أتاكَ كما تأتِي اللآلئُ في العِقدِ

أتاكَ كما تأتِي اللآلئُ في العِقدِ

نَوابغُ فاسٍ كلُّ نِدٍّ إلى نِد

نَوابغُ فاسٍ كلُّ نِدٍّ إلى نِد

They came to you as pearls come together in a necklace—

You came to me like pearls come together on a necklace

the luminaries of Fez, each peer beside a peer.

The geniuses of Fez, each peer coming to its peer

وما مِنهُمُ إلاَّ طَموحٌ إلى العُلاَ

وما مِنهُمُ إلاَّ طَموحٌ إلى العُلاَ

سَبوقٌ على الغاياتِ مُستوصِلُ الكَدِّ

سَبوقٌ على الغاياتِ مُستوصِلُ الكَدِّ

And not one of them but aspires to the heights,

None but has lofty ambitions to ascend

racing ahead toward the goals, unremitting in toil.

A frontrunner to the goals, persevering and striving

لَقد زُرتمونَا والرَّوابِطُ جَمَّةٌ

لَقد زُرتمونَا والرَّوابِطُ جَمَّةٌ

وجئتم كمَا جاءَ النَّسيمُ مِن الوَرد

وجئتم كمَا جاءَ النَّسيمُ مِن الوَرد

Indeed, you visited us, and our bonds are many,

You have certainly visited us while the bonds are complete

and you came as the breeze comes from roses.

And you came like a breeze comes from roses

لَكُم عندنا مِن خالصِ الوُدِّ مَا كَفى

لَكُم عندنا مِن خالصِ الوُدِّ مَا كَفى

فهَل عندَكُم لِي مثلُ ما لكُمُ عِندِي

فهَل عندَكُم لِي مثلُ ما لكُمُ عِندِي

You have with us an abundance of pure affection;

You have with us sincere affection enough

so do you have for me as much as I have for you?

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

نعَم فاسُ لِلحمراءَ تُخلِصُ وُدَّها

نعَم فاسُ لِلحمراءَ تُخلِصُ وُدَّها

ومَا زال كلٌّ منهمَا مُخلِصَ الوُد

ومَا زال كلٌّ منهمَا مُخلِصَ الوُد

Yes, Fez gives al-Hamra its sincere affection,

Yes, Fez sincerely loves the Red City

and each has always been sincere in affection.

And each of them continues to have sincere love

أتيتُمُ بالتَّمثِيل أكبرَ مُرشِدٍ

أتيتُمُ بالتَّمثِيل أكبرَ مُرشِدٍ

وليسَ سِوى التمثيلِ يُهدِي إلى الرُّشد

وليسَ سِوى التمثيلِ يُهدِي إلى الرُّشد

You brought drama, the greatest guide,

You have come with the greatest example

and nothing but drama leads to sound judgment.

And nothing but the example leads to guidance

نعَم إنَّ شوقي وَهوَ أكبرُ شَاعِرٍ

نعَم إنَّ شوقي وَهوَ أكبرُ شَاعِرٍ

تَنكَّرَ عنه الليثُ في داخِل اللَّبدِ

تَنكَّرَ عنه الليثُ في داخِل اللَّبدِ

Yes, Shawqi, though he is the greatest poet—

Yes, Shauqi, who is the greatest poet

the lion within its mane went unrecognized by him.

The lion within did not recognize him

تأمَّل شوقي عن قَريبٍ فما اهتدَى

تأمَّل شوقي عن قَريبٍ فما اهتدَى

وما ضَرَّ شوقي لو تأمَّل عن بُعد

وما ضَرَّ شوقي لو تأمَّل عن بُعد

Shawqi looked at close range, yet failed to see aright;

Shauqi contemplated from up close but was not guided

nor would it have harmed Shawqi to look from afar.

And it would not have harmed Shauqi to contemplate from afar

أَاحمدَ شوقي للقوافي رجالُها

أَاحمدَ شوقي للقوافي رجالُها

كَأنتَ وللتَّاريخ ذو الأخذِ والرَّدِّ

كَأنتَ وللتَّاريخ ذو الأخذِ والرَّدِّ

O Ahmad Shawqi, rhyme has its men,

Do I blame Shauqi for the meter of his poetry

like you; history has those versed in debate and rebuttal.

