صفا العيش لي وامتد ريف ظلالي

صفا العيش لي وامتد ريف ظلالي

فما لتكاليف الزمان ومالي؟

فما لتكاليف الزمان ومالي؟

Life grew serene for me, and the lush expanse of my shade spread.

A life of serenity is mine, and my home a land of peace;

Life has become pure for me, and the protective shade of my realm has spread,

So what have time's burdens to do with me?

Why should I worry about the ways of time or its trials?

So what power do the burdens of time have over me?

صفا العيش لي وازدان روض مواهبي

صفا العيش لي وازدان روض مواهبي

وأينع فضلي واستبان كمالي

وأينع فضلي واستبان كمالي

Life grew serene for me, and the garden of my gifts grew splendid.

A life of serenity is mine, my gifts flourish anew,

Life has become pure, and the garden of my talents is adorned,

And my merit ripened, and my perfection shone forth.

My virtues shine plain, my perfection comes due.

My virtue has ripened, and my perfection is revealed.

ولانت لي الأيام وهي عصية

ولانت لي الأيام وهي عصية

فمالي لا أزهو بنضرة حالي

فمالي لا أزهو بنضرة حالي

And the days softened toward me, though defiant.

Though days may be harsh and resist me,

The days have yielded to me, though they are known to be stubborn,

Why, then, should I not glory in the bloom of my state?

Why shouldn’t I glory in the prime of my state?

So why should I not take pride in the freshness of my state?

سلامة أذواق ويمن مطالب

سلامة أذواق ويمن مطالب

وعزة أعراق وطيب خلال

وعزة أعراق وطيب خلال

Soundness of taste and good fortune in pursuits,

My tastes are refined and my hopes are sublime,

With soundness of taste and the blessing of fulfilled desires,

And honor of lineage and goodness of character.

My roots are esteemed and my nature is fine.

With nobility of lineage and the goodness of traits.

وباقت نجوم الليل وهي طوالع

وباقت نجوم الليل وهي طوالع

تزف لي البشرى بنيل سؤالي

تزف لي البشرى بنيل سؤالي

And the stars of night shone as they rose,

The stars of the night continue rising

The stars of the night drew near as they rose,

Bringing me glad tidings of my wish's fulfillment.

To herald the omens of my prayers answered soon,

Escorting glad tidings that I have attained my request.

وترنو إلى وجهي بإيماض نورها

وترنو إلى وجهي بإيماض نورها

فيبهجها مني بديع جمالي

فيبهجها مني بديع جمالي

And they gaze at my face with flashes of their light,

Their rays yearn towards my face, lighting it up

They gaze upon my face with the glimmer of their light,

So the wondrous beauty in me delights them.

With the gorgeous beauty of their fortunate bloom.

Delighted by the exquisite nature of my beauty.

وتوجني المقدور تاج كرامة

وتوجني المقدور تاج كرامة

فأنحى على بؤسي وأسعد فالي

فأنحى على بؤسي وأسعد فالي

And fate crowned me with a crown of honor,

Destiny crowns me with a diadem of respect

Destiny has crowned me with a diadem of dignity,

So it struck at my misery and made my omen auspicious.

So I rise above my misery, fortunate, blessed.

Driving away my misery and making my fortune prosperous.

كتبت فكان الحق طوع أناملي

كتبت فكان الحق طوع أناملي

وقلت فكان الصدق وسع مقالي

وقلت فكان الصدق وسع مقالي

I wrote, and truth obeyed my fingertips.

I wrote, and truth obeyed my fingers,

I wrote, and Truth was obedient to my fingertips,

And I spoke, and truthfulness filled the breadth of my speech.

I spoke, and truth found room for my words.

I spoke, and Sincerity filled the breadth of my speech.

وكنت (صدى الصحراء) أدعى لأنني

وكنت (صدى الصحراء) أدعى لأنني

بسطت على الصحراء نور هلالي

بسطت على الصحراء نور هلالي

And I was called “Echo of the Desert,” because I

I was the “Echo of the Desert,” I claimed,

I was called 'The Echo of the Desert' because I

Spread my crescent's light across the desert.

For I shone the moon’s light over the sands.

Spread the light of my crescent moon over the sands.

وواليت بالإرشاد رفع عقيرتي

وواليت بالإرشاد رفع عقيرتي

عسى أن يهب النائمون حيالي

عسى أن يهب النائمون حيالي

And I continually raised my voice in guidance,

I led with wisdom, raising up my people,

I persisted in raising my voice to offer guidance,

Hoping the sleepers before me would awaken.

