فدر التهاني أرانا طالعاً حسناً

فدر التهاني أرانا طالعاً حسناً

في جيدهِ العلم والعليا قد اقترنا

في جيدهِ العلم والعليا قد اقترنا

The full moon of congratulations showed us an auspicious rising,

I extend congratulations as we see a good omen rise,

Around his neck, knowledge and high honor have been joined.

In his neck, knowledge and the high are joined,

بفاض في الناس بشرٌ طاب مورده

بفاض في الناس بشرٌ طاب مورده

ولاح كوكبه السامي يضيء هنا

ولاح كوكبه السامي يضيء هنا

Gladness overflowed among the people, sweet at its source,

A human whose spring has overflowed with happiness for people,

And his lofty star appeared, shining here.

His lofty star has shone here,

وساجعات الأماني قام صادحها

وساجعات الأماني قام صادحها

بين المغاني على فوزٍ يجيد غنا

بين المغاني على فوزٍ يجيد غنا

And the songster of hope’s cooing birds arose,

And the slumbering hopes, their passionate one has risen,

Amid the dwellings, skillfully singing of triumph.

Among the melodies, excelling in singing,

وافتر ثغر أقاحي الفضل ذا طربٍ

وافتر ثغر أقاحي الفضل ذا طربٍ

واهتز بان بيانٍ مائساً فننا

واهتز بان بيانٍ مائساً فننا

And the mouth of excellence’s daisies smiled in delight,

The mouth of my wit smiled with joy,

And eloquence’s bān-tree stirred, its boughs swaying gracefully.

And was excited with eloquent words entertaining us,

واصبحت غرر الآداب مشرقة

واصبحت غرر الآداب مشرقة

عزّا تواصل من آمالها سكنا

عزّا تواصل من آمالها سكنا

And the glories of letters became radiant,

The pearls of literature have become radiant,

With enduring glory, finding in their hopes a home.

Honoring the continuation of its hopes that settled with us,

ما ذاك إلا لعليا عارفٍ شهدت

ما ذاك إلا لعليا عارفٍ شهدت

لهُ بتفضيله آل النهى علنا

لهُ بتفضيله آل النهى علنا

All this is only for Arif’s exaltation; testimony has been borne

That is only because of the knowledgeable official who

To his preeminence by the people of reason, openly.

The people of wisdom have openly testified for with preference,

رب الحجى والذكا الوضاح أحمد من

رب الحجى والذكا الوضاح أحمد من

يهدي الثناء إليه من نأى ودنا

يهدي الثناء إليه من نأى ودنا

Master of reason and radiant intelligence—Ahmad, to whom

The Lord of dignity and illumination, Ahmed who

Those far and near offer praise.

We direct praise to from afar and near,

مولىً فضائله الغراء ساميةٌ

مولىً فضائله الغراء ساميةٌ

بين الأنام على زهر نجوم سنا

بين الأنام على زهر نجوم سنا

A lord whose illustrious virtues rise high

A master whose outstanding virtues

Among mankind, above the bright stars in radiance.

Are lofty among people at the bloom of stars

بحرٌ من العلم إلا أنهُ عذبٌ

بحرٌ من العلم إلا أنهُ عذبٌ

برٌّ عطوفٌ ولكن مخصبٌ مننا

برٌّ عطوفٌ ولكن مخصبٌ مننا

A sea of knowledge, except that it is sweet;

A sea of knowledge except it is fresh,

Kindhearted and compassionate, yet fertile in favors.

Righteous, gentle but fertile with our blessings,

بحكمةٍ لقبوه وهو ذو حكمٍ

بحكمةٍ لقبوه وهو ذو حكمٍ

والمرءُ من لقبٍ معناه قد زكنا

والمرءُ من لقبٍ معناه قد زكنا

They surnamed him Hikmet—“Wisdom”—and he possesses wise maxims;

With wisdom we titled him and he is of wise judgement,

And a man’s nature is indeed known from his epithet.

