1. كَنيسَةٌ صارَت إِلى مَسجِدِ

    هَدِيَّةُ السَيِّدِ لِلسَيِّدِ

    A church became a mosque—

    a gift from one master to another.

  2. كانَت لِعيسى حَرَماً فَاِنتَهَت

    بِنُصرَةِ الروحِ إِلى أَحمَدِ

    It was a sanctuary for Jesus, then passed

    through the Spirit's aid, to Ahmad.

  3. شَيَّدَها الرومُ وَأَقيالُهُمُ

    عَلى مِثالِ الهَرَمِ المُخلَدِ

    The Romans and their princes built it

    after the model of the everlasting pyramid.

  4. تُنبِئُ عَن عِزٍّ وَعَن صَولَةٍ

    وَعَن هَوىً لِلدينِ لَم يَخمُدِ

    It speaks of glory and of might,

    and of a love for religion that never died out.

  5. مَجامِرُ الياقوتِ في صَحنِها

    تَملُؤُهُ مِن نَدِّها الموقَدِ

    Censers of ruby in its nave

    fill it with their kindled incense.

  6. وَمِثلُ ما قَد أودِعَت مِن حُلىً

    لَم تَتَّخِذ داراً وَلَم تُحشَدِ

    And adornments like those lodged within it

    had never found a home or been amassed.

  7. كانَت بِها العَذراءُ مِن فَضَّةٍ

    وَكانَ روحُ اللَهِ مِن عَسجَدِ

    The Virgin within it was of silver,

    and the Spirit of God was of gold.

  8. عيسى مِنَ الأُمِّ لَدى هالَةٍ

    وَالأُمُّ مِن عيسى لَدى فَرقَدِ

    Jesus was beside his mother as beside a halo,

    and his mother was beside Jesus as beside a polar star.

  9. جَلّاهُما فيها وَحَلّاهُما

    مُصَوِّرُ الرومِ القَديرُ اليَدِ

    He portrayed and adorned them both within it—

    the Roman painter, masterful of hand.

  10. وَأَودَعَ الجُدرانَ مِن نَقشِهِ

    بَدائِعاً مِن فَنِّهِ المُفرَدِ

    And upon the walls he set, from his designs,

    wonders of his peerless art:

  11. فَمِن مَلاكٍ في الدُجى رائِحٍ

    عِندَ مَلاكٍ في الضُحى مُغتَدي

    an angel traveling through the darkness,

    beside an angel setting forth in the morning,

  12. وَمِن نَباتٍ عاشَ كَالبَبَّغا

    وَهوَ عَلى الحائِطِ غَضٌّ نَدي

    and a plant that lived like a parrot,

    while on the wall it was fresh and dewy.

  13. فَقُل لِمَن شادَ فَهَدَّ القُوى

    قُوى الأَجيرِ المُتعَبِ المُجهَدِ

    Then say to him who built and so shattered strength—

    the strength of the weary, exhausted laborer—

  14. كَأَنَّهُ فِرعَونُ لَمّا بَنى

    لِرَبِّهِ بَيتاً فَلَم يَقصِدِ

    as though he were Pharaoh when he built

    a house for his Lord, yet showed no restraint:

  15. أَيُعبَدُ اللَهُ بِسَومِ الوَرى

    ما لا يُسامُ العَيرُ في المِقوَدِ

    Is God worshipped by inflicting on humankind

    what no donkey on a lead is made to bear?

  16. كَنيسَةٌ كَالفَدَنِ المُعتَلي

    وَمَسجِدٌ كَالقَصرِ مِن أَصيَدِ

    A church like a towering palace,

    and a mosque like a proud ruler's palace—

  17. وَاللَهُ عَن هَذا وَذا في غِنىً

    لَو يَعقِلُ الإِنسانُ أَو يَهتَدي

    yet God has no need of this or that,

    if only humankind would reason or find guidance.

  18. قَد جاءَها الفاتِحُ في عُصبَةٍ

    مِنَ الأُسودِ الرُكَّعِ السُجَّدِ

    The Conqueror came to it with a band

    of lions, bowing and prostrating.

