1. المُلكُ أَصبَحَ ثابتَ الآساسِ

    بِالمُستَعين العادِل العَبّاسِ

    Kingship now stands firm upon its foundations,

    Through al-Mustaʿin, the just al-Abbas.

  2. رَجعَت مَكانَةُ آل عمّ المُصطَفى

    لمحلّها مِن بعدِ طول تناسِ

    The standing of the Chosen Prophet’s uncle’s house has returned

    To its rightful place after long neglect.

  3. ثاني رَبيع الآخَرِ المَيمونِ في

    يَوم الثُلاثا حُفَّ بِالأَعراسِ

    On the blessed second day of Rabiʿ al-Akhir,

    A Tuesday abounding in wedding-like joys,

  4. بِقُدوم مهديّ الأَنامِ أَمينهم

    مأمون عيبٍ طاهِر الأَنفاسِ

    With the advent of mankind’s guide, they are secure—

    Safe from every flaw, pure of breath.

  5. ذو البَيت طاف بِهِ الرَجاء فَهَل تَرى

    مِن قاصِدٍ متردّد في الياسِ

    The lord of the House, around whom hopes circle—do you see

    Any petitioner wavering in despair?

  6. فرعٌ نما من هاشِم في روضةٍ

    زاكي المنابتِ طيّب الأَغراسِ

    A branch of Hashim flourishing in a garden,

    Pure in root and sweet in planting;

  7. بِالمُرتَضى وَالمُجتَبى وَالمشتَري

    لِلحمد وَالحالي بِهِ وَالكاسي

    The approved, the chosen, the purchaser

    Of praise—adorned with it and clothing others in it—

  8. مِن أسرةٍ أَسروا الخطوب وَطهِّروا

    مِمّا يغيّرهم مِن الأدناسِ

    From a house that mastered calamities and purified itself

    Of every stain that might disfigure them.

  9. أُسدٌ إِذا حَضَروا الوَغى وَإِذا خلوا

    كانوا بِمَجلِسِهِم ظباءَ كِناسِ

    Lions when they enter battle, yet when alone,

    Gazelles at rest within their sheltered lairs.

  10. مِثلُ الكَواكِب نورُهُ ما بينهم

    كالبَدرِ أَشرَق في دُجى الأَغلاسِ

    Like stars is his radiance among them,

    Like a full moon shining through the darkness before dawn.

  11. وَبِكَفِّهِ عِندَ العَلامَةِ آيَةٌ

    قَلَمٌ يُضيءُ إِضاءَة المقباسِ

    In his hand, beside the signet, is a sign:

    A pen that gleams with the light of a lamp.

  12. فلبشره لِلوافِدين بِباسِم

    يدعى وَلِلإِجلال بِالعبّاسِ

    His face beams smiling upon arriving guests,

    Though for majesty he is called al-Abbas.

  13. فالحَمدُ لِلَّه المُعزِّ لدينه

    مِن بعد ما قَد كان في إِبلاسِ

    Praise, then, to God, who strengthens His religion

    After it had nearly fallen into despair,

  14. بِالسّادةِ الأُمراء أَركان العلا

    مِن بَين مدرك ثأره وَمواسي

    Through the noble princes, pillars of eminence,

    Some avenging wrongs and others bringing solace.

  15. نَهَضوا بِأَعباء المَناقِب واِرتَقوا

    في مَنصِب العليا الأَشمِّ الراسي

    They shouldered the burdens of noble deeds and rose

    To the towering, firmly rooted seat of supremacy.

  16. تَرَكوا العدى صَرعى بمعتَرَكِ الرَدى

    فاللَّه يحرسُهم مِن الوسواسِ

    They left the enemy slain upon the field of death—

    May God guard them from the Whisperer.

  17. وَإِمامُهم بِجَلالِهِ مُتَقَدِّمٌ

    تَقديم بِسم اللّه في القرطاسِ

    Their leader, in his majesty, goes before them,

    As “In the name of God” precedes the writing on a page.

  18. لَولا نظامُ الملك في تَدبيرهِ

    لَم يَستَقِم في المُلك حال الناسِ

    Were it not for the kingdom’s order under his governance,

    The people’s affairs throughout the realm would not stand straight.

  19. كَم مِن أَميرٍ قَبلَهُ خطَبَ العلا

    وَبجهده رجعَته بالإِفلاسِ

    How many a prince before him courted eminence,

    Only to return from his striving bankrupt,

  20. حَتّى إِذا جاء المَعالي كفؤُها

    خضعت لَهُ مِن بعد فرط شِماسِ

    Until, when lofty honors found their equal,

    They submitted to him after stubborn resistance.

  21. طاعَت لَهُ أَيدي الملوك وَأَذعَنَت

    مِن نيل مصر أَصابع المقياسِ

    The hands of kings obeyed him and yielded,

    As did the keepers who measure Egypt’s Nile.

  22. وَأَزال ظُلماً عمّ كلّ معمّم

    مِن سائِرِ الأَنواع وَالأَجناسِ

    He removed an injustice that afflicted every turbaned man

    Among all peoples and every class.

