وَلما تبسم في ناظِري

وَلما تبسم في ناظِري

عروس الصباح عَلى المَنبَر

عروس الصباح عَلى المَنبَر

And when he smiled before my eyes—

And when there smiled before my eyes

the young bridegroom of morning upon the pulpit—

the bridegroom of morning upon the pulpit,

وَمالَت غصون الرَبيع له

وَمالَت غصون الرَبيع له

وَقطر النَدى لاح كالجوهر

وَقطر النَدى لاح كالجوهر

and spring’s boughs bent toward him,

and spring's branches bowed toward him,

and drops of dew gleamed like jewels,

and dewdrops glimmered like jewels,

وَريح الخزامى وآراجها

وَريح الخزامى وآراجها

تَروج وَتَهزأ بالعَنبر

تَروج وَتَهزأ بالعَنبر

and the fragrance of lavender and all its reaches

and the lavender breeze and its fragrances

spread abroad, mocking ambergris;

wafted abroad and mocked ambergris,

وَزَقزَقَة الطير من طرب

وَزَقزَقَة الطير من طرب

كَوَلوَلة الأم للأَصغر

كَوَلوَلة الأم للأَصغر

and the birds’ chirping, born of rapture,

and the birds' chirping in their delight

was like a mother’s ululation for her youngest;

was like a mother's ululation for her youngest,

وَقَد قبلته بثغر صفا

وَقَد قبلته بثغر صفا

عَلى الثغر وَالخد وَالمنحر

عَلى الثغر وَالخد وَالمنحر

and she had kissed him with a pure mouth

whom she had kissed with lips so pure

upon the mouth, the cheek, and the throat;

on his lips, his cheek, and the hollow of his throat;

ولثغته وَهي صاغية

ولثغته وَهي صاغية

أَحب اليها من المزهر

أَحب اليها من المزهر

and his lisp, as she listened intently,

and his lisp, while she listens,

was dearer to her than the lute—

is dearer to her than the lute—

هناك تذكرت أَخلاقنا

هناك تذكرت أَخلاقنا

وجلت بِنَفسي على المحضر

وجلت بِنَفسي على المحضر

there I remembered our character

there I recalled our moral character

and trembled inwardly at the sight.

and let my thoughts range over the scene.

فَقلت أَنا جيهما وَهما

فَقلت أَنا جيهما وَهما

هنالك في الموضع المزهر

هنالك في الموضع المزهر

So I said, addressing the two of them, while they were

So I said, addressing them both, while they were

there in that blossoming place:

there in that flowering place:

أَيا أم انكما فاعلمي

أَيا أم انكما فاعلمي

أجل من المصلح الأكبر

أجل من المصلح الأكبر

“O mother, you two—know, then—

O mother, know that the two of you

are nobler than the greatest reformer.

are greater than the greatest reformer.

وانكما قائمان معا

وانكما قائمان معا

لدينا بدوركما المخطر

لدينا بدوركما المخطر

Together, you two stand

And the two of you together are carrying out

among us in your momentous role.

among us your momentous role.

فان تصلحا كان اصلاحنا

فان تصلحا كان اصلاحنا

وَهَيهات للغرب أَن يزدري

وَهَيهات للغرب أَن يزدري

If you two are sound, our own reform will follow,

If you both are upright, our reform will follow,

and never then could the West disdain us.

and the West could never hold us in contempt.

والا فنحن بأَوطاننا

والا فنحن بأَوطاننا

عَلى الأرض مَوتي ولم نقبر

عَلى الأرض مَوتي ولم نقبر

Otherwise, in our own homelands we are

Otherwise, we in our homelands

dead upon the earth, yet never buried.

are dead upon the earth, though we have not been buried.

فَلا تَذبَلي غصن أَيامه

فَلا تَذبَلي غصن أَيامه

بحجرك غضا ألا فاحذري

بحجرك غضا ألا فاحذري

So do not let the bough of his days wither

So do not wither the branch of his days,

while tender in your lap—take heed and beware.

still tender in your lap—take heed, beware!

