قد رَكبنا بمركبِ الدّخّان

قد رَكبنا بمركبِ الدّخّان

وبَلَغْنا به أقاصي الأماني

وبَلَغْنا به أقاصي الأماني

We have indeed boarded the vessel of smoke,

We rode the ship of smoke,

And through it reached the farthest bounds of our hopes.

And reached the furthest desires.

حينَ دارت أفلاكه واستدارت

حينَ دارت أفلاكه واستدارت

فهي مثلُ الأفلاك في الدَوَران

فهي مثلُ الأفلاك في الدَوَران

When its wheels turned and revolved,

When its orbit turned and spun around,

They were like the celestial spheres in their rotation.

It is like the spinning of the spheres.

ثم سِرنا والطير يحسُدنا بالأم

ثم سِرنا والطير يحسُدنا بالأم

س لإسراعنا على الطيران

س لإسراعنا على الطيران

Then we journeyed, and the birds envied us yester-

Then we travelled, and the birds envied us,

day, for our speed surpassing flight.

For the quickness of our flight.

يخفِقُ البَحر رهبةً حين يجري

يخفِقُ البَحر رهبةً حين يجري

والَّذي فيه كائنٌ في أمان

والَّذي فيه كائنٌ في أمان

The sea quivers in dread as it sails,

The sea beats fearfully as it flows,

And whoever is aboard it is safe.

And that which is in it is safe.

كلّما أبعدَ البخار بمسراه

كلّما أبعدَ البخار بمسراه

قرَّب السيرُ بُعْدَ كل مكان

قرَّب السيرُ بُعْدَ كل مكان

Whenever steam goes farther along its course,

The more the steam carries its path far,

Travel shortens the distance to every place.

The more the journey brings everything near.

أتقَنَتْ صُنعَه فطانةُ قوم

أتقَنَتْ صُنعَه فطانةُ قوم

وصَفوُهُم بدقّة الأذهان

وصَفوُهُم بدقّة الأذهان

A people's ingenuity perfected its making;

The wisdom of the people perfected its making,

They were described as keen of mind.

And their intellects refined it meticulously.

ما أراها بالفكر إلاَّ أناساً

ما أراها بالفكر إلاَّ أناساً

بَقِيَتْ من بَقيّةِ اليونان

بَقِيَتْ من بَقيّةِ اليونان

On reflection, I see them as none but people

I see them as nothing but people,

Who remain from the remnant of the Greeks.

Who remain from the remnants of Greece.

أبرَزوا بالعقول كلَّ عجيب

أبرَزوا بالعقول كلَّ عجيب

ما وَجدناه في قديم الزمان

ما وَجدناه في قديم الزمان

They brought forth through intellect every marvel

They have extracted with intellects every wonder,

That we had never found in ancient times.

That we found in ancient times.

وبَنَوا للعلى مباني عَلاءً

وبَنَوا للعلى مباني عَلاءً

عاجزٍ عنه صاحب الإيوان

عاجزٍ عنه صاحب الإيوان

And for glory they built edifices of grandeur,

And they built for the Most High elevated structures,

Beyond the power of the lord of the Iwan.

That the owner of the palace falls short of.

فهمُ في الزمان علمٌ وفخرٌ

فهمُ في الزمان علمٌ وفخرٌ

ومقامٌ يعلو على كيوان

ومقامٌ يعلو على كيوان

Thus they are learning and pride in their age,

So they are in time knowledge and pride,

And a stature rising above Saturn.

And a standing that rises above the celestial sphere.