أيا أَهْدى من الشُّهُبِ السَواري

أيا أَهْدى من الشُّهُبِ السَواري

ويا أَندَى من السُّحُبِ الغِزارِ

ويا أَندَى من السُّحُبِ الغِزارِ

O you, a surer guide than the stars that journey by night,

O you who are more generous than meteors flashing in the dark,

And O you, more generous than the rain-rich clouds,

And more glorious than abundant clouds pouring down rain,

إذا اعتكَرتْ على الأُمَمِ اللّيالي

إذا اعتكَرتْ على الأُمَمِ اللّيالي

أوِ افتخَرتْ ذَوو الهِمَمِ الكِبار

أوِ افتخَرتْ ذَوو الهِمَمِ الكِبار

When nights darken over the nations,

When the nights turn gloomy over nations,

Or those of lofty ambition boast.

Or the great ones boast in their pride,

أتاك مُبَشّراً بالعِزِّ شَهْرٌ

أتاك مُبَشّراً بالعِزِّ شَهْرٌ

كصِيتِكَ في المكارمِ ذو اشْتِهار

كصِيتِكَ في المكارمِ ذو اشْتِهار

A month has come to you heralding glory,

A month comes to you bearing good news of might,

Renowned, like your fame for noble deeds.

Well known for generosity as your reputation is,

وأكبرَ أن يَزورَكَ بعدَ عامٍ

وأكبرَ أن يَزورَكَ بعدَ عامٍ

ولم يَصْحَبْهُ من تُحَفِ المَزار

ولم يَصْحَبْهُ من تُحَفِ المَزار

And it deemed it unseemly to visit you after a year

Too proud to visit you after a year

Without bringing any gifts for the visit.

Without gifts and souvenirs to offer,

فَصَّير منه يُمْناً في يَمينِ

فَصَّير منه يُمْناً في يَمينِ

وصَيّرَ منه يُسراً في يَسار

وصَيّرَ منه يُسراً في يَسار

So it placed its good fortune in its right hand,

Make of it an auspicious gift for your right hand,

And placed its ease in its left hand.

And a felicitous one for your left,

وجاء بمِلءِ كَفَّيْهِ لتُمْسي

وجاء بمِلءِ كَفَّيْهِ لتُمْسي

وتُصبِحَ من يدَيْهِ في نِشار

وتُصبِحَ من يدَيْهِ في نِشار

And it came with both its palms full, that you might spend the evening

It comes with both hands full so you may

And the morning amid bounty scattered from its hands.

Receive from it at morn and eve abundant bounty,

فصُمْهُ وبَعدَهُ أَلْفاً عليه

فصُمْهُ وبَعدَهُ أَلْفاً عليه

بإسعادٍ من الفَلَكِ المُدار

بإسعادٍ من الفَلَكِ المُدار

So fast through it, and a thousand more after it,

Shun and keep it away lest it boast

With favor from the revolving celestial sphere.

Of your bliss which the spheres have spun,

وقُمْهُ لجانِبَيْ أَجْرٍ وشُكْرٍ

وقُمْهُ لجانِبَيْ أَجْرٍ وشُكْرٍ

قِياماً في سِرارِكَ والجِهار

قِياماً في سِرارِكَ والجِهار

And keep its vigils for both reward and gratitude,

And honor it with reward and thanks,

Fulfilling, in your private life and in public,

Privately and openly professed,

بحَقِّ اللهِ آناءَ اللّيالي

بحَقِّ اللهِ آناءَ اللّيالي

وحَقِّ النّاسِ أطْرافَ النّهار

وحَقِّ النّاسِ أطْرافَ النّهار

God's due during the hours of night,

By God's right in the dark of nights,

And people's due at the day's ends.

And the people's right in daylight hours,

ودَعْ حَقِّي أنا وَحْدي فإنّي

ودَعْ حَقِّي أنا وَحْدي فإنّي

وَليُّكَ كيف كانَ الأَمْرُ جار

وَليُّكَ كيف كانَ الأَمْرُ جار

And leave my due aside—mine alone—for I

Leave my own right, for I alone

Am your loyal friend, however affairs may go.

Am your partisan, be the matter as it may,

وإن أَحبَبْتَ أن تَقْضِيه فاعْجَلْ

وإن أَحبَبْتَ أن تَقْضِيه فاعْجَلْ

فما بعدَ العَشيّةِ من عَرار

فما بعدَ العَشيّةِ من عَرار

And if you wish to settle it, make haste,

If you wish to fulfil it, then hasten—

For after evening there is no returning.

For nothing awaits after evening but disgrace,

ولا تَقصِدْ مُدافَعتي فإنّي

ولا تَقصِدْ مُدافَعتي فإنّي

جُعلْتُ فِداكَ قد طالَ انتظاري

جُعلْتُ فِداكَ قد طالَ انتظاري

And do not seek to put me off, for I—

Seek not to dispute with me, for I

May I be your ransom—have waited long.

Have been waiting long, ready to sacrifice myself for you,

ودُمْ للمجدِ في عَيشٍ هَنئٍ

ودُمْ للمجدِ في عَيشٍ هَنئٍ

يُطَرَّزُ باعْتلاءٍ واقْتِدار

يُطَرَّزُ باعْتلاءٍ واقْتِدار

And live on for glory, in a happy life,

Live on in glorious happiness

Embroidered with eminence and might,

Adorned with ascendance and power,

وفي عزٍّ يَعِزُّ على المُعادِي

وفي عزٍّ يَعِزُّ على المُعادِي

وفي طُولٍ يَطولُ على المُباري

وفي طُولٍ يَطولُ على المُباري

And in might that defies the foe,

In might that frustrates all adversaries,

And in stature that towers over the rival,

And longevity that wearies all who vie,

ومُلْكٍ مَدَّ من عُمُرٍ طويلٍ

ومُلْكٍ مَدَّ من عُمُرٍ طويلٍ

وزينَ بنظْمِ أيّامٍ قِصار

وزينَ بنظْمِ أيّامٍ قِصار

And a reign prolonged through a long lifetime,

A kingdom whose days are prolonged

And adorned with a string of short days.

And grouped in short well-arranged eras.