  23. فَهوَ الَّذي قَد رَدَّ عَنّا البؤس في

    دهرٍ بِهِ لَولاه كلّ الباسِ

    He is the one who turned affliction away from us

    In an age that, without him, would have been all affliction—

  24. بِالخاذِلِ المدعوّ ضدَّ فعاله

    بِالناصرِ المُتَناقِض الآساسِ

    Through the one called al-Khadil, though his deeds belied the name,

    And al-Nasir, whose very foundations contradicted him.

  25. كَم نِعمَة لِلَّهِ كانَت عنده

    وَكأَنَّها في غربة وَتناسِ

    How many blessings from God were once with him,

    Yet seemed exiled and forgotten!

  26. ما زالَ سِرُّ الشَرِّ بَينَ ضلوعهِ

    كالنار أَو صحبَتهُ للأَرماسِ

    The secret of evil never left his breast,

    Like fire—or like his companionship with graves.

  27. كَم سَنَّ سَيّئَةً عَلَيهِ إِثامُها

    حَتّى القِيامة ما له مِن آسِ

    How many sins he instituted, their guilt resting upon him

    Until Resurrection, with no healer for him.

  28. مَكراً بَنى أَركانَهُ لكنّها

    لِلغَدرِ قَد بنيت بِغَيرِ أَساسِ

    In cunning he built up his pillars, but they

    Were raised for treachery upon no foundation.

  29. كلّ اِمرئٍ يَنسى ويذكر تارَة

    لكنّه لِلشرّ لَيسَ بِناسي

    Every man forgets, then remembers again,

    But he was never forgetful of evil.

  30. أملى لَهُ رَبُّ الوَرى حَتّى إِذا

    أَخَذوهُ لَم يفلِتهُ مُرُّ الكاسِ

    The Lord of creation gave him respite, until

    They seized him, and the bitter cup did not let him escape.

  31. وَأَدالنا مِنهُ المَليك بِمالِك

    أَيّامُهُ صَدرت بِغَير قِياسِ

    The Sovereign gave us victory over him through Malik,

    Whose days unfolded beyond all measure.

  32. فاِستَبشَرَت أُمُّ القُرى وَالأَرضُ مِن

    شَرقٍ وَغرب كالعُذَيبِ وَفاسِ

    Umm al-Qura rejoiced, and all the earth

    From east to west—from al-Udhayb to Fez.

  33. آيات مجدٍ لا يُحاوِل جَحدَها

    في الناس غَير الجاهِل الخنّاسِ

    These are signs of glory none attempts to deny

    Except the ignorant, skulking whisperer.

  34. وَمناقبُ العبّاس لَم تُجمَع سِوى

    لِحَفيده ملك الوَرى العبّاسِ

    The virtues of al-Abbas have been gathered for none

    Save his descendant, al-Abbas, king of mankind.

  35. لا تُنكِروا لِلمُستَعين رِئاسَةً

    في المُلكِ مِن بعد الجَحودِ القاسي

    Do not deny al-Mustaʿin the right to rule

    After harsh and stubborn repudiation.

  36. فَبَنوا أميّة قَد أَتى مِن بَعدِهِم

    في سالِف الدنيا بَنو العبّاسِ

    The sons of Umayya came, and after them,

    In the world’s bygone age, came the sons of al-Abbas.

  37. وَأَتى أَشَجُّ بَني أُميَّةَ ناشِراً

    لِلعَدلِ مِن بَعدِ المبيرِ الخاسي

    Then came the scarred one of Umayya, spreading

    Justice after the humbled, destructive tyrant.

  38. مَولايَ عَبدُك قَد أَتى لك راجِياً

    منك القَبولَ فَلا يَرى مِن باسِ

    My lord, your servant has come to you in hope

    Of acceptance, and thus sees nothing to fear.

  39. لَولا المَهابَةُ طُوِّلَت أَمداحُهُ

    لَكِنَّها جاءَتهُ بِالقسطاسِ

    Were it not for awe of you, his praises would have grown longer,

    But that very awe has brought them forth in due measure.

  40. فَأَدامَ رَبُّ الناس عِزَّك دائِماً

    بِالحَقّ مَحروساً بربِّ الناسِ

    May the Lord of mankind perpetuate your glory forever,

    Guarded in truth by the Lord of mankind.

  41. وَبقيت تَستمع المَديح لِخادم

    لَولاك كانَ مِن الهُموم يُقاسي

    May you continue to hear a servant’s praise—

    A servant who, without you, would suffer many cares—

  42. عَبدٌ صَفا وُدّاً وَزمزم حادياً

    وَسَعى عَلى العينين قبلَ الراسِ

    A servant of pure affection, with Zamzam as his guide,

    And hastening upon both eyes before his head,

  43. أَمداحُهُ في آل بَيت مُحمَّدٍ

    بَينَ الوَرى مسكيّةُ الأَنفاسِ

    His praises devoted to the House of Muhammad,

    Musk-scented among all humankind.