أَيُّها الوَسمِيُّ زُر نَبتَ الرُبا

أَيُّها الوَسمِيُّ زُر نَبتَ الرُبا

وَاِسبِقِ الفَجرَ إِلى رَوضِ الزَهَر

وَاِسبِقِ الفَجرَ إِلى رَوضِ الزَهَر

O autumn rain, visit the plants upon the hills,

O nightingale, visit the garden where love blossoms,

And reach the flower garden before dawn.

And precede dawn to the meadow of flowers.

حَيِّهِ وَاِنثُر عَلى أَكمامِهِ

حَيِّهِ وَاِنثُر عَلى أَكمامِهِ

مِن نِطافِ الماءِ أَشباهَ الدُرَر

مِن نِطافِ الماءِ أَشباهَ الدُرَر

Greet it, and scatter upon its calyxes

Greet it, and scatter on its sleeves,

Drops of water resembling pearls.

Pearl-like drops of water.

أَيُّها الزَهرُ أَفِق مِن سِنَةٍ

أَيُّها الزَهرُ أَفِق مِن سِنَةٍ

وَاِصطَبِح مِن خَمرَةٍ لَم تُعتَصَر

وَاِصطَبِح مِن خَمرَةٍ لَم تُعتَصَر

O flowers, awaken from drowsiness,

O flower, awaken from slumber,

And take your morning draught of unpressed wine,

And freshen yourself with wine unstrained,

مِن رَحيقٍ أُمُّهُ غادِيَةٌ

مِن رَحيقٍ أُمُّهُ غادِيَةٌ

ساقَها تَحتَ الدُجى رَوحُ السَحَر

ساقَها تَحتَ الدُجى رَوحُ السَحَر

Of nectar whose mother is a morning raincloud,

With nectar brought by the wandering breeze,

Driven beneath the darkness by the predawn breeze.

In the dim of dawn, the spirit of magic.

وَاِنفَحِ الرَوضَ بِنَشرٍ طَيِّبٍ

وَاِنفَحِ الرَوضَ بِنَشرٍ طَيِّبٍ

عَلَّهُ يوقِظُ سُكّانَ الشَجَر

عَلَّهُ يوقِظُ سُكّانَ الشَجَر

And perfume the garden with a sweet fragrance,

Perfume the garden with sweet fragrances,

That it may awaken the dwellers in the trees.

Hoping to awaken the dwellers of the trees.

إِنَّ بي شَوقاً إِلى ذي غُنَّةٍ

إِنَّ بي شَوقاً إِلى ذي غُنَّةٍ

يُؤنِسُ النَفسَ وَقَد نامَ السَمَر

يُؤنِسُ النَفسَ وَقَد نامَ السَمَر

Indeed, I long for one with a resonant voice

For I long for the one with a beautiful voice,

Who comforts the soul while nighttime talk lies asleep.

Who entertains the soul when the night companions sleep.

إيهِ يا طَيرُ أَلا مِن مُسعِدٍ

إيهِ يا طَيرُ أَلا مِن مُسعِدٍ

إِنَّني قَد شَفَّني طولُ السَهَر

إِنَّني قَد شَفَّني طولُ السَهَر

Sing on, O bird! Is there no comforter?

Rise, o bird, and give me good news of happiness,

Indeed, long wakefulness has worn me thin.

For wakefulness has cured me.

قُم وَصَفِّق وَاِستَحِر وَاِسجَع وَنُح

قُم وَصَفِّق وَاِستَحِر وَاِسجَع وَنُح

وَاِروِ عَن إِسحاقَ مَأثورَ الخَبَر

وَاِروِ عَن إِسحاقَ مَأثورَ الخَبَر

Rise, beat your wings, sing at dawn, coo, and lament,

Get up and clap and ask and relate,

And recount the lore handed down from Ishaq.

And tell of Isaac's oft-repeated tale.

ظَهَرَ الفَجرُ وَقَد عَوَّدتَني

ظَهَرَ الفَجرُ وَقَد عَوَّدتَني

أَن تُغَنّيني إِذا الفَجرُ ظَهَر

أَن تُغَنّيني إِذا الفَجرُ ظَهَر

Dawn has appeared, and you have accustomed me

Dawn has appeared, and you have accustomed me,

To your singing to me whenever dawn appears.

To sing to me when dawn appears.

غَنِّني كَم لَكَ عِندي مِن يَدٍ

غَنِّني كَم لَكَ عِندي مِن يَدٍ

سَرَّتِ الأَشجانَ عَنّي وَالفِكَر

سَرَّتِ الأَشجانَ عَنّي وَالفِكَر

Sing to me—how many favors I owe you

Sing to me, for you have ample reward from me,

That dispelled my sorrows and cares!

