سلِ الشَّرقَ: هل صبحُهُ أسفَرَا؟

وهل ذادَ عن مقلتيه الكَرَى؟

Ask the East, has its dawn become yellow?

And has sorrow departed from its eyelids?

وهل صار للشرق أُذْنٌ تعي؟

وهل صار للشرق عينٌ ترى؟

Has the East gained an ear that hears?

Has the East gained eyes that see?

أرى في سماءِ العُروبة برقًا

إذا صحَّ ظنِّي به، أمطرَا

I see in the sky of Arabdom a lightning

That if my assumption of it is true, it will rain

فعمّ الحواضرَ طوفانُهُ

وفاضَتْ شآبيبُه بالقرى

So its downpour flooded the cities

And its showers overflowed the villages

ويا رُبَّ غيثٍ يَبُلُّ الصدى

وغيثٍ، إذا ما هَمَى، دمَّرا

Oh Lord of a rain that makes the echoes talk

And a rain, if it intends, it destroys

وكم نقمةٍ أعقبَتْ نعمةً

وكم مِعْوَلٍ هادمٍ عَمَّرَا

How many blessings were followed by wrath

And how many destroying hammers have built

تنبَّهَ بعد الرُّقَاد أُناسٌ

تقلَّدَهم دهرُهم مدْبرَا

After long sleep, people have awakened

Whom their lifetime has turned backwards

تقدّمَ كلُّ بطيءِ الخُطَا

وهُمْ وحدَهم رَجَعُوا القهقرى

Every slow walker went forward

While they alone turned backwards

تعبَّدهُم كلُّ شعبٍ ذليلٍ

وكان لهم أمسِ مُلْكُ الثَّرى

Every subdued nation worshipped them

And yesterday they owned the land’s kingdom

صحا الشرقُ بعد عميق السُّبَاتِ

أهابَ الأذانُ به، فانبرى

The East woke up after deep sleep

Its ears were erect for it, so it stood up

وجرّدَ للنصر إيمانَهُ

وما خاب شعبٌ به استنصرا

And for victory, it stripped its faith

No people failed when they sought its help

ولم أَرَ كالدِّين سيفًا لمنْ

أراد النضالَ، ولا مِغْفَرا

I have not seen anything like religion a sword

For whoever wants to struggle, nor forgiveness

إذا سادَ في الأرض، جَبَّ الفسادَ

من الأرض، واستأصَلَ المُنكَرا

When it prevails on earth, it eliminates corruption

From the earth, and uproots evil

وما خاب شعبٌ بهَذِي السماءِ

قويُّ الصِّلاتِ، وثيقُ العُرَا

No people failed with this sky

Strong prayer, and close ally

أوائلُكُم أيها المسلمون

بشرعةِ أحمدَ ساسوا الورى

O early Muslims, with

Ahmad's law you ruled the land

وباسم الحنيفةِ سادوا؛ فكانَ

سواهم سُفوحًا، وكانوا الذُّرا

And in the name of Hanifism you prevailed; thus

Beside you were hills, and you were the peaks

رأى منهم الناسُ ما لم يَرَوْ

هُ من عدلِ كسرى، ولا قيصرا

People saw from them what they have not seen

From Kisra's justice, nor Caesar's

كتابكُمو أيها المسلمونَ

بمشكاتِهِ يهتدي مَنْ سَرى

Your book, O Muslims

With its torches, the traveler is guided

به استمسك الأولون؛ فكانوا

أُسودًا، وكان حماهُمْ شَرى

By it the early ones held fast; thus they were

Lions, and their protector was fierce

فسيروا على نهجه مؤمنينَ

تَرُّوا من المجدِ ما أدبَرا

So walk along its path as believers

See from glory what has passed

ومن تَمَّ بالله إيمانُهُ

رأى الصخْرَ في يده عِثْيَرا

Whoever's faith in God is complete

Sees rocks in his hand like powder

إذا ما مشى فوقَ الشوك القَتاد

غدا تحته سندُسًا أخضرا

When he walks on prickly pears

They become green velvet beneath him

ولنْ ينفَعَ القومَ إِيمانُهُم

إذا كان إِيمانُهُم أبْتَرا

The people's faith will not benefit them

If their faith is incomplete

ومن خطَبَ المجدَ، شدّ الرِّحال

إليه، وخاضَ الدّمَ الأحمرَا

Whoever seeks glory, tightens his saddles

To it, and wades through the red blood