أَعطى البَرِيَّةَ إِذ أَعطاكَ باريها

أَعطى البَرِيَّةَ إِذ أَعطاكَ باريها

فَهَل يُهَنّيكَ شِعري أَم يُهَنّيها

فَهَل يُهَنّيكَ شِعري أَم يُهَنّيها

Creation's Maker gave to all creation when He gave to you.

When the Creator granted you the desert,

Does my verse, then, congratulate you, or congratulate it?

Does my poetry make you happy or make it happy?

أَنتَ البَرِيَّةُ فَاِهنَأ وَهيَ أَنتَ فَمَن

أَنتَ البَرِيَّةُ فَاِهنَأ وَهيَ أَنتَ فَمَن

دَعاكَ يَوماً لِتَهنا فَهوَ داعيها

دَعاكَ يَوماً لِتَهنا فَهوَ داعيها

You are all creation—rejoice! And it is you; so whoever

You are the desert, so congratulate yourself, and it is you, so who

Has ever called on you to rejoice is calling on it.

Ever called you one day to congratulate made the call to it.

عيدُ السَماءِ وَعيدُ الأَرضِ بَينَهُما

عيدُ السَماءِ وَعيدُ الأَرضِ بَينَهُما

عيدُ الخَلائِقِ قاصيها وَدانيها

عيدُ الخَلائِقِ قاصيها وَدانيها

Heaven's festival and earth's festival; between them,

It is the feast of the sky and the feast of the earth between them

The festival of all creatures, far and near.

It is the feast of creatures, far and near.

فَبارَكَ اللَهُ فيها يَومَ مَولِدِها

فَبارَكَ اللَهُ فيها يَومَ مَولِدِها

وَيَومَ يَرجو بِها الآمالَ راجيها

وَيَومَ يَرجو بِها الآمالَ راجيها

May God, then, bless her on the day of her birth,

So may God bless her on the day of her birth,

And the day he who hopes in her seeks through her his aspirations,

And the day hopes are pinned on her by her hopers.

وَيَومَ تُشرِقُ حَولَ العَرشِ صِبيَتُها

وَيَومَ تُشرِقُ حَولَ العَرشِ صِبيَتُها

كَهالَةٍ زانَتِ الدُنيا دَراريها

كَهالَةٍ زانَتِ الدُنيا دَراريها

And the day her children shine around the throne,

And the day her little one shines around the Throne

Like a halo whose radiant stars have adorned the world.

Like a halo that adorned the world in its infants.

إِنَّ العِنايَةَ لَمّا جامَلَت وَعَدَت

إِنَّ العِنايَةَ لَمّا جامَلَت وَعَدَت

أَلّا تَكُفَّ وَأَن تَترى أَياديها

أَلّا تَكُفَّ وَأَن تَترى أَياديها

Indeed, when Providence was gracious, it promised

Providence, when it beautified and promised

Not to cease, and that its favors would follow in succession,

Never to stop and to let its hands be seen

بِكُلِّ عالٍ مِنَ الأَنجالِ تَحسَبُهُ

بِكُلِّ عالٍ مِنَ الأَنجالِ تَحسَبُهُ

مِنَ الفَراقِدِ لَو هَشَّت لِرائيها

مِنَ الفَراقِدِ لَو هَشَّت لِرائيها

With every exalted offspring you would deem

With every nobleman it considers to be

One of the Farqad stars, were they to smile upon their beholder.

Of its knights, if they drew their swords before its seer.

يَقومُ بِالعَهدِ عَن أَوفى الجُدودِ بِهِ

يَقومُ بِالعَهدِ عَن أَوفى الجُدودِ بِهِ

عَن والِدٍ أَبلَجِ الذِمّاتِ عاليها

عَن والِدٍ أَبلَجِ الذِمّاتِ عاليها

He upholds the covenant, following forebears most faithful to it,

It keeps the covenant of the most faithful ancestor,

Following a father whose pledges are radiant and lofty;

Of a snow-white faithful father in his high principles.

وَيَأخُذُ المَجدَ عَن مِصرٍ وَصاحِبِها

وَيَأخُذُ المَجدَ عَن مِصرٍ وَصاحِبِها

عَنِ السَراةِ الأَعالي مِن مَواليها

عَنِ السَراةِ الأَعالي مِن مَواليها

And inherits glory from Egypt and her lord,

And it takes the glory from Egypt and its lord,

From the exalted nobles among her lords,

From the exalted party of its loyalists.

الناهِضينَ عَلى كُرسِيِّ سُؤدُدِها

الناهِضينَ عَلى كُرسِيِّ سُؤدُدِها

وَالقابِضينَ عَلى تاجَي مَعاليها

وَالقابِضينَ عَلى تاجَي مَعاليها

Who ascend the throne of her sovereignty,

Those standing on its chair of joy,

And grasp the two crowns of her glories,

And grasping its crown of glories.

