عَظمت مِن اللَهِ المَواهب

عَظمت مِن اللَهِ المَواهب

فَلَهُ عَلَينا الشُكر واجب

فَلَهُ عَلَينا الشُكر واجب

Great are the gifts from God;

God's gifts are great

so we owe Him thanksgiving.

So gratitude to Him is obligated

أَهلاً بِمقدَم غائب

أَهلاً بِمقدَم غائب

آبت بِأَوبتِهِ المَآرب

آبت بِأَوبتِهِ المَآرب

Welcome to the arrival of one absent;

Welcome, O long absent one

with his return, our wishes returned.

Whose return has fulfilled hopes

قَد كانَ يَوم قُدومِهِ

قَد كانَ يَوم قُدومِهِ

يَوماً يُعَدُّ مِن العَجائِبِ

يَوماً يُعَدُّ مِن العَجائِبِ

Indeed, the day of his arrival

The day of his arrival

was a day counted among wonders.

Was a day considered wondrous

في نُصف شَهر الصَوم لا

في نُصف شَهر الصَوم لا

حَ هِلال عيد كانَ غارب

حَ هِلال عيد كانَ غارب

In the middle of the fasting month, there appeared

In the middle of the fasting month

a feast-day crescent that had set.

No crescent indicating a feast was visible

قَد كانَ في أُفق الشَما

قَد كانَ في أُفق الشَما

ل غُروبَهُ إِحدى الغَرائب

ل غُروبَهُ إِحدى الغَرائب

Indeed, upon the northern horizon,

In the horizon of the sky

his setting had been one of the wonders,

Its setting was one of the wonders

حَتّى قَضى بِشُروقِهِ

حَتّى قَضى بِشُروقِهِ

رَب المَشارق وَالمَغارب

رَب المَشارق وَالمَغارب

until his rising was decreed

Until with its rising

by the Lord of the easts and the wests.

The Lord of the east and west was satisfied

فَسِرتُ إِلى استقبالِهِ

فَسِرتُ إِلى استقبالِهِ

دُفَع المَواكب كَالكواكب

دُفَع المَواكب كَالكواكب

So I went to welcome him,

So I went to receive him

amid waves of processions, like stars.

Crowds flowed like stars

وَعَلا الدُعا لِلدَولة العَلياءِ

وَعَلا الدُعا لِلدَولة العَلياءِ

مِن كُل الجَوانب

مِن كُل الجَوانب

And prayers for the exalted state rose

And prayer for the supreme state arose

from every side.

From all directions

هِيَ دَولة الإِحسان وَالعَدل

هِيَ دَولة الإِحسان وَالعَدل

المُطَهرة المَذاهب

المُطَهرة المَذاهب

It is a state of beneficence and justice,

It is the state of benevolence and justice

pure in its ways.

Of purified denominations

لا زالَ باهر عِزِها

لا زالَ باهر عِزِها

بِاللَهِ لِلأعداءِ غالب

بِاللَهِ لِلأعداءِ غالب

May its dazzling glory ever remain

Its mighty glory still shines

victorious over enemies through God.

Victorious over enemies, by God

لِم لا وَفَتح اللُهِ مِنها

لِم لا وَفَتح اللُهِ مِنها

عادَ المرّاءِ جالب

عادَ المرّاءِ جالب

Why not, when God's victory from it

Why shouldn't God's openings from it

has returned, bringing contention [reading uncertain]?

Bring back the disputed

فَتَفَرَّجَت كَرب القُلو

فَتَفَرَّجَت كَرب القُلو

ب بِهِ كَما صَفَت المَشارب

ب بِهِ كَما صَفَت المَشارب

Then the sorrows of hearts were relieved

So hearts' anguish dispersed

through him, as the drinking waters grew clear.

With its news, as if to drink

وَلَكُم بِهِ قُرَتَ عُيو

وَلَكُم بِهِ قُرَتَ عُيو

ن كانَ عَنها الغَمضُ غارب

ن كانَ عَنها الغَمضُ غارب

And for you, through him, eyes found comfort,

And for you by it the delight of eyes

eyes from which sleep had departed.

If gloom from them had vanished

وَلَكُم كِتاب قَبلَها

وَلَكُم كِتاب قَبلَها

مِنهُ تَلقتهُ كَتائب

مِنهُ تَلقتهُ كَتائب

And for you, before then, there was a letter

And for you a preceding letter

from him, which regiments received.

Brought by troops

فَغَدا حَليّا لِلتَرا

فَغَدا حَليّا لِلتَرا

ئب بَعد ما حَلَّ الحَقائب

ئب بَعد ما حَلَّ الحَقائب

So it became an ornament for the breast,

So it became adornment for delight

after having rested in the saddlebags.

After goals had been achieved

بَل ما تغرَّب مِن صنا

بَل ما تغرَّب مِن صنا

عة كَفِهِ بَذل الرَغائب

عة كَفِهِ بَذل الرَغائب

Rather, never absent from the handiwork

In fact nothing was absent of its

of his palm was the giving of treasured gifts.

Generosity’s grant of wishes

مَن لَم يَغب مَعروفَهُ

مَن لَم يَغب مَعروفَهُ

يَوماً فَلَيسَ يعدّ غائب

يَوماً فَلَيسَ يعدّ غائب

One whose kindness was never absent

One whose kindness never

for a day is not counted absent.

Left for a day is no absent one

يَسمو البَريد بِماجد

يَسمو البَريد بِماجد

يَهب المَسوَّمة السَلاهب

يَهب المَسوَّمة السَلاهب

The post-horse bears a noble man aloft

Glory soars with Majid

who bestows marked, tall steeds.

