1. طالَ منِّي لذَا النَّهارِ ارتقَابِي

    يَا رفاقي لقَد تَزايدَ مَا بِي

    Long has been my anticipation of this day.

    O my companions, what I feel has grown stronger.

  2. أيُّمَا لذَّةٍ وأيُّ سُرورٍ

    كَسُرورِ الأحبَاب للأحباَبِ

    What pleasure, and what joy,

    Can match loved ones' joy for their loved ones?

  3. طالً منَّا لذَا النهَار انتِظارٌ

    كانتظَارِ الظمَّآنِ للأكوَابِ

    Long was our wait for this day,

    Like a thirsty man's wait for cups.

  4. ثُمَّ طِبناَا والحمدلِلهِ نفساً

    خَير سُؤلٍ ما جَاء بعدَ ارتقَابِ

    Then we were content in spirit—praise be to God;

    The best wish is one fulfilled after waiting.

  5. قُل لقَومٍ عَليهمُ أشكل الأم

    رُ فظنُّوا السَّراب ماءَ شَرَابِ

    Tell a people for whom the matter was unclear,

    And who therefore mistook the mirage for drinking water.

  6. وهُمُ الآن باهِتونَ حَيَارَى

    بانَ أنَّ العِقابَ عينُ الثَّوابِ

    And now they are dumbfounded and bewildered:

    It is clear that punishment is reward itself.

  7. قل لَهم للبيَّازِ عزٌّ وسِرٌّ

    وانتِصار مِن مالِكٍ وهَّابِ

    Tell them: al-Bayyaz has honor and a secret,

    And victory from a bountiful sovereign.

  8. هوَ للمالِك المفَدَّى خَديمٌ

    مُخلصٌ واقفٌ بعتبَة بابِ

    He is a servant of the sovereign we would give our lives for,

    Devoted, standing at his door's threshold.

  9. والملِيكُ المحبوبُ يدرِي ذوِي الإخ

    لاَصِ عَن بُعدِ دارِهم واقترَاب

    And the beloved king recognizes the sincere,

    Whether their homes lie far away or near.

  10. وخَديمُ الأعتَابِ ليسَ يُلاقِي

    غيرَ خَيرٍ من سيِّد الأعتَابِ

    And the servant of the thresholds receives

    Nothing but good from the lord of the thresholds.

  11. مِن مَليكٍ بل من أجلِّ مَليكٍ

    مُستحِقٍّ للفخرِ والإعجابِ

    From a king—indeed, from the most exalted king,

    Deserving of pride and admiration.

  12. فأوحَ المسكَ ذِكرُه وتسَامت

    في سمَا فَخرِهِ رَوَاسي القِبَابِ

    Mention of him wafted musk, and there rose

    Into the sky of his glory the firmly rooted domes.

  13. لَم يكُن في احتجَابه غيرَ بَدرٍ

    يُسفِرُ البدرُ بَعدَ طولِ احتجَابِ

    In his concealment, he was nothing but a full moon;

    The full moon shines forth after long concealment.

  14. لَم يكُن في انحِبَاسِه غيرَ غيثٍ

    وهوَ واللهِ عائدٌ بانسِكابِ

    In his confinement, he was nothing but life-giving rain;

    And, by God, he returns in a downpour.

  15. لَم يَكن في الغِيَاب غيرَ حبِيب

    ويزورُ الحبيبُ بعدَ الغِيَابِ

    In his absence, he was nothing but a beloved;

    And the beloved visits after an absence.

  16. لَم يكُن في فِعاله غيرَ سلطا

    نٍ وسُلطانُنا حَليمُ الجَنَابِ

    In his deeds, he was nothing but a sultan;

    And our sultan is forbearing in disposition.

  17. إنَّهُ إنَّهُ المليكُ المُفَدَّى

    واسِعُ الحِلم دائمُ التِّرحَابِ

    He, he is the king we would give our lives for,

    Vast in forbearance, ever welcoming.

  18. أمُحِقٌّ أنا بِربِّكَ أم لا

    أيها السَّامعُون هل من جَوابِ

    Am I right, by your Lord, or not?

    O listeners, is there any answer?

  19. في الهَناءِ البيَّازُ لكنَّ حُسَّا

    دَ الكَمال قلوبُهم في اضطِرَابِ

    Al-Bayyaz is happy, but those who envy

    Perfection have hearts in turmoil.