While you are for history with its discussions and responses?

أفاروقَ أفريقيَا امتشَقتَ مُهنَّدا

أفاروقَ أفريقيَا امتشَقتَ مُهنَّدا

وقبَّلته شوقا وطوَّحتَ بالغِمد

وقبَّلته شوقا وطوَّحتَ بالغِمد

O Faruq of Africa, you drew an Indian-steel sword,

Afrooq of Africa, you have extracted a sword

and kissed it longingly, and flung away the sheath.

And kissed it with passion and waved with the scabbard

ورُحتَ به رَكضا لأندلسٍ بِها

ورُحتَ به رَكضا لأندلسٍ بِها

تَصدُّ ذوي الأغراض عن سيِّىء القصدِ

تَصدُّ ذوي الأغراض عن سيِّىء القصدِ

And you galloped with it to Andalusia, where

And you went galloping with it to Andalusia

you held back self-seeking men from evil designs.

Blocking those with evil intentions from foul purposes

فأبقيتَ للإسلام باذخ مَجدِه

فأبقيتَ للإسلام باذخ مَجدِه

ولولاكَ أضحىَ الدينُ مُفتقِدَ المجد

ولولاكَ أضحىَ الدينُ مُفتقِدَ المجد

Thus you preserved for Islam its towering glory;

Thus you maintained for Islam its towering glory

but for you, the faith would have been bereft of glory.

Otherwise, the faith would have lost its glory

وذُدتَ عنِ الإسلام مَن رام كَيدُه

وذُدتَ عنِ الإسلام مَن رام كَيدُه

وأطفأتَ نِيرَانا مُؤَجَّجَةَ الوَقد

وأطفأتَ نِيرَانا مُؤَجَّجَةَ الوَقد

And you repelled from Islam whoever sought to plot against it,

You protected Islam from those who intended its destruction

and quenched fires fiercely ablaze.

And extinguished intensely blazing fires

ولم تكتَرث بالغانياتِ وعُودِها

ولم تكتَرث بالغانياتِ وعُودِها

وتَسويةِ الأوتار في نَغمةَ الرَّصد

وتَسويةِ الأوتار في نَغمةَ الرَّصد

You cared nothing for beauties and their lute,

You did not care for the promises of singing girls

or for tuning the strings to the Rasd mode.

And the tuning of strings to the tone of amusement

ولم تحتَفل بالرَّاح من كفِّ كاعِبٍ

ولم تحتَفل بالرَّاح من كفِّ كاعِبٍ

لِترشُفَ مِن ثَغرٍ وتَهوِي على نَهدِ

لِترشُفَ مِن ثَغرٍ وتَهوِي على نَهدِ

Nor did you care for wine from a nubile maiden's hand,

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

to sip from lips and fall upon a breast.

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

بِك استَنجَدُوا طُراًّ فكنتَ لِصوتِهم

بِك استَنجَدُوا طُراًّ فكنتَ لِصوتِهم

صَدىً شِيمَة الأُسدِ الضَّوارِيى مَعَ الأُسدِ

صَدىً شِيمَة الأُسدِ الضَّوارِيى مَعَ الأُسدِ

They all called on you for aid, and to their cry you were

Through you they sought help hastily, and you were

an echo—the way of fierce lions with fellow lions.

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

وحاشاكَ لم تنظر بِمقلَةِ طامِعٍ

وحاشاكَ لم تنظر بِمقلَةِ طامِعٍ

لِقصرِ ابنِ عبَّادٍ وما بِه مِن رِفدِ

لِقصرِ ابنِ عبَّادٍ وما بِه مِن رِفدِ

And far be it from you! You cast no covetous eye

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

on Ibn Abbad's palace and the bounty within it.

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

بنِي الغَربِ أوطانا بني الشَّرقِ وحدةً

بنِي الغَربِ أوطانا بني الشَّرقِ وحدةً

بني الضادِ أبناء الحَنِيف بَنِي المجدِ

بني الضادِ أبناء الحَنِيف بَنِي المجدِ

Sons of the West by homeland, sons of the East in unity,

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

sons of ḍād, children of the upright faith, sons of glory,

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

يَعزُّ علينا القصرُ يفقِدُ مَجدَهُ

يَعزُّ علينا القصرُ يفقِدُ مَجدَهُ

ويُمسِي ابنُ عبَّادٍ به نَحسُ السَّعدِ

ويُمسِي ابنُ عبَّادٍ به نَحسُ السَّعدِ

it pains us that the palace should lose its glory,

The palace pains us, losing its glory

and that Ibn Abbad's good fortune there should turn to ill.

