لَئِنْif indeed سَرَّتِbrought joy الدُّنْياthe world فأَنتthen you سُرُورُهَاits joy
لَئِنْ سَرَّتِ الدُّنْيا فأَنت سُرُورُهَا
وإِنْand if سَطَعَتshone نُوراًwith light فوجْهُكَthen your face نورُهَاits light
وإِنْ سَطَعَت نُوراً فوجْهُكَ نورُهَا
If indeed the world brings joy, you are its joy,
And if it shines with light, your face is its light.
سلامٌpeace عَلَىupon الأَيَّامِthe days مَاas long as شِمْتَyou behold لِلعُلاfor glory
سلامٌ عَلَى الأَيَّامِ مَا شِمْتَ لِلعُلا
أَهِلَّتَهَاits crescents واستقبلتْكَand welcome you بُدُورُهَاits full moons
أَهِلَّتَهَا واستقبلتْكَ بُدُورُهَا
Peace upon the days, so long as you behold glory's
Crescents, and its full moons welcome you.
وبُورِكَتِand blessed be الأَزْمانُthe ages مَاas long as أَشرَقَتْshine لَنَاfor us
وبُورِكَتِ الأَزْمانُ مَا أَشرَقَتْ لَنَا
بوجْهكَwith your face هَيْجَاوَاتُهَاtheir battles وقُصُورُهَاand their palaces
بوجْهكَ هَيْجَاوَاتُهَا وقُصُورُهَا
And blessed be the ages, so long as there shine for us
With your face's light, their battles and their palaces.
فَلاso may no أَوْحَشَتْbe bereft منof عِزِّthe glory of ذكرِكَyour name دَولَةٌrealm
فَلا أَوْحَشَتْ من عِزِّ ذكرِكَ دَولَةٌ
إِليكَto you انتهىultimately turned مأْمُورُهَاits subject وَأَمِيرُهَاand its ruler
إِليكَ انتهى مأْمُورُهَا وَأَمِيرُهَا
May no realm be bereft of the glory of your name;
To you its subjects and its ruler ultimately turn.
فَماfor not راقَlooked fair إِلّاexcept فيupon جبينِكyour brow تاجُهَاits crown
فَما راقَ إِلّا في جبينِك تاجُهَا
ولاand not قَرَّfound rest إلاexcept إِذwhen حواكheld you سريرُهاits throne
ولا قَرَّ إلا إِذ حواك سريرُها
For only upon your brow did its crown look fair,
And its throne found rest only when it held you.
فلاso may no راعهاfrighten it خَطْبٌcalamity وسيفُكَand your sword أُنْسُهَاits solace
فلا راعها خَطْبٌ وسيفُكَ أُنْسُهَا
ولاand may no رامهاassail it ضيمٌoppression وأَنتَand you مُجيرُهَاits protector
ولا رامها ضيمٌ وأَنتَ مُجيرُهَا
May no calamity alarm it, while your sword is its solace,
Nor oppression assail it, while you are its protector.
ومَنْand who ذاis it that يُناوِيهَاopposes it وأَنتand you أَميرُهاits ruler
ومَنْ ذا يُناوِيهَا وأَنت أَميرُها
ومنand from نسْلِكَyour lineage الزاكيthe pure الكريمِthe noble وزيرُهاits vizier
ومن نسْلِكَ الزاكي الكريمِ وزيرُها
And who would challenge it, when you are its ruler,
And its vizier is of your pure and noble line?
فتىًa youth طالَعَتْهُrose to greet him بالسعودwith good fortune نجومُهاits stars
فتىً طالَعَتْهُ بالسعود نجومُها
وطارتand flew لَهُfor him باليُمْنِwith good omens فيناamong us طيورُهاits birds
وطارت لَهُ باليُمْنِ فينا طيورُها
A youth whom its stars greeted with good fortune,
And for whom its birds flew among us with good omens.
أَذَلَّhumbled لَهُbefore him عَبْدُʿAbd (servant of) المليكِal-Malīk (the Sovereign) ملوكَهَاits kings
أَذَلَّ لَهُ عَبْدُ المليكِ ملوكَهَا
وَأَنْجَبَهُand begot him المنصورُal-Manṣūr فَهْوَso he نصيرُهاits champion
وَأَنْجَبَهُ المنصورُ فَهْوَ نصيرُها
ʿAbd al-Malīk humbled its kings before him,
And al-Manṣūr begot him, so he is its champion.
بِحَارٌseas أَمَرَّتْgrew bitter للأَعاديto enemies طُعومُهاtheir flavors
بِحَارٌ أَمَرَّتْ للأَعادي طُعومُها
كَمَاjust as طابgrew sweet فيناamong us شُرْبُهَاtheir drink وطَهُورُهاand their purifying water
كَمَا طاب فينا شُرْبُهَا وطَهُورُها
Seas whose flavors grew bitter to enemies,
Just as their drink and purifying water grew sweet among us.
وأَربابُand lords مُلْكٍof dominion فِيin رياسةِthe leadership of أُمَّةٍa nation
وأَربابُ مُلْكٍ فِي رياسةِ أُمَّةٍ
لهمtheirs فِيin المعاليglory عِيرُهاits caravan ونفيرُهاand its war-host
لهم فِي المعالي عِيرُها ونفيرُها
And lords of dominion in the leadership of a nation,
In glory, both its caravan and its war-host are theirs.