  20. فإذا مَا تألَّموا فاعذِروهُم

    واعلمُوا أنَّ قلبَهم في عَذابِ

    So whenever they suffer, excuse them,

    And know that their heart is in torment.

  21. هُمُ مثلَ المِصباَح لَيلةَ أُنسٍ

    ناعِم الطَّرفِ والحَشا في التهَأبِ

    They are like a lamp on a night of companionship:

    Gentle of gaze, while the heart is ablaze.

  22. هُمُ عُميٌ عَن الكمَالِ ولكِن

    قَد أعَدُّوا للنقصِ عينَ عُقَابِ

    They are blind to perfection, and yet

    They have readied an eagle's eye for flaws.

  23. فَثُغورٌ بوَاسمٌ عن بيَاضٍ

    وقُلوبٌ حَوالكُ الجِلبَابِ

    So mouths smile, revealing white teeth,

    And hearts wear pitch-black robes.

  24. قد جهِلتُم بأنه في حِمَى خَي

    رِ هُمامٍ مذَلِّل للصِعَابِ

    You did not know that he is under the protection of the finest

    Hero, a tamer of hardships.

  25. قد جهِلتُم بأنه في حِمَى البا

    شا التِّهَامي الهُمام ضَيغَمِ غَابِ

    You did not know that he is under the protection of the Pasha,

    Al-Tihami, the valiant, a lion of the forest.

  26. وَهوَ حَاشاهُ أن يَرى سيفَه المَس

    لُولَ يوما بُمغمَدٍ في قَرَابِ

    And far be it from him to see his drawn sword

    Ever sheathed inside a scabbard.

  27. عَالِمٌ أنهُ حُسَامٌ بِيُمنا

    هُ مُعِدّا لَه لِيَوم الضِّرابِ

    He knows him to be a keen sword in his right hand,

    Made ready for him for the day of combat.

  28. فَتَصَدَّى ومِثلُه مَن تصَدَّى

    ولِخَيرِ المُجيبِ خيرُ الجًَوابِ

    So he came forward—and one like him is fit to come forward—

    And to the best responder belongs the best reply.

  29. ليسَ يَدرِي العظيمَ غيرُ عَظيمٍ

    وجَوابُ العَظيمِ خيرُ جَوَابِ

    None but a great man recognizes a great man,

    And a great man's reply is the best reply.

  30. حُبُّهُم ثابتٌ ثُبوتَ الرَوَاسِي

    وجَفَاهُم يمُرُّ مرَّ السَّحَاب

    Their love stands firm as the mountains,

    And their estrangement passes like clouds.

  31. تِلكُمُ الطَّلعَةُ البَهِيةُ فيهَا

    كُلُّ خَيرٍ ورأفةٍ وصوَابِ

    In that radiant countenance are

    All goodness, compassion, and sound judgment.

  32. هوَ للعينِ هضبَةٌ من وقَارٍ

    بسَمَت خُلقاً عن زُهورِ الروَابي

    To the eye he is a hill of dignity,

    Whose character smiles, revealing the flowers of the hills.

  33. رَبِّ فاستبقِه إلينَا مَلاَذا

    وآدِم جاهَه عزيزَ الجَنَابِ

    My Lord, preserve him for us as a refuge,

    And sustain his prestige, with his person held in honor.

  34. ولأنجالِه الكِرَام دُعَانِي

    وثَنَائِي في جِيئةٍ وذَهابِ

    And for his noble sons are my prayers

    And my praise, in coming and going.

  35. فشُبُولُ الأقسُودِ تقفُو أُسودا

    وعَليهِم منهَا أجلُّ حِجَابِ

    For lion cubs follow lions,

    And over them, from those lions, is the noblest veil of protection.

  36. ونُهَنِّيكَ يا حبِيبُ ونَرجُو الله

    زيدَ النُّعمَى بغيرِ حِسابِ

    And we congratulate you, beloved, and ask God

    For an increase in blessings beyond measure.

  37. ولتَدُم قُرَّةً نعَم وقذَاةً

    لِعُيونِ الأعداءِ والأحباَابِ

    And may you remain a delight—yes—and a speck of grit,

    To the eyes of loved ones and enemies.

  38. أنتَ في هذهِ مُجازَى مُثابٌ

    وثوابُ الأخرَى أجلُّ ثَوابِ

    In this life you are recompensed and rewarded,

    And the next life's reward is the noblest reward.