أرأيتهاHave you seen her? تبغيshe seeks السّبيلَthe path فتهتديso she finds her way
أرأيتها تبغي السّبيلَ فتهتدي
وتسنّهاand she lays it out بيضاءَwhite للمُسْترشِدِfor the seeker of guidance
وتسنّها بيضاءَ للمُسْترشِدِ
Have you seen her seek the path and find her way,
I saw her seeking the path, to find guidance,
and lay it out, white and clear, for the seeker of guidance?
And making it white for the one seeking direction,
حَيِّhail الشُّعاعَthe ray المُستفيضَspreading abundantly وَسِرْand walk علىwith
حَيِّ الشُّعاعَ المُستفيضَ وَسِرْ على
بركاتِblessings of ربّكَyour Lord فيin السّناthe radiance المتوقِّدِblazing
بركاتِ ربّكَ في السّنا المتوقِّدِ
Hail the spreading ray, and walk with
Hail the abundant rays, go on
your Lord's blessings amid the blazing radiance.
With your Lord's blessings in the flaming year,
حَيِّhail الأخيذةَthe captive طالhas grown long عنكaway from you بِعادُهاher absence
حَيِّ الأخيذةَ طال عنك بِعادُها
ثمthen انثنتْshe returned فكأنّهاso it is as though she لمdid not تبعدِgo away
ثم انثنتْ فكأنّها لم تبعدِ
Hail the captive, whose absence from you has been long;
Hail the taking one, her distance from you is long
then she returned, as though she had never been away.
Then she bent as if she never went far,
هيshe تلكthat one تعرفهاyou recognize her بحسنِby the beauty of سِماتِهاher features
هي تلك تعرفها بحسنِ سِماتِها
وبماand by what تريكshe shows you منof الطّرازِthe style الأوحدِpeerless
وبما تريك من الطّرازِ الأوحدِ
She is that same one; you recognize her by her lovely features,
She is the one you recognize by the beauty of her features
and by the peerless style she shows you.
And by what she shows you of the unique design,
طلعتshe rose عليكbefore you الرافعيّةُAl-Rafi‘iyyah حُرَّةًfree
طلعت عليك الرافعيّةُ حُرَّةً
فيin موكبٍa procession للحقِّfor truth فخمmagnificent المشهدِthe spectacle
في موكبٍ للحقِّ فخم المشهدِ
Al-Rafi‘iyyah has risen before you, free,
Al-Rafi'iyya rose above you free
in a procession for truth, magnificent to behold.
In a glorious parade for the truth,
تُلقِيcast الجِنانُthe gardens عليهupon it أنضرَthe freshest ماwhat بهاin them
تُلقِي الجِنانُ عليه أنضرَ ما بها
منof سَوْسَنٍirises عَبِقٍfragrant ورَيْحانٍand basil نَدِdewy
من سَوْسَنٍ عَبِقٍ ورَيْحانٍ نَدِ
The gardens cast upon it the freshest they hold
The heavens cast upon it the freshest they have
of fragrant irises and dewy basil.
Of fragrant lily and basil,
أخذtook الأمينُAl-Amin مكانَهhis place فيin صدرهاher bosom
أخذ الأمينُ مكانَه في صدرها
فزهتso she shone بدينwith a faith of هُدىًguidance ودنياand a worldly life of سُؤدُدِeminence
فزهت بدين هُدىً ودنيا سُؤدُدِ
Al-Amin has taken his place in her bosom,
The Trustworthy took his place in her heart,
so she shone with guiding faith and worldly eminence.
So it shone with the religion of guidance and secured worldly affairs,
اللهُGod آثرfavored بالصنيعِwith kindness فَريقَهُhis company
اللهُ آثر بالصنيعِ فَريقَهُ
فاذْكرso remember صنيعَkindness of اللهِGod وَاشْكُرْand give thanks وَاسْجُدِand prostrate yourself
فاذْكر صنيعَ اللهِ وَاشْكُرْ وَاسْجُدِ
God has favored his company with this kindness;
God preferred his method with artistry
so remember God's kindness, give thanks, and prostrate yourself.
So remember God's work and thank and prostrate,
قُلْspeak ياO وَفيقُWafiq ونادِand call to قومَكyour people إنهّمindeed they
قُلْ يا وَفيقُ ونادِ قومَك إنهّم
ماranging بينbetween مُعتَسٍّone groping in darkness وشاربِand a drinker of مُرقِدِa sleeping draught
ما بين مُعتَسٍّ وشاربِ مُرقِدِ
Speak, Wafiq, and call to your people: they are
Say O loyal one, and call your people for they are
either groping in the dark or drinking a sleeping draught.
