شكراً وحُقَّ لمن وعى أن يَشْكرا

شكراً وحُقَّ لمن وعى أن يَشْكرا

فلجدّ ما وافى الهناءُ مبشرا

فلجدّ ما وافى الهناءُ مبشرا

Thanks—and whoever understands ought rightly to give thanks.

Thankfulness is deserved by those aware to show gratitude

For gladness has truly arrived bearing good tidings,

So praise be to Him who sent glad tidings

بقدوم من علمت دمشق بأنَّه

بقدوم من علمت دمشق بأنَّه

سَيُعِيد وجهَ الدين فيها مسفرا

سَيُعِيد وجهَ الدين فيها مسفرا

Of the arrival of one who, as Damascus knows,

Of one whose coming taught Damascus

Will make religion's face shine within her once more.

He will restore religion's glow to it unveiled

ويقرّ في عَيْن الشريعة أن ترى

ويقرّ في عَيْن الشريعة أن ترى

منها حُسَاماً في يديه مجوهرا

منها حُسَاماً في يديه مجوهرا

And sacred law's eye is gladdened to see

And settle the eye of Sacred Law to see

A jeweled sword of its own in his two hands.

A sword in his hands all bejeweled

مولاي عبد الله من أضحى به

مولاي عبد الله من أضحى به

رُوحُ المسرّة في دمشقَ منوّرا

رُوحُ المسرّة في دمشقَ منوّرا

My lord Abd Allah, through whom

My Master Abdullah who has offered himself

The spirit of joy in Damascus has become radiant,

To bring joyful spirit into Damascus light-filled

والعيش مقتبل الغضارة ناعماً

والعيش مقتبل الغضارة ناعماً

والروضُ فينان الأراكة أْخضَرا

والروضُ فينان الأراكة أْخضَرا

And life is blissful, in the first flush of freshness,

And life's prime verdantly soft

And the garden is green, its arak tree luxuriant.

As the garden's greenery flourishes green

منهم يظل ثناؤه متضوعاً

منهم يظل ثناؤه متضوعاً

مِسْكاً فتيقاً في الأنام وعَنْبَرا

مِسْكاً فتيقاً في الأنام وعَنْبَرا

From them, his praise keeps wafting,

His glory remains diffused as musk

Like unsealed musk and ambergris among humankind.

Pure, fragrant among all peoples like ambergris

أربى على الروض المفوَّفِ شيمةً

أربى على الروض المفوَّفِ شيمةً

وزرى بشأو النيرين تصدُّرا

وزرى بشأو النيرين تصدُّرا

In character he surpasses the variegated garden,

He nurtured in the meadow's folds propriety

And in preeminence puts the two luminaries' reach to shame.

And sowed with noble deeds prominence

وغدا بحلِّ المشكلات مبرّزاً

وغدا بحلِّ المشكلات مبرّزاً

بذكاء فكر لا يطقا إِذا انبرا

بذكاء فكر لا يطقا إِذا انبرا

And he has excelled in solving difficult problems,

And in solving problems emerged outstanding

Through brilliant thought, irresistible when it comes to the fore.

With intellect's acumen, formidable when roused

تَرْفضُّ منه بالعلوم فَصاحةٌ

تَرْفضُّ منه بالعلوم فَصاحةٌ

لو رامَ يحكيها البديعُ لقصّرا

لو رامَ يحكيها البديعُ لقصّرا

Eloquence streams from him, rich in learning,

From him pours eloquence in knowledge

Were al-Badi‘ to try to emulate it, he would fall short.

That, were the rhetorically gifted to mimic, would fall short

وبراعة تثني عليه غصونها

وبراعة تثني عليه غصونها

أبداً فتثمر للمسامع جوهرا

أبداً فتثمر للمسامع جوهرا

And mastery's branches sing his praises,

And skill that bows its branches to praise him

Ever yielding jewels for the ears.

Bearing evermore for ears' joy pearls

مولاي حلَّ بنا ركابك مثلجاً

مولاي حلَّ بنا ركابك مثلجاً

بالطائر الميمون أفئدة الورى

بالطائر الميمون أفئدة الورى

My lord, your caravan has alighted among us, gladdening

My Master, your arrival has chilled our hearts

The hearts of humankind with its auspicious omen.

With good omen's birds, realms' cores

فليهن علياك المقام بمنْزِلٍ

فليهن علياك المقام بمنْزِلٍ

للشَّرع يَسحبُ للمهابة مئزرا

للشَّرع يَسحبُ للمهابة مئزرا

May your exalted self rejoice in dwelling in an abode

So may the stay be comfortable for you in a house

For sacred law, trailing a garment of awe.

For Sacred Law, its awe drawing modesty's veil

ولنا الهناء بمثل ما هنيته

ولنا الهناء بمثل ما هنيته

فلقد حُبينا منه حظاً أوْفَرا

فلقد حُبينا منه حظاً أوْفَرا

And ours is joy like that for which you were congratulated,

And ours is the delight at one you have delighted

For we have been granted a more abundant share of it.

For we have been granted of him amplest share

وإِليكها عذراء حق لمثلها

وإِليكها عذراء حق لمثلها

في مثل ما نهضت به أن يُعذَرا

في مثل ما نهضت به أن يُعذَرا

And here she is for you, a virgin whose like may rightly

To you, O virtuous one, it is right for the like of you

Be excused in a matter such as you have undertaken:

In the like of what you embarked on to be excused

فصلٌ يقصّرُ عنه كلَّ مُفَوّهٍ

فصلٌ يقصّرُ عنه كلَّ مُفَوّهٍ

وصفاً وخلق كالنسيم إِذا سرى

وصفاً وخلق كالنسيم إِذا سرى

A judgment no eloquent speaker can fully

A chapter that leaves every eloquent one

Describe, and a character like the breeze as it wafts.

Falling short in descriptive praise, and nature like a gentle breeze

فتوَدً لو أوليتها عين الرضى

فتوَدً لو أوليتها عين الرضى

وغدا لبهجتها قبولك ممهرا

وغدا لبهجتها قبولك ممهرا

So she longs for you to grant her an approving gaze,

Loving were you to cast the eye of approval upon it

And for your acceptance to dower her beauty.

And tomorrow by your acceptance to endow it mahr

واسلم ودم ما راح يشدو في الربى

واسلم ودم ما راح يشدو في الربى

شادي الحمام على الغصون مبكرا

شادي الحمام على الغصون مبكرا

And be safe and endure as long as song goes on in the hills,

Greetings and ever may the one enraptured in pastures sing

From the dove-songster, early upon the boughs.

The ringdove in the branches its song early