National Anthem of Saudi Arabia

The national anthem of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia^[a] was first officially adopted in 1950 without lyrics. The piece was gifted by the then Egyptian King Farouq when King Abdulaziz made a visit to Egypt.^[1] It was then adopted again in 1984 with lyrics written by Ibrāhīm Khafājī. The original composition was by Abdul-Raḥman al-Khaṭīb in 1947, and the brass instrumental version was later arranged by Sirāj Umar.^[2][3][4]

an-Našīd al-Waṭanī as-Suʿūdī

English: "National Anthem of Saudi Arabia"
النشيد الوطني السعودي
National anthem of Saudi Arabia
Also known as	عاش الملك (English: "Long live the king") النشيد الوطني (English: "The National Anthem")
Lyrics	Ibrāhīm Khafājī, 1984
Music	Abdul-Raḥman al-Khaṭīb (arranged by Sirāj Umar), 1947
Adopted	1950 (as instrumental)
Readopted	June 29, 1984 (with lyrics)
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (c. 2016) file help

U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (fast tempo) (c. 2003)

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U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (c. 2011)

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K.S.A. Royal guard Band instrumental version (c. 1984)

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Problems playing these files? See media help.

Overview

In 1947, because Saudi Arabia did not have a national anthem like other neighbouring countries, King Abdulaziz visited Egypt and asked Egyptian composer Abdul-Raḥman al-Khaṭīb to create a national anthem, and thus "Āsh al-Malīk" was created. The melody is based on an Arab fanfare style, and is similar to the national anthems of other Arab states in the area at the time. In 1958, Mohammed Talat wrote the first set of lyrics, which were not often heard, so King Fahd asked poet Ibrāhīm Khafājī in 1984 to come up with a new set of lyrics, which were completed within six months on 29 June 1984.^[4] Khafājī's lyrics are the ones that are used officially today.^[2] Saudis listened to their anthem for the first time during the celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr in 1984.^[1]

"Āsh al-Malīk" is referred to by Saudi Arabians as "The National Anthem" (النشيد الوطني, an-Našīd al-Waṭanī), although it is commonly known by its incipit, "Hasten" (سارعي, Sārʿī). The lyrics call upon the country to hasten to greatness and raise the flag, glorify God, and asks Him to grant the King of Saudi Arabia long life.^[4]

The instrumental version is called "The Royal Salute" (السلام الملكي, as-Salām al-Malakī), which is also the name of the ceremony in which it is played to salute senior members of the royal family as well as diplomatic figures.

Lyrics

Official lyrics

Arabic original^[3]^[5]^[6]^[7]	MSA Romanization^[2]	IPA transcription^[b]	English translation^[4]
سَارْعِي ،لِلْمَجْدِ وَالْعَلْيَاء !مَجِّدِي لِخَالِقِ الْسَّمَاء وَارْفَعِي الْخَفَّاقَ أَخْضَر ،يَحْمِلُ الْنُّورَ الْمُسَطَّر !رَدِّدِي: اللهُ أَكْبَر^[c] !يَا مَوْطِنِي ،مَوْطِنِي !عِشْتَ فَخْرَ الْمُسْلِمِين^[d] عَاشَ الْمَلِك لِلْعَلَم !وَالْوَطَن	Sārʿī Li-l-majdi wa-l-ʿalyāʾ, Majjidī li-xāliqi s-samāʾ! Wa-rfaʿī l-xaffāqa ʾaxḍar Yaḥmilu n-nūra l-musaṭṭar, Raddidī: Allāhu ʾakbar! Yā mawṭinī! Mawṭinī, ʿIšta faxra l-muslimīn! ʿĀša l-malik Li-l-ʿalam Wa-l-waṭan!	[sæː.rɪ.ʕiː] [lɪ‿l.mæd͡ʒ.di wæ‿l.ʕɑl.jæːʔ |] [mæd.d͡ʒi.diː li xɑː.lɪ.qɪ‿s.sæ.mæːʔ ‖] [wɑr.fɑ.ʕɪ‿l.xɑf.fɑː.qɑ ʔɑx.dˤɑr] [jæħ.mɪ.lʊ‿n.nʊː.ræ‿l.mu.sɑtˤ.tˤɑr |] [rɑd.dɪ.diː ʔɑɫ.ɫɑː.hu ʔæk.bɑr ‖] [jæː mɑw.tˤɪ.niː ‖] [mɑw.tˤɪ.niː |] [ʕɪʃ.tæ fɑx.ræ‿l.mʊs.lɪ.miːn ‖] [ʕɑː.ʃæ‿l.mæ.lɪk] [lɪ‿l.ʕɑ.læm] [wæ‿l.wɑ.tˤɑn ‖]	Hasten To glory and supremacy, Glory in the Creator of the heavens! And raise the green flag Carrying the written light reflecting guidance, Repeat: God is the greatest! O my homeland! My homeland, Live as the pride of the Muslims! Long live the King For the flag And the land!

