سَنى آنَسَ الْغَرْب فِيهِ هُدَى

سَنى آنَسَ الْغَرْب فِيهِ هُدَى

فَحَيَّاهُ بِالبشْرِ لَمَّا بَدا

فَحَيَّاهُ بِالبشْرِ لَمَّا بَدا

A radiance in which the West discerned guidance,

Sunnah delighted the West; guidance was in it,

and welcomed it with joy when it appeared.

So he greeted it with good tidings when it appeared.

تَبَيَّن مِنْهُ لأُمِّ اللُّغَاتِ

تَبَيَّن مِنْهُ لأُمِّ اللُّغَاتِ

حُلىً غُرَرٌ رُعْنَه مَشْهَدَا

حُلىً غُرَرٌ رُعْنَه مَشْهَدَا

Through it there appeared, for the mother of languages,

For the mother of languages its jewels were evident,

splendid ornaments whose sight awed the West.

Precious pearls, a garden blooming in splendor.

فَأُمُّ الْبَنِينَ الأُولى قَصَّرُوا

فَأُمُّ الْبَنِينَ الأُولى قَصَّرُوا

تُكَرِّمُ وَاصِفَها المُسْعِدا

تُكَرِّمُ وَاصِفَها المُسْعِدا

So the mother of sons who have fallen short

The eminent sons were remiss, but she honors

honors her portrayer, who brings her joy.

Her eloquent praiser, auspicious.

تُكَرِّمُ نَابِغَةً فَاضِلاً

تُكَرِّمُ نَابِغَةً فَاضِلاً

أَمِينَ البَلاَغِ صَدُوقَ الصَّدَى

أَمِينَ البَلاَغِ صَدُوقَ الصَّدَى

She honors a virtuous genius,

She honors an eminent, virtuous poet,

faithful in conveying, truthful in echo.

The trusted conveyor, the echo of integrity.

أَبَانَ لِجُهَّالِهَا فَضْلَهَا

أَبَانَ لِجُهَّالِهَا فَضْلَهَا

وَأَبْدَى فَرَائِدَهَا الخُرَّدَا

وَأَبْدَى فَرَائِدَهَا الخُرَّدَا

He revealed her excellence to those ignorant of her,

He made clear to her ignorant ones her excellence

and unveiled her peerless gems, those bashful maidens.

And displayed her hidden treasures.

بِلَفْظٍ عَلَى كَوْنِهِ مُعْجَماً

بِلَفْظٍ عَلَى كَوْنِهِ مُعْجَماً

حَكَى حُسْنُهُ المُعْرَبَ الجَيِّدا

حَكَى حُسْنُهُ المُعْرَبَ الجَيِّدا

In wording that, though foreign,

With wording that, though alphabetical, described

matched fine Arabic speech in beauty.

The beauty of the eloquent Arabic tongue.

لِمُشْرِقِهِ مِنْ سَنَاهَا سَنىً

لِمُشْرِقِهِ مِنْ سَنَاهَا سَنىً

وَمُورِقِهِ مِنْ نَدَاهَا نَدَى

وَمُورِقِهِ مِنْ نَدَاهَا نَدَى

Its brightness has radiance from her radiance,

From its lifetime, to its sunnah a sunnah,

and its leafy growth, dew from her dew.

And from its call, to its rising a call.

يَكَادُ الطَّرُوبُ لإِيقَاعِهِ

يَكَادُ الطَّرُوبُ لإِيقَاعِهِ

يردِّدُه نَغَماً مُنْشِدَا

يردِّدُه نَغَماً مُنْشِدَا

The music-lover, moved by its rhythm, almost

Rapture almost repeats for its rhythm

repeats it as a melody, singing aloud.

A melody, singing it repeatedly.

أَرَاهُمْ بَدِيعاً بِذاك الْبَدِيعِ

أَرَاهُمْ بَدِيعاً بِذاك الْبَدِيعِ

صَفا جَوْهَراً وَحَلاَ مَوْرِدَا

صَفا جَوْهَراً وَحَلاَ مَوْرِدَا

He showed them a marvel through that wondrous art,

I saw them excel through that Excellent One,

pure in substance and sweet at its source.

Purity, essence, and a place of descent.

وَبَاحَ لَهُمْ مِنْ كُنُوزِ النُّهى

وَبَاحَ لَهُمْ مِنْ كُنُوزِ النُّهى

بِمَا يَسْتَفِزُّ لَهَا الحُسَّدا

بِمَا يَسْتَفِزُّ لَهَا الحُسَّدا

And disclosed to them, from the treasures of intellect,

And for them from the treasures of guidance

what rouses the envious to covet them.

He unlocked what would provoke envy.

كُنُوزٌ سَيَغْزُونَ أَعْلاَقَهَا

كُنُوزٌ سَيَغْزُونَ أَعْلاَقَهَا

وَيَسْبُونَ قَيِّمها المُرْصَدا

وَيَسْبُونَ قَيِّمها المُرْصَدا

Treasures whose precious contents they will raid,

Treasures they will raid

and take captive their appointed guardian.

And seize their guarded valuables.

فَإِنْ فَعَلُواوَهَمُ فَاعِلُونَ

فَإِنْ فَعَلُواوَهَمُ فَاعِلُونَ

وَلِلْمَرْءِ فِي الدَّهْرِ مَا عُوِّدَا

وَلِلْمَرْءِ فِي الدَّهْرِ مَا عُوِّدَا

So if they do—and they will—

If they do—though resolute be the doers—

and a man in life follows his accustomed ways,

To man in fate belongs what he is used to.

كَمَا اسْتَنْزَفُوا الشَّرْقَ بَرّاً وبَحْراً

كَمَا اسْتَنْزَفُوا الشَّرْقَ بَرّاً وبَحْراً

فَلاَ دُرَّ أَبْقَوْا وَلاَ عَسْجَدَا

فَلاَ دُرَّ أَبْقَوْا وَلاَ عَسْجَدَا

as they drained the East, on land and sea,

As they drained East and West, land and sea,

so they left neither pearls nor gold.

Leaving no pearl or ruby behind.

فَهَذِي الْغَوَالِي بَقَايَا الْمَعَالِي

فَهَذِي الْغَوَالِي بَقَايَا الْمَعَالِي

تُقِرُّ لَنَا الْمَاضِي الأَمْجَدَا

تُقِرُّ لَنَا الْمَاضِي الأَمْجَدَا

These precious things, then, are the remnants of glory,

So these remnants of glories are

bearing witness to our most glorious past.

What affirm for us the most glorious past,

وَمَا ضَائِرٌ فَخْرَنَا أَنْ تُبَاحَ

وَمَا ضَائِرٌ فَخْرَنَا أَنْ تُبَاحَ

وَلاَ ضَائِرُ الْجَّاهِ أَنْ تُجْتَدَى

وَلاَ ضَائِرُ الْجَّاهِ أَنْ تُجْتَدَى

Our pride is not harmed when they are freely shared,

And no loss that our pride be divulged,

nor our standing, when they are sought as gifts.

Or loss of repute that it be assailed.

أَلاَ لِيْتَهُمْ تَرَكُوا غَيْرَهَا

أَلاَ لِيْتَهُمْ تَرَكُوا غَيْرَهَا

قَدِيماً وَمَدُّوا إِلَيْهَا يَدَا

قَدِيماً وَمَدُّوا إِلَيْهَا يَدَا

Oh, would that they had left everything else alone

Oh, would that they had left it alone

long ago, and stretched a hand toward these!

And extended their hands to it long ago.

عَلَى أَنَّهمْ عَلِمُوا بَعْدَ لأْيٍ

عَلَى أَنَّهمْ عَلِمُوا بَعْدَ لأْيٍ

كَرَامَةَ أُمَّتنَا مَحْتِدا

كَرَامَةَ أُمَّتنَا مَحْتِدا

Yet, after much difficulty, they learned

Since they knew, after failure,

our nation's nobility of origin.

The sanctity of our nation resolutely.

لأْنَّ بَيَاناً كَهَذَا الْبَيَانِ

لأْنَّ بَيَاناً كَهَذَا الْبَيَانِ

جَدِيرٌ كَمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَخْلُدَا

جَدِيرٌ كَمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَخْلُدَا

For eloquence such as this

For eloquence like this eloquence

deserves, as he wished, to endure forever,

Is worthy, as he willed, to be immortalized.

وَأَنَّ نُفُوساً كَتِلْكَ النَُفوسِ

وَأَنَّ نُفُوساً كَتِلْكَ النَُفوسِ

لَهَا رَجْعَةٌ فِي بَنِيهَا غَدَا

لَهَا رَجْعَةٌ فِي بَنِيهَا غَدَا

and souls like those souls

And souls like those souls

shall return tomorrow in their sons.