وَالساهِرينَ عَلى النيلِ الحَفِيِّ بِها

وَالساهِرينَ عَلى النيلِ الحَفِيِّ بِها

وَكَأسها وَحُمَيّاها وَساقَيها

وَكَأسها وَحُمَيّاها وَساقَيها

And keep watch over the Nile, devoted to her,

And those staying awake over the Nile, its guard,

And her cup, and her heady wine, and her cupbearer.

Its cup, its wine servant, and its cupbearer.

مَولايَ لِلنَفسِ أَن تُبدي بَشائِرَها

مَولايَ لِلنَفسِ أَن تُبدي بَشائِرَها

بِما رُزِقتَ وَأَن تَهدي تَهانيها

بِما رُزِقتَ وَأَن تَهدي تَهانيها

My lord, the soul may proclaim its glad tidings

My Master, it behooves the soul to give its good news

For what you have been granted, and offer its congratulations:

For what you were granted and to present its congratulations.

الشَمسُ قَدراً بَلِ الجَوزاءُ مَنزِلَةً

الشَمسُ قَدراً بَلِ الجَوزاءُ مَنزِلَةً

بَلِ الثُرَيّا بَلِ الدُنيا وَما فيها

بَلِ الثُرَيّا بَلِ الدُنيا وَما فيها

The sun in worth—nay, al-Jawza in rank,

The sun is but a sphere, even the Twins but a station,

Nay, the Pleiades; nay, the world and all within it.

Even the Pleiades, even the world and what is in it.

أُمُّ البَنينَ إِذا الأَوطانُ أَعوَزَها

أُمُّ البَنينَ إِذا الأَوطانُ أَعوَزَها

مُدَبِّرٌ حازِمٌ أَو قَلَّ حاميها

مُدَبِّرٌ حازِمٌ أَو قَلَّ حاميها

Mother of sons, when homelands lack

The mother of boys, when the homelands need

A resolute ruler, or have few defenders.

A determined, wise, or even a lesser protector.

مِنَ الإِناثِ سِوى أَنَّ الزَمانَ لَها

مِنَ الإِناثِ سِوى أَنَّ الزَمانَ لَها

عَبدٌ وَأَنَّ المَلا خُدّامُ ناديها

عَبدٌ وَأَنَّ المَلا خُدّامُ ناديها

She is of womankind, save that Time is her

Of females, it has nothing save that time is its slave

Slave, and that the grandees are servants of her court,

And that scholars are the servants of its club.

وَأَنَّها سِرُّ عَبّاسٍ وَبِضعَتُهُ

وَأَنَّها سِرُّ عَبّاسٍ وَبِضعَتُهُ

فَهيَ الفَضيلَةُ مالي لا أُسَمّيها

فَهيَ الفَضيلَةُ مالي لا أُسَمّيها

And that she is Abbas's secret and his flesh and blood;

And that she is the secret of Abbas and his daughter

So she is virtue itself—why do I not name her?

She is the outstanding quality I will not name.

أَغَرُّ يَستَقبِلُ العَصرُ السَلامَ بِهِ

أَغَرُّ يَستَقبِلُ العَصرُ السَلامَ بِهِ

وَتُشرِقُ الأَرضُ ما شاءَت لَياليها

وَتُشرِقُ الأَرضُ ما شاءَت لَياليها

A radiant one, through whom the age welcomes peace,

Most cherished, the age greets peace through it

And the earth shines as long as its nights may wish.

And the land shines however much its nights.

عالي الأَريكَةِ بَينَ الجالِسينَ لَهُ

عالي الأَريكَةِ بَينَ الجالِسينَ لَهُ

مِنَ المَفاخِرِ عاليها وَغاليها

مِنَ المَفاخِرِ عاليها وَغاليها

High upon the throne among those seated; his are

High on the dais between the seated around it

The loftiest and most precious of glories.

Are its superior, highest glories.

عَبّاسُ عِش لِنُفوسٍ أَنتَ طِلبَتُها

عَبّاسُ عِش لِنُفوسٍ أَنتَ طِلبَتُها

وَأَنتَ كُلُّ مُرادٍ مِن تَناجيها

وَأَنتَ كُلُّ مُرادٍ مِن تَناجيها

Abbas, live for souls whose desire you are,

Abbas, live for souls who long for you

And you are all they desire in their whispered communion.

And you are each wish of its confidantes.

تُبدي الرَجاءَ وَتَدعوهُ لِيَصدُقَها

تُبدي الرَجاءَ وَتَدعوهُ لِيَصدُقَها

وَاللَهُ أَصدَقُ وَعداً وَهوَ كافيها

وَاللَهُ أَصدَقُ وَعداً وَهوَ كافيها

They voice their hope and call upon it to prove true to them;

It shows hope and calls it to answer truly,

And God is truest in promise, and He suffices them.

And God is most true to His promise and suffices it.