You have dispelled my worries and thoughts.

اِخرِقِ السَمعَ سِوى مِن نَبَإٍ

اِخرِقِ السَمعَ سِوى مِن نَبَإٍ

خَرَقَ السَمعَ فَأَدمى فَوَقَر

خَرَقَ السَمعَ فَأَدمى فَوَقَر

Pierce my hearing, but not with news

Shock the hearing, unless it be news,

That pierced my hearing, made it bleed, and left it deaf.

That shocked the hearing, and it deafened and buzzed.

كُلَّ يَومٍ نَبأَةٌ تَطرُقُنا

كُلَّ يَومٍ نَبأَةٌ تَطرُقُنا

بِعَجيبٍ مِن أَعاجيبِ العِبَر

بِعَجيبٍ مِن أَعاجيبِ العِبَر

Each day, a report comes upon us,

Each day a news item shocks us,

Bearing a marvel among the wonders that teach us lessons.

With a wondrous one of the admonitions.

أُمَمٌ تَفنى وَأَركانٌ تَهي

أُمَمٌ تَفنى وَأَركانٌ تَهي

وَعُروشٌ تَتَهاوى وَسُرُر

وَعُروشٌ تَتَهاوى وَسُرُر

Nations perish, and pillars weaken,

Nations disappear and pillars crumble,

And thrones and couches tumble down.

Thrones topple down and seats of honor.

وَجُيوشٌ بِجُيوشٍ تَلتَقي

وَجُيوشٌ بِجُيوشٍ تَلتَقي

كَسُيولٍ دَفَقَت في مُنحَدَر

كَسُيولٍ دَفَقَت في مُنحَدَر

And armies meet armies

And armies meet with armies,

Like torrents pouring down a slope.

Like torrents rushing down a slope.

وَرِجالٌ تَتَبارى لِلرَدى

وَرِجالٌ تَتَبارى لِلرَدى

لا تُبالي غابَ عَنها أَم حَضَر

لا تُبالي غابَ عَنها أَم حَضَر

And men vie with one another for death,

And men compete for evil,

Uncaring whether it is absent from them or present.

Not caring whether absent or present.

مَن رَآها في وَغاها خالَها

مَن رَآها في وَغاها خالَها

صِبيَةً خَفَّت إِلى لِعبِ الأُكَر

صِبيَةً خَفَّت إِلى لِعبِ الأُكَر

Whoever saw them in their battle would think them

Whoever saw them in their frenzy imagined them,

Children who rushed to play with balls.

To be little girls playing with their dolls.

وَحُروبٌ طاحِناتٌ كُلَّما

وَحُروبٌ طاحِناتٌ كُلَّما

أُطفِئَت شَبَّ لَظاها وَاِستَعَر

أُطفِئَت شَبَّ لَظاها وَاِستَعَر

And grinding wars—whenever

And grinding wars, whenever,

They are quenched, their blaze flares up and burns fiercely.

Their flames are put out, their embers flare up.

ضَجَّتِ الأَفلاكُ مِن أَهوالِها

ضَجَّتِ الأَفلاكُ مِن أَهوالِها

وَاِستَعاذَ الشَمسُ مِنها وَالقَمَر

وَاِستَعاذَ الشَمسُ مِنها وَالقَمَر

The celestial spheres cried out at their horrors,

The planets cried out from their horrors,

And the sun and moon sought refuge from them.

And the sun and moon sought refuge from them.

في الثَرى في الجَوِّ في شُمِّ الذُرا

في الثَرى في الجَوِّ في شُمِّ الذُرا

في عُبابِ البَحرِ في مَجرى النَهَر

في عُبابِ البَحرِ في مَجرى النَهَر

On the earth, in the air, on lofty summits,

On land, in air, in the ether of space,

In the sea's surging waters, in the river's course,

In the haze of the sea, in the course of the river.

أَسرَفَت في الخَلقِ حَتّى أَوشَكوا

أَسرَفَت في الخَلقِ حَتّى أَوشَكوا

أَن يَبيدوا قَبلَ ميعادِ البَشَر

أَن يَبيدوا قَبلَ ميعادِ البَشَر

They have so ravaged humankind that people nearly

They raged against creation until they almost,

Perished before humanity's appointed hour.

Caused them to perish before the time of humankind.

