مَضَاؤكَ مَضْمُوْنٌ له النَّصْرُ والفَتْحُ

مَضَاؤكَ مَضْمُوْنٌ له النَّصْرُ والفَتْحُ

وسَعْيُكَ مَقْرُوْنٌ به اليُمْنُ والنُّجْحُ

وسَعْيُكَ مَقْرُوْنٌ به اليُمْنُ والنُّجْحُ

Victory and conquest are assured to your resolve;

Your radiance heralds victory and triumph,

And good fortune and success attend your endeavor.

Your efforts coupled with prosperity and success.

إذا كان سَعْيُ المرءِ لله وَحْدَهُ

إذا كان سَعْيُ المرءِ لله وَحْدَهُ

تَدَانَتْ أقاصِي ما نَحَاهُ وما يَنْحُو

تَدَانَتْ أقاصِي ما نَحَاهُ وما يَنْحُو

When a person's striving is for God alone,

When one's efforts are solely for God,

The farthest reaches of what he sought and seeks draw near.

The far reaches of all he has shunned come near.

بكَ اقتَدَحَ الإِسلامُ زَنْدَ انتصارِهِ

بكَ اقتَدَحَ الإِسلامُ زَنْدَ انتصارِهِ

وبِيْضُكَ نارٌ شُبِّهَا ذلك القَدْحُ

وبِيْضُكَ نارٌ شُبِّهَا ذلك القَدْحُ

Through you, Islam struck fire from the fire-stick of its victory;

With you Islam kindled the flint of its victory,

And your bright swords are a fire kindled by that striking.

Your white hand likened to that spark.

وجَلَّى ظلامَ الكُفْرِ مِنْكَ بِغُرَّةٍ

وجَلَّى ظلامَ الكُفْرِ مِنْكَ بِغُرَّةٍ

هي الشَّمْسُ والهِنْدِيُّ يَقْدُمُها الصُّبْحُ

هي الشَّمْسُ والهِنْدِيُّ يَقْدُمُها الصُّبْحُ

And it dispelled unbelief's darkness with a radiant brow of yours:

And it cleared the darkness of disbelief with a raid,

It is the sun; the Indian blade is the dawn that precedes it.

The sun preceded by the dawn.

فَهُمْ ذَهَلُوا عن شَرْعِهِمْ وحدودِهِ

فَهُمْ ذَهَلُوا عن شَرْعِهِمْ وحدودِهِ

فقد عُطِّلَ الإنْجيلُ واطُّرِحَ الفِصْحُ

فقد عُطِّلَ الإنْجيلُ واطُّرِحَ الفِصْحُ

So they forgot their religious law and its ordinances;

So they were confounded, from their law and limits,

For the Gospel was abandoned, and Easter cast aside.

Invalidated was the Gospel, discarded Easter.

فلا مُهْجَةٌ إلاَّ إليكَ نِزَاعُهَا

فلا مُهْجَةٌ إلاَّ إليكَ نِزَاعُهَا

وما زَالَ يُطْوَى عن سِوَاكَ لها كَشْحُ

وما زَالَ يُطْوَى عن سِوَاكَ لها كَشْحُ

No soul has any yearning but toward you,

No grievance but its settlement turns to you,

And its flank stays turned away from anyone but you.

And all but you is found wanting for it as intercessor.

وليس يَحِيْقُ المَكْرُ إلاَّ بِأَهْلِهِ

وليس يَحِيْقُ المَكْرُ إلاَّ بِأَهْلِهِ

وكم مُوْقِدٍ يَغْشاهُ مِنْ وَقْدِهِ لَفْحُ

وكم مُوْقِدٍ يَغْشاهُ مِنْ وَقْدِهِ لَفْحُ

And deceit ensnares none but its own practitioners;

And cunning succeeds only against its plotters,

Many a fire-kindler is scorched by his own blaze.

And how many fires overwhelm their kindlers with flames!

ومَنْ تَكُنِ الأَقْدَارُ مُسْعِدَةً له

ومَنْ تَكُنِ الأَقْدَارُ مُسْعِدَةً له

يَعُدْ شَبِماً عَذْباً له الآجِنُ المِلْحُ

يَعُدْ شَبِماً عَذْباً له الآجِنُ المِلْحُ

And whoever has the fates on his side—

And he for whom destinies are propitiated,

For him, stagnant, salty water becomes cold and sweet.

Finds even bitter aloes to be sweet, fresh water.

