اِسعَدْ بيومٍ قد أتاكَ مبكِّرا

اِسعَدْ بيومٍ قد أتاكَ مبكِّرا

بصعودِ جَدِّكَ في العَلاءِ مبشِّرَا

بصعودِ جَدِّكَ في العَلاءِ مبشِّرَا

Rejoice in a day that has come to you early,

Rejoice in a day that has come to you early

heralding your fortune's rise to exalted heights.

With your grandfather ascending the heights heralding good news

واستقبل العامَ الجديدَ مُحَكَّماً

واستقبل العامَ الجديدَ مُحَكَّماً

فيما تراهُ لك العُلى ومخيّرا

فيما تراهُ لك العُلى ومخيّرا

And welcome the new year, empowered to decide

Embrace the new year steadfast

as you see fit—may eminence be yours—and free to choose.

In what you see as glory and freedom of choice for you

واستجلِ وجهَ الدهرِ أزهرَ واضحا

واستجلِ وجهَ الدهرِ أزهرَ واضحا

والمُلكَ ملتفَّ الحدائقِ أخضرا

والمُلكَ ملتفَّ الحدائقِ أخضرا

And behold the face of Time, radiant and clear,

And light up the face of time, radiant and clear

and the realm, green with densely grown gardens.

The kingdom wrapped in green gardens

ملكٌ أقمتَ قناتَهُ ورفدتَهُ

ملكٌ أقمتَ قناتَهُ ورفدتَهُ

بالرأي عَضْباً والعديد مجمهرا

بالرأي عَضْباً والعديد مجمهرا

A realm whose spear-shaft you have set straight and bolstered,

A kingdom whose aqueducts you erected and supplied

with keen-edged counsel and a massed multitude.

With opinion as a spring and numerous troops

أسهرتَ ليلكَ في صَلاحِ أمورِه

أسهرتَ ليلكَ في صَلاحِ أمورِه

وكفيتَ ربَّ سريرهِ أن يَسْهَرا

وكفيتَ ربَّ سريرهِ أن يَسْهَرا

You spent your night awake, setting its affairs right,

You stayed up your night for the wellbeing of its affairs

and spared the lord of its throne from staying awake.

And spared your Lord of the throne from having to stay up

قد قال حينَ بلاكَ بعدَ عِصابةٍ

قد قال حينَ بلاكَ بعدَ عِصابةٍ

من قبلُ كلُّ الصيدِ في جوف الفَرا

من قبلُ كلُّ الصيدِ في جوف الفَرا

He said, when he had tested you after a band of men

He said when you reached him after a band

who came before: "All the game is in the wild ass's belly."

Had come before, with all game in the belly of redemption

ما أسعدَ السلطانَ بالرأي الذي

ما أسعدَ السلطانَ بالرأي الذي

فيك ارتأى مستكفياً مستوزَرا

فيك ارتأى مستكفياً مستوزَرا

How fortunate the sultan in the choice

How happy is the sultan with the opinion in which

he made of you to manage his affairs as vizier!

He saw you self-sufficiently as minister

حقّاً لقد ولَّى الأمورَ مجرِّبَاً

حقّاً لقد ولَّى الأمورَ مجرِّبَاً

إنْ همَّ أمضَى أو تدفَّق أغزرا

إنْ همَّ أمضَى أو تدفَّق أغزرا

Truly, he entrusted affairs to a tried and tested man:

Indeed, he handed over affairs as an experienced leader

if he resolves, he carries through; or if he pours forth, he gives abundantly.

If he intended, he accomplished, or overflowed more abundantly

يتوقَّف القدَرُ المُتاحُ عنِ الذي

يتوقَّف القدَرُ المُتاحُ عنِ الذي

لا يشتهي فإِذا أشار به جرَى

لا يشتهي فإِذا أشار به جرَى

Allotted fate holds back from what

Destiny's allotment stops for him who

he does not desire; when he signals it, it runs.

Does not desire, so when he gestures, it flows

ولي الأمورَ فكان أحسنَ منظراً

ولي الأمورَ فكان أحسنَ منظراً

ممن تقدَّمهُ وأكرمَ مخبَرا

ممن تقدَّمهُ وأكرمَ مخبَرا

He took charge of affairs, and was finer to behold

The minister whose appearance was most beautiful

than those before him, and nobler in inward character.

Than those before him and whose news was most generous

يُنْبِيكَ نورُ جبينهِ عن جُودِه

يُنْبِيكَ نورُ جبينهِ عن جُودِه

كالصُّبْحِ دَلَّ على الغزالةِ مسفرا

كالصُّبْحِ دَلَّ على الغزالةِ مسفرا

The radiance of his brow tells you of his generosity,

The light of his forehead reveals his generosity to you

as the brightening dawn heralds the sun.

Like the dawn indicating the gazelles bare

يا أيُّها المولَى الذي إنعامُه

يا أيُّها المولَى الذي إنعامُه

شملَ البريةَ مُنْجِداً أو مُغْوِرا

شملَ البريةَ مُنْجِداً أو مُغْوِرا

O master, whose bounty

O Master whose favors

has embraced all creation, in highlands or lowlands.

Covered the wilderness, enriching or impoverishing

هذا ابنُ عبدِك زارَ بابَكَ راجياً

هذا ابنُ عبدِك زارَ بابَكَ راجياً

ظَفَراً لديك فهل ترى أن يَظْفَرا

ظَفَراً لديك فهل ترى أن يَظْفَرا

This son of your servant has come to your door, hoping

This is your slave who visited your door hoping

for success at your hands—will you see fit to let him succeed?

For gain through you, so do you see that he gains?

أَنضى اليك الجُرْدَ يجشِمُها الفلا

أَنضى اليك الجُرْدَ يجشِمُها الفلا

عَجِلاً وخاضَ البِيدَ يطوِيها السُّرى

عَجِلاً وخاضَ البِيدَ يطوِيها السُّرى

He exhausted sleek steeds coming to you, driving them through the wastes,

He brought you the horses frothing at the mouth from galloping

in haste, and waded through deserts that night travel folds away.

And crossed the desert, folding it with travel

هو غرسُ أنْعُمِكَ الجزيلةِ فاسقِهِ

هو غرسُ أنْعُمِكَ الجزيلةِ فاسقِهِ

بسِجالِ أنعُمِك الجِسامِ لِيُثْمِرا

بسِجالِ أنعُمِك الجِسامِ لِيُثْمِرا

He is a sapling of your abundant favors; so water him

He is a sapling of your abundant favors, so water him

with bucketfuls of your great favors, that he may bear fruit.

With the vessels of your great favors that he may bear fruit

وَاصعَد إِلى درجِ العُلَى متمهِّلا

وَاصعَد إِلى درجِ العُلَى متمهِّلا

واسلم على غِيَرِ الزمان معمَّرا

واسلم على غِيَرِ الزمان معمَّرا

And ascend the steps of eminence unhurriedly,

And ascend to the highest rank slowly

and remain safe despite Time's vicissitudes, granted long life.

And greet time unlike the eternal