And man's title is from its meaning we have purified,

ترى بروضتهِ الغنا العلوم جرى

ترى بروضتهِ الغنا العلوم جرى

معقولها بصفا المنقول مقترنا

معقولها بصفا المنقول مقترنا

You see the sciences flowing in his luxuriant garden,

You see in his blossoming garden knowledge flowed,

Their rational knowledge joined to the purity of transmitted learning.

Its rational aligned with the transmitted joined,

مهذب الرأي وافٍ عهد منصبه

مهذب الرأي وافٍ عهد منصبه

سما مقاماً ولكن قد سما فطنا

سما مقاماً ولكن قد سما فطنا

Refined in judgment, faithful to the trust of his office;

Of cultured opinion and fulfilling his position,

He rose in station, yet he has risen in discernment too.

He reached the highest position but he has also been discerning,

سادت محامده في كل ناحية

سادت محامده في كل ناحية

محفوفةً بالمعالي من هنا وهنا

محفوفةً بالمعالي من هنا وهنا

His praiseworthy qualities reigned in every region,

His praise prevailed in every place,

Surrounded by lofty virtues on this side and that.

Surrounded by the heights from here and there,

علامة العصر لم تأخذهُ لائمةٌ

علامة العصر لم تأخذهُ لائمةٌ

باللَه فيما إليهِ مال أو ركنا

باللَه فيما إليهِ مال أو ركنا

The age’s great scholar, undeterred by reproach

He was not blamed by the critic of the time,

In God’s cause, whatever he inclined toward or relied upon.

By God in what he inclined to or settled,

سحب البلاغة من أقلامه غدقت

سحب البلاغة من أقلامه غدقت

درذا وغيث الندى من كفه هتنا

درذا وغيث الندى من كفه هتنا

The clouds of eloquence poured abundantly from his pens

The clouds of eloquence from his pens poured,

Pearls, and the rain of generosity streamed from his palm.

Its flowing rain and the dew of meadows from his palm leaked,

الفاظهُ دررٌ جاءت على غررٍ

الفاظهُ دررٌ جاءت على غررٍ

من المعاني لها بذل النهى ثمنا

من المعاني لها بذل النهى ثمنا

His words are pearls, borne upon the choicest

His words are pearls that came on gems,

Of meanings, for which intellect was offered as the price.

Of meanings for which the people of wisdom paid a price,

صافي السريرة مصقول الخواطر ذو

صافي السريرة مصقول الخواطر ذو

حلمٍ وذو كرمٍ لا يألف الضغنا

حلمٍ وذو كرمٍ لا يألف الضغنا

Pure of heart, polished in thought, possessed

Of pure conscience and refined thoughts, of

Of forbearance and generosity, unacquainted with rancor.

Patience and generosity, not knowing malice,

ما عاشقٌ نال وصلاً بعد طول نوىً

ما عاشقٌ نال وصلاً بعد طول نوىً

أسرُّ من رتبةٍ أضحى لها قرنا

أسرُّ من رتبةٍ أضحى لها قرنا

No lover who gained union after long separation

No lover attained connection after a long passion,

Is happier than the office whose consort he has become.

More secret than the position he obtained as companion,

للَه مشيخة الإسلام قد ظفرت

للَه مشيخة الإسلام قد ظفرت

منه بخير أمامٍ حاز كل ثنا

منه بخير أمامٍ حاز كل ثنا

God be praised! The office of Shaykh al-Islam has gained

The leadership of Islam has triumphed with it,

In him the finest imam, who has won every praise.

From him the best leader who gained all praise,

فقابلتهُ تحييه وتنشدهُ

فقابلتهُ تحييه وتنشدهُ

يا حبذا كفوءٌ أشتاقه زمنا

يا حبذا كفوءٌ أشتاقه زمنا

So it welcomed him, greeting him and chanting to him:

So it congratulates him and sings to him,

“Oh, how welcome is the worthy match I have long desired!”

How great a compatriot I longed for in time,

ضاءت مطالعها الزهرا بطلعتهِ

ضاءت مطالعها الزهرا بطلعتهِ

وبلغت من أياديه نوال منى

وبلغت من أياديه نوال منى

Its radiant horizons shone at his appearance,

Its horizon shone with his rising,

And through his benefactions it attained the fulfillment of wishes.

