1. إِنْ أَكُنْ أَشْجعاً فأَنْتَ الرَّشِيدُ

    أَوْ تكُن جعْفَراً فإِنيِّ الوَلِيدُ

    If I am Ashja‘, then you are al-Rashid.

    Or if you are Ja‘far, then I am al-Walid.

  2. يا بعيدَ المنالِ وهْو قَريبٌ

    وقريبَ الإِحْسانِ وهْوَ بَعِيدُ

    O you, far beyond reach although you are near,

    and near in kindness although you are far.

  3. لي عُرسٌ في كُلِّ يومٍ بإِنْعا

    مِكَ بلْ كلَّ ساعةٍ ليَ عِيدُ

    Each day is a wedding feast for me through your favor;

    indeed, each hour is a festival for me.

  4. كنتُ أُسْمَى السعيد قدِماً مُحالاً

    ومِن اليومِ صَحَّ أَنِّي السَّعيدُ

    I used to be called al-Sa‘id, ‘the Fortunate,’ in vain;

    but from today, I truly am the fortunate one.

  5. ماتَ جدّي القديمُ يرحمهُ اللـ

    ـه ولكن قد عَاشَ جَدِّي الجَدِيدُ

    My former fortune died—may God have mercy on it—

    but my new fortune has come to life.

  6. أَوَّلُ الحاسِدين لي الملأُ الأَعـ

    ـلَى وذاكَ الْمَلا وهَذا الوجُودُ

    The first to envy me are the assembly on high,

    and that expanse and this whole existence.

  7. لا أَلومُ الحسَّاد بل أُوسع الحسّادَ

    عُذراً إِنِّي لنفسي حَسُودُ

    I do not blame the envious; rather, I grant them

    ample excuse: I even envy myself.

  8. نِعَمٌ في زيادةٍ كُلَّ يومٍ

    كيفَ هذا وَمَا عليها مَزِيدُ

    Blessings increase every day—

    how can this be, when no more can be added to them?

  9. ونَدىً كالبِحارِ مَرَّت فلا

    يعقب منها الموردَ إِلا المُريدُ

    And bounty like seas that have grown bitter, so

    only the willing seeker follows their watering place.

  10. خِلْعَةٌ إِثْرَ خِلْعَةٍ مثل ما يَتْ

    بَعُ في نظمها الفريدِ الفريدُ

    A robe of honor after another, just as

    a pearl follows another in their matchless stringing.

  11. خِلعٌ كالسَّحاب ولَوْناً وكالْغيـ

    ـثِ انْهمالاً بِه السَّحابُ يَجودُ

    Robes like clouds in color, and like rain

    in their pouring abundance, bestowed by the clouds.

  12. فبريق الحريرِ منها بروقٌ

    وزفيرُ الأَعداءِ منها رُعودُ

    The gleam of their silk is lightning,

    and the enemies' groans over them are thunder.

  13. حُرقت للعِدا بِهنَّ قُلوبٌ

    واشتوت بالنيرانِ منها كُبودُ

    Enemies' hearts have been burned by them,

    and their livers roasted in their flames.

  14. إِنَّ حَالِي بئرٌ معطَّلَةٌ من

    قبلُ والآن فهