1. بشيرُ يومٍ بمُلْكِ دَهْرِ

    وَصِدْقُ فَأْلٍ بطولِ عُمْرِ

    A day's glad herald of an age-long reign,

    and a true omen of a long life;

  2. ودولةٌ بالسرور تَبْأَى

    وأَنجُمٌ بالسعودِ تجْرِي

    and a dynasty glorying in joy,

    and stars coursing with good fortune.

  3. وَغُرّةٌ بَشَّرَتْ بفتح

    وفاك واستبشَرَتْ بنصر

    And a bright dawn heralded a conquest

    that came to you, and rejoiced in victory.

  4. شاهدُ صُنعٍ وغيثُ فتحٍ

    تواعَدا طُهْرَهُ لِقَدْرِ

    A witness to favor and a rain of conquest

    agreed by destiny to meet at his circumcision.

  5. فأقبلا سابقٌ وَتَالٍ

    طلوعَ شمسٍ بِإِثْرِ فَجْرِ

    So both arrived, one leading and one following,

    like the rising of the sun in the wake of dawn.

  6. فآنَ يَا نفسُ أَنْ تُسَرِّي

    بكلِّ مَا شئتِ أَن تُسَرِّي

    So it is time, O soul, to be gladdened

    by all in which you wish to rejoice.

  7. وحانَ يَا عَينُ أَن تَقَرِّي

    بكُلِّ مَا شئتِ أن تَقَرِّي

    And it is time, O eye, to rest content

    with all in which you wish to find contentment.

  8. غيثُ سحابٍ وغيثُ جود

    وطيبُ عَرْفٍ وطيبُ ذِكْرِ

    Rain from clouds and rain of generosity,

    and sweetness of scent and sweetness of renown;

  9. وراحةٌ غَيَّمَتْ علينا

    تغدِقُ ساحاتِنَا بِتِبْرِ

    and a palm has spread its clouds above us,

    showering our courtyards with gold dust.

  10. الأرضُ قَدْ حُلِّيَتْ رياضاً

    كُلِّلَ تيجانُها بِزَهْرِ

    The earth has been adorned with gardens,

    her crowns wreathed with flowers,

  11. كأنما أَنْبتت رُباها

    زُمُرُّداً أَثمرَتْ بِدُرِّ

    as though her hills had sprouted

    emeralds and borne pearls as fruit.

  12. وخير شمسٍ لِعَبْدِ شَمْسٍ

    أَحلَّهُ السعدُ خيرَ قَصْرِ

    And the finest sun of ʿAbd Shams—

    good fortune lodged him in the finest palace.

  13. خليفةُ اللهِ راحَ ضَيْفاً

    لسيفِهِ الحاجِبِ الأَغَرِّ

    God's caliph went as a guest

    to his sword, the illustrious chamberlain.

  14. زارَ لتطهير من كَساهُ

    وِزَارَتَيْ مَفْخَرٍ وَخَطْرِ

    He visited for the circumcision of one he had vested

    with the two vizierates of glory and high rank.

  15. فأَيُّ ضيفٍ وأَيُّ سيفٍ

    وأيُّ مُلْكٍ وأيُّ فَخْرِ

    So what a guest, and what a sword!

    And what a kingship, and what glory!

  16. وأيُّ شِبْلٍ لأَيِّ لَيْثٍ

    وأَيُّ نهرٍ لأيِّ بَحْرِ

    And what a lion cub, of what a lion!

    And what a river, of what a sea!

  17. مُتَوَّجٌ قبلَ يومِ مُلكٍ

    مُطَهَّرٌ قبل حين طهرِ

    Crowned before the day of kingship,

    purified before the hour of circumcision.

  18. أدنى إِلَيْهِ الطبيب عَطْفاً

    فِي مُرْتَقىً للخطوب وَعْرِ

    The physician leaned close to him

    on a rugged ascent of perils.

  19. فَسُدِّدَتْ كفُّه بصنعٍ

    وَأُدْهِشَت نفسُهُ بذُعْرِ

    So his hand was guided by providence,

    and his soul was stunned with terror.

  20. فيا لَهُ رَامَ غَمْرَ ليثٍ

    ومدَّ كَفَّاً لِلَمْسِ بَدْرٍ

    So what a man—he sought to overwhelm a lion,

    and stretched out a hand to touch a full moon!

  21. أُغْمِدَ عَنهُ حُسامُ بَأْسٍ

    فقد تَكَمَّى بدرعِ صَبْرِ

    A sword of valor was sheathed, sparing him,

    for he had put on the armor of patience.

  22. لِسُنَّةٍ للإِلهِ أَعطَى

    قيادَ رَاضٍ بِهَا مُقِرِّ

    To a rite of God he yielded

    the reins, content with it and assenting.

  23. يا لوْعَةً لِلْحَدِيدِ فازتْ

    طُلَّابُ أعدائها بوِتْرِ

    O pang of iron! Triumphant were

    the pursuers of its enemies in taking vengeance.

  24. وقطرةً من دمٍ سَتَمْرِي

    دمَ العِدَى وابلاً بقَطْرِ

    And a drop of blood that shall draw forth

    the blood of foes—a downpour for a drop.

  25. وجُنْدُ أَنصارها شهودٌ

    لَمْ يُذْعِنُوا قَبْلَها لَقَسْرِ

    And its supporters' troops are witnesses,

    who, before it, had never bowed to coercion.

  26. وأَبرَزوا كلَّ شبلِ غابٍ

    بكُلِّ ذي لبدةٍ هِزَبْرِ

    And they brought forth every cub of the thicket

    with every mighty, mane-bearing lion.

  27. كلٌّ يُوَاسِي بنفسِ عَبدٍ

    يقضي عليها بصَبْرِ حُرِّ

    Each shares the suffering with a slave's soul,

    imposing on it a free man's patience.

  28. فَحُفَّ بدرُ السماءِ منه

    بِأَنْجُمٍ للسعود زُهْرِ

    So heaven's full moon was encircled by that host

    with bright stars of good fortune.

  29. وأَصبحَ الدهرُ من كُساهُ

    فِي حُمْرِ إِسْتَبْرقٍ وَخُضْرِ

    And time, through his gifts of robes, was clothed

    in red and green brocade.

  30. وأَشرقَ المسكُ والغَوَالي

    فِي أَوْجُهٍ من نداه غُرِّ

    And musk and costly perfumes shone

    upon faces made radiant by his bounty.