its power

Against the boughs of the bow till triumph is its striker

وَيَستَغفِرُ الشَعبُ الفَخورُ لِرَبِّهِ

وَيَجمَعُ مِن ذَيلِ المَخيلَةِ ساحِبُه

And the haughty people beseech their Lord

And the drawer of schemes from imagination sheathe his sword

وَيُحجَبُ رَبُّ العيدِ ساعَةَ عيدِهِ

وَتَنقُصُ مِن أَطرافِهِنَّ مَآرِبُه

And the Lord of the feast be hidden in his feast's hour

And its edges lose their fine points

أَلا هَكَذا الدُنيا وَذَلِكَ وُدُّها

فَهَلّا تَأَتّى في الأَمانِيِّ خاطِبُه

Behold, such is this world and such is its love

Why then, does not its suitor act prudently

أَعَدَّ لَها إِدوَردُ أَعيادَ تاجِهِ

وَما في حِسابِ اللَهِ ما هُوَ حاسِبُه

Edward made for it feasts for his crown

While nothing is counted by God as His calculator

مَشَت في الثَرى أَنباؤُها فَتَساءَلَت

مَشارِقُهُ عَن أَمرِها وَمَغارِبُه

Its news crept into the dust interrogating

Its easts and its wests about its affair

وَكاثَرَ في البَرِّ الحَصى مَن يَجوبُهُ

وَكاثَرَ مَوجَ البَحرِ راكِبُه

And the pebbles on land challenged the feet that tread them

And the sea waves challenged their rider

إِلى مَوكِبٍ لَم تُخرِجِ الأَرضُ مِثلَهُ

وَلَن يَتهادى فَوقَها ما يُقارِبُه

To a procession the like of which earth never brought forth

And never will parade above it anything approximating it

إِذا سارَ فيهِ سارَتِ الناسُ خَلفَهُ

وَشَدَّت مَغاويرَ المُلوكِ رَكائِبُه

When it marched, people marched behind it

And the ships of kings fastened its saddles

تُحيطُ بِهِ كَالنَملِ في البَرِّ خَيلُهُ

وَتَملَأُ آفاقَ البِحارِ مَراكِبُه

Its horses surround it like ants in the wilderness

And its ships fill the horizons of the oceans

نِظامُ المَجالي وَالمَواكِبِ حَلَّهُ

زَمانٌ وَشيكٌ رَيبُهُ وَنَوائِبُه

Order of splendor and processions adorned it

A time soon in doubt are its woes and afflictions

فَبَينا سَبيلُ القَومِ أَمنٌ إِلى المُنى

إِذا هُوَ خَوفٌ في الظُنونِ مَذاهِبُه

While the people's path is safe to their quest

When it is fearful conjectures its directions

إِذا جَاءَتِ الأَعيادُ في كُلِّ مَسمَعٍ

تَجوبُ الثَرى شَرقاً وَغَرباً جَوائِبُه

When feasts come in every ear

Its rumors course east and west

رَجاءٌ فَلَم يَلبُث فَخَوفٌ فَلَم يَدُم

سَلِ الدَهرَ أَيُّ الحادِثَينِ عَجائِبُه

Hope then no sooner despair then no stay

Ask fate which of the two is its wonders

فيا لَيتَ شِعري أَينَ كانَت جُنودُهُ

وَكَيفَ تَراخَت في الفِداءِ قَواضِبُه

Oh, would that I know where its troops were

And how derelict were its defenders for ransom

وَرُدَّت عَلى أَعقابِهِنَّ سَفينُهُ

وَما رَدَّها في البَحرِ يَوماً مُحارِبُه

And its ship turned back on its heels

And who in the sea a day made it combatant

وَكَيفَ أَفاتَتهُ الحَوادِثُ طِلبَةً

وَما عَوَّدتَهُ أَن تَفوتَ رَغائِبُه

And how did mishaps elude it seeking