That sleepers past might heed my clarion call.

Hoping that the sleepers around me might awaken.

عسى أن يهب النائمون فإنهم

عسى أن يهب النائمون فإنهم

يغطون من حقب مضين طوال

يغطون من حقب مضين طوال

Hoping the sleepers would awaken, for they

That sleepers past might heed, for they

Hoping the sleepers might wake, for truly they

Have been snoring through long ages past.

Have slumbered through ages immemorial.

Have been snoring through long, bygone eras.

يخالون آيات الحضارة بينهم

يخالون آيات الحضارة بينهم

عجائب غيب أو طيوف خيال

عجائب غيب أو طيوف خيال

They take the signs of civilization in their midst

They fancy the signs of civilization among them

They mistake the signs of civilization among them

For marvels of the unseen, or phantoms of fancy.

Miracles of the unseen, or visions dreamed.

For unseen miracles or fleeting phantoms of imagination.

وتمضي الليالي السود تجهد سيرها

وتمضي الليالي السود تجهد سيرها

وهم بين مسلوب الشعور وسالي

وهم بين مسلوب الشعور وسالي

And the black nights pass, straining in their course,

The dark nights pass quick in their trek,

The dark nights pass, straining in their weary march,

While they are either robbed of awareness or heedless.

While they lie trapped ‘twixt mindless and conceit.

While the people remain bereft of feeling or lost in distraction.

وهم بين منهد العزيمة خائر

وهم بين منهد العزيمة خائر

وآخر من كل المواهب خالي

وآخر من كل المواهب خالي

And they range from those broken in resolve, fainthearted,

Among them are minds inert, resolves faint,

They waver between those of broken resolve and weak will,

To others devoid of every gift.

And the last dregs of gifts, sterile and quaint.

And others who are devoid of all talent.

أفيقوا فهذا الدين بين ربوعكم

أفيقوا فهذا الدين بين ربوعكم

تنازله الأحداث شر نزال

تنازله الأحداث شر نزال

Awaken! For this faith, here in your lands,

Awaken! This faith still lives in your lands,

Awake! For this Faith within your dwellings

Is assailed by events in the bitterest of battles.

Though time and events have sought to undo it.

Is being battled by calamities in the fiercest of conflicts.

تحاول نكباء الضلالة نسفه

تحاول نكباء الضلالة نسفه

وترميه أشلاء الردى بنبال

وترميه أشلاء الردى بنبال

The crosswind of error seeks to blast it away,

Destroyers of truth constantly try to explode it,

The storm winds of error seek to uproot it,

And the torn limbs of death pelt it with arrows.

While minions of evil target it with darts.

And the remnants of destruction target it with arrows.

فقوموا مقامات الدفاع حياله

فقوموا مقامات الدفاع حياله

ليأمن هذا الدين كل ضلال

ليأمن هذا الدين كل ضلال

So take up positions of defense before it,

Defend it with steadfastness, let it not suffer harm,

So rise to your stations in its defense,

That this faith may be safe from every error.

So this faith remains safe from misguidance and harm.

That this Faith may be secured against all misguidance.

ولا تهملوا أمر الحياة فإنها

ولا تهملوا أمر الحياة فإنها

حياة نشاط بل حياة جدال

حياة نشاط بل حياة جدال

And do not neglect the business of life, for it is

Neglect not life, for it is vitality and zeal,

Do not neglect the demands of worldly life, for it is

A life of activity—indeed, a life of contention.

It is not mere being, but ardor and appeal.

A life of activity; indeed, a life of struggle.

فبينكم الغربي وهو أخو العلا

فبينكم الغربي وهو أخو العلا

يجد لا دراك العلى ويوالي

يجد لا دراك العلى ويوالي

For among you is the Westerner, a brother to greatness,

The West holds your brother, champion of science,

For the Westerner is among you, allied with ambition,

Striving to attain the heights and persevering.

Finding the heights of knowledge, ever climbing.

Striving relentlessly to attain the heights.

طوى الأرض بالخط الحديدي وانبرى

طوى الأرض بالخط الحديدي وانبرى

يجول مع الأرياح كل مجال

يجول مع الأرياح كل مجال

He folded the earth with the railway, and set forth

He spanned the earth with the railroad, took to the skies,

He traversed the earth with lines of iron and set forth,

To roam with the winds through every realm.