إذا خِيْفَ أنْ تَشْتَدَّ شَوْكَةُ مارِقٍ

إذا خِيْفَ أنْ تَشْتَدَّ شَوْكَةُ مارِقٍ

فلا رأْيَ إِلاَّ ما رَأَى السَّيْفُ والرُّمْحُ

فلا رأْيَ إِلاَّ ما رَأَى السَّيْفُ والرُّمْحُ

If it is feared that a renegade's power will grow,

When it's feared the thorns of a rebel grow strong,

Then there is no counsel but what sword and spear decide.

There is no view but the sword’s and the spear’s.

وَقَفُوا غَدَاةَ النَّفْرِ ثم تَصَفَّحُوا

وَقَفُوا غَدَاةَ النَّفْرِ ثم تَصَفَّحُوا

فَرَأَوا اُسَارَى الدَّمْعِ كيف تُسَرَّحُ

فَرَأَوا اُسَارَى الدَّمْعِ كيف تُسَرَّحُ

They stood on the morning of departure, then looked closely,

They stood the morn of the march, then perused,

And saw how captive tears were set free.

Captives of tears - how they are set loose!

كَافأْتَ مُتَّجِهِي بِوَجْهِيَ نَحْوَكُمْ

كَافأْتَ مُتَّجِهِي بِوَجْهِيَ نَحْوَكُمْ

ونواظرُ الأملاكِ نَحْوِيَ طُمَّحُ

ونواظرُ الأملاكِ نَحْوِيَ طُمَّحُ

You rewarded my turning my face toward you,

You granted those who came to you favor,

While the eyes of kings were fixed eagerly on me.

While the gazes of angels long for me.

أَيّامَ رَوَّعَنِي الزَّمَانُ بِرَيْبِهِ

أَيّامَ رَوَّعَنِي الزَّمَانُ بِرَيْبِهِ

وأَجَدَّ بِي خَطْبُ الفِرارِ الأَفْدَحُ

وأَجَدَّ بِي خَطْبُ الفِرارِ الأَفْدَحُ

In the days when Time terrified me with its calamities,

Days the times disquieted me with their uncertainty,

And the most crushing ordeal of flight pressed hard upon me.

And the matter of fleeing intensified.

وَلَئِنْ أَتَانِي صَرْفُهُ من مَأْمَنِي

وَلَئِنْ أَتَانِي صَرْفُهُ من مَأْمَنِي

فالدَّهْرُ يُجْمِلُ تارةً ويُجلِّحُ

فالدَّهْرُ يُجْمِلُ تارةً ويُجلِّحُ

And though its reversal came to me from my place of safety,

And if its changing brings me from my refuge,

Time is gracious at times and fierce at others.

Time alternately beautifies and uglifies.

فَكَأَنَّما الإظلامُ أَيْمُ أَرْقَطُ

فَكَأَنَّما الإظلامُ أَيْمُ أَرْقَطُ

وكأَنَّما الإِصْباحُ ذِئبٌ أَضْبَحُ

وكأَنَّما الإِصْباحُ ذِئبٌ أَضْبَحُ

So nightfall is like a speckled serpent,

As if the darkness were a hyena by night,

And daybreak like a reddish-gray wolf.

And as if the dawn were a wolf by day.

صَدَعَ الزَّمانُ جميعَ شَمْلِيَ جائراً

صَدَعَ الزَّمانُ جميعَ شَمْلِيَ جائراً

إنَّ الزَّمانَ مُمَلَّكٌ لا يُسْجِحُ

إنَّ الزَّمانَ مُمَلَّكٌ لا يُسْجِحُ

Time unjustly shattered all that held my life together;

Fate cracked my unity unjustly,

Indeed, Time is a sovereign who shows no leniency.

For time is ruled by another, it does not bow.

فَقَضَى بِحَطِّي عن سَمَائِيَ واقْتَضَى

فَقَضَى بِحَطِّي عن سَمَائِيَ واقْتَضَى

رِحَلاً تُطِيْحُ رَكَائِبِي وتُطَلِّحُ

رِحَلاً تُطِيْحُ رَكَائِبِي وتُطَلِّحُ

So it decreed my descent from my sky, and demanded

It decided against my abode in my heavens, and took,

Journeys that lay low my mounts and wear them out.

Encampments that demolish my steeds and gear.

يَمَّمْتُها سَرَقُسْطَةً وَهْيَ المَدَى

يَمَّمْتُها سَرَقُسْطَةً وَهْيَ المَدَى

والدَّهْرُ يَكْبَحُ واعتزامِي يَجْمَحُ

والدَّهْرُ يَكْبَحُ واعتزامِي يَجْمَحُ

I directed them toward Zaragoza, the destination,

I steered them for Saragossa, my destiny,

While Time reins in, my resolve runs wild.