Bestowed, the auspicious one flies

وَتُقاد بَينَ يَديهِ مسرجة

وَتُقاد بَينَ يَديهِ مسرجة

الجَنائب كَالجَنائب

الجَنائب كَالجَنائب

And before him are led, saddled,

And before him a led mare

the spare mounts, like southerly winds.

Of swift steeds, like gazelles

وَالمَجدُ لَيسَ يَنال إِلّا

وَالمَجدُ لَيسَ يَنال إِلّا

بِالمَكارم وَالمتَاعب

بِالمَكارم وَالمتَاعب

And glory is attained only

And glory is not attained

through noble deeds and hardships.

Except by generosity and tribulation

الصَدرُ رَحب وَالجنا

الصَدرُ رَحب وَالجنا

ن مشيع وَالرَأي ثاقب

ن مشيع وَالرَأي ثاقب

His breast is spacious, and his heart

Of ample chest and praised path

courageous, and his judgment piercing.

And piercing insight

وَالهمة العَلياء زا

وَالهمة العَلياء زا

حمَت الكَواكب بِالمَناكب

حمَت الكَواكب بِالمَناكب

And his lofty resolve has jostled

And the lofty ambition has eclipsed

the stars with its shoulders.

The stars with meteors

لا عَيب فيهِ وَلَيسَ يَبحَث

لا عَيب فيهِ وَلَيسَ يَبحَث

عَن خَفيات المَعائب

عَن خَفيات المَعائب

No flaw is in him, nor does he search

No flaw in it, and it does not search

for hidden faults.

For hidden faults

لَكن نَداهُ مقسم

لَكن نَداهُ مقسم

بَينَ الأَباعد وَالأَقارب

بَينَ الأَباعد وَالأَقارب

Yet his bounty is apportioned

But its call encompasses

among strangers and relatives.

Both far and near

لا يَستَخف وَقارَهُ

لا يَستَخف وَقارَهُ

تَحريش تَمام مَشاغب

تَحريش تَمام مَشاغب

His dignity is not unsettled

Its dignity is not reduced

by the incitement of Tamam, a troublemaker.

By rabble completely stirring up trouble

وَإِذا اِختِبار منقب

وَإِذا اِختِبار منقب

كَشف النِقاب عَن المَناقب

كَشف النِقاب عَن المَناقب

And when a searching test

And if an examiner probes

lifts the veil from virtues,

The mask reveals virtues

فَالحُلم مِن خَير المَنا

فَالحُلم مِن خَير المَنا

قب حينَ تَمتَحن النَقائب

قب حينَ تَمتَحن النَقائب

then forbearance is among the finest virtues

So forbearance among the best

when characters are put to the test.

Virtues when tribulations test

وَالحِقد لِلصَدر المُنا

وَالحِقد لِلصَدر المُنا

سب لِلمَعالي لا يُناسب

سب لِلمَعالي لا يُناسب

And rancor, for a breast suited

And resentment is not fit

to noble heights, is unfitting.

For the noble breast toward the sublime

كَم عائب وَمُشارك

كَم عائب وَمُشارك

في الإِنتِقام لِمَن يُعاقب

في الإِنتِقام لِمَن يُعاقب

How many faultfinders and partners

How many fault-finders and sharers

in vengeance the one who punishes has!

In retaliation against one who is penalized

وَالصَفح شيمة مَن يُرا

وَالصَفح شيمة مَن يُرا

قب قلَّ فيهِ مَن يُقارب

قب قلَّ فيهِ مَن يُقارب

And forgiveness is the trait of one who keeps

But pardon is the trait of one who

watch; few come close to him in it.

Rises above, few attain it

حُلو الأُمور وَمُرّها

حُلو الأُمور وَمُرّها

سَيان عِندَ أَخي التَجارُب

سَيان عِندَ أَخي التَجارُب

The sweetness of affairs and their bitterness

Sweet and bitter matters

are alike to a man of experience.

Are equal to my brother time has taught

وَالصَبرُ مَقرون بِنصران

وَالصَبرُ مَقرون بِنصران

نَظرت إِلى العَواقب

نَظرت إِلى العَواقب

And patience is coupled with victory, if

And patience paired with support

you look to the outcomes.

I saw toward consequences

هَذا وَرَبَّ مُخاطب

هَذا وَرَبَّ مُخاطب

أَدرى وَأَفصَح مِن مُخاطب

أَدرى وَأَفصَح مِن مُخاطب

Thus—and many an addressee

This, while the addressed lord

knows more and is more eloquent than the speaker.

Knows best and is most eloquent than the addressed

وَمِن الأَعَزّ الدَفتَري

وَمِن الأَعَزّ الدَفتَري

وَمَن بِهِ سَمَت المَراتب

وَمَن بِهِ سَمَت المَراتب

And from the most honored al-Daftari,

Of the dearest my journal

and him through whom ranks rose high,

And the one by whom ranks are assigned

يُرجى التَسامُح إِن غَدا

يُرجى التَسامُح إِن غَدا

مُستَوفياً أَشعار كاتب

مُستَوفياً أَشعار كاتب

indulgence is hoped for, should he become

Hope for pardon if it has become

an assessor of a writer's verses.

Complete with the writer's poetry

لا زالَ خادم بابِهِ ال

لا زالَ خادم بابِهِ ال

إِقبال وَالتَوفيق صاحب

إِقبال وَالتَوفيق صاحب

May the servant of his gate ever be

Still his gate's servant

good fortune, and success his companion.

Iqbal and success the companion