للهِ منّي مصنَعُ

للهِ منّي مصنَعُ

يُبدي الجمالَ ويُبْدِعُ

يُبدي الجمالَ ويُبْدِعُ

God be praised for the edifice I am,

My Lord, I am made for You

revealing beauty and creating marvels.

To reveal beauty and create wonders

مَوْلى الخلائِفِ يوسُفٌ

مَوْلى الخلائِفِ يوسُفٌ

بدْرٌ وأُفْقيَ مَطْلِعُ

بدْرٌ وأُفْقيَ مَطْلِعُ

Yusuf, lord of the caliphs,

Master of caliphs, Joseph

is a full moon; my horizon is where he rises.

A full moon is my horizon’s dawn

روضُ المحاسِنِ جانِبي

روضُ المحاسِنِ جانِبي

أزْهارُهُ تتضوّعُ

أزْهارُهُ تتضوّعُ

My side is a garden of beauties;

The garden of beauty lies by my side

its blossoms waft fragrance.

Its flowers bloom and thrive

والزُّهْرُ إن ناجَيْتُها

والزُّهْرُ إن ناجَيْتُها

ألْقِي الحديثَ فتسْمَعُ

ألْقِي الحديثَ فتسْمَعُ

And the bright stars—if I whisper to them,

If I whisper to the blossoms

I utter words, and they listen.

They hear my words and come alive

أنا قُبّةٌ للصُّنْعِ إذْ

أنا قُبّةٌ للصُّنْعِ إذْ

أنا للصّنيعةِ موْضِعُ

أنا للصّنيعةِ موْضِعُ

I am a dome of artistry, for

I am a dome built for artistry

I am a place for benefaction.

A place made for creativity

قابَلْتُ مِثْليَ فانثَنتْ

قابَلْتُ مِثْليَ فانثَنتْ

في نيْلِ وصْفيَ تطْمَعُ

في نيْلِ وصْفيَ تطْمَعُ

I faced my counterpart, and she turned,

When I met my equal, I bent

hoping to attain my qualities.

To drink deep of praise, thirstily

وترى البُحَيْرةَ بينَنا

وترى البُحَيْرةَ بينَنا

مِرآةَ هِندٍ تلْمَعُ

مِرآةَ هِندٍ تلْمَعُ

And you see the pool between us—

You see a lake between us

Hind's mirror, gleaming.

Like an Indian mirror, gleaming

وبجودِ راحةِ يوسُفٍ

وبجودِ راحةِ يوسُفٍ

هيَ للظّماءِ المَشْرَعُ

هيَ للظّماءِ المَشْرَعُ

And through the bounty of Yusuf's palm,

With Joseph’s flowing generosity

it is a watering place for the thirsty.

Quenching all thirst, streaming

والخَصّةُ العُلْيا بها

والخَصّةُ العُلْيا بها

كأسٌ بكَفٍّ يُرْفَعُ

كأسٌ بكَفٍّ يُرْفَعُ

And the upper fountain-basin within it

The highest basin within

is a cup raised in a palm.

A cup raised in the hand

والماءُ في جنَباتِها

والماءُ في جنَباتِها

مُتدفِّق متَدفِّعُ

مُتدفِّق متَدفِّعُ

And the water along its sides

The water in its sides

flows and surges forth.

Flowing, gushing on demand

فكأنّها القَلْبُ الذي

فكأنّها القَلْبُ الذي

شمْلَ المَكارمِ يجْمَعُ

شمْلَ المَكارمِ يجْمَعُ

So it is like the heart that

As if it were the heart

gathers all noble virtues together.

Embracing all noble deeds

يا ناصِرَ الدين الذي

يا ناصِرَ الدين الذي

تحْنو عليْهِ الأضْلُعُ

تحْنو عليْهِ الأضْلُعُ

O Nasir al-Din, whom

O supporter of the faith

the ribs tenderly enfold,

To whom all hearts concede

أطْلَعْتَ شَمْسي بعْدَما

أطْلَعْتَ شَمْسي بعْدَما

غَرُبَتْ كأنّكَ يوشَعُ

غَرُبَتْ كأنّكَ يوشَعُ

you made my sun rise after

You brought out my sun again

it had set, as though you were Joshua.

After its setting, like Joshua

جدّدتَ رَسْميَ إذ عَفا

جدّدتَ رَسْميَ إذ عَفا

فأمِنتُ ما يُتوَقَّعُ

فأمِنتُ ما يُتوَقَّعُ

You renewed my form when it had faded,

Restoring my design when it faded

so I was safe from what was feared,

Saving me from what I feared

ليَعودَ بعْدَ ذهابِه

ليَعودَ بعْدَ ذهابِه

عهْدُ الشّبابِ ويرْجِعُ

عهْدُ الشّبابِ ويرْجِعُ

so that, after its passing, there might return

That after its loss

the age of youth, and come back again.

Youth would not come again

لازِلْتَ تفْتَحُ للوَرى

لازِلْتَ تفْتَحُ للوَرى

بابَ القَبولِ وتشْرَعُ

بابَ القَبولِ وتشْرَعُ

May you ever open for humankind

You still open for the world

the gate of acceptance, and open it wide.

The door of acceptance, ever streaming