إذَا المَرْءُ لَمْ يُنْصِفْ بِقَدْرِ جِهَادِهِ

فَإِنَّ لَهُ فَضْلاً بِقَدْرِ اجْتِهَادِهِ

If a man does not reach the level of his endeavor

Then he has surplus merit equal to his striving

تَوَخَّ عَظِيمَاتِ المُنَى وَانْحُ نَحْوَهَا

بِرَأْيٍ يُضِيءُ الدَّهْرَ وَرْيُ زِنَادِهِ

Seek the loftiest aspirations though the path be arduous

With intellect illuminating existence and replenishing its provision

وَثَابِرْ تُصِبْ فَوْزاً فَمَا الفَوْزُ لِلْفَتَى

بِإِسْرَافِهِ فِي الجُهْدِ بَلْ بِاقْتِصَادِهِ

And persevere to attain success for success comes not

To one who is excessive in effort but moderate in his capacity

بِنَا حَاجَةُ النَّسْرِ المَهِيضِ جَنَاحُهُ

إِلَى جَوِّهِ العَالِي وَرَحْبِ مَرَادِهِ

Our aspiration is for the winged ambitions to take flight

To the heights and expanse of its purpose

أَيَرْقَى إِلَى أَوْجِ الكَمَالِ مُصَعِّدٌ

وَيَعْدُونه دُونَ الأَوْجِ نُقْصَانُ زَادِهِ

Can one ascending to the summit of perfection

Be impeded on the climb by inadequate supplies?

يُقَالُ الرِّضَى بَعْضُ الغِنَى قُلْتُ كُلُّهُ

وَلَكِنْ لِجِسْمِ المَرْءِ لا لِفُؤَادِهِ

It is said contentment is a part of wealth; I say it is the whole

But for the body of a man, not his heart

نَفَيْنَا مِنَ الأَنْغَامِ مَا لَيْسَ مُفْضِياً

إِلَى ذُلِّ مَنْ يَهْوَى وَمَنْحِ قِيَادِهِ

We eschew melodies that do not lead

To humbling those who are vain and arrogant

جَعَلْنَا جَمِيعَ اللَّحْنِ شَجْواً وَأَنَّهُ

لِدَلِّ حَبِيبٍ مُعْرِضٍ أَوْ عِنَادِهِ

We make all song a lament as though

For an absent beloved or responding to his disdain

وَلا عِيدَ إِلاَّ لِلأَسَى فِي قُلُوبِنَا

أَمَا مَلَّهُ قَلْبٌ لِفَرْطِ اعْتِيَادِهِ

We have no celebration apart from sorrow in our hearts

Has constant joy not wearied the heart accustomed to it?

سُكَارَى يَكَادُ الصَّوْتُ يُوقِرُ هَامَنَا

إذَا مَا عَلا رُتْبَةٍ فِي انْطِيادِهِ

Intoxicated, our pride nearly topples

When voices rise beyond their proper level

ألا طَرَبٌ يَا قُوْمُ فِي جَأْرِ مُغْضَبٍ

لأُمَّتِهِ أَوْ عِرْضِهِ أَوْ وِدَادِهِ

Arouse, O people, the angry roar

Of one enraged for his nation, honor, or affection

ألا طَرَبٌ وَالجَيْشُ يَحْدُوهُ مِعْزَفٌ

شَدِيدُ الوَغَى يُورِي اللَّظَى فِي جَمَادِهِ

Arouse, as the army advances rhythmically

Furiously engaged, revealing ferocity in its solidity

ألا طَرَبٌ وَالبَحْرُ فِي ثَوَرَانِهِ

يُصَوِّرُ إِيقَاعٌ جَلالَ امْتِدَادِهِ

Arouse, as the tumultuous ocean

Depicts the majesty of its endless undulation

ألا طَرَبٌ وَالنَّهْرُ تَهْوِي سُيُولُهُ

إِلَى قَاعِهِ مُصْطَكَّةً بِصِلادِهِ

Arouse, as the floods plunge

Turbulently into the depths churned by its coursing

ألا طَرَبٌ فِي مَا يُرَدِّدُ حَانِقٌ

مِنَ الأُسْدِ فِي أَطْوَادِهِ أَوْ مِهَادِهِ

Arouse, as the impassioned lion repeats

Its roar from its lair or resting place

ألا طَرَبٌ وَالقَفْرُ كَالقَبْرُ سَاكِنٌ

لِنَاءٍ شَجَتْهُ حَمْحَمَاتُ جَوَادِهِ

Arouse, as the empty desert still as a grave

For the wailing of a storm lashed by its mounts

أَلا يَوْمَ مَشْهُودٌ أَلا فَوْزَ حَافِلٌ

أَلا رَهْطَ يَعْلُو صَوْتُهُ بِاتِّحَادِهِ

Arouse, O witnessed day! Arouse, O packed conquest!