وماand not يتساوىare equal موتُهاits death وحياتُهاand its life
وما يتساوى موتُها وحياتُها
ولاnor يَتَكافَىare alike ظِلُّهَاits shade وَحَرُورُهَاand its scorching heat
ولا يَتَكافَى ظِلُّهَا وَحَرُورُهَا
And its death and its life are not equal,
Nor are its shade and its scorching heat alike.
وأَنتand you الَّذِيare the one who أَوْرَدْتَbrought to لُونَةَLūna قاهِراًas a conqueror
وأَنت الَّذِي أَوْرَدْتَ لُونَةَ قاهِراً
خيولاًhorses سماءُthe sky الأَرْضِof the earth فيهاamong them نُحُورُهاtheir breasts
خيولاً سماءُ الأَرْضِ فيها نُحُورُها
And you it was who brought to Lūna, conquering,
Horses whose breasts were the sky above the earth.
وقدand already لاحgleamed بالنصرwith victory العزيزthe mighty لواؤهاtheir banner
وقد لاح بالنصر العزيز لواؤها
وأَعْلَنَand proclaimed بالفتحِof conquest المبينthe manifest بَشِيرُهَاtheir herald
وأَعْلَنَ بالفتحِ المبين بَشِيرُهَا
And their banner gleamed with mighty victory,
And their herald proclaimed a manifest conquest.
وَحلَّتْand descended حُلُولَlike the descent of اللَّيلِnight فِيin كلِّevery بلدةٍtown
وَحلَّتْ حُلُولَ اللَّيلِ فِي كلِّ بلدةٍ
سَوَاءٌalike بِهَاthere إِدْلاجُهاtheir night-marching وَبُكُورُهاand their dawn-marching
سَوَاءٌ بِهَا إِدْلاجُها وَبُكُورُها
And they descended like night upon every town,
Their marching by night or at dawn was the same there.
وقدand already فَتَأَتْgrew still سُمْرُthe tawny shafts القناof the lances بِدِمائِهَاwith their blood
وقد فَتَأَتْ سُمْرُ القنا بِدِمائِهَا
وَغَالَتْand slew صُدُورَthe breasts of الدارعينthe mail-clad صُدُورُهاtheir breasts
وَغَالَتْ صُدُورَ الدارعين صُدُورُها
And the tawny lances had grown still with their blood,
And their breasts dealt death to the breasts of mail-clad men.
صَلِيتَyou braved the fire وَقَدْwhile already أَذْكَىkindled الطِّعَانُspear-thrusting وَقُودَهَاits fuel
صَلِيتَ وَقَدْ أَذْكَى الطِّعَانُ وَقُودَهَا
وَفَارَand seethed بِنِيرانِwith the fires of السُّيُوفِthe swords سَعِيرُهَاits blaze
وَفَارَ بِنِيرانِ السُّيُوفِ سَعِيرُهَا
You braved the fire when spear-thrusts had kindled its fuel,
And its blaze seethed with the fires of swords.
وَخَضْتَand you plunged in وَقَدْwhile already أَعْيَتْproved impossible نجاةُthe rescue of غَرِيقِهَاone drowning in it
وَخَضْتَ وَقَدْ أَعْيَتْ نجاةُ غَرِيقِهَا
وهالَتْand terrified بأمواجِwith the waves of المناياdeath بُحُورُهاits seas
وهالَتْ بأمواجِ المنايا بُحُورُها
And you plunged in when those drowning in it were beyond rescue,
And its seas struck terror with waves of death.
وقدand already ضربتthey had cast خدراًa veil عَلَىover الشمسthe sun وانجلتand were drawn back
وقد ضربت خدراً عَلَى الشمس وانجلت
بِهَاthrough them عنfrom شموسthe suns of الغانياتlovely women خدورُهاtheir curtains
بِهَا عن شموس الغانيات خدورُها
And they had cast a veil over the sun, while drawn back
Through them were the curtains from the suns of lovely women.
عَقَائِلَnoblewomen أَبكاراًvirgins غَدَوْنَthey became نواكحاًbrides
عَقَائِلَ أَبكاراً غَدَوْنَ نواكحاً
وَمَاand not أَصْبَحَتْbecame إِلّاexcept السيوفَthe swords مُهُورُهاtheir dowries
وَمَا أَصْبَحَتْ إِلّا السيوفَ مُهُورُها
Noble virgins who became brides,
And their dowries were nothing but swords.
فَلاso may not مُحِيَتْbe erased أَفْخَاذُهَاtheir thighs مِنْof سِمَاتِكُمْyour brands
فَلا مُحِيَتْ أَفْخَاذُهَا مِنْ سِمَاتِكُمْ
ولاand may not عَرِيتbe bare منof ناصِرِيكُمْyour supporters ظُهُورُهاtheir backs
ولا عَرِيت من ناصِرِيكُمْ ظُهُورُها
So may your brands never be erased from their thighs,
Nor their backs ever be bare of your champions.