Between the drowsy and the deep sleeping,
رَدِّدْrepeat لهمto them صوتَthe voice of النَّذيرِthe warner فإنّهاfor it is
رَدِّدْ لهم صوتَ النَّذيرِ فإنّها
سِمَةُthe mark of الضّعيفِthe weak وشيمةُand the trait of المتردّدِthe hesitant
سِمَةُ الضّعيفِ وشيمةُ المتردّدِ
Repeat the warner's cry to them, for such a state is
Repeat to them the voice of the warner, for it is
the mark of the weak and the trait of the hesitant.
A trait of the weak and the hesitant's manner.
ماnot فيin الطبائعِnatural dispositions أنthat تُساوَمَbe bargained with أُمّةٌa nation
ما في الطبائعِ أن تُساوَمَ أُمّةٌ
فيover عِرضهاits honor وتَدينَand submit للمُسْتعبِدِto the enslaver
في عِرضها وتَدينَ للمُسْتعبِدِ
It is not in nature for a nation to be bargained with
It is not in human nature for a nation to compromise
over its honor and to submit to the enslaver.
Its dignity and worship the enslaver,
والمرءُand a man لوif رُزِقَwere granted الخُلودَimmortality مُقيَّداًfettered
والمرءُ لو رُزِقَ الخُلودَ مُقيَّداً
لالْتذَّwould surely relish طعمَthe taste of الموتِdeath غيرَnot مُقيَّدِfettered
لالْتذَّ طعمَ الموتِ غيرَ مُقيَّدِ
And a man, were he granted immortality in fetters,
And if a person is given immortality while shackled
would relish the taste of death unfettered.
He would prefer the taste of death unshackled,
اجمعْgather قُواكَyour powers وإنand even if تَباعَدَgrew distant شأوُهاtheir goal
اجمعْ قُواكَ وإن تَباعَدَ شأوُها
إنّاindeed we نَعُدُّكwe count on you للوغَىfor battle وكأنand as though قدِalready
إنّا نَعُدُّك للوغَى وكأن قدِ
Gather your powers, though their goal lies far away;
Gather your strength even if its extent is far,
we count on you for battle—as though it were already here.
We consider you ready for the struggle as if it already started,
ليتَwould that البلادَthe country تَزولُvanishes يومَthe day when يَخونُهاthey betray it
ليتَ البلادَ تَزولُ يومَ يَخونُها
أهلُguardians of الحِفاظِhonor منamong السَّوادِthe multitude المُرصدِheld in readiness
أهلُ الحِفاظِ من السَّوادِ المُرصدِ
Would that the country vanished on the day it is betrayed
If only the countries would disappear on the day
by the guardians of honor among the multitude held in readiness.
Their protectors betray from the lurking darkness,
حملواthey bore الأمانةَthe trust فَهْيَso it is فيupon أعناقهمtheir necks
حملوا الأمانةَ فَهْيَ في أعناقهم
للهِfor God يَنشُدهاHe demands it وإنand even if لمdo not ننشُدِwe demand
للهِ يَنشُدها وإن لم ننشُدِ
They bore the trust, and it rests upon their necks,
They carried the trust but it is around their necks
for God, who demands it even if we do not.
To God it calls even if we don't call,
إنَّindeed التيthat which شُغِفَwere consumed with love الرّجالُthe men بحبِّهاwith love for it
إنَّ التي شُغِفَ الرّجالُ بحبِّها
لمwas not تُبْنَbuilt منfrom جُثَثِcorpses of الضَّحاياthe victims للددِfor obstinate strife
لم تُبْنَ من جُثَثِ الضَّحايا للددِ
Indeed, that which men have loved with consuming passion
Indeed she who men fell in love with
was not built from victims' corpses for obstinate strife.
Was not built from the corpses of victims to the predators,
هيit عُدَّةُthe armament of الشَّعبِthe people الضَّعيفِweak ليومهِfor its day
هي عُدَّةُ الشَّعبِ الضَّعيفِ ليومهِ
وذخيرةُand the reserve of الوطنِthe homeland المُعذَّبِtormented للغدِfor tomorrow
وذخيرةُ الوطنِ المُعذَّبِ للغدِ
It is the weak people's armament for their day,
It is the weapon of the weak people for their day
and the tormented homeland's reserve for tomorrow.
And the nation's store for the tortured tomorrow,
اللهGod! فيconcerning تلكَthose المقاعدِthe seats إنّهاindeed they are
الله في تلكَ المقاعدِ إنّها
مُهَجُthe heart's blood of الأُبوَّةِfatherhood والبنينَand the sons الهُمَّدِlifeless
مُهَجُ الأُبوَّةِ والبنينَ الهُمَّدِ
Fear God concerning those seats: they are
God in those seats they are
the heart's blood of fathers and lifeless sons.
