مهد الصبا ما للصبا عهد

مهد الصبا ما للصبا عهد

ولى الصبا فسلمت يا مهد

ولى الصبا فسلمت يا مهد

O cradle of youth, youth keeps no pledge.

The days of youth, what are youth's days?

Youth has gone; may you be safe, O cradle.

Youth departed, farewell O cradle.

هذا ربيب الأمس فيك فما

هذا ربيب الأمس فيك فما

أبقى له من بعدك البعد

أبقى له من بعدك البعد

Here is yesterday's child, nurtured in you; what

This is yesterday's child in you, so

Has distance left him since parting from you?

After you, what remains for him but distance?

عكس الزمان عليه حالته

عكس الزمان عليه حالته

ففؤاده لا الغور مسود

ففؤاده لا الغور مسود

Time has reversed his fortunes,

Time has reversed his state,

So his heart—not the lowland—is blackened.

So his heart is not an unfathomed sea.

يبكي على الأعوام خالية

يبكي على الأعوام خالية

يا مهد فيه وحلمها شهد

يا مهد فيه وحلمها شهد

He weeps for the years gone by

He weeps over vacant years,

There, O cradle, when their dream was honey.

O cradle! In it and their dreams are gone.

ويذيبه أسفٌ على وطن

ويذيبه أسفٌ على وطن

أودى بريق عيشه النكد

أودى بريق عيشه النكد

And sorrow for a homeland melts him away,

Melancholy dissolves him for a homeland

Whose life's radiance misery has destroyed.

Whose brightness of life misery has erased.

وطنٌ ذوت خضراء نجعته

وطنٌ ذوت خضراء نجعته

للرائدين وعكر الورد

للرائدين وعكر الورد

A homeland whose green pasture has withered

A homeland whose green places luxuriance has dwelt,

For the scouts, and whose watering place has grown murky.

For pioneers and the rose's scent is spoiled.

ومشى الهوان على جوانبه

ومشى الهوان على جوانبه

متهادياً فتنكب المجد

متهادياً فتنكب المجد

And humiliation has walked across its flanks,

And disgrace walked on its flanks

Strutting, and glory turned aside.

Staggering, so glory falls prostrate.

الوعد مطعمه ومشربه

الوعد مطعمه ومشربه

يا ويح حيٍّ قوته الوعد

يا ويح حيٍّ قوته الوعد

Promises are its food and drink.

Its food and drink are promise,

Alas for a people whose sustenance is promises!

Woe to a living one whose food is promise.

يا مهد ما الذكرى بنافعةٍ

يا مهد ما الذكرى بنافعةٍ

لا هندُ راجعةٌ ولا دعد

لا هندُ راجعةٌ ولا دعد

O cradle, remembrance is of no use:

O cradle, of what use are memories?

Neither Hind nor Da‘d will return.

There is no returning India or evening conversation.

ضدان ماضينا وحاضرنا

ضدان ماضينا وحاضرنا

والضد يظهر حسنه الضد

والضد يظهر حسنه الضد

Our past and present are opposites,

Our past and present are opposites,

And one opposite reveals the other's beauty.

And opposites show the excellence of their opposites.

مالي وللذكرى فقد طويت

مالي وللذكرى فقد طويت

تلك السوانح وانقضى العهد

تلك السوانح وانقضى العهد

What have I to do with memory? Folded away are

What have I to do with memories? For I have folded

Those passing moments, and that age is over.

Those adventures and their time has passed away.

فكفى التآسي بالكرام وان

فكفى التآسي بالكرام وان

قلَّ الكرام بنا متى عدوا

قلَّ الكرام بنا متى عدوا

So let solace in the noble suffice, even if

But it suffices to grieve for the generous, and if

The noble among us are few whenever they are counted.

The generous among us were few when counted.

هذا مقامٌ ضمَّ شملهم

هذا مقامٌ ضمَّ شملهم

عقداً فريداً حبذا العقد

عقداً فريداً حبذا العقد

This is a gathering that has brought them together,

This is an abode which has gathered their group,

As a peerless necklace—how splendid the necklace!

A unique knot, excellent is the knot!

فهم الأُلى لولا عوارفهم

فهم الأُلى لولا عوارفهم

لطوى المروءة والندى لحد

لطوى المروءة والندى لحد

For they are those without whose kindness

They are the lofty ones, were it not for their nobility

A grave would have engulfed chivalry and generosity.

Manliness and dew would have been folded up and buried.

يا مهد حسبك أن جلهم

يا مهد حسبك أن جلهم

نشآت حضنك أيها المهد

نشآت حضنك أيها المهد

O cradle, enough for you that most of them

O cradle, it suffices you that the best of them

Were raised in your embrace, O cradle,

Were nurtured in your embrace, O cradle!

فخراً فما ربيت غير فتى

فخراً فما ربيت غير فتى

عند الكريهة عوده صلد

عند الكريهة عوده صلد

For pride: you have reared none but a youth

Honor! For you have not nurtured other than a youth

Whose wood is unyielding in adversity,

Firm when faced with calamity, his determination like iron.

يحنو على الوطن العزيز ولا

يحنو على الوطن العزيز ولا

يعيي لدى الجلى له جهد

يعيي لدى الجلى له جهد

Who cherishes the beloved homeland, and never

Who loves the precious homeland and does not

Does his strength falter before a great ordeal.

Tire before the majestic, his effort fails not.

فسل المهاجر عن فضائله

فسل المهاجر عن فضائله

يعبق من الدنيا لك الحمد

يعبق من الدنيا لك الحمد

So ask the lands of emigration about his virtues:

Ask the émigré about his virtues-

Praise will waft fragrantly to you from the world.

From the world for you rises praise.

يا روضة الأحداث لا برحت

يا روضة الأحداث لا برحت

تسقي الندى اغصانك الملد

تسقي الندى اغصانك الملد

O garden of the young, may you never cease

O meadow of events, you have not ceased

Watering your supple branches with dew.

To water your branches that yield before being cut.

وعليك عين اللَه ساهرة

وعليك عين اللَه ساهرة

أبداً وريب الدهر مرتد

أبداً وريب الدهر مرتد

And may God's eye keep watch over you

Upon you ever God's eye is wakeful

Forever, and time's misfortunes be repelled.

And the caprice of fate is turned back.