أناI أهوىlove الكمالperfection فيin كلevery نفسِsoul
أنا أهوى الكمال في كل نفسِ
وأجلand I revere الرجالmen منof كلevery جنسrace
وأجل الرجال من كل جنس
I love perfection in every soul,
I aspire for perfection in every soul
And revere men of every race.
And I honor men of every race
وإذاand when جاشتsurge العواطفemotions فيin نفسيmy soul
وإذا جاشت العواطف في نفسي
عمدتI turn الىto دواتيmy inkwell وطرسيand my page
عمدت الى دواتي وطرسي
And when emotions surge within my soul,
And when emotions surge in my soul
I turn to my inkwell and my page.
I resort to my tools and my poetry
فاتحconqueror of القدسJerusalem قدindeed تغمدكhas enfolded you اللهGod
فاتح القدس قد تغمدك الله
بروحin a spirit منfrom المهيمنthe Guardian قدسيholy
بروح من المهيمن قدسي
O conqueror of Jerusalem, God has indeed enfolded you
Opener of Jerusalem, may God shroud you
In a holy spirit from the Guardian.
With a spirit from the Most High sanctify you
لكyours is عزمresolve منfrom القضاءdestiny وذكرand renown
لك عزم من القضاء وذكر
مشرقshining فيthrough الزمانtime إشراقthe radiance of شمسa sun
مشرق في الزمان إشراق شمس
Yours is resolve from destiny, and renown
You have determination from fate and memory
Shining through time with a sun's radiance.
Shining in time with the rising sun's glow
جئتyou came تستعرضreviewing الصفوفthe ranks احتفاءin celebration
جئت تستعرض الصفوف احتفاء
لاnot لحربfor war بمدفعwith a cannon أوor بترسwith a shield
لا لحرب بمدفع أو بترس
You came to review the ranks in celebration,
You came to review the rows in celebration
Not for war with a cannon or a shield.
Not for war with cannon or shield
ياO أجلnoblest القوادthe commanders فيin الحربwar شرفcome as an honored guest
يا أجل القواد في الحرب شرف
فوقabove عينan eye منof البلادthe land ورأسand a head
فوق عين من البلاد ورأس
O noblest of commanders in war, take your honored place
O greatest of leaders in the noblest war
Above the land's eye and head.
Above the eyes of nations and heads
كانwas تاريخهاits history القديمancient جليلاًglorious
كان تاريخها القديم جليلاً
مثلlike مصرEgypt ومثلand like رومthe Romans وفرسand the Persians
مثل مصر ومثل روم وفرس
Its ancient history was glorious,
Its ancient history was magnificent
Like Egypt's, and like that of the Romans and Persians.
Like Egypt, Rome and Persia
ثمthen دارturned الزمانtime دورةa turn نحسill fortune
ثم دار الزمان دورة نحس
عكستoverturned نجمthe star of سعدهاits good fortune شرthe worst عكسreversal
عكست نجم سعدها شر عكس
Then time took an ill-fated turn,
Then time turned an ominous cycle
Overturning its lucky star most disastrously.
Reversing its happy star to harm in reverse
فدرجناso we walked علىupon الصعيدthe ground حفاةbarefoot
فدرجنا على الصعيد حفاة
بينamong غبرdust-covered people منof الجياعthe hungry وشعسand the unkempt
بين غبر من الجياع وشعس
So we trod the ground barefoot,
We slipped barefoot on the ground
Among the dust-covered hungry and the unkempt.
Between the dust of the famished and sunburnt
قلfew are منthose who يذكرremember الحقائقthe truths مناamong us
قل من يذكر الحقائق منا
وكذاand thus الجهلignorance والتعصبand fanaticism ينسيmakes one forget
وكذا الجهل والتعصب ينسي
Few among us remember the truths;
Few among us recall the facts
And thus ignorance and fanaticism make one forget.
And ignorance and bigotry make us forget
فاسعدوناso make us happy فقدfor indeed شقيناwe have suffered بجهلfrom ignorance
فاسعدونا فقد شقينا بجهل
مطبقall-enveloping كالدجىlike night's darkness وفقرand poverty وبؤسand misery
مطبق كالدجى وفقر وبؤس
So make us happy, for we have suffered from ignorance,
So make us happy for we suffered from the darkness of ignorance, poverty and misery
All-enveloping as night's darkness, and from poverty and misery.
And open the way for us for we have despaired from time
وافتحواand open دونناbefore us المجالthe way فإناfor we
وافتحوا دوننا المجال فإنا
قدindeed دهيناwe have been afflicted منby الزمانtime بيأسwith despair
قد دهينا من الزمان بيأس
And open the way before us, for we
And empower us for we need you
Have been afflicted by time with despair.
To rebuild the nations and raise the heads
وأقيمواand remain فنحنfor we أحوجmore in need منكمthan you
وأقيموا فنحن أحوج منكم
ليدof a hand تعمرbuilds up البلادthe land ورأسand a head
ليد تعمر البلاد ورأس
And remain, for we are more in need than you
And entrust leadership to the honorable among us
Of a hand to build up the land, and a head.
For some of us are in lust and misguidance
واسندواand entrust الحكمrule للكرامto the honorable فمناfor among us
واسندوا الحكم للكرام فمنا
فيin الهوىcaprice والضلالand error عالمa multitude رجسfoul
في الهوى والضلال عالم رجس
And entrust rule to the honorable, for among us
And drive us forward for you
Is a foul multitude steeped in caprice and error.
Are the most capable people without doubt
وادفعوناand urge us الىtoward الأمامthe front فأنتمfor you are
وادفعونا الى الأمام فأنتم
أقدرthe ablest العالمينthe world's people منfrom عيرother than (likely غير) لبسambiguity
أقدر العالمين من عير لبس
And urge us forward, for you are
And take us with kindness and firmness
The ablest in the world, beyond doubt.
So rule yields fruit between softness and firmness
وخذوناand treat us برأفةwith compassion وببأسand with sternness
وخذونا برأفة وببأس
يثمرbears fruit الحكمrule بينbetween لينgentleness وبأسand sternness
يثمر الحكم بين لين وبأس
And treat us with compassion and with sternness;
You lived for the nation and it lived
Rule bears fruit between gentleness and sternness.
A nation blessed with the noblest throne
عشتlong may you live يالوردO lord للبلادfor the land وعاشتand long may it live
عشت يالورد للبلاد وعاشت
أمةa nation متعتwas granted enjoyment بأفخمof the grandest كرسيthrone
أمة متعت بأفخم كرسي
Long may you live for the land, O lord, and long may live
And let cooperation, sincerity
A nation favored with the grandest throne.
Love and affection - the finest plant - flourish among us
وليدمand may it endure بينناbetween us التعاونcooperation والإخلاصand sincerity
وليدم بيننا التعاون والإخلاص
والودand affection وهوand it is أطيبthe sweetest غرسplanting
والود وهو أطيب غرس
And may cooperation and sincerity endure between us,
And if the nation could speak, it would say
And affection, the sweetest planting.
What a difference between my yesterday and today
ثمthen لوif تنطقcould speak البلادthe land لقالتthen it would say
ثم لو تنطق البلاد لقالت
ألفa thousand شتانvast is the difference بينbetween يوميmy today وأمسيand my yesterday
ألف شتان بين يومي وأمسي
Then, if the land could speak, it would say:
A thousandfold apart are my today and my yesterday!
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.