  19. رَمى بِهِم بُنيانَها مِثلَما

    يَصطَدِمُ الجَلمَدُ بِالجَلمَدِ

    He hurled them against its edifice, just as

    one boulder crashes against another.

  20. فَكَبَّروا فيها وَصَلّى العِدا

    وَاِختَلَطَ المَشهَدُ بِالمَشهَدِ

    Then they cried 'God is greatest' within it, and their foes prayed,

    and one scene mingled with the other.

  21. وَما تَوانى الرومُ يَفدونَها

    وَالسَيفُ في المُفدِيِّ وَالمُفتَدي

    And the Romans did not falter in sacrificing themselves for it,

    while the sword struck redeemed and redeemer alike.

  22. فَخانَها مِن قَيصَرٍ سَعدُهُ

    وَأُيِّدَت بِالقَيصَرِ الأَسعَدِ

    Then one Caesar's good fortune betrayed it,

    and it was upheld by the more fortunate Caesar—

  23. بِفاتِحٍ غازٍ عَفيفِ القَنا

    لا يَحمِلُ الحِقدَ وَلا يَعتَدي

    a conqueror, a warrior, with chaste spears,

    who bears no rancor and does not transgress.

  24. أَجارَ مَن أَلقى مَقاليدَهُ

    مِنهُم وَأَصفى الأَمنَ لِلمُرتَدي

    He sheltered whoever surrendered his keys

    among them, and gave unclouded safety to those clothed in it.

  25. وَنابَ عَمّا كانَ مِن زُخرُفٍ

    جَلالَةُ المَعبودِ في المَعبَدِ

    And in place of the former ornament stood

    the Worshipped One's majesty within the sanctuary.

  26. فَيا لِثَأرٍ بَينَنا بَعدَهُ

    أَقامَ لَم يَقرُب وَلَم يَبعُدِ

    Ah, the vendetta between us after him:

    it lingered, neither drawing near nor receding!

  27. باقٍ كَثَأرِ القُدسِ مِن قَبلِهِ

    لا نَنتَهي مِنهُ وَلا يَبتَدي

    It endures like the vendetta for Jerusalem before him:

    we never reach its end, nor does it begin.

  28. فَلا يَغُرَّنكَ سُكونُ المَلا

    فَالشَرُّ حَولَ الصارِمِ المُغمَدِ

    So do not let the multitude's stillness deceive you:

    for evil lurks around the sheathed sword.

  29. لَن يَترُكَ الرومُ عِباداتِهِم

    أَو يَنزِلَ التُركُ عَنِ السُؤدَدِ

    The Romans will never abandon their rites,

    nor will the Turks relinquish their supremacy.

  30. هَذا لَهُم بَيتٌ عَلى بَيتِهِم

    ما أَشبَهَ المَسجِدَ بِالمَسجِدِ

    This is for them a house upon their house;

    how like one mosque is to another!

  31. فَإِن يُعادوا في مَفاتيحِهِ

    فَيا لِيَومٍ لِلوَرى أَسوَدِ

    And if they feud over its keys,

    then what a black day for humankind!

  32. يَشيبُ فيهِ الطِفلُ في مَهدِهِ

    وَيُزعَجُ المَيتُ مِنَ الَمرقَدِ

    On it a child turns gray in his cradle,

    and the dead are shaken from their resting place.

  33. فَكُن لَنا اللَهُمَّ في أَمسِنا

    وَكُن لَنا اليَومَ وَكُن في غَدِ

    So be with us, O God, in our yesterday,

    and be with us today, and be with us tomorrow.

  34. لَولا ضَلالٌ سابِقٌ لَم يَقُم

    مِن أَجلِكَ الخَلقُ وَلَم يَقعُدِ

    But for a prior delusion, there would have been no rising

    by humankind for Your sake, nor any sitting down.

  35. فَكُلُّ شَرٍّ بَينَهُم أَو أَذى

    أَنتَ بَراءٌ مِنهُ طُهرُ اليَدِ

    So every evil between them, or harm—

    You are innocent of it, pure of hand.