Arouse, O throng exalted by its unity!

أَمَا لِلفَتَى قُوْلٌ كَبِيرٌ لِنِدِّهِ

وَلا صَيْحَةٌ فِي فَخْرِهِ وَاعْتِدَادِهِ

Does not the young man have a grand refusal of his rival

And a cry without boast or arrogance?

أَلا رَعْدَ هَدَّادٌ أَلا بَرْقَ خَاطِفٌ

أَلا عَارِضٌ تَجْرِي الرُّبَى فِي اشْتِدَادِهِ

Arouse, O rumbling thunder! Arouse, O flashing lightning!

Arouse, O competing showers in their intensifying downpour!

أَلا نَغَمٌ إِلاَّ إذَا حَيَّتْ الصَّبَا

غَرِيبَ حِمىً طَالَتْ لَيَالِي بِعَادِهِ

No melody unless the morning breeze arouses

Strange, protected places long absent from their settlements

نَصُوغُ أَقَلَّ اللَّحْنِ دُونَ أَجَلِّهِ

وَنَهْوَى انْتِقَاضَ الفَنِّ دُونَ ازْدِيَادِهِ

We compose the simplest tunes below their greatest art

And desire the revival of music without its increase

وَلا وَصْفَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُمَثِّلَ حَالَةً

مِنَ النَّفْسِ لَمْ تَبْلُغْ بَدِيهَةَ بَادِهِ

No description unless it depicts a condition

Of the soul unreached by the obviousness of its expanse

لَهَا لَمَعَانُ النَّصْلِ بَيْنَ اسْتِلالِهِ

إِلَى وَشْكِ أَنْ يَعْرَى وَبَيْنَ اغْتِمَادِهِ

It has the gleam of a blade between drawn and sheathed

At the point of baring itself and dependence

نُحِبُّ مِنَ الإِنْشَادِ كُلَّ مُكَرَّرٍ

بِلَحْنٍ جُمُودُ الفِكْرِ مِنْ مُسْتَفَادِهِ

We love all repetition in chanting

Whose static thought is gained from its derivation

وَتَنْبُو بِنَا الآذَانُ عَنْ مُسْتَجَدِّهِ

فَكُلُّ عَتِيقٍ فَهْوَ مِنْ مُسْتَجَادِهِ

And ears recoil from any unprecedented thing

So everything longstanding is highly regarded

وَمَهْمَا يُعَدْ فِي صَيْغَةٍ بَعْدَ صِيغَةٍ

مُقَارِبَةٍ لَمْ نَشْكُ مِنْ مُسْتَعَادِهِ

However much is counted in a further idiom

Resemblance we have not doubted for its restoration

بِنَا حَاجَةُ النَّسْرِ المَهِيضِ جَنَاحُهُ

إِلَى جَوِّهِ العَالِي وَرَحْبِ مَرَادِهِ

Our aspiration is for the winged ambitions to take flight

To the heights and expanse of its purpose

أَيَرْقَى إِلَى أَوْجِ الكَمَالِ مُصَعِّدٌ

وَيعْدُوهُ دُونَ الأَوْجِ نُقْصَانُ زَادِهِ

Can one ascending to the summit of perfection

Be impeded on the climb by inadequate supplies?

بَنِي وَطَنِي إِنْ نَلْتَمِسْ لِرُقِيِّنَا

عَتَاداً فَهَذَا الفَنُّ بَعْضُ عَتَادِهِ

My countrymen, if we seek progress

When we firmly set it above our concerns

إِذَا نَحْنُ أَحْكَمْنَاهُ أَعْلَى هُمُومَنَا

وَأَنْجَى سَوَاداً هَالِكاً وَالمُنَى وَالمَشَادِهِ

And the darkness of ruin, death, and contention

When will our army come to meet devastation

مَتَى يَغْدُ مِنَّا الجَيْشُ يَسْتَقْبِلُ الرَّدَى

وَيَسْمَعُ مَسْرُوراً نَشِيدَ بِلادِهِ

And hear gladly the anthem of its nation?