تحيةً وسلاماً أيها الشادي

تحيةً وسلاماً أيها الشادي

وعزةً واحتراماً أيها النادي

وعزةً واحتراماً أيها النادي

Greetings and peace, O singer,

Greetings and peace to you, O happy one

And honor and respect, O assembly.

And honor and respect, O noble one

أنستَ بالجمع أنسَ العائدين إلى

أنستَ بالجمع أنسَ العائدين إلى

أمين أوطانهم من وحشة الوادي

أمين أوطانهم من وحشة الوادي

You found solace in the gathering, like those returning to

You forgot with the gathering the intimacy of those returning to

Their homeland’s safety from the valley’s desolation.

The faithful of their homelands from the desolation of the valley

واستبقت النغماتُ الروحَ في جسدٍ

واستبقت النغماتُ الروحَ في جسدٍ

أبلاه رائعُ إبراق وإرعاد

أبلاه رائعُ إبراق وإرعاد

And the melodies kept the soul within a body

And the melodies grasped the soul in a body

Worn down by the terror of lightning and thunder.

Worn down by the splendor of lightning and thunder

عيد الحزين على دنيا مضرَّجةٍ

عيد الحزين على دنيا مضرَّجةٍ

لو كان يشغل محزونٌ بأعياد

لو كان يشغل محزونٌ بأعياد

A festival for the grieving in a bloodstained world—

The festival of the sorrowful one over a blood-stained world

If a grieving soul could be distracted by festivals.

If a grieving one was preoccupied with festivals

ذكرتَ قومك بالفاروق ترشدهم

ذكرتَ قومك بالفاروق ترشدهم

وأنت فيهم لتذكير وإرشاد

وأنت فيهم لتذكير وإرشاد

You reminded your people of al-Faruq, guiding them,

You reminded your people of Al-Farooq guiding them

And you are among them to remind and guide.

While you are among them for reminding and guidance

أكبرته شكساً في جاهليته

أكبرته شكساً في جاهليته

ومسلماً في سجايا الحاضر البادي

ومسلماً في سجايا الحاضر البادي

You revered him, headstrong in his pre-Islamic days,

You magnified him when he was ignorant in his pre-Islamic era

And as a Muslim, with the virtues of townsman and nomad.

And a Muslim in the traits of the fading present

وصفتَ سيرةَ من كانت إشارته

وصفتَ سيرةَ من كانت إشارته

تغني الخلافةَ عن جند وقواد

تغني الخلافةَ عن جند وقواد

You recounted the life of one whose gesture

You described the biography of one whose gesture

Spared the caliphate the need for troops and commanders;

Sufficed the caliphate instead of armies and leaders

وَمنفذِ الحكم عدلاً من فراسته

وَمنفذِ الحكم عدلاً من فراسته

ورأيه قبل إقرار وإشهاد

ورأيه قبل إقرار وإشهاد

And one who enforced judgment justly through his discernment

And the executor of just rule from his insight

And his judgment, before confession and testimony;

And his view before ratification and testimony

وطالبِ الحق في عزلٍ وتوليةٍ

وطالبِ الحق في عزلٍ وتوليةٍ

يصونه بين تقريب وإبعاد

يصونه بين تقريب وإبعاد

And one who sought justice in dismissal and appointment,

And the seeker of truth in deposition and appointment

Upholding it in both favor and exclusion;

Who protects him between approximation and distancing

واللابسِ الخشنِ البالي على بدنٍ

واللابسِ الخشنِ البالي على بدنٍ

قوامُه الواهن الواهي من الزاد

قوامُه الواهن الواهي من الزاد

And one who wore coarse, threadbare cloth upon a body

And the wearer of the coarse worn-out garment over a body

Sustained by meager, insubstantial food.

Whose pillar is the weak and frail provision

يرعى وليس لديه من رعيته

يرعى وليس لديه من رعيته

سوى حسيبٍ وعدَّادٍ ونقَّاد

سوى حسيبٍ وعدَّادٍ ونقَّاد

He tended his people, yet among his subjects he had

He looks after even though he has nothing of his subjects

Only those who reckoned, kept count, and criticized.

Except a reckoner, a counter, and critics

ومن قضى راضياً عن نفسه ثقة

ومن قضى راضياً عن نفسه ثقة

بربه بعد إصدار وإيراد

بربه بعد إصدار وإيراد

And one who died content with himself, trusting

And he who passed away satisfied with himself certain

In his Lord, after all his conduct of affairs.

Of his Lord after issuance and income

ورب ملكٍ بفرد طال سؤدده

ورب ملكٍ بفرد طال سؤدده

ولم يطل بجماعات وأفراد

ولم يطل بجماعات وأفراد

And many a realm’s glory has endured through one man,

And the owner of a kingdom with only one prolonged his debts

But not through groups and individuals.

And did not prolong with groups and individuals

خير الممالكِ ما يبني على شرفٍ

خير الممالكِ ما يبني على شرفٍ

ورحمةٍ لا على غل وأحقادِ

ورحمةٍ لا على غل وأحقادِ

The best kingdoms are those founded on honor

The best of kingdoms is that which is built on honor

And mercy, not on rancor and grudges.

And mercy not on injustice and hatred

وخير محتكمٍ من كان في يده

وخير محتكمٍ من كان في يده

رد الشعوبِ رفاقاً غيرَ أضداد

رد الشعوبِ رفاقاً غيرَ أضداد

And the best arbiter is one who has the power

And the best arbitrator is one who has in his hand

To make peoples companions, not adversaries.