While fate curbs my resolve, and my aspiration withers.

حَيْثُ العُلاَ تُجْلَى وآثارُ المُنَى

حَيْثُ العُلاَ تُجْلَى وآثارُ المُنَى

تُجْنَى وساعِيَةُ المَطَالِبِ تُنْجَحُ

تُجْنَى وساعِيَةُ المَطَالِبِ تُنْجَحُ

Where glory is unveiled, and the fruits of hopes

Where loftiness is revealed, and traces of pasture

Are harvested, and the seeker of desired ends is granted success.

Are reaped, and the efforts of seekers succeed.

والنَّفْسُ تُوْقِنُ أنَّ عَهْدَكَ في النَّدَى

والنَّفْسُ تُوْقِنُ أنَّ عَهْدَكَ في النَّدَى

مُوفٍ بما طَمَحَتْ إليه وتَطْمَحُ

مُوفٍ بما طَمَحَتْ إليه وتَطْمَحُ

And the soul is certain that your pledge of generosity

And the self is certain your promise in dew

Fulfills all it has aspired to and still aspires to.

Fulfills what it aspires to and aspires to.

فَحَيَا المُنَى مِنْ بَحْرِ جُوْدِكَ يُمْتَرَى

فَحَيَا المُنَى مِنْ بَحْرِ جُوْدِكَ يُمْتَرَى

وَسَنَا الضُّحَى مِنْ زَنْدِ مَجْدِكَ يُقْدَحُ

وَسَنَا الضُّحَى مِنْ زَنْدِ مَجْدِكَ يُقْدَحُ

For the rain of hopes is drawn from the sea of your bounty,

So life by your ocean of generosity is seen,

And midmorning's radiance is struck from the fire-stick of your glory.

And the morning by the flint of your glory is lit.

والشِّعْرُ إنْ لم أَعْتَقِدْهُ شريعةً

والشِّعْرُ إنْ لم أَعْتَقِدْهُ شريعةً

أُمْسِي إليها بالحِفَاظِ وأُصْبِحُ

أُمْسِي إليها بالحِفَاظِ وأُصْبِحُ

And poetry—even if I do not regard it as a sacred law

And poetry - if I don't take it as law,

To which I keep faith at evening and at morning—

I greet it with memorization, and wake to it.

فَبِسِحْرِهِ مَهْمَا دَعَوتُ إجَابةٌ

فَبِسِحْرِهِ مَهْمَا دَعَوتُ إجَابةٌ

ولِفِكْرِهِ مَهْمَا اجْتَلَيْتُ تَوَضُّحُ

ولِفِكْرِهِ مَهْمَا اجْتَلَيْتُ تَوَضُّحُ

Still, through its magic, whenever I call, an answer comes;

So by its sorcery, whatever I call comes responding,

And its thought grows clear whenever I contemplate it.

And however I ponder, clarity comes streaming.

فاذْخَرْ مِنَ الكَلِمِ العَليِّ لآلِئاً

فاذْخَرْ مِنَ الكَلِمِ العَليِّ لآلِئاً

يَبْأَيَ بها جِيدُ العلا ويَجْبَحُ

يَبْأَيَ بها جِيدُ العلا ويَجْبَحُ

So treasure pearls from lofty speech,

So glean from the sublime words pearls,

With which the neck of glory grows proud and rises high.

With which the necks of the eminent dazzle and shine.

وارْبَأْ بِمَجْدِكَ عن سَوَاقِطِ سُقَّطٍ

وارْبَأْ بِمَجْدِكَ عن سَوَاقِطِ سُقَّطٍ

هي في الحقيقةِ مَقْدَحُ لا مَمْدَحُ

هي في الحقيقةِ مَقْدَحُ لا مَمْدَحُ

And keep your glory above the worthless words of worthless men:

And gain with your glory over the lapses of the fallen,

They are, in truth, disparagement, not praise.

Which are in truth no praise, but a flint.

ونظامُ مُلْكِكَ رائِقٌ مُتَنَاسِبٌ

ونظامُ مُلْكِكَ رائِقٌ مُتَنَاسِبٌ

فَكَمَا جَلَلْتُمْ فَلْيُجَلَّ المُدَّحُ

فَكَمَا جَلَلْتُمْ فَلْيُجَلَّ المُدَّحُ

And your kingdom's order is splendid and harmonious;

And the system of your rule is harmonious,

So, just as you are exalted, let the panegyrists be exalted.

So as you are majestic, let praise abound!