And from his hands wishes reached,

وصافحت جهبذاً أو فى المكارم من

وصافحت جهبذاً أو فى المكارم من

صفاته الزاهرات الفرض والسننا

صفاته الزاهرات الفرض والسننا

And it clasped a master’s hand, who fulfilled for noble virtues,

And it shook hands with the giant among men of

Through his radiant qualities, both obligations and traditions.

His blossoming traits of obligation and tradition,

في بابه العلما الإعلام يمنحهم

في بابه العلما الإعلام يمنحهم

فصل الخطاب إذا في المشاكلات رنا

فصل الخطاب إذا في المشاكلات رنا

At his door are the eminent scholars; he grants them

At his door the sciences and scholars,

The decisive word whenever he considers perplexing questions.

He provides the touchstone of speech if controversies shook,

البذل من راحتيه في العفاة سرى

البذل من راحتيه في العفاة سرى

وكوكب السعد في ساحاته قطنا

وكوكب السعد في ساحاته قطنا

Bounty flowed from both his palms among those seeking aid,

From his comfort generosity flowed,

And the star of good fortune dwelt in his courtyards.

And the star of fortune dwelt in his plains,

ومن يبشر بعلياه يقل فرحاً

ومن يبشر بعلياه يقل فرحاً

قد أنزل الدار بانيها ونعم بنا

قد أنزل الدار بانيها ونعم بنا

And whoever brings glad news of his eminence says joyfully:

And whoever brings good news of his eminence, let him rejoice,

“The house’s own builder has now been lodged within it—what a splendid builder!”

For he who built this house has descended and blessed is the building,

إن أمّ ذروتهُ القعسأ ملتجئاً

إن أمّ ذروتهُ القعسأ ملتجئاً

أخو عسارٍ غدا يزهو بثوب غنى

أخو عسارٍ غدا يزهو بثوب غنى

If his unassailable summit is approached for refuge

Truly the summit of his glory became a refuge,

By one in hardship, he comes to walk proudly in a robe of wealth.

The brother of hardship has become thriving in a garment of wealth,

أو قبل الذيل منهُ من رمتهُ يدا

أو قبل الذيل منهُ من رمتهُ يدا

نوائب الدهر من غارتها أمنا

نوائب الدهر من غارتها أمنا

Or if his hem is kissed by one whom the two hands

Or he who his tail touched out of his throw,

Of time’s calamities have struck, he is safe from their assault.

Became safe from the misfortunes of time,

قد زفّ عبدك يا مولاي مادحةً

قد زفّ عبدك يا مولاي مادحةً

تهدي الهناء بما أصبحت متحفنا

تهدي الهناء بما أصبحت متحفنا

Your servant, my lord, has led forth a praise-poem in procession,

Your servant comes wedding, my Master, a eulogy,

Offering congratulations for what you now bestow upon us.

That directs congratulations for what she has become adorned with,

ترجوك عفواً وإن كانت مقصرةً

ترجوك عفواً وإن كانت مقصرةً

فإن عفوك في انشادها أذنا

فإن عفوك في انشادها أذنا

It asks your pardon, even if it falls short,

She hopes for your pardon, though she falls short,

For your pardon has given permission for its recitation.

For your pardon in her singing gave permission,

واسلم ودم في مقامٍ شامخٍ شرفاً

واسلم ودم في مقامٍ شامخٍ شرفاً

يرعاك طرف العلى لا يعرف الوسنا

يرعاك طرف العلى لا يعرف الوسنا

And remain safe, and endure in a station lofty in honor,

And stay safe in a supreme position of nobility,

Watched over by eminence’s eye, which knows no slumber.

Guarded by the Highest who knows no belittlement.

هذي السيادة قد جاءت مؤرخةً

هذي السيادة قد جاءت مؤرخةً

بشيخهِ أحمد الإسلام حاط سنا

بشيخهِ أحمد الإسلام حاط سنا

This lordship has come with its date inscribed:

This is the timeline that has come dated,

“Through its shaykh Ahmad, Islam has encompassed radiance.”

With its Sheikh Ahmed, the Pillar of Islam, our years!