هَنيئاً فَصُنْعُ اللهِ وافاكَ بالبُشْرى

هَنيئاً فَصُنْعُ اللهِ وافاكَ بالبُشْرى

وأبْدى مُحيّاه الطّلاقةَ والبِشْرا

وأبْدى مُحيّاه الطّلاقةَ والبِشْرا

Congratulations! God's handiwork has come to you with glad tidings,

Congratulations, for God's work has granted you good tidings,

and its face has revealed openness and delight.

And His radiant smile conveyed eloquence and joy.

وهل هو إلا الصّنعُ أهْداكَ آيةً

وهل هو إلا الصّنعُ أهْداكَ آيةً

فكانتْ على نَيْلِ المنى آيةً كبْرى

فكانتْ على نَيْلِ المنى آيةً كبْرى

And is it not that handiwork which bestowed a sign upon you?

And what else could it be but His work that gave you a sign,

So it was a mighty sign of attaining your wishes.

Which became atop your wishes a great sign?

هوَ القدَرُ المحْتومُ حيّا به الهُدى

هوَ القدَرُ المحْتومُ حيّا به الهُدى

فبُعْداً لعُسْرٍ أعقَبَ اليُمْنَ واليُسْرا

فبُعْداً لعُسْرٍ أعقَبَ اليُمْنَ واليُسْرا

It is ordained destiny, through which guidance greeted you;

It is destined and auspicious; guidance prospers through it.

so away with hardship that has given way to good fortune and ease!

So away with any difficulty that follows ease and bounty!

حَلَلْتَ بدارِ الملكِ والسّعْدُ يقتَضي

حَلَلْتَ بدارِ الملكِ والسّعْدُ يقتَضي

لمُلْكِكَ أن يلْقَى بها العِزَّ والنّصْرا

لمُلْكِكَ أن يلْقَى بها العِزَّ والنّصْرا

You have settled in the royal palace, and good fortune decrees

You have come to the abode of kingdom, and happiness requires

that your reign shall find glory and victory there.

That your rule be adorned with might and triumph.

وأشرقَ ذاك الوجْهُ بالقُبّةِ التي

وأشرقَ ذاك الوجْهُ بالقُبّةِ التي

عَجائِبُها تُرْوَى وأنْعُمُها تَتْرى

عَجائِبُها تُرْوَى وأنْعُمُها تَتْرى

And that face shone within the dome whose

And that face shone under the dome whose wonders

wonders are recounted and whose blessings come in succession.

Are narrated and whose boons are seen.

لِذاكَ لَثمْناها يمِيناً كَريمةً

لِذاكَ لَثمْناها يمِيناً كَريمةً

ولوْ لمْ يكُنْ عَذْباً نَداها غَدَتْ بحْرَا

ولوْ لمْ يكُنْ عَذْباً نَداها غَدَتْ بحْرَا

For that, we kissed it as a generous right hand;

For that we kissed its threshold sincerely,

and had its dew not been sweet, it would have become a sea.

And if its bounty were not sweet, it would become a sea.

لغرْناطَةٍ أعْمَلتَ وِجْهَةَ ناصرٍ

لغرْناطَةٍ أعْمَلتَ وِجْهَةَ ناصرٍ

يهزُّ لنَصْرِ الدّين صَعْدتَهُ السّمْرا

يهزُّ لنَصْرِ الدّين صَعْدتَهُ السّمْرا

Toward Granada you set your course as a champion

For Granada you set out, like Nasir,

who brandishes his brown-shafted spear to champion the faith.

Shaking your sleeves to champion the faith.

مَدَدت إلى التّقبيل راحَةَ مُنْعِمٍ

مَدَدت إلى التّقبيل راحَةَ مُنْعِمٍ

أطَلنا على تقبيلها الحمْدَ والشكْرا

أطَلنا على تقبيلها الحمْدَ والشكْرا

You stretched out a benefactor's palm to be kissed;

You extended your palm, like a bestower,

long did we offer praise and thanks for kissing it.

We praised and thanked the kissing of it.

فلِلهِ أعْلامُ الجهادِ كأنّها

فلِلهِ أعْلامُ الجهادِ كأنّها

سَحابٌ وشمْسُ الأفق طَلْعتُكَ الغرّا

سَحابٌ وشمْسُ الأفق طَلْعتُكَ الغرّا

So God be praised for the banners of jihad, which are like

So to God belong the banners of jihad, as if they are

clouds, while your radiant visage is the sun of the horizon.

Clouds, and your rising sun the red dawn.

ستُنهِضُ للغاراتِ خَيْلاً مُغيرةً

ستُنهِضُ للغاراتِ خَيْلاً مُغيرةً

تُطيلُ ارْتِياحاً وهْيَ ما قارَبَتْ خمرا

تُطيلُ ارْتِياحاً وهْيَ ما قارَبَتْ خمرا

You will rouse raiding steeds for the forays;

You will rouse raiding steeds that make long campaigns

they revel at length, though they have never come near wine.

