ياO أيُّهاyou النَّاسُthe people هذاthis مَولِدُthe birth of القَمَرِthe moon
يا أيُّها النَّاسُ هذا مَولِدُ القَمَرِ
فيin نِصفِthe middle of شَعبانَSha‘ban يُهديbestows البِشْرَgladness للبَشَرِupon humankind
في نِصفِ شَعبانَ يُهدي البِشْرَ للبَشَرِ
O people, this is the birth of the moon,
O people, this is the moon's birthday
At mid-Sha‘ban, bestowing gladness upon humankind.
In the middle of Sha'ban, it brings good news to people
قدindeed أولَدَbrought to birth اللهُGod سَعداًgood fortune يومَon the day of مَولِدِهِhis birth
قد أولَدَ اللهُ سَعداً يومَ مَولِدِهِ
لناfor us كماas تَقتَضيهِrequires it حِكمةُthe wisdom of القَدَرِdestiny
لنا كما تَقتَضيهِ حِكمةُ القَدَرِ
God brought good fortune to birth on the day of his birth,
God has born Saad on the day of his birth
For us, as the wisdom of destiny ordains.
For us as destiny's wisdom requires
يومٌa day جَرَىhastened منهُfrom it نحوَtoward المُلكِkingship صاحبُهُits master
يومٌ جَرَى منهُ نحوَ المُلكِ صاحبُهُ
جَرْيَthe coursing of البُدُورِthe full moons إلىtoward نُورٍa light منَfrom الغُرَرِthe radiant brows
جَرْيَ البُدُورِ إلى نُورٍ منَ الغُرَرِ
A day from which its master hastened toward kingship,
A day in which its owner flowed towards kingship
As full moons course toward a light from radiant brows.
Flowing like the full moons to a precious light
قدindeed أوجَدَbrought into being اللهُGod فيهِon it رحمةًa mercy ظَهَرَتْappeared
قد أوجَدَ اللهُ فيهِ رحمةً ظَهَرَتْ
فيin كلِّevery أرضٍland ففاقَتْand so surpassed رَحمةَthe mercy of المَطَرِrain
في كلِّ أرضٍ ففاقَتْ رَحمةَ المَطَرِ
God brought forth on it a mercy that appeared
God has created in it a mercy that has appeared
In every land, surpassing the mercy of rain.
In every land, exceeding the mercy of rain
عيدٌa festival لعبدِfor ‘Abd (servant of) العزيزِal-‘Aziz (the Mighty) اليومَtoday قدindeed ضُرِبتْwere sounded
عيدٌ لعبدِ العزيزِ اليومَ قد ضُرِبتْ
فيهِwithin it البشائرُthe glad tidings بينَbetween السَّمْعِhearing والبَصَرِand sight
فيهِ البشائرُ بينَ السَّمْعِ والبَصَرِ
Today is a festival for ‘Abd al-‘Aziz; there resound
A feast for Abdulaziz today, good tidings were struck
Within it glad tidings for both ear and eye.
Between hearing and sight
كَساclothed الجِبالَthe mountains بأثوابِin robes of البَياضِwhite كماjust as
كَسا الجِبالَ بأثوابِ البَياضِ كما
كَساclothed السُّهولَthe plains بثَوْبِin a robe of الخُضرةِgreenery النَضِرِfresh
كَسا السُّهولَ بثَوْبِ الخُضرةِ النَضِرِ
It clothed the mountains in robes of white, just as
It covered the mountains in white clothes as
It clothed the plains in a fresh robe of green.
It covered the plains in fresh green attire
عيدٌa festival بهduring it قامتِrose الأنوارُthe lights ساطِعةًshining
عيدٌ به قامتِ الأنوارُ ساطِعةً
فيon ليلةِthe night of البَدْرِthe full moon حتىuntil مَطلِعِthe onset of السَّحَرِthe predawn hour
في ليلةِ البَدْرِ حتى مَطلِعِ السَّحَرِ
A festival at which the lights rose radiant
A feast in which lights stood radiant
On the full-moon night, until the onset of the predawn hour.
In the night of the full moon until dawn breaks
نابَتْtook the place عنِof الشَّمسِthe sun فاستخَفَىand so became hidden ببَهْجتِهاthrough their splendor
نابَتْ عنِ الشَّمسِ فاستخَفَى ببَهْجتِها
ماwhatever كانَthere was للبَدْرِbelonging to the full moon منof ضوءٍlight عنfrom النَّظَرِsight
ما كانَ للبَدْرِ من ضوءٍ عن النَّظَرِ
They took the sun’s place, and in their splendor vanished
It outshone the sun, so its splendor looked down
From sight whatever light the full moon had.