فَاِصمِدوا ثُمَّ اِحمَدوا اللَهَ عَلى

فَاِصمِدوا ثُمَّ اِحمَدوا اللَهَ عَلى

نِعمَةِ الأَمنِ وَطيبِ المُستَقَرّ

نِعمَةِ الأَمنِ وَطيبِ المُستَقَرّ

So stand firm, then praise God for

So be steadfast, then praise Allah for,

The blessing of safety and a pleasant abode.

The blessing of security and good settlement.

نِعمَةُ الأَمنِ وَما أَدراكَ ما

نِعمَةُ الأَمنِ وَما أَدراكَ ما

نِعمَةُ الأَمنِ إِذا الخَطبُ اِكفَهَرّ

نِعمَةُ الأَمنِ إِذا الخَطبُ اِكفَهَرّ

The blessing of safety—and what can make you understand what

The blessing of security! And what will convey to you,

The blessing of safety is when calamity grows dark?

What the blessing of security is when calamities rage?

وَاِشكُروا سُلطانَ مِصرٍ وَاِشكُروا

وَاِشكُروا سُلطانَ مِصرٍ وَاِشكُروا

صاحِبَ الدَولَةِ مَحمودَ الأَثَر

صاحِبَ الدَولَةِ مَحمودَ الأَثَر

And thank the Sultan of Egypt, and thank

Thank the Sultan of Egypt, thank

His Excellency, whose influence is praiseworthy.

The Master of the State, Mahmoud the Great.

نَحنُ في عَيشٍ تَمَنّى دونَهُ

نَحنُ في عَيشٍ تَمَنّى دونَهُ

أُمَمٌ في الغَربِ أَشقاها القَدَر

أُمَمٌ في الغَربِ أَشقاها القَدَر

We live a life; even a lesser one is longed for

We live in comfort, which nations in the West,

By nations in the West whom fate has made wretched.

Whose fate has made them miserable, long for.

تَتَمَنّى هَجعَةً في غِبطَةٍ

تَتَمَنّى هَجعَةً في غِبطَةٍ

لَم تُساوِرها اللَيالي بِالكَدَر

لَم تُساوِرها اللَيالي بِالكَدَر

They long for a spell of sleep in happiness

They long for a night's rest in happiness,

That the nights have not assailed with sorrow.

Which sorrowful nights have not cloaked.

إِنَّ في الأَزهَرِ قَوماً نالَهُم

إِنَّ في الأَزهَرِ قَوماً نالَهُم

مِن لَظى نيرانِها بَعضُ الشَرَر

مِن لَظى نيرانِها بَعضُ الشَرَر

Indeed, at al-Azhar there are people whom

Verily, in Al-Azhar there are people,

Some sparks from the blaze of those fires have struck.

Sparks of its blazing fires have reached them.

أَصبَحوا لا قَدَّرَ اللَهُ لَنا

أَصبَحوا لا قَدَّرَ اللَهُ لَنا

في عَناءٍ وَشَقاءٍ وَضَجَر

في عَناءٍ وَشَقاءٍ وَضَجَر

They are now—may God never decree this for us—

They have become, Allah did not decree for us,

In hardship, misery, and distress.

In distress, misery and discontent.

نُزَلاءٌ بَينَنا إِن يُرهَقوا

نُزَلاءٌ بَينَنا إِن يُرهَقوا

أَو يُضاموا إِنَّها إِحدى الكُبَر

أَو يُضاموا إِنَّها إِحدى الكُبَر

Guests among us—if they are overburdened

Guests among us, if they are persecuted,

Or wronged, it is one of the gravest calamities.

Or wronged, it is surely one of the major sins.

فَأَعينوهُم فَهُم إِخوانُكُم

فَأَعينوهُم فَهُم إِخوانُكُم

مَسَّهُم ضُرٌّ وَنابَتهُم غِيَر

مَسَّهُم ضُرٌّ وَنابَتهُم غِيَر

So help them, for they are your brothers;

So help them, for they are your brothers,

Harm has touched them, and reversals of fortune have befallen them.

Misfortune has touched them and calamity has afflicted them.

أَقرِضوا اللَهَ يُضاعِف أَجرَكُم

أَقرِضوا اللَهَ يُضاعِف أَجرَكُم

إِنَّ خَيرَ الأَجرِ أَجرٌ مُدَّخَر

إِنَّ خَيرَ الأَجرِ أَجرٌ مُدَّخَر

Lend to God, and He will multiply your reward;

Lend Allah a goodly loan, He will multiply your reward,

Indeed, the best reward is a reward laid up in store.

For the best reward is a treasure stored away.