وافى السرور وصحت الأحلام

وتباشرت بقدومك الأيام

Joy has arrived, and dreams have come true.

And the days rejoiced at your arrival.

واتى بشير القرب يعلن بالهنا

فعلى البشير تحية وسلام

And the herald of nearness came proclaiming joy,

So greetings and peace be upon the herald.

والدهر اشرق وجهه وتهللت

ساعاته وزهت به الاعوام

And Time's face shone, and joy brightened

Its hours; through him the years grew splendid.

والروض خرم ثوبه نشر الصبا

وتفتحت من زهره الاكمام

And the east wind's breath pierced the garden's robe,

And the calyxes of its flowers opened.

ودمشق طابت بالتهاني مشربا

فسرورها ابد الزمان مدام

And Damascus's draught grew sweet with congratulations;

So her joy is wine for all eternity.

ونسيمها المعتل صح بها كما

صحت بطيب قدومك الاجسام

And her ailing breeze grew healthy within her, just as

Bodies grew well through the sweetness of your arrival.

وسرى اليها من اصابعك الوفا

وعن الزمان قد انجلى الابهام

And fulfillment flowed to her from your fingers,

And ambiguity has lifted from Time.

ورياضها تجلى كأنّ غصونها

فيها قيان للزفاف قيام

And her gardens are unveiled, as though their boughs

Were singing girls standing there for a wedding.

وبدور جبهتها تضىء واصبحت

تختال في جنباتها الآرام

And the full moons of her brow shine, and now

White gazelles strut through her quarters.

ولنا سماء ربوعها قد اطلعت

نجما له فوق السماك مقام

And for us, the sky above her dwellings has brought forth

A star whose station is above al-Simak:

قاضي القضاة المفرد العلم الذي

ايامه رفعت بها الاعلام

The chief judge, the peerless luminary, whose

Days have seen banners raised.

هو روضة العليا ومطلب دوحها

كنز به للطالبين مرام

He is eminence's garden and the goal of its spreading trees,

A treasure in whom seekers find their desire.

ورث المعالي كابراً عن كابر

فمحله في المجد ليس يرام

He inherited high honors, a great man from a great forebear;

So his station in glory is beyond reach.

سامي الذرى من خير بيت قد اتى

لمحاسن الاوصاف فيه نظام

High are his summits; he has come from the noblest house;

In him, beautiful qualities are strung in harmony.

من ذا يضاهي قدره وسما العلا

اقمارها الآباء والاعمام

Who can rival his rank, when the heaven of eminence

Has his forefathers and uncles for its moons?

بحر سريع الجود الا انه

عذب به للواردين زحام

A sea swift in generosity, except that he

Is sweet, and those who come to drink throng around him.

مولى اذا استمطرت غيث نواله

فسحاب جود ماطر وغمام

A lord who, when you seek the rain of his bounty,

Is a rain-bearing cloud of generosity, a bank of clouds.

هو قبلة العليا وجامع فضلها

وتر الزمان وفي العلوم امام

He is eminence's qibla, the gatherer of its virtues,

Time's peerless one, and a leader in the sciences.

فس الفصاحة جوهريّ لفظه

قد حار في اوصافه النظام

The gem of eloquence, with jewel-like speech—

The versifiers have been baffled in describing him.

وبه المحامد والمكارم جمعت

حتى سجاياه الحسان كرام

And in him, praiseworthy traits and noble deeds are gathered;

Even his lovely dispositions are generous.

لم يثنه في الجود عن بذل اللهى

ثان ولا يلهيه عنه ملام

In generosity, he has not been turned from bestowing lavish gifts

By any deterrent; nor does reproach distract him from it.

وحوى من العلياء سهما وافرا

منه بافئدة العداة سهام

And he has gained an ample share of eminence;

From it come arrows into the hearts of his foes.

فإذا سخا ما حاتم في جوده

واذا سطا في الروع ما بسطام

So when he gives, what is Hatim beside his generosity?

And when he strikes in battle's terror, what is Bistam?

والدهر اقسم لا يجود بمثله

ابدا ولم تحنث له اقسام

And Time has sworn it will not bestow his like,

Ever; and its oaths have not been broken.

وبه علا الشرع الشريف وقد غدت

تسمو قواعده به وتقام

And through him the noble sacred law rose high, and now

Its foundations rise through him and are upheld.

اوصافه حاشاه لا نقص بها

وعلاه في فلك السعود تمام

His qualities have no flaw—far be it from him!

And his glory is full in the sphere of fortunate stars.

مولاي يا نجم الكمال ومن سما

وبه تسامت مصرنا والشام

My lord, O star of perfection, you who rose high,

And through whom our Egypt and al-Sham rose high,

خذها قصيدا قد تضوع نشرها

طيبا لها مسك المديح ختام

Accept it as a poem whose fragrance has spread

Sweetly; its seal is the musk of praise.

جاءت عروسا تجتلى من خدرها

عنها لغيرك ما اميط لثام

It came as a bride, unveiled from her chamber;

Her veil has been lifted for none but you.

تبغي على الفتح السداد لها ومن

يبغي سداد الحال ليس بلام

She seeks soundness for herself—with the open 'a' vowel—and whoever

Seeks to set his affairs right is not to blame.

او كيف اخشى بعده فقرا ولي

من راحتيك مواثق وذمام

Or how could I fear poverty thereafter, when I have

Pledges and protection from your two palms?

لا زلت ترقى صاعدا درج العلا

ويحفك الاقبال والاكرام

May you ever climb, ascending the steps of eminence,

And may good fortune and honor surround you.

وتهن شهر الصوم وافى بهالنا

وبه الذنوب تحط والآثام

And may you enjoy the month of fasting, which has arrived with joy,

And in it, sins and transgressions are remitted.

ويعيش مولانا إلى امثاله

دهرا ويتلو كل عام عام

And may our lord live to see others like it,

For ages, with year following year.

وبقيت محروس الجناب مؤيدا

والدهر عبد والزمان غلام

And may you remain secure in your domain, upheld,

With Time your slave and the age your serving-boy,

ما حرّكت ايدي الصبا عودا وما

غلّت عليه في الرياض حمام

As long as the east wind's hands stir a bough, and as long as

Doves coo upon it in the gardens.