Upon what little light the moon had in comparison
قدindeed صارَتِbecame الأرضُthe earth فيهاduring it كالسَّماءِlike the sky بهاupon it
قد صارَتِ الأرضُ فيها كالسَّماءِ بها
بَرْقٌlightning ورَعدٌand thunder وشُهبٌand meteors ضَخْمةُenormous in الشَّرَرِsparks
بَرْقٌ ورَعدٌ وشُهبٌ ضَخْمةُ الشَّرَرِ
That night the earth became like the sky, with
The land in it became like the sky in it
Lightning, thunder, and meteors with enormous sparks.
With lightning, thunder, and giant shooting stars
وسَبَّحَتْand glorified God خُطَباءُthe orators of الناسِthe people حاكيةًimitating
وسَبَّحَتْ خُطَباءُ الناسِ حاكيةً
مَلائكَthe angels of العَرْشِthe Throne فيin الآصالِthe late afternoons والبُكَرِand the early mornings
مَلائكَ العَرْشِ في الآصالِ والبُكَرِ
And the people’s orators glorified God, imitating
And the people's orators glorified it
The angels of the Throne in the evenings and early mornings.
Like the angels of the Divine Throne at dawn and dusk
للهِto God دَرُّexcellence بنيthe sons of عُثمانَ‘Uthman منof فئةٍa company
للهِ دَرُّ بني عُثمانَ من فئةٍ
جَلَّتْwas exalted فماand so did not تَرَكَتْleave فخراًglory لمُفتَخِرِfor anyone boasting
جَلَّتْ فما تَرَكَتْ فخراً لمُفتَخِرِ
God bless the sons of ‘Uthman—a company
Praise belongs to the clan of Othman
So exalted, they left no glory for anyone else to boast of.
Whose nobility left no room for the arrogant
إذاwhen مَضَىdeparted كوكبٌa star منهاfrom among them أتىcame قَمَرٌa moon
إذا مَضَى كوكبٌ منها أتى قَمَرٌ
وإنand if مَضَىdeparted قَمَرٌa moon فالشَّمسُthen the sun فيin الأثَرِthe wake
وإن مَضَى قَمَرٌ فالشَّمسُ في الأثَرِ
When a star among them passes, a moon arrives;
Whenever a star passes, a moon comes
And if a moon passes, the sun follows in its wake.
And if a moon passes, the sun follows
قدindeed قامَarose منfrom أصلِهاits root عبدُ‘Abd (servant of) العزيزِal-‘Aziz (the Mighty) لناfor us
قد قامَ من أصلِها عبدُ العزيزِ لنا
فَرْعاًas a branch كريماًnoble عظيمَgreat in الخُبْرِknowledge والخَبَرِand renown
فَرْعاً كريماً عظيمَ الخُبْرِ والخَبَرِ
From their root ‘Abd al-‘Aziz has arisen for us,
Abdulaziz has stood for us from his origin
A noble branch, great in knowledge and renown.
A generous, great, experienced, and skilled scion
إذاwhen ذَكرناwe mention مُلوكَthe kings of العَصرِthe age كانَhe was لهمfor them
إذا ذَكرنا مُلوكَ العَصرِ كانَ لهم
صَدْراًforemost كفاتحةٍlike an opening chapter فيat أوَّلِthe beginning of السُورِthe surahs
صَدْراً كفاتحةٍ في أوَّلِ السُورِ
When we name the kings of the age, he stands among them
When we mention the kings of the time, he is for them
Foremost, like al-Fatiha at the beginning of the surahs.
A heart like the Fatiha at the start of the Quran
يدعوprays لهُfor him كلُّeveryone منwho صَلَّىprayed لخالقِهِto his Creator
يدعو لهُ كلُّ من صَلَّى لخالقِهِ
بالسَّعدِfor good fortune والعزِّand glory والإقبالِand prosperity والظَفَرِand victory
بالسَّعدِ والعزِّ والإقبالِ والظَفَرِ
Everyone who prays to his Creator prays for him,
Everyone who prays to his Creator invokes
For good fortune, glory, prosperity, and victory.
Blessings, glory, ascent, and triumph upon him
فلاso never يزَالُceases to be بحَولِthrough the might of اللهِGod مُقتدراًpowerful
فلا يزَالُ بحَولِ اللهِ مُقتدراً
وطالماand often أرَّخوهُthey recorded his date بالغَattaining الوَطَرِthe desire
وطالما أرَّخوهُ بالغَ الوَطَرِ
So may he ever remain powerful through God’s might,
By God's might, he remains empowered
And often they have recorded his date: ‘Attaining his desire.’
For as long as we date his reign by the passing years