بِعودتكَ الحَمرَاء تمَّ لها القصدُ

بِعودتكَ الحَمرَاء تمَّ لها القصدُ

فَذِي عودةٌ كالشمسِ يقُدمُها السَّعد

فَذِي عودةٌ كالشمسِ يقُدمُها السَّعد

With your return, al-Hamra's wish has been fulfilled.

With your red return, it was intended for her

For this is a return like the sun, with good fortune leading it.

So it is a return like the sun brought forward by good fortune

بحَمرائِكَ المُشتَاقُ لُقيَاكَ أهلُهَا

بحَمرائِكَ المُشتَاقُ لُقيَاكَ أهلُهَا

حَللتَ كما قد حلَّ في فصلِه الوَردُ

حَللتَ كما قد حلَّ في فصلِه الوَردُ

In your al-Hamra, whose people long to meet you,

The longing one for your redness, its people have met you

you arrived as the rose arrives in its season.

You have arrived just as the roses arrived in their season

فأَنعشتَهم رُوحا وأفعمتَ قلبَهم

فأَنعشتَهم رُوحا وأفعمتَ قلبَهم

سُرورا تساوَى الشِّيبُ في ذاك والوِلدُ

سُرورا تساوَى الشِّيبُ في ذاك والوِلدُ

So you revived their spirits and filled their hearts

So you revived them with soul and imbued their hearts

with joy, shared alike by the gray-haired and the children.

With joy where old and young are equal

بلَى بكُمُ قد أشرقَ القطرُ كلُّه

بلَى بكُمُ قد أشرقَ القطرُ كلُّه

فإنَّ التهامي في الورى عَلَمٌ فردُ

فإنَّ التهامي في الورى عَلَمٌ فردُ

Indeed, through you the whole land has shone,

Indeed with you the whole country has shone

for al-Tihami is a peerless luminary among mankind.

For rising in the land is a singular flag

وأمَّ حمَاك الشعبُ يَطفَحُ قلبُه

وأمَّ حمَاك الشعبُ يَطفَحُ قلبُه

سرورا وملءُ القلب حبُّك والودُّ

سرورا وملءُ القلب حبُّك والودُّ

And the people made for your sanctuary, their hearts overflowing

And the people protected you, their hearts overflow

with joy, their hearts filled with love for you and affection.

With joy and their hearts are filled with love and affection for you

لكُم كلَّ يوم في المزَايا تجدُّدٌ

لكُم كلَّ يوم في المزَايا تجدُّدٌ

فلم يَخلُ يومٌ من مزايا لكُم تَبدو

فلم يَخلُ يومٌ من مزايا لكُم تَبدو

Each day brings a renewal of your merits,

For you, each day has renewal in its qualities

for no day has passed without merits of yours appearing.

So no day passed without merits appearing for you

فذُدتَ عن الفُرقان مَن رامَ كيدَه

فذُدتَ عن الفُرقان مَن رامَ كيدَه

ألاَ إنَّ كيدَ المارِقين هُو الكَيدُ

ألاَ إنَّ كيدَ المارِقين هُو الكَيدُ

So you defended the Criterion against whoever sought to undermine it.

So you blocked from treachery those who intended their plots

Take heed: the renegades' scheming is scheming indeed.

Indeed, the plots of the defectors are just plots

ستلقَى من الدَّيَّان ما أنتَ أهلُه

ستلقَى من الدَّيَّان ما أنتَ أهلُه

وما أنتَ أهلُه جزاءً هو الخُلدُ

وما أنتَ أهلُه جزاءً هو الخُلدُ

You will receive from the Requiter what you deserve,

You will face from the Judge what you deserve

and the recompense you deserve is eternal life.

And what you deserve is reward, it is eternity

لئن طالَ من مولاي عنا مَغيبُه

لئن طالَ من مولاي عنا مَغيبُه

فما كان إلا الجزرُ يعقُبه المَدُّ

فما كان إلا الجزرُ يعقُبه المَدُّ

Though my lord's absence from us was long,

If the absence of my Master from us grows long

it was only the ebb, followed by the flood tide.

It was just the ebb that follows the flood

تبارت شعوبٌ في ضِيافَة شخصِه

تبارت شعوبٌ في ضِيافَة شخصِه

فكم دَولةٍ عُظمَى يُمثِّلُها فردُ

فكم دَولةٍ عُظمَى يُمثِّلُها فردُ

Peoples vied with one another to offer him hospitality,

Nations have competed in hosting his person

for many a great state is represented by a single man.

For how many great states does one person represent?

وكلُّ عظيمِ القدرِ شرقا ومضغرِبا

وكلُّ عظيمِ القدرِ شرقا ومضغرِبا

به عارِفٌ والنِّدُّ يَعرِفه النِّدُّ

به عارِفٌ والنِّدُّ يَعرِفه النِّدُّ

And every man of great standing, in the East and West,

And every great person of status in East and West

knows him; and one peer recognizes another.

