الحمد لله الذي

أذهب عنا الحزنا

Praise be to God, who

has taken sorrow away from us,

بمقدم الملك الذي

أقر منا الأعينا

through the arrival of the king who

has brought delight to our eyes.

تاج الملوك خير من

هز المواضي والقنا

Crown of Kings, best of those who

brandished sharp swords and spears.

بدر تثنى لفظه

وما الفرادى كالثنى

Badr—his name is doubled,

and single things are not like pairs.

ثني لما أن غدا

بدر السناء والسنى

It was doubled when he became

the full moon of glory and radiance.

واسم الفتى أشرف من

ذكر النعوت والكنى

And the young man's name is nobler than

the mention of epithets and bynames.

يفدي الظهير معشر

ما أن بنوا كما بنى

A host would ransom al-Ẓahīr,

who have not built as he has built.

جاراهم في طلق

لكن ونوا وما ونى

He raced them at a gallop,

but they flagged, while he did not.

أصبح جيش الفاطمي م

ن نأى ومن دنا

The Fatimid's army now stands—those

far away and those near—

من أمره ونهيه

بين المنايا والمنى

through his command and prohibition,

between death and cherished hopes.

فشاكر نقلته

من فقره إلى الغنى

One gives thanks: you have lifted him

from his poverty to wealth;

وغادر غادرته

يجني ثمار ما جنى

and a traitor you have left

to reap the fruits of his misdeeds;

وموثق أطلقته

بالجاه من قيد العنا

and a captive you have released

by your influence from hardship's chains.

ورضتهم بصولة

بها تروض الزمنا

And you tamed them with an onslaught

with which you tame Time.

وستهم سياسة

صبت على الغز الهنا

And you governed them with a policy

that poured ease upon the Ghuzz.

أقمت من صعادهم

ما كان بالميل انحنى

You straightened those of their spear-shafts

that had bent out of true.

خشنت بالله لهم

حتى ألنت الخشنا

By God, you were stern with them,

until you softened what was rough.

ولنت حتى طمعوا

أن يسألوك الوسنا

And you were gentle until they hoped

to ask you for slumber.

فرأفة وغلظة

من ها هنا وها هنا

Thus compassion and severity,

from this side and from that.

أصبحت في ثيابهم

مثري اليدين ممكنا

You have become, in their garments,

rich in both hands and firmly established.

والملك يبدي لك من

أسراره ما بطنا

And the king reveals to you

what lay hidden among his secrets.

والكفر والإسلام قد

تقينا منك الغنا

And unbelief and Islam have

received wealth from you [reading uncertain];

قد وجداعك صادقاً

سريرة وعلنا

they have indeed found you truthful,

inwardly and openly.

فلقبوك المرتضى

لا بل أمين الأمنا

So they titled you al-Murtaḍā,

no—rather, the most trusted of the trustworthy.

حتى انجلت غمامة

للغم تهمي محنا

Until a cloud dispersed—

a cloud of grief, raining afflictions.

فكنت فيهم قارح ال

رأي ومهراً أرنا

So among them you were a seasoned steed in

judgment, and a spirited colt.

وأنت مشكور الفعا

ل والمقال والثنا

And you are praised for your deeds,

your words, and your praise.

وما رأت أعيننا

مذ غبت شيئاً حسنا

And our eyes have not seen,

since you left, a single lovely thing.

كأنما الناس وقد

غبت علينا لا لنا

It was as though the people, while

you were absent, were against us, not for us.

كم ليلة هيجت لي

فيها الشجا والشجنا

How many a night you stirred in me

heartache and sorrow!

وذاك أن خاطري

لما ظعنت ظعنا

And that is because my mind,

when you departed, departed too.

وعاد روحي عندما

عدت فحل البدنا

And my soul returned when

you returned, and it dwelt in my body.

لك الهناء قادماً

لا بل لنا بك الهنا

Joy be yours on your arrival—

no, rather, joy is ours through you.

واسمع لدر ينتقى

باسمك ثم يقتنى

And listen to pearls selected

in your name, then treasured.

معدنه الغالي فمي

وقد ملكت المعدنا

Their precious mine is my mouth,

and you now own the mine.

رضيت إكرامك لي

مثوبة وثمنا

I accept your kindness to me

as recompense and payment.

فإن أجزت بيعتي

فما أخاف الغبنا

So if you approve my bargain,

I have no fear of being shortchanged.

فابق تشيد للعلى

وابق على ما بيننا

So live on, building for glory,

and remain true to what lies between us.