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

يَعزُّ علينا أَن نرَاه مُصَفَّدا

يَعزُّ علينا أَن نرَاه مُصَفَّدا

يُسَاق إلى أغماتَ يَرسِفُ في القَيدِ

يُسَاق إلى أغماتَ يَرسِفُ في القَيدِ

It pains us to see him fettered,

It pains us to see it shackled

driven to Aghmat, trudging in chains.

Led to deep darkness, immersed in chains

ولكن لِنصرِ الدَّينِ دينِ محمَّدٍ

ولكن لِنصرِ الدَّينِ دينِ محمَّدٍ

وإنقَاذِه مِن بُؤرَة الهَلكِ والنَّكدِ

وإنقَاذِه مِن بُؤرَة الهَلكِ والنَّكدِ

Yet, to champion the faith—the faith of Muhammad—

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

and save it from the pit of destruction and misery,

And saving it from the abyss of ruin and misery

نُضَحِّي بعبَّادٍ وآخرَ كابنهِ

نُضَحِّي بعبَّادٍ وآخرَ كابنهِ

ومثلِه مِمَّن لا يُفيدُ ولا يُجدي

ومثلِه مِمَّن لا يُفيدُ ولا يُجدي

we sacrifice Abbad, and another like his son,

We sacrifice Abbad and another like his son

and his like among those who neither help nor do any good.

And the like of him who brings no benefit or purpose

لِتبكُوا معِي ذاك العظيمَ وفقدَه

لِتبكُوا معِي ذاك العظيمَ وفقدَه

ولاَ تتركُوني أبكه بينكُم وَحدِي

ولاَ تتركُوني أبكه بينكُم وَحدِي

Weep with me for that great man and his loss,

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

and do not leave me to mourn him alone among you.

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

وها رُوحُه العُليَا تُرفرِفُ فَوقَنا

وها رُوحُه العُليَا تُرفرِفُ فَوقَنا

وإن كانَ منه الجِسمُ غُيِّبَ في اللَّحد

وإن كانَ منه الجِسمُ غُيِّبَ في اللَّحد

Behold, his exalted spirit flutters above us,

Even if his body is concealed in the grave

even though his body has been hidden in the grave.

People of Fez, you have visited us with the intention

أَأبنَاءَ فاسٍ زُرتمونا وقَصدُكُم

أَأبنَاءَ فاسٍ زُرتمونا وقَصدُكُم

تَوثُّقُ وَصلٍ بينَنا دائمِ العَهدِ

تَوثُّقُ وَصلٍ بينَنا دائمِ العَهدِ

O sons of Fez, you visited us with the purpose

To strengthen ties between us, lasting and binding

of strengthening an enduring bond of loyalty between us.

So welcome to you among sincere friends once

فأهلاً بكُ عندَ الأخِلاَّءِ مرَّةً

فأهلاً بكُ عندَ الأخِلاَّءِ مرَّةً

وألفاً لدَى الباشا العَزيز الحِمَى الفردِ

وألفاً لدَى الباشا العَزيز الحِمَى الفردِ

So, welcome once among friends,

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

and a thousand times with the peerless Pasha, whose domain is inviolable,

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

حَليفِ العًلا الشَّهمِ التهامِي مَن غدت

حَليفِ العًلا الشَّهمِ التهامِي مَن غدت

مَكارمُه تربُو عَن الحَصر والعَدِّ

مَكارمُه تربُو عَن الحَصر والعَدِّ

ally of the heights, the gallant al-Tihami, whose

Virtues have risen beyond counting and limits

noble deeds have grown beyond reckoning and count.

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

أدامَه ربُّ العرشِ كَهفا ومَلجاً

أدامَه ربُّ العرشِ كَهفا ومَلجاً

وأبقاهُ بَدراً لاَحَ في طَالع السَّعدِ

وأبقاهُ بَدراً لاَحَ في طَالع السَّعدِ

May the Lord of the Throne preserve him as a sheltering cave and refuge,

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

and keep him a full moon shining in the ascendant of good fortune.