The warmth of fatherhood and the worried children,
شرُّthe worst of البليَّةِcalamity منwhoever يَبيعُsells بلادَهhis country
شرُّ البليَّةِ من يَبيعُ بلادَه
منهاwithin it إذاwhen جدَّgrew grave البلاءُthe ordeal بمقعدِfor a seat
منها إذا جدَّ البلاءُ بمقعدِ
The worst calamity is whoever sells his country
The worst affliction is he who sells his country
for a seat within it when the ordeal grows grave.
When dire straits come from his seat,
قُلْtell للفتىto the youth الثَّعليِّal-Tha‘li عندduring نضالهِhis struggle
قُلْ للفتى الثَّعليِّ عند نضالهِ
هذيthese سِهامُarrows of الرّافعيِّal-Rafi‘i فسدِّدِso aim true
هذي سِهامُ الرّافعيِّ فسدِّدِ
Tell the young al-Tha‘li, as he struggles:
Say to the gallant youth in his struggle
These are al-Rafi‘i's arrows—aim them true.
The archers stirred so if you gain a kill,
نشطَsprang into action الرُّماةُthe archers فإنso if ظَفرتَyou found بمقتلٍat a vital spot
نشطَ الرُّماةُ فإن ظَفرتَ بمقتلٍ
فإليهthen toward it إنif نَكَلَshrank back الهَيوبَةُthe timorous one فَاعْمدِso head straight
فإليه إن نَكَلَ الهَيوبَةُ فَاعْمدِ
The archers have sprung into action; if you find a vital spot,
Then to it, and if fatigue holds back, then try again,
then, if the timorous one recoils, make straight for it.
The worst of your friends in the struggle are its injuries,
فَلَشَرُّfor surely the worst of صحبِكَyour companions فيin النّضالِthe struggle سليمُهاits unscathed one
فَلَشَرُّ صحبِكَ في النّضالِ سليمُها
ولَخَيْرُand surely the best of رفقتِكَyour company الشَقِيُّthe suffering one بكfor your sake الرَّديthe dead one
ولَخَيْرُ رفقتِكَ الشَقِيُّ بك الرَّدي
For surely the worst of your comrades in struggle is the unscathed one,
And the best company for you are those harmed with you,
and surely the best of your company is he who suffers for you and dies.
Welcome the inheritance of the Trustworthy and blessings
أهلاًwelcome بميراثِto the legacy of الأمينAl-Amin وبوركتand blessed be
أهلاً بميراثِ الأمين وبوركت
يدُكَyour hand التيwhich نزعتهwrested it منfrom تلكthat اليدِhand
يدُكَ التي نزعته من تلك اليدِ
Welcome to al-Amin's legacy, and blessed be
Upon your hand that snatched it from that hand,
your hand, which wrested it from that hand.
A sword passed between men so sometimes
سَيفٌa sword تعاورهُhandled it in turn الرجالthe men فتارةًso at times
سَيفٌ تعاورهُ الرجال فتارةً
تعمَىgo blind مضاربُهits striking edges وأُخرىand at other times تهتديfind their way
تعمَى مضاربُه وأُخرى تهتدي
A sword men have wielded in turn: at times
Its strikes go blind and other times find their way,
its striking edges go blind, and at others find their way.
Strengthen your hand on it, its deception is
اشْدُدْtighten يديكَboth your hands عليهupon it إنّindeed غِرارَهُits cutting edge
اشْدُدْ يديكَ عليه إنّ غِرارَهُ
حَتْفُthe doom of الظَّلومِthe tyrant ومَصرعُand the downfall of المُتَمرِّدِthe rebel
حَتْفُ الظَّلومِ ومَصرعُ المُتَمرِّدِ
Grip it firmly with both your hands, for its edge is
The end of the unjust and the destination of the obstinate,
the tyrant's doom and the rebel's downfall.
And be keen on the ember you were given
وَاحْرِصْand guard carefully علىover القَبَسِthe flame الذيthat أوتِيتَهyou were given it
وَاحْرِصْ على القَبَسِ الذي أوتِيتَه
منfrom نورthe light of ربِّكَyour Lord ذيpossessor of الجلالةِmajesty وازْدَدِand gain more
من نور ربِّكَ ذي الجلالةِ وازْدَدِ
And guard the flame that you have been given
Of your Lord's light, the Majestic, and increase it,
from the light of your Lord, possessor of majesty—and gain more.
I shielded the pens of the generous for they are
عَوَّذْتُI invoked protection for أقلامَthe pens of الكِرامِthe noble فإنّهاfor they are
عَوَّذْتُ أقلامَ الكِرامِ فإنّها
ذُخرُthe treasure of الكِنانةِthe Quiver (Egypt) للزَّمانِfor the times الأنكدِthe bleakest
ذُخرُ الكِنانةِ للزَّمانِ الأنكدِ
I have invoked protection for the pens of the noble, for they are
The provision of the clan in the most difficult times,
the Quiver's treasure for the bleakest times.
Partial English translation: 53 of 54 Arabic lines translated.