Saud lyrics (1958)

Arabic original^[9]

English translation

العُلَى لِمَن؟ يابَني الوَطَنِْ تَوءَا خُلودْ نحــــــنُ والزَّمـــــنْ سائِلوا الجُدودْ سائِلوا الحِقَبْ يَهتُفوا سُعودْ عاهِلَ العَرَبْ لِصَاحِبِ الْجَلَالَـةِ الْعَظِيْم لِقَائِدِ الْعُرُوبَةِ الْحَكِيْم أَرْوَاحُنَا فِدى ، شِعارُنا الهُدى ، السِّلمِ في الرِّدى ، لِلتَّاجِ لِلْوَطن كَوكَبٌ في السَماءْ عرشُه من إِباءْ تاجُه دُرَّةُ الأوْفياء مَجْدُهُ شُعْلَةٌ من ضِيَاءْ عاشَ المَلِكْ ، عاشَ الوَطَنْ شبابُنا الهُمامُ يَقْتَدي بِرائِدِ الجِهادِ يَهْتَدي سُعودِةِ الأبْي، وجيشِ يَعْرُبِ يَحوطُهُ النبَّيْ يُبَارِكُ الوَطَنْ يا حِمَى زَغْرِدي يا سَما رَدِّدي وابْسِمى لِلْمُنَى واشْهدي أنَّنا فِتْيَةُ الَُسؤْدَدِ عاشَ المَلِكْ ، عاشَ الوَطَنْ يُتَوِّجُ الجَزيرَةَ العَلَمْ يُعانِقُ الرّياَضَ والحَرَمْ نَخيلُنا جلال ، سُيوفُنا طِوَالْ مَلِكُنَا هِلالْ ، يُزيِّنُ الوطَنْ عَدْلْه في الزَّمانْ شِاهدٌ لِلْعَيَانْ أسْدُهُ ، ظَبْيُهُ ، في أمَانْ شَعْبُهُ ، جُنْدُهُ ، لَنْ يُهانْ عاشَ المَلِكْ ، عاشَ الوَطَنْ

For whom? Son of homeland We are the eternity of time They asked the old, the years They chant, Saudi Arabia's King To the great majesty of the wise leader of Arabia Our souls are ransom, our motto is guidance, peace is in the dark, for the crown of the homeland A planet in the sky has its throne from Aba His crown is a jewel of the faithful, his glory is a torch of light Long live the king, long live the homeland Our proud youth lead the pioneer of jihad The Saudis of the Father, and an Arab army surrounded by the Prophet, blessing the homeland Roaring fever, Sama, respond And give my name to Mina, and bear witness that we are young lions. Long live the king, long live the homeland The flag crowns the isle, embraces the scholars and sanctuaries Our palms are majestic, our swords are as long as our king is a crescent, decorating the homeland His justice in time is evident His lion, his antelope, in the safety of his people, his soldiers, will not be insulted Long live the king, long live the homeland

Ibn Saud lyrics (1947)

Arabic original^[10]	English translation
يعيش ملكنا الحبيب أرواحنا فداه حامي الحرم هيا اهتفوا عاش الملك هيا ارفعوا راية الوطن اهتفوا ورددوا النشيد يعيش الملك	Long live our beloved king Our souls are the protector of the sanctuary Come on, cheer, long live the king Come on, raise the flag of the homeland Cheer and chant the anthem Long live the king

Notes

1. Arabic: النشيد الوطني السعودي, an-Našīd al-Waṭanī as-Suʿūdī, lit. "Chant of the Saudi Nation"
2. See Help:IPA/Arabic and Saudi Arabian Arabic.
3. "Allahu Akbar" is Arabic for "God is the Greatest" but is expressed the same way by every Muslim in the world, regardless of their native language.
4. Occasionally mistakenly written with قَد qad [qɑd], a particle equivalent here to English "may", added at the start.^[8]

References

1. "A history of the Saudi national anthem". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
2. "Saudi Arabia – nationalanthems.info".
3. "نشيد العلم السعودي.. قصة خلدها التاريخ". Sayidaty.net (in Arabic). 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
4. Al Ash-Shaykh, Malik (2018-09-23). "5 facts you should know about Saudi Arabia's national anthem". Stepfeed. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
5. "أخطاء السلام الوطني وتقصير التربويين!". Makkah Newspaper (in Arabic). 2016-09-16. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
6. "][ اكثر السعوديين يخطئون في النشيد الوطني ][ - نادي الهلال السعودي - شبكة الزعيم - الموقع الرسمي".
7. "نشيدنا الوطني: قصة، وتوضيح، وتصحيح!!". 31 January 2012.
8. "ما لم يقله الخفاجي". www.al-jazirah.com. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
9. "اناشيد للاحتفال باليوم الوطني السعودي - الموسوعة السعودية".
10. "النشيد الوطني السعودي ... نشيد فخر ومجد واعتزاز | مدونة بيوت السعودية".

External links

 

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Aash Al Maleek

• Saudi Arabia: an-Nasheed al-Waṭaniy – Audio of the national anthem of Saudi Arabia, with information and lyrics ()
• The has an Audio page that includes the National Anthem in both vocal and instrumental versions.
• https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/a-history-of-the-saudi-national-anthem-1.2281470

•  Saudi Arabia portal