في مَشرِقِ المَجدِ نَجمُ الدينِ مَطلَعُهُ

في مَشرِقِ المَجدِ نَجمُ الدينِ مَطلَعُهُ

وَكُلُّ أَبنائِهِ شُهُبٌ فَلا أَفَلوا

وَكُلُّ أَبنائِهِ شُهُبٌ فَلا أَفَلوا

In glory's east lies Najm al-Din's rising-place;

In the east where glory dawns, the star of faith arises

and all his sons are shooting stars—may they never set.

And all his sons are comets that never set

جاءوا كَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطَ إِذ وَرَدوا

جاءوا كَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطَ إِذ وَرَدوا

عَلى العَزيزِ مِن أَرضِ الشامِ وَاِشتَمَلوا

عَلى العَزيزِ مِن أَرضِ الشامِ وَاِشتَمَلوا

They came like Jacob and the Tribes when they arrived

They came like Jacob and his brethren when they entered

before al-Aziz from the land of al-Sham and gathered together.

Upon the Viceroy from the land of Syria and gathered

لَكِنَّ يوسُفَ هَذا جاءَ إِخوَتُهُ

لَكِنَّ يوسُفَ هَذا جاءَ إِخوَتُهُ

وَلَم يَكُن بَينَهُم نَزعُ وَلا زَلَلُ

وَلَم يَكُن بَينَهُم نَزعُ وَلا زَلَلُ

But to this Yusuf his brothers came,

But this Joseph, his brothers came to him

and between them there was neither strife nor misstep.

Among them no conflict or discord fell

وَمَلكو أَرضَ مِصرَ في شَماخَتِهِ

وَمَلكو أَرضَ مِصرَ في شَماخَتِهِ

وَمِثلَها لِرِجالٍ مِثلُهُم نَزَلوا

وَمِثلَها لِرِجالٍ مِثلُهُم نَزَلوا

And they ruled the land of Egypt in his lofty majesty,

And they ruled the land of Egypt in its glory

and its like belongs to men like them who settled there.

And the like of it for men like them descended

أَبو المُظَفَّرِ مَأوى كُلِّ مُضطَهِدٍ

أَبو المُظَفَّرِ مَأوى كُلِّ مُضطَهِدٍ

بِحِلمِهِ وَنِداهُ يُضرَبُ المَثَلُ

بِحِلمِهِ وَنِداهُ يُضرَبُ المَثَلُ

Abu al-Muzaffar is the refuge of every persecuted soul;

Abu al-Muzaffar, refuge of the persecuted

his forbearance and bounty are proverbial.

For his patience, justice is exemplified

مَهما يَمِل جائِرَ أَو عائِثٌ عَمَّهُ

مَهما يَمِل جائِرَ أَو عائِثٌ عَمَّهُ

فَعِندَ عَدلِ صَلاحِ الدينِ يَعتَدِلُ

فَعِندَ عَدلِ صَلاحِ الدينِ يَعتَدِلُ

However a tyrant or a blindly wandering ravager may swerve,

However much an oppressor or aggressor insists

before Salah al-Din's justice he is set straight.

With Saladin's justice, he is moderated

أَحيا بِهِ اللَهُ مِصراً فَهيَ ناشِرَةٌ

أَحيا بِهِ اللَهُ مِصراً فَهيَ ناشِرَةٌ

وَاِفتَكَّها مِن عَدوٍ ما بِهِ قِبَلُ

وَاِفتَكَّها مِن عَدوٍ ما بِهِ قِبَلُ

Through him God revived Egypt, so she lives again,

He revived Egypt with it, so it blossoms

and freed her from an enemy none could withstand.

And delivered it from an enemy, than which none worse

كَم لِلفِرِنجِ بِها وِرداً وَمُنتَجَعاً

كَم لِلفِرِنجِ بِها وِرداً وَمُنتَجَعاً

وَنارُهُم حَولَها تَذكو وَتَشتَعِلُ

وَنارُهُم حَولَها تَذكو وَتَشتَعِلُ

How many watering places and pastures the Franks had there,

How many citadels and retreats for the Franks in it

while their fire blazed and flared around her.

And their fires around it kindle and flare

فَأَطفَأَ الناصِرُ المَنصورُ جَذوَتَهُم

فَأَطفَأَ الناصِرُ المَنصورُ جَذوَتَهُم

وَأَدبَروا بِقُلوبِ شَهمُها وَجِلُ

وَأَدبَروا بِقُلوبِ شَهمُها وَجِلُ

So al-Nasir, the victorious, quenched their glowing brand,

But al-Nasir al-Mansur quenched their embers

and they fled with hearts whose boldest was afraid.