And scarcely taste wine before charging again.

وما ذاكَ إلا حيْث أنت مُملكٌ

وما ذاكَ إلا حيْث أنت مُملكٌ

قواعدَها طوْعاً وكفّارَها قَهْرا

قواعدَها طوْعاً وكفّارَها قَهْرا

And this is only because you are sovereign over

And that is only because you rule,

their strongholds by submission, and their unbelievers by force.

Subduing their forts and vanquishing their infidels.

تسُلُّ عليهِمْ في لَظى الحَرب مُرْهَفاً

تسُلُّ عليهِمْ في لَظى الحَرب مُرْهَفاً

فَتورِدُهُم منه على ظمأٍ نَهْرا

فَتورِدُهُم منه على ظمأٍ نَهْرا

You draw against them, amid war's blaze, a keen sword,

You unleash upon them in the heat of war a piercing sword,

and lead them, thirsting, to a river issuing from it.

Quenching them with it from thirst with a river.

وتَفتَحُ أقطارَ العدُوّ بعزْمَةٍ

وتَفتَحُ أقطارَ العدُوّ بعزْمَةٍ

فتقْمَعُ مغْترّاً وتوسِعُ مُعْتَرّا

فتقْمَعُ مغْترّاً وتوسِعُ مُعْتَرّا

And you conquer the enemy's lands with resolve,

And you open the lands of the enemy with resolve,

so you subdue the presumptuous and provide amply for the needy.

Subjugating the rebellious and shaming the insolent.

فللّهِ في الإسْلامِ أيامُك التي

فللّهِ في الإسْلامِ أيامُك التي

أقرّتْ له عَيْناً كما شرَحَتْ صَدْرا

أقرّتْ له عَيْناً كما شرَحَتْ صَدْرا

So God be praised for your days in Islam, which

So to God belong your days which Islam has,

have comforted its eye, just as they have opened its breast.

Comforting its eye just as they gladdened the chest.

فكم من ثغور كالعَذارَى تبرّجَتْ

فكم من ثغور كالعَذارَى تبرّجَتْ

وقد أضْحكَ الفَتْحُ المُبينُ لها ثَغْرا

وقد أضْحكَ الفَتْحُ المُبينُ لها ثَغْرا

How many frontier towns have adorned themselves like maidens,

How many citadels adorned themselves like maidens,

as manifest victory has made their mouths smile!

As the manifest conquest made them smile!

فَيا راكِبَ الوجْناء يَطْوي بها الفَلا

فَيا راكِبَ الوجْناء يَطْوي بها الفَلا

يرومُ بطيّ القَفْرِ أن يُذْهِبَ الفَقْرا

يرومُ بطيّ القَفْرِ أن يُذْهِبَ الفَقْرا

O rider of the stout-cheeked she-camel, folding up the wastes upon her,

O rider of the steed who traverses the desert,

seeking, by folding up the desert, to banish poverty,

Seeking by the fleet one to remove poverty:

وقد أُرْسِلَتْ مثل السّفين ملجّجاً

وقد أُرْسِلَتْ مثل السّفين ملجّجاً

وما اتّخذت إلا السّرابَ بها بَحْرا

وما اتّخذت إلا السّرابَ بها بَحْرا

she has been sent forth like ships plying the deep,

If you seek the spring of generosity, hold fast

and has taken only the mirage there for a sea.

To one at whose hands kingdoms gain the flooding rain.

إذا كنتَ تبغي مَوْرِدَ الجود فاعتَصِم

إذا كنتَ تبغي مَوْرِدَ الجود فاعتَصِم

بمن ترْتجي الأمْلاكُ نائِلَهُ الغَمْرا

بمن ترْتجي الأمْلاكُ نائِلَهُ الغَمْرا

If you seek the watering-place of generosity, take refuge

The highest of earth’s kings in selfhood and intelligence,

with him whose overflowing bounty kings hope for,

Noblest in merit and most famed in mention,

بأعْلى مُلوكِ الأرضِ ذاتاً ومَحْتِداً

بأعْلى مُلوكِ الأرضِ ذاتاً ومَحْتِداً

وأرْفَعِهمْ قدْراً وأشهرِهمْ ذِكْرا

وأرْفَعِهمْ قدْراً وأشهرِهمْ ذِكْرا

with the highest of earth's kings in person and lineage,

Most generous of those who don robes, their hems overflowing,

and the loftiest of them in rank and the most renowned in name,

Most honorable of those the bejeweled saddle bears.