And what habituated it that its wins elude

لَكَ المُلكُ يا مَن خَصَّ بِالعِزِّ ذاتَهُ

وَمَن فَوقَ آرابَ المُلوكِ مَآرِبُه

To you belongs the kingdom, You who peculiarly honored His Self

And whom the stratagems of kings cannot outwit

فَلا عَرشَ إِلّا أَنتَ وارِثُ عِزِّهِ

وَلا تاجَ إِلّا أَنتَ بِالحَقِّ كاسِبُه

Thus no throne but You inherits its glory

And no crown but You rightfully earns it

وَآمَنتُ بِالعِلمِ الَّذي أَنتَ نورُهُ

وَمِنكَ أَياديهِ وَمِنكَ مَناقِبُه

And I believe in the knowledge which you are its light

And from You its hands and from You its minarets

تُؤامِنُ مِن خَوفٍ بِهِ كُلُّ غالِبٍ

عَلى أَمرِهِ في الأَرضِ وَالداءُ غالِبُه

You grant safety from fear through it to every victor

To his command on earth though malady vanquishes him

سَلوا صاحِبَ المُلكَينِ هَل مَلَك القُوى

وَأُسدُ الشَرى تَعنو لَهُ وَتُحارِبُه

Ask the King of Two Domains, did he conquer powers

And the lion of mankind comply and battle against him

وَهَل رَفَعَ الداءَ العُضالَ وَزيرُهُ

وَهَل حَجَبَ البابَ المُمَنَّعَ حاجِبُه

And did his Vizier lift the tough disease

And did its doorkeeper veil the forbidden door

وَهَل قَدَّمَت إِلّا دُعاةً شُعوبُهُ

وَساعَفَ إِلّا بِالصَلاةِ أَقارِبُه

And did his people send other than prayers

And did his kin double down other than with supplication

هُنالِكَ كانَ العِلمُ يُبلي بَلاءَهُ

وَكانَ سِلاحُ النَفسِ تُغني تَجارِبُه

There knowledge is tested with its trial

And the weapon of the soul made useful by its experiences

كَريمُ الظُبا لا يَقرُبُ الشَرَّ حَدُّهُ

وَفي غَيرِهِ شَرُّ الوَرى وَمَعاطِبُه

The generous hand, harm cannot touch its limit

And in other than it, the evil of creation and its contenders

إِذا مَرَّ نَحوَ المَرءِ كانَ حَياتَهُ

كَإِصبَعِ عيسى نَحوَ مَيتٍ يُخاطِبُه

When it passes by a person, it would be as if

His life like Jesus's finger toward a corpse addressing it

وَأَيسَرُ مِن جُرحِ الصُدودِ فِعالُهُ

وَأَسهَلُ مِن سَيفِ اللِحاظِ مَضارِبُه

And its actions easier than wounds of rebuff

And its strikes simpler than the sword of quick glance

عَجيبٌ يُرَجّى مِشرَطاً أَو يَهابُهُ

مَنِ الغَربُ راجيهِ مَنِ الشَرقُ هائِبُه

Wondrous, either hoped for gain or feared against

Whom the West hopes while the East flees from

فَلَو تُفتَدى بِالبيضِ وَالسُمرِ فِديَةٌ

لَأَلقَت قَناها في البِلادِ كَتائِبُه

If white and black slaves were ransom

His troops would cast their spears in the lands

وَلَو أَنَّ فَوقَ العِلمِ تاجاً لَتَوَّجوا

طَبيباً لَهُ بِالأَمسِ كانَ يُصاحِبُه

If over knowledge there were a crown to crown

A doctor whose company he kept yesterday they would crown

فَآمَنتُ بِاللَهِ الَّذي عَزَّ شَأنُهُ

وَآمَنتُ بِالعِلمِ الَّذي عَزَّ طالِبُه

So I believe in God whose glory is mighty

And I believe in knowledge whose seeker is mighty