1. سَنَةٌ يُزاد بها الأمير جمالا

    إقبالها ينمي لك الإقبالا

    A year that adds to the emir's splendor;

    its arrival increases your good fortune.

  2. سنةٌ وأسبوعٌ وشهرٌ كلُّها

    جُدُدٌ تجدِّد أنعماً تتوالى

    A year, a week, and a month—all of them

    new, renewing blessings that follow one another.

  3. حَولٌ بحول اللَه يُقضى بالذي

    أمَّلته ويزيد حالك حالا

    A year fulfilled, by God's power, with what

    you hoped for, and that improves your condition still further.

  4. عامٌ يعمُّ لك السرور ولا ترى

    في نعمةٍ خللاً ولا إخلالا

    A year that spreads joy for you, and you will not see

    any flaw in a blessing, nor any loss.

  5. يا من أهلَّ له هلالٌ طالعٌ

    لازال وجهُك للسعود هلالا

    O you for whom a rising crescent has appeared,

    may your face remain a crescent of good fortune.

  6. أنت الذي صُنتَ الذي استُرعِيتَه

    وجعلتَ مالك للحقوق مُذالا

    You are the one who guarded what was entrusted to your care,

    and placed your wealth at the service of rightful claims.

  7. تُعطي الرغائب إن سكنت كمثل ما

    عند الشدائد تركب الأهوالا

    You grant cherished gifts when at rest, just as

    amid hardships you ride into terrors.

  8. حَسبُ الأمير بأن كُلّاً قائلٌ

    والكلُّ بَرٌّ في الذي قد قالا

    It suffices the emir that everyone says,

    and all are truthful in what they have said:

  9. صدق الذي سمَّى الأميرَ محمداً

    فهو المحمَّدُ سيرةً وخصالا

    The one who named the emir Muhammad spoke truly,

    for he is the much-praised in conduct and character.

  10. هذا أبو حسن الذي إحسانُه

    ردَّ الأُجاجَ من الحياة زلالا

    This is Abu Hasan, whose kindness

    turned life's bitter brine into clear, sweet water.

  11. هذا ابن يزداد الذي أيامُه

    كست البلادَ بشاشةً وجمالا

    This is Ibn Yazdad, whose days

    clothed the land in cheerfulness and beauty.

  12. البصرة الفوزُ العظيم فأمنُها

    عمر البقاعَ وثمَّر الأموالا

    Basra's is the great triumph, for its security

    made the lands flourish and wealth bear fruit.

  13. مَهَّدتَها بالرفق منك وطالما

    بالخرق زُلزِل أهلُها زلزالا

    You made it tranquil through your gentleness; for so long

    its people had been shaken violently by harshness.

  14. فاللَه وفَّاهم بيمنك ما بَغَوا

    واللَه بلَّغهم بك الآمالا

    So God, through your good fortune, gave them in full what they sought,

    and God, through you, brought their hopes to fulfillment.

  15. فلو استطاعوا وطَّأوك خدودهم

    حتى تكون لك الخدودُ نعالا

    If they could, they would lay their cheeks beneath your feet,

    so that their cheeks might become sandals for you.

  16. ويحقُّهم أن يشكروا لمباركٍ

    أنساهم الرّوعات والأوجالا

    And it behooves them to thank a blessed man

    who made them forget their terrors and fears.

  17. فالحمد للّه الذي كشف الردى

    باليُمن منك وجمَّل الأحوالا

    Praise, then, to God, who banished doom

    through the good fortune you bring, and beautified their circumstances.

  18. أجللتَ نعمةَ ذي الجلال وصُنتَها

    فلذاك زادك ذو الجلال جلالا

    You honored the blessing of the Lord of Majesty and guarded it;

    and so the Lord of Majesty increased your majesty.

  19. لم يبق غيرُك في البلاد بأسرها

    مَن يعشق الإنعامَ والإفضالا

    In all the land, no one but you remains

    who loves bestowing blessings and generosity.

  20. لو أنَّ مالكَ حسب جودك وُسعُه

    أوسعتَ كلَّ العالمين منالا

    If your wealth had scope to match your generosity,

    you would give all the worlds abundant gifts.

  21. لو أنَّ كلَّ الخَلق رادَكَ رغبةً

    كانوا لجودك صبيةً وعيالا

    If all creation sought you out in hope,

    they would be children and dependents of your generosity.

  22. فإذا الأفاضل في الأفاضل عُدِّدت

    كنتَ اليمينَ ومَن سواك شمالا

    And when the eminent are counted among the eminent,

    you are the right hand, and everyone else the left.

  23. ففضلتهم عند الخطاب مقالا

    وفضلتَهم عند الخطوب فعالا

    Thus, in discourse, you surpassed them in words,

    and amid calamities, you surpassed them in deeds.

  24. وإذا المحافل في الصفات تفاضلت

    ضربوا بحسن صفاتك الأمثالا

    And when assemblies competed in virtues,

    they made your fine qualities proverbial.

  25. عظمت صفاتُك عند كلِّ معظَّمٍ

    فرأوا لك الإعظامَ والإجلالا

    Your qualities were great in the eyes of every honored man,

    so they deemed you worthy of reverence and veneration.

  26. فعَلام تأخير الصَّبُوح ويومُها

    يومٌ يؤلِّف شكلُه الأشكالا

    Then why delay the morning draught, when its day

    is a day whose pattern brings kindred patterns together?

  27. سبت دعوة ذا الحلال مُوَاتراً

    سنةً فما تَركُ الصبوح حلالا

    Saturday is a summons to this lawful delight, following on

    a year—so forgoing the morning draught is not lawful.

  28. وسُبوغُ سيِّدِنا الأجلِّ مراتباً

    مَدَّت على الملك الأجلِّ جلالا

    And our most illustrious lord's fullness in rank

    has spread majesty over the most illustrious king.

  29. هذا لإقبال الأمير وحظه

    لينال منه سقط ما قد نالا

    This is for the emir's prosperity and fortune,

    that he may gain from him a remnant of what he has already gained.

  30. فتتابعت نِعَمُ الأمير سوابغاً

    عند الأمير تجرِّر الأذيالا

    Then the emir's blessings followed one another, full and ample,

    before the emir, trailing their skirts.

  31. حتى تكون أبَرَّ مَن وطئ الحصى

    وأعمَّهم تبغي بعيشك فالا

    so that you may be the most beneficent of all who tread the pebbles,

    and the most bountiful to all, seeking a good omen in your life;

  32. حتى يقول الحاسدون بغيظهم

    زاد الأميرُ على الأمير كمالا

    until the envious say in their rage:

    “The emir has surpassed the emir in perfection!”

  33. فمن ادَّعى أن قد رأى لك مُشبِهاً

    فقد ادَّعى فيما يقول محالا

    So whoever claims to have seen anyone resembling you

    has claimed an impossibility in what he says.

  34. فإذا مدحتُك قال لي أهلُ الحجى

    قُل كيف شئتَ فقد وجدتَ مقالا

    And whenever I praise you, people of understanding tell me:

    “Say what you will—you have found scope for speech.”