بأكْرمَ من يكسُو المَلابسَ قد ضَفَتْ

بأكْرمَ من يكسُو المَلابسَ قد ضَفَتْ

وأشرَفَ من يُمْطي المحجّلةَ الغرّا

وأشرَفَ من يُمْطي المحجّلةَ الغرّا

with the most generous of those who bestow ample robes,

How many a hopeful has stretched his hand in munificence,

and the noblest giver of white-stockinged, white-blazed mounts.

Facilitating ease and heralding good tidings!

فكمْ آمِلٍ قد أمَّ جودَ يمينهِ

فكمْ آمِلٍ قد أمَّ جودَ يمينهِ

فيُسِّر لليُسْرى وفوتِح بالبُشْرى

فيُسِّر لليُسْرى وفوتِح بالبُشْرى

For many a hopeful seeker has sought his right hand's bounty,

When the Nile of generosity overflows from Joseph's palm,

and been set on the path to ease and welcomed with glad tidings.

Its flooding suffices the prosperous to alight in Egypt.

إذا فاض نيلُ الجودِ من كفّ يوسُفٍ

إذا فاض نيلُ الجودِ من كفّ يوسُفٍ

كفَى نيْلُهُ العافين أن يهْبِطوا مصْرا

كفَى نيْلُهُ العافين أن يهْبِطوا مصْرا

When the Nile of generosity overflows from Yusuf's palm,

And when the dawn gleams from Joseph's face,

his bounty spares supplicants the journey down to Egypt.

You see the stars of the horizon trembling in dread.

وإن لاحَ نورُ الصّبحِ من وجْهِ يوسُفٍ

وإن لاحَ نورُ الصّبحِ من وجْهِ يوسُفٍ

رأيْتَ نجومَ الأفْقِ قدْ رَعِشَتْ ذُعْرا

رأيْتَ نجومَ الأفْقِ قدْ رَعِشَتْ ذُعْرا

And if dawn's light gleams from Yusuf's face,

He will bare his weapons in the dark of night,

you see the horizon's stars already trembling in terror.

As stars, and his resolve will usher in the dawn.

سيُطلِعُ في ليلِ العجاجِ نُصولَهُ

سيُطلِعُ في ليلِ العجاجِ نُصولَهُ

نُجوماً ويُبْدي منْ عزيمتِه فجْرا

نُجوماً ويُبْدي منْ عزيمتِه فجْرا

He will make his blades rise in the night of battle-dust

For your sake, my lord, forget not the pact of one

as stars, and reveal a dawn from his resolve.

Who converses privately with his master in thought.

بحقّك يا مَوْلايَ لا تنسَ عهدَ مَنْ

بحقّك يا مَوْلايَ لا تنسَ عهدَ مَنْ

يحادِثُ موْلاهُ بأفْكارِه سرّا

يحادِثُ موْلاهُ بأفْكارِه سرّا

By your honor, my lord, do not forget the bond of one

How he tosses and turns in the embers of passion,

who converses with his lord in secret through his thoughts.

Your memory kindling a flame in his innermost being!

فكمْ باتَ في جَمْرِ الغضى مُتَقلِّباً

فكمْ باتَ في جَمْرِ الغضى مُتَقلِّباً

وذكرُكَ يُذْكي في جَوانِحه جَمْرا

وذكرُكَ يُذْكي في جَوانِحه جَمْرا

How often he has spent the night tossing on ghada embers,

Until he saw your cheerful smile, and the spirit

while remembrance of you kindles embers within his ribs!

Of verse began to gladden heart and chest.

إلى أن رأى ذاكَ المحيّا فأصبحَتْ

إلى أن رأى ذاكَ المحيّا فأصبحَتْ

صُدورُ القوافِي تشْرحُ القلبَ والصّدْرا

صُدورُ القوافِي تشْرحُ القلبَ والصّدْرا

Until he saw that face, and then

So inspire it as a garden conveying bliss,

the openings of the rhymes began to gladden heart and breast.

Scented, bearing clusters, blossoming and lush.

فدونكهَا تُهْدي الهَناءَ حديقةً

فدونكهَا تُهْدي الهَناءَ حديقةً

مُهدّلةً دَوْحاً مؤرّجَةً نَشْرا

مُهدّلةً دَوْحاً مؤرّجَةً نَشْرا

So take it, a garden offering felicitations,

And the hue of ink beautifully graces its whiteness,

with drooping trees and wafting fragrance.

As the mole's hue graces the cheek of a fair maiden.

وقد راقَ لونُ الحِبْرِ فوقَ بياضِها

وقد راقَ لونُ الحِبْرِ فوقَ بياضِها

كما راقَ لونُ الخالِ في وجْنَةِ العَذْرا

كما راقَ لونُ الخالِ في وجْنَةِ العَذْرا

And the ink's hue delights against its whiteness,

From the thought of my lord and the pen of his right hand,

as a beauty mark's hue delights on a maiden's cheek.

This servant weaves pearls in the necklace of verse.