Is an acquaintance, and equal recognizes equal

إذا عُدتَ عاد الخيرُ للشعبِ كلِّه

إذا عُدتَ عاد الخيرُ للشعبِ كلِّه

وتُكسِبُه إن غبتَ فخراُ كما العَهدُ

وتُكسِبُه إن غبتَ فخراُ كما العَهدُ

When you return, good fortune returns to all the people,

When you return, goodness returns to all the people

and if you are away, you bring them pride, as always.

And if you are absent, it brings them pride as is the custom

تَخَالُه نَشوَانا لِفرطِ سروره

تَخَالُه نَشوَانا لِفرطِ سروره

فأنغامُه تشدُو وأقدامُه تَعدُو

فأنغامُه تشدُو وأقدامُه تَعدُو

You would think them drunk, so great is their joy,

It seems to dance from excessive joy

for their melodies sing and their feet race.

So its tunes sing and its feet run

وقد دام أسبوعُ السُّرور وكُحِّلَت

وقد دام أسبوعُ السُّرور وكُحِّلَت

بطلعَتِك الغرَّاءِ أعيُنُه الرُّمدُ

بطلعَتِك الغرَّاءِ أعيُنُه الرُّمدُ

And the week of joy endured, and kohl was laid

And the week of joy has lasted, adorned

upon their inflamed eyes by your radiant countenance.

By your radiant rising, its sleepy eyes kohl'd

وآراؤكَ المُثلَى تُنِير غَيَاهباً

وآراؤكَ المُثلَى تُنِير غَيَاهباً

إذا ظِمِىءَ الرأيُ فقد عَذُب الوِرد

إذا ظِمِىءَ الرأيُ فقد عَذُب الوِرد

And your exemplary views illuminate deep darkness;

And your ideal views illuminate its darkness

when judgment grows thirsty, the water has turned sweet.

When opinion is thirsty, the roses are sweet water

عن أُمِّ الرَّدَى لما سُئِلتَ أجَبتَهم

عن أُمِّ الرَّدَى لما سُئِلتَ أجَبتَهم

وكانَ جوابا من عَظيم لهم قصدُ

وكانَ جوابا من عَظيم لهم قصدُ

When asked about the mother of death, you answered them,

About Umm Al-Rada you were asked and you answered them

and it was the answer of a great man whom they had sought out:

And it was an answer with purpose for them from the eminent

سِلاحُ حَدِيد قد بَدا مثلَما بدا

سِلاحُ حَدِيد قد بَدا مثلَما بدا

سِوَاه وسُلحَانٌ ستظهر مِن بعدُ

سِوَاه وسُلحَانٌ ستظهر مِن بعدُ

A weapon of iron has appeared, just as did

Weapons of iron have appeared just as

others; and further weapons will appear afterward.

Others appeared, and peace will emerge after

وقد شُدِهوا مِنه جوابا وقد بَدا

وقد شُدِهوا مِنه جوابا وقد بَدا

لهم غيرَ ما كَانوا يَظنونَه يبدُو

لهم غيرَ ما كَانوا يَظنونَه يبدُو

And they were astounded by that answer, for it appeared

And they were amazed by his answer, and it appeared

to them unlike what they had thought would appear.

To them not as they had imagined it would appear

وتصغُرُ في عين العظِيم عظيمَةٌ

وتصغُرُ في عين العظِيم عظيمَةٌ

وصُغرَى بأًَعيُن الأصاغِر تَمَتَدُّ

وصُغرَى بأًَعيُن الأصاغِر تَمَتَدُّ

And a great matter seems small in a great man's eyes,

And mightiness seems small in the eyes of the great

while a small one grows large in lesser men's eyes.

While the small seems vast in the eyes of the lesser

كَذَا فَليَكُن مَن رَامَ تَمثيلَ شعبهِ

كَذَا فَليَكُن مَن رَامَ تَمثيلَ شعبهِ

وَإِلا فلِلإِنسانِ بَيتُه وَالحَمدُ

وَإِلا فلِلإِنسانِ بَيتُه وَالحَمدُ

Let whoever seeks to represent his people be like this;

Thus, let whoever aspires to represent his people be so

otherwise, a man has his home—and praise be to God.

Or else for man are his house and praise

هَنيئاً لِمن قد صار في ظِلِّ رَكبهِ

هَنيئاً لِمن قد صار في ظِلِّ رَكبهِ

كخادِمه الوَافي وما للهَنا حدُّ

كخادِمه الوَافي وما للهَنا حدُّ

Happy is he who has come into the shade of his cavalcade,

Happy is he who has been in its shadow

like his faithful servant—and happiness knows no bounds.

Like its loyal servant, and for us to God there is no limit