1. جَهِّزْ لَنَا فِي الأرض غزوةَ مُحْتَسِبْ

    وانْدُبْ إليها من يُساعدُ وانْتَدِبْ

    Prepare for us on earth a campaign for God's reward.

    And summon whoever will help to join it, and volunteer yourself.

  2. واحمِل عَلَى خيلِ الهوى شِيَمَ الصِّبا

    واعقِد لجيشِ اللَّهو أَلوِيَةَ الطَّرَبْ

    And mount the qualities of youth upon the steeds of passion,

    And bind banners of rapture for the army of revelry.

  3. واهتِفْ بأجنادِ السرور وقُدْ بِهَا

    نحوَ الرياضِ وأنت أَكرمُ مَنْ رَكِبْ

    And call upon the troops of joy, and lead them

    Toward the gardens—you, the noblest who ever rode—

  4. جيشاً تَكون طبولُهُ عِيْدَانَهُ

    وقرونُهُ النَّاياتِ تُسْعِدُها القَصَبْ

    An army whose drums shall be its lutes,

    And whose horns are flutes, supported by reed pipes.

  5. واهزُزْ رِماحاً من تباشير المُنى

    واسلُلْ سيوفاً من مُعَتَّقَةِ العِنَبْ

    And brandish spears of the glad tidings of hope,

    And unsheathe swords of aged grape-wine.

  6. وانصِبْ مجانيقاً من النَّيَمِ الَّتِي

    أَحجارُهُنَّ من الرَّواطِمِ وَالنَّخَبْ

    And set up catapults of nīm,

    Whose stones are great wine-cups and deep draughts,

  7. لمعاقلٍ من سَوسَنٍ قَدْ شَيَّدَتْ

    أَيدي الربيع بِنَاءها فَوْقَ القُضُبْ

    Against fortresses of irises, whose structure

    The hands of spring have raised above the stems.

  8. شُرُفاتُها من فضَّةٍ وحُمَاتُهَا

    حولَ الأَميرِ لهم سُيوفٌ من ذَهَبْ

    Their battlements are silver, and their defenders,

    Around the prince, have swords of gold,

  9. مُتَرَقِّبينَ لأَمره وَقَدْ ارْتقى

    خَلَلَ البناءِ ومَدَّ صَفْحَةَ مُرتقِبْ

    Awaiting his command, while he has climbed

    Amid the structure and thrust out a watcher's face,

  10. كأَمير لُونَةَ قَدْ تطلَّعَ إِذْ دَنا

    عبدُ الملِيكِ إِلَيْهِ فِي جَيشٍ لَجبْ

    Like the prince of Lūna peering out as

    ʿAbd al-Malīk approached him with a clamorous army.

  11. فلَئنْ غَنِمْتَ هناك أَمثالَ الدُّمى

    فهُنا بيوتُ المِسكِ فاغنَمْ وانْتَهِبْ

    So if there you captured statue-like beauties,

    Here are chambers of musk: take your spoils and plunder,

  12. تُحَفاً لشعبانٍ جلا لَكَ وَجْهَهُ

    عِوَضاً مِنَ الوردِ الَّذِي أهدى رَجَبْ

    Gifts from Shaʿbān, who has unveiled his face to you,

    In place of the roses Rajab gave.

  13. فاقْبَلْ هدِيَّتَهُ فقد وافى بِهَا

    قدراً إِلَى أَمد الصيام إذا وجبْ

    So accept his gift, for he has brought it,

    In measure to last until the time when fasting is required.

  14. واسْتَوفِ بهجتَها وطيبَ نسيمها

    فإذا دَنا رمضانُ فاسْجُد واقترِبْ

    And enjoy its full splendor and the sweetness of its breeze;

    Then, when Ramadan draws near, prostrate yourself and draw close.

  15. وصلِ الجهادَ إِلَى الصِّيامِ بَعَزْمَةٍ

    من ثائرٍ يُرْضي الإلهَ إِذَا غَضِبْ

    And join holy war to fasting with the resolve

    Of an avenger who pleases God when he grows angry.

  16. فالنَّصْرُ مضمونٌ عَلَى برّ الهُدى

    وعواقِبُ الرّاحَاتِ أثمارُ التَّعَبْ

    For victory is assured through righteous guidance,

    And the comforts that come at last are the fruits of toil.

  17. وارفَعْ رغائِبَ مَا نَوَيْتَ إِلَى الَّذِي

    ما زِلْتَ ترفعُها إِلَيْهِ فلم تَخِبْ

    And raise your hopes for what you intend to Him

    To whom you have always raised them, never disappointed,

  18. حتى تؤوبَ وَقَدْ نَظَمْتَ قلائداً

    فَوْقَ المنابر لا تُغَيِّرُها الحِقَبْ

    Until you return, having strung necklaces

    Above the pulpits, unaltered by the ages,

  19. بجواهرٍ من فخر يومِك فِي العِدى

    تبْأَى بِهَا فِي الدَّهْرِ تيجانُ العَرَبْ

    With jewels of the glory of your day against the foes,

    In which the crowns of the Arabs shall glory throughout time:

  20. فتح تكاد سطورُهُ من نورِها

    تبدُو فتُقْرَأُ خلْفَ طَيَّاتِ الكُتُبْ

    A conquest whose lines, from their radiance, almost

    Shine forth to be read through the folds of books.

  21. واقبَلْ هَدِيَّةَ عبدِكَ الراجي الَّذِي

    أَهدى إليك الدُّرَّ من بحر الأدبْ

    And accept the gift of your hopeful servant, who

    Has offered you pearls from the sea of literature.