Returning the peoples as comrades not adversaries

الفتح بالعلم والعرفان لا بدمٍ

الفتح بالعلم والعرفان لا بدمٍ

يسيل من مهجٍ حرَّى وأكباد

يسيل من مهجٍ حرَّى وأكباد

Conquest is through learning and knowledge, not through blood

Conquest by knowledge and cognizance not by blood

Flowing from burning hearts and livers.

Flowing from inflamed livers and kidneys

هنا السلام فألق الشعر مبتدعاً

هنا السلام فألق الشعر مبتدعاً

وانشره بين ميامينٍ وأمجاد

وانشره بين ميامينٍ وأمجاد

Here is peace; recite poetry with originality,

And disseminate it among platforms and glories

And spread it among the blessed and illustrious.

Perhaps the gentle sweet talk will comfort hearts

عسى يُريح الحديثُ العذبُ أفئدةً

عسى يُريح الحديثُ العذبُ أفئدةً

ملتْ أحاديثَ طرَّادٍ ومنطاد

ملتْ أحاديثَ طرَّادٍ ومنطاد

May sweet speech bring rest to hearts

Fed up with the talks of deserters and slanderers

Weary of talk of cruisers and airships.

God has exemplified God's kindness in eminent

قد مثل اللّه لطف اللّه في نجب

قد مثل اللّه لطف اللّه في نجب

غُرِّ الشمائل أقمارٍ وآساد

غُرِّ الشمائل أقمارٍ وآساد

God has embodied His own kindness in noble men,

Full moons and luminous stars

Radiant in character, moons and lions.

The seasons of poetry from their high morals

مواسِمُ الشعر من عالي مكارمهم

مواسِمُ الشعر من عالي مكارمهم

مثل الربى والسحاب الرائح الغادي

مثل الربى والسحاب الرائح الغادي

Poetry’s festivals, born of their lofty generosity,

Like meadows, clouds, and passing winds

Are like hills and clouds passing at evening and morning.

The people of Levant which I still recall

بنو الشآم التي ما زلت أذكرها

بنو الشآم التي ما زلت أذكرها

وفي حشايا إليها غلة الصادي

وفي حشايا إليها غلة الصادي

They are sons of al-Sham, which I never cease recalling,

And in my affections an attachment to the returning one

And deep within me burns a parched man’s thirst for her.

Whether the Levant draws near to Egypt or distances

والشام إن قربتْ من مصر أو بعدتْ

والشام إن قربتْ من مصر أو بعدتْ

أهلٌ لمنتَجعٍ سهلٌ لمرتاد

أهلٌ لمنتَجعٍ سهلٌ لمرتاد

And al-Sham, whether near to Egypt or far away,

It is inhabited by a resort, an easy place to visit

Is kin to the seeker of sustenance, accessible to the visitor.

Suffice with Mekal in his ethics a king

كفى بميكالَ في أخلاقه ملكاً

كفى بميكالَ في أخلاقه ملكاً

يسير في مصر سيرَ السيد الغادي

يسير في مصر سيرَ السيد الغادي

Mikal’s character alone proclaims him an angel,

Walking in Egypt the gait of the noble one

Walking through Egypt like a lord setting out at dawn.

He adds to the glories of fathers and ancestors

يضيف كلَّ جميلٍ من مآثره

يضيف كلَّ جميلٍ من مآثره

إلى مآثر آباءٍ وأجداد

إلى مآثر آباءٍ وأجداد

He adds every noble achievement of his

Every beauty from his achievements

To the achievements of his fathers and forefathers.

He restores in the time of Sultan Ahmed what

يعيد في زمن السلطان أحمدَ ما

يعيد في زمن السلطان أحمدَ ما

أحيا الرشيدُ به آدابَ بغداد

أحيا الرشيدُ به آدابَ بغداد

In Sultan Ahmad’s time, he renews that

Al-Rashid revived with the ethics of Baghdad

By which al-Rashid revived Baghdad’s literature.

He gifted you something precious from his treasures

أهدى إليك نفيساً من جواهره

أهدى إليك نفيساً من جواهره

هو الفخارُ لأقرانٍ وأنداد

هو الفخارُ لأقرانٍ وأنداد

He gave you a precious gift from among his jewels,

It is pottery for peers and equals

A source of pride for peers and equals.

Awards which are the exoneration of poetry he attained

جوائزٌ هي برءُ الشعر أدركه

جوائزٌ هي برءُ الشعر أدركه

وكم أقامَ بلا آسٍ وعوَّاد

وكم أقامَ بلا آسٍ وعوَّاد

Prizes that have come as a cure for poetry—

And how much it existed without misery and weariness

And how long it had lain without a healer or visitors!

And he went on taking from their finest talents

وراح يأخذ من غالي قرائحهم

وراح يأخذ من غالي قرائحهم

نفائساً من أماديحٍ وإنشاد

نفائساً من أماديحٍ وإنشاد

And he began to draw from their precious inspiration

Precious things of praises and recitals

Treasures of panegyric and recitation.

I saw what stirred my poems so give me utterance

رأيت ما هاج أشعاري فأنطقني

رأيت ما هاج أشعاري فأنطقني

وكنت أرجىء أشعاري لميعاد

وكنت أرجىء أشعاري لميعاد

I saw what stirred my poetry and made me speak,

And my poems were hoped for at the appointment

Though I had been postponing my poems until an appointed time.

That is some of what I conceal and hide

وذاك بعضٌ لما أخفي وأكتمه

وذاك بعضٌ لما أخفي وأكتمه

إن الزمان لأمثالي بمرصاد

إن الزمان لأمثالي بمرصاد

And that is but a part of what I hide and conceal;

Indeed time lies in ambush for the likes of me

For Time lies in ambush for the likes of me.