فأنت لديه كعقد نَفيس

فأنت لديه كعقد نَفيس

عَلى اعنق الشعب أَو خنجر

عَلى اعنق الشعب أَو خنجر

For to him you are like a precious necklace

For to him you are like a precious necklace

upon the nation’s neck—or a dagger.

around the people's necks—or a dagger.

وان تحميله فآمالنا

وان تحميله فآمالنا

حملت وحقك أَن تفخري

حملت وحقك أَن تفخري

And if you carry him, then our hopes

And if you carry him, it is our hopes

you have carried as well; by right you may be proud.

you have carried; and it is your right to take pride.

فزيحي عليه لثام الجها

فزيحي عليه لثام الجها

له يشخص إِلى الافق المقمر

له يشخص إِلى الافق المقمر

Lift from him the veil of the ignorant,

So lift from him the veil of ignorance,

that he may fix his gaze upon the moonlit horizon;

that he may gaze toward the moonlit horizon.

وَمُدي اليه مخضبة

وَمُدي اليه مخضبة

تريسه اليَمين من الأيسر

تريسه اليَمين من الأيسر

and stretch toward him a henna-dyed hand

And extend to him a henna-dyed hand,

that shows him right from left.

showing him the right from the left.

وَبثي له روح نهضتنا

وَبثي له روح نهضتنا

تَري خير شهم وحر جري

تَري خير شهم وحر جري

Breathe into him the spirit of our awakening,

And instill in him the spirit of our renaissance:

and you will behold a noble man—free and bold.

you will see the finest noble man, free and bold.

فَما الطفل بين يدي أمه

فَما الطفل بين يدي أمه

سوى خاتم الطفل في الخنصر

سوى خاتم الطفل في الخنصر

For the child in his mother’s hands

For the child in his mother's hands

is nothing but a child’s ring upon the little finger;

is only a child's ring upon the little finger.

وَما نفسه غير مزرعة

وَما نفسه غير مزرعة

وَمهما تشأ فوقها يبذر

وَمهما تشأ فوقها يبذر

his soul is nothing but a field,

And his soul is nothing but a field,

and whatever you wish is sown upon it.

and whatever she wishes is sown upon it.

وَما حجرها غير مدرسة

وَما حجرها غير مدرسة

تَعالَت عَن التخت وَالدَفتر

تَعالَت عَن التخت وَالدَفتر

Her lap is nothing but a school

And her lap is nothing but a school,

transcending school bench and notebook.

rising above the writing board and notebook.

ألا فابعثي ابنك من مهده

ألا فابعثي ابنك من مهده

يفز من نصيبه بالأوفر

يفز من نصيبه بالأوفر

Come, send your son forth from his cradle,

Take heed: send your son forth from his cradle,

that he may win the fullest of his allotted share.

so that he may gain the fullest share of his lot.

فان البَلايا باوطاننا

فان البَلايا باوطاننا

أشد اتصالا من المئزر

أشد اتصالا من المئزر

For the calamities in our homelands

For the afflictions in our homelands

cling more tightly than a waist-wrapper.

cling more tightly than a waistcloth.

وان الشَبيبة معملها

وان الشَبيبة معملها

بأظلال بستانك المثمر

بأظلال بستانك المثمر

And most of the rising generation lies

And youth has its workshop

in the fetters of your fruitful garden.

in the shade of your fruit-bearing garden.

فان تهمليها فقد داسنا

فان تهمليها فقد داسنا

بنو الغرب في شعبنا الأزهر

بنو الغرب في شعبنا الأزهر

For if you neglect it, then we have been trampled

If you neglect it, we shall be trampled

by the sons of the West amid our radiant people.

by the sons of the West amid our radiant people.

وان تحرسيها فقد بددوا

وان تحرسيها فقد بددوا

لعمرك من ريحها الأصفر

لعمرك من ريحها الأصفر

But if you guard it, then they will surely scatter—

And if you guard it, they will be scattered—

by your life—with its wind, the yellow foe.”

by your life!—by its yellow wind.