ومن فكْرِ مولانا وخطِّ يمينِه

ومن فكْرِ مولانا وخطِّ يمينِه

غَدا العَبْدُ في جيدِ العُلى ينظِمُ الدُّرّا

غَدا العَبْدُ في جيدِ العُلى ينظِمُ الدُّرّا

And from our lord's thought and the writing of his right hand,

May your mercy therein build a creation as if

the servant has come to string pearls upon glory's neck.

It came to you in shyness, complaining of fate.

فرُحْماكَ فيها بنتَ فكْرٍ كأنها

فرُحْماكَ فيها بنتَ فكْرٍ كأنها

أتَتْكَ على استحيائِها تَشْتَكي الدّهْرا

أتَتْكَ على استحيائِها تَشْتَكي الدّهْرا

So grant her mercy, a daughter of thought, as though

Its purpose from you is acceptance, so grant freely

she has come to you in her shyness, complaining of Time.

To a loving servant who was true in secret and open.

ومَقصَدُها منكَ القَبُولُ فجُدْ بهِ

ومَقصَدُها منكَ القَبُولُ فجُدْ بهِ

لعبْدٍ محبٍّ أخلصَ السّرَّ والجَهْرا

لعبْدٍ محبٍّ أخلصَ السّرَّ والجَهْرا

And what she seeks from you is acceptance, so bestow it

Wonders of poetry came to praise in profusion,

upon a loving servant, sincere in secret and in public.

Taking as their course only its gardens.

بدائعُ هَبّتْ للثناءِ نواسِحٌ

بدائعُ هَبّتْ للثناءِ نواسِحٌ

وما اتخذتْ إلا حدائقَها مَسْرى

وما اتخذتْ إلا حدائقَها مَسْرى

Wondrous creations have wafted forth in praise, ranging freely,

A prose that rivals the dawn's dispersion in splendor,

and taken only their gardens as their path by night.

And verse that equals poetry's beauties.

فنَثرٌ يُباهي نثْرةَ الأفْق بهجةً

فنَثرٌ يُباهي نثْرةَ الأفْق بهجةً

وشِعْرٌ يُضاهي في مَحاسِنِها الشِّعْرَى

وشِعْرٌ يُضاهي في مَحاسِنِها الشِّعْرَى

Prose rivals the horizon's Nathra in splendor,

And God, how much subtlety His hands created,

and verse, in its charms, rivals Sirius.

Putting the white and red anemones to shame!

وللهِ كمْ أبْدَت يداهُ يَراعةً

وللهِ كمْ أبْدَت يداهُ يَراعةً

يَفُلُّ شبَاها البيضَ والأسَلَ السُّمْرا

يَفُلُّ شبَاها البيضَ والأسَلَ السُّمْرا

And God be praised, how many a reed pen his two hands have revealed,

He watered them from ink’s wine until He bent them over;

whose point blunts white swords and brown-shafted spears!

Did they bow in thanks or lean from intoxication?

سَقاها مُدامَ الحِبْر حتّى اسْتَمالها

سَقاها مُدامَ الحِبْر حتّى اسْتَمالها

فهل سَجَدتْ شُكْراً كما رجَحتْ سُكْرا

فهل سَجَدتْ شُكْراً كما رجَحتْ سُكْرا

He gave it the wine of ink to drink, until he won it over;

This slave has vowed to recite it for you,

so did it bow in gratitude, as it swayed in drunkenness?

Yet has not fulfilled a vow or oath.

وقدْ نَذَرَ المملوكُ إنشادَ هَذه

وقدْ نَذَرَ المملوكُ إنشادَ هَذه

لدَيْكَ فما وَفّى يميناً ولا نَذْرا

لدَيْكَ فما وَفّى يميناً ولا نَذْرا

And the bondservant had vowed to recite this

But my satisfaction is your slightest gesture,

before you, yet he has fulfilled neither oath nor vow.

Raising my mention in a glance of the eye.

ولكنّ حسْبي منْكَ أدْنى إشارةٍ

ولكنّ حسْبي منْكَ أدْنى إشارةٍ

إليّ بلحْظِ اللحْظِ ترْفَعُ لي ذِكْرا

إليّ بلحْظِ اللحْظِ ترْفَعُ لي ذِكْرا

Yet enough for me from you is the slightest gesture

You remain, defending God's religion, aiding its people,

toward me, an eye's glance, that raises my renown.

Obeyed when you execute a ban or command.

بَقيت لدينِ اللهِ تنْصُرُ أهْلَهُ

بَقيت لدينِ اللهِ تنْصُرُ أهْلَهُ

مُطاعاً إذا ما تُنْفذُ النهْيَ والأمْرا

مُطاعاً إذا ما تُنْفذُ النهْيَ والأمْرا

May you endure for God's faith, championing its people,

obeyed whenever you enforce prohibition and command.