And they fled with hearts apprehensive and fearful

مَلكٌ تَقَلَّدَ سِلكُ المُلكِ مُنتَظِماً

مَلكٌ تَقَلَّدَ سِلكُ المُلكِ مُنتَظِماً

وَقالَ لِلمالِ هَذا مِنكَ لي بُدلُ

وَقالَ لِلمالِ هَذا مِنكَ لي بُدلُ

A king who donned the well-strung necklace of kingship,

A king who assumed the path of kingship orderly

and said to wealth, 'This is mine in exchange for you.'

And said of wealth, “This, from you, is my exchange”

فَفَرَّقَ المالَ جَمعاً لِلقُلوبِ بِهِ

فَفَرَّقَ المالَ جَمعاً لِلقُلوبِ بِهِ

وَحَسبُهُ فيهِمُ إِدراكُ ما سَأَلوا

وَحَسبُهُ فيهِمُ إِدراكُ ما سَأَلوا

So he scattered wealth to gather hearts with it,

So he distributed wealth, gathering hearts with it

and he was content that they received what they asked.

And for them, attaining what they sought sufficed

إِنَّ المُلوكَ الَّذينَ اِمتَدَّ أَمرُهُم

إِنَّ المُلوكَ الَّذينَ اِمتَدَّ أَمرُهُم

لَم يَخزِنوا المالَ بَل مَهما حَوَوا بُذِلوا

لَم يَخزِنوا المالَ بَل مَهما حَوَوا بُذِلوا

Indeed, the kings whose rule endured

Indeed, the kings whose command spread

did not hoard wealth, but gave freely whatever they possessed.

Did not hoard wealth, but whatever they grasped, they gave

كَذا السِياسَةُ فَالأَجنادُ لَو عَلِموا

كَذا السِياسَةُ فَالأَجنادُ لَو عَلِموا

بُخلَ المَليكِ وَجاءَت شِدَّةُ خُذِلوا

بُخلَ المَليكِ وَجاءَت شِدَّةُ خُذِلوا

Such is statecraft: if the troops knew

Thus is politics, for if soldiers knew

the king's miserliness, and hardship came, they would be left unaided.

The stinginess of the king, and hardship came, they would abandon

لَتَظفُرَنَّ بِما لَم يَحوهُ مَلِكٌ

لَتَظفُرَنَّ بِما لَم يَحوهُ مَلِكٌ

أَبا المُظَفَّرِ حَقّاً حَظَّهُ الأَزَلُ

أَبا المُظَفَّرِ حَقّاً حَظَّهُ الأَزَلُ

You shall surely win what no king has possessed,

You will certainly attain what no king possessed,

O Abu al-Muzaffar—truly favored by eternity.

Indeed, Abu al-Muzaffar, eternal destiny is your right

دَليلُ ذَلِكَ آراءُ اِقتَرَنَت

دَليلُ ذَلِكَ آراءُ اِقتَرَنَت

بِالحَزمِ وَالعَزمِ لَم يُخَصَّص بِها الأَوَّلُ

بِالحَزمِ وَالعَزمِ لَم يُخَصَّص بِها الأَوَّلُ

The proof of this lies in counsels joined

Proof of that is views associated

with prudence and resolve, with which the earlier ruler was not specially endowed.

With wisdom and resolve, none preceded with them

قَد سادَ اِسكَندَرَ أَهلَ الزَمانِ مَعاً

قَد سادَ اِسكَندَرَ أَهلَ الزَمانِ مَعاً

في سِنِّ عِشرينَ وَاِمتَدَّت لَهُ الحِيَلُ

في سِنِّ عِشرينَ وَاِمتَدَّت لَهُ الحِيَلُ

Alexander became master of all the people of his age

Alexander surpassed the people of his time together

at twenty years of age, and his resources grew.

At twenty, and stratagems extended for him

وافى الثَلاثينَ وَالأَقطارُ أَجمَعُها

وافى الثَلاثينَ وَالأَقطارُ أَجمَعُها

طَوعاً لَهُ وَمُلوكُ الأَرضِ وَالمِلَلُ

طَوعاً لَهُ وَمُلوكُ الأَرضِ وَالمِلَلُ

He reached thirty, and all the lands

He reached thirty and all the regions entirely

were obedient to him, along with earth's kings and religious communities.

Were obedient to him, and the kings of earth and nations