تأمَّلْ بَديِعَ الحُسنِ من صنعةِ الأيدِ

تأمَّلْ بَديِعَ الحُسنِ من صنعةِ الأيدِ

وشَاهِدْ جَمَالَ السِّرّ في الوَضعْ مِن بَعدٍ

وشَاهِدْ جَمَالَ السِّرّ في الوَضعْ مِن بَعدٍ

Contemplate the wondrous beauty wrought by hands,

Observe the beauty of the craftsmanship

and then behold the mystery’s beauty in the design.

And witness the charm of the mystery in its structure from afar

وعَرّجْ عَلى تِلكَ المَبَاني فَإنَّهَا

وعَرّجْ عَلى تِلكَ المَبَاني فَإنَّهَا

دَعَتكَ الدَّواعي عن أساطينِها المُلدِ

دَعَتكَ الدَّواعي عن أساطينِها المُلدِ

Turn aside toward those buildings, for they

And visit those buildings for they

have summoned you with calls from their smooth columns.

Have called you, alluring you to their pillars

تَجِدْ جَنَّةً لاَ الطَّرفُ يرتَّدُ خَاسِئاً

تَجِدْ جَنَّةً لاَ الطَّرفُ يرتَّدُ خَاسِئاً

لَدَيهَا وَلاَ وَجهُ المَلاحَةِ في ضِدّ

لَدَيهَا وَلاَ وَجهُ المَلاحَةِ في ضِدّ

You will find a garden where the gaze does not turn back rebuffed,

You will find a garden where the gaze does not return disappointed

nor does the face of loveliness there show discord.

Nor does the face of adversity appear opposite it

تَنَاسَقَ مَا فيهَا وحَسْبُكَ أنْ تَرَى

تَنَاسَقَ مَا فيهَا وحَسْبُكَ أنْ تَرَى

فَكُلُّ الذي حَازَته ُواسِطَةُ العِقدِ

فَكُلُّ الذي حَازَته ُواسِطَةُ العِقدِ

All within it is harmonious; it is enough for you to see,

What is in it is well-proportioned and it suffices you to see

for everything it holds is a necklace’s central jewel.

That all it has attained is through the agency of its designer

وإنْ نَطَقَتْ قَالَتْ وأحرَى بِصِدْقِهَا

وإنْ نَطَقَتْ قَالَتْ وأحرَى بِصِدْقِهَا

لِيَ الفَخْرُ بِالباشَا وَفُزْتُ بِه ِوَحْدِي

لِيَ الفَخْرُ بِالباشَا وَفُزْتُ بِه ِوَحْدِي

And if it spoke, it would say—and most fittingly speak the truth—

And if it spoke, it would truthfully say

“I take pride in the Pasha, and I alone have won him:

"I take pride in al-Basha, and I alone won him"

عَلِيّ ومَنْ يَحكِيهِ عَزماً وهِمَّةً

عَلِيّ ومَنْ يَحكِيهِ عَزماً وهِمَّةً

إذا مَا تَصَدَّى بَانياً لِعُلى المَجدِ

إذا مَا تَصَدَّى بَانياً لِعُلى المَجدِ

Ali—and who can match him in resolve and ambition,

Ali, and whoever emulates his determination and ambition

when he undertakes to build the heights of glory?”

When he sets out to build the heights of glory

بَنَاهَا ويَأبَى اللهُ إلاَّ يُثَيِبَهُ

بَنَاهَا ويَأبَى اللهُ إلاَّ يُثَيِبَهُ

بِأحسَنَ إذْ يَلقَاهُ في جِنَّةِ الخُلدِ

بِأحسَنَ إذْ يَلقَاهُ في جِنَّةِ الخُلدِ

He built it, and God will not fail to reward him

He built it, and God wanted only to reward him

with something finer when he meets Him in the garden of eternity.

With the best when He meets him in the Garden of Eternity

وإذ كَمُلَتْ بِالفَتحِ واليُمنِ

وإذ كَمُلَتْ بِالفَتحِ واليُمنِ

أرخَتْ مَنازِلُ فَتحٍ حَلَّهَا أيْمَنُ السَّعدِ

أرخَتْ مَنازِلُ فَتحٍ حَلَّهَا أيْمَنُ السَّعدِ

And when it was completed with victory and good fortune,

And when it was completed with the opening and good fortune

it recorded its date: “Abodes of victory, where the most auspicious fortune dwelt.”

The houses of victory, made prosperous by the right hand of fortune, were erected