Have a return in their children tomorrow.

سَمَا فِي الْمَفَاخِرِ هَذَا الْفَخَارُ

سَمَا فِي الْمَفَاخِرِ هَذَا الْفَخَارُ

لَنَا وَأَبَى الْحَقُّ أَنْ يُجْحَدَا

لَنَا وَأَبَى الْحَقُّ أَنْ يُجْحَدَا

This pride has risen high among glories

It soared in glories—this, our pride,

for us, and truth refuses to be denied.

And the truth refused to be denied.

فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ وَهْوَ ذَاكَ النُّضارُ

فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ وَهْوَ ذَاكَ النُّضارُ

إِذَا ما رَأَيْنَا لَهُ نُقَّدَا

إِذَا ما رَأَيْنَا لَهُ نُقَّدَا

So do not be dismayed—for it is that pure gold—

So do not grieve, fresh as it is,

if ever we see critics of it.

When we see it criticized.

يُرِيدُونَ مِنَّا بِنَاءَ الْقَرِيضِ

يُرِيدُونَ مِنَّا بِنَاءَ الْقَرِيضِ

كَثِيرَ الْمَنَاحِي قَصِيَّ المَدَى

كَثِيرَ الْمَنَاحِي قَصِيَّ المَدَى

They want us to build poetry

They want from us far-reaching verse,

many-sided, far-reaching in scope.

Great in dimensions, little in scope.

وَقَدْ جَهِلُوا الْبَيْتَ نَبْنِيه فَذّاً

وَقَدْ جَهِلُوا الْبَيْتَ نَبْنِيه فَذّاً

فَيَسْتَغْرِبُ الأَمَدُ الأَبْعَدَا

فَيَسْتَغْرِبُ الأَمَدُ الأَبْعَدَا

Yet they have not understood the single verse we build,

But they ignored the house—we will build it soon—

which ranges to the farthest reach.

So remote time will stare astonished.

حُلاَه تُنَافِسُ زَهْرَ الرِّيَاضِ

حُلاَه تُنَافِسُ زَهْرَ الرِّيَاضِ

وَمَعَنْاهُ يَسْتَنْزِلُ الفَرْقَدَا

وَمَعَنْاهُ يَسْتَنْزِلُ الفَرْقَدَا

Its adornments rival the flowers of gardens,

Its adornment vies with garden blossoms

and its meaning draws down the Farqad star.

And its meaning lodges stars.

أَواصِفُ حُييْتَ مِنْ سَابِقٍ

أَواصِفُ حُييْتَ مِنْ سَابِقٍ

وَمِنْ أَرْيَحِيِّ بِهِ يُقْتَدَى

وَمِنْ أَرْيَحِيِّ بِهِ يُقْتَدَى

O Wasif, hail to you as a forerunner,

I have described, excelling predecessors

and as a generous soul whose example is followed!

And succeeding by it as example.

تَوَخَّيتَهَا غايَةً وَعْرَةً

تَوَخَّيتَهَا غايَةً وَعْرَةً

فَأَدْرَكْتَهَا فَائِزاً أَيِّدا

فَأَدْرَكْتَهَا فَائِزاً أَيِّدا

You sought it, a rugged goal,

You aimed for the loftiest, knowing peak,

and reached it, victorious and strong,

A victor, aided, attaining it.

بِرَأْيٍ جَمِيلٍ وَسَعْيٍ جَلِيلٍ

بِرَأْيٍ جَمِيلٍ وَسَعْيٍ جَلِيلٍ

خَلِيقٍ عَلَى الدهْرِ أَنْ يُحْمَدَا

خَلِيقٍ عَلَى الدهْرِ أَنْ يُحْمَدَا

with fine judgment and noble endeavor,

With beautiful judgment and splendid effort

worthy of praise for all time.

Worthy for time to be praised.

كَذَا يُصْرَفُ الْحَزْمُ فِي وَجْهِهِ

كَذَا يُصْرَفُ الْحَزْمُ فِي وَجْهِهِ

وَلاَ تَتَوَلَّى الْمَسَاعِي سُدَى

وَلاَ تَتَوَلَّى الْمَسَاعِي سُدَى

Thus is resolve directed along its proper course,

Thus is discretion directed in its course,

and endeavors do not go to waste.

And endeavors never go astray.