Roaming the winds, exploring the earth entirety.

Roaming every field alongside the winds.

وأبدع طيارا بدون محرك

وأبدع طيارا بدون محرك

فهل كان هذا يستقر ببال

فهل كان هذا يستقر ببال

And he devised an aircraft without an engine—

He fashioned a flying machine with no motor,

He invented a flying vessel without an engine,

So could this ever have lodged in the mind?

Could this truly have settled in the mind readily?

Could such a thing have ever settled in the mind?

وشبق عباب البحر والبحر مزبد

وشبق عباب البحر والبحر مزبد

بغواصه ينساب غير مبالي

بغواصه ينساب غير مبالي

And he cleft the sea's surging waters while the sea foamed,

He made the sea foam and churn, no hesitation,

He cleaved the foaming billows of the sea,

Gliding in his submarine without a care.

His submarines slip through it with no reservation.

Gliding indifferently in his submarine.

يغوص مع الحيتان في لج بحرها

يغوص مع الحيتان في لج بحرها

فتحسبه الحيتان ضرب وبال

فتحسبه الحيتان ضرب وبال

He dives with the whales into their sea's depths,

They plunge alongside whales in their deep waters,

Diving with whales into the ocean's abyss,

So the whales take him for a kind of calamity.

That whales mistake them for a strange aberration.

Till the whales deem him a scourge of destruction.

أجلوا رجال العلم بين وبوعكم

أجلوا رجال العلم بين وبوعكم

فقدرهم وافي الرجاحة عالي

فقدرهم وافي الرجاحة عالي

Honor the men of learning in your lands,

Revere the men of knowledge among you,

Revere the men of science within your lands,

For their worth is substantial and exalted.

Their judgment is sound, their minds are exalted.

For their worth is weighty and supreme.

ولا تقبلوا فيهم وشاية خائن

ولا تقبلوا فيهم وشاية خائن

ونفثة مغتاب وبغضة قالي

ونفثة مغتاب وبغضة قالي

And do not accept a traitor's slander against them,

Do not accept from the betrayers their lies against them,

Accept no traitor's slander against them,

Nor a backbiter's spittle, nor a hater's malice.

Nor the misguided their slander, the envious their assaults.

Nor the backbiter's venom, nor the loather's spite.

فتلك عراقيل يعانون وعرها

فتلك عراقيل يعانون وعرها

على أنهم لا ينثنون بحال

على أنهم لا ينثنون بحال

For those are obstacles whose ruggedness they endure,

They face only hardship from these tribulations,

These are rugged obstacles they must endure,

Yet under no circumstances do they bend.

But they will not bend, this is their determination.

Yet they never waver, whatever the plight.

ولا تغفلوا شأن الصغاو فإنهم

ولا تغفلوا شأن الصغاو فإنهم

لمستقبل الأيام خير رجال

لمستقبل الأيام خير رجال

And do not neglect the welfare of the young, for they are

Do not neglect the children, for they are

Do not neglect the affairs of the young, for they

The best men for the days to come.

The best of men in future days, civilization’s core.

Are the finest men for the days to come.

وأشبه شيء بالمرايا عقولهم

وأشبه شيء بالمرايا عقولهم

فصوغوا لها منكم أجل مثال

فصوغوا لها منكم أجل مثال

And their minds are the closest thing to mirrors,

Their minds are like mirrors in their resemblance,

Their minds are most like polished mirrors,

So fashion, from yourselves, the noblest example for them.

So set in them your finest example.

So cast for them the noblest image of yourselves.

ابينوا لهم طيب الفعال ليقتدوا

ابينوا لهم طيب الفعال ليقتدوا

بكم، فحياة الطفل طيب فعال

بكم، فحياة الطفل طيب فعال

Show them goodness in action, so that they may follow

Show them the beauty of deeds so they follow,

Demonstrate good deeds that they may follow,

You; for a child's life is goodness in action.

For a child’s life is molded by deeds, good and thorough.

For a child's life is shaped by virtuous acts.

وهبوا إلى الاصلاح فالله كافل

وهبوا إلى الاصلاح فالله كافل

لمن هب للاصلاح حسن مئال

لمن هب للاصلاح حسن مئال

And rise to reform, for God guarantees

Dedicate yourselves to reform—God will suffice—

Rise up for reform, for God ensures

A good outcome for whoever rises to reform.

For those who work reform, God rewards very nice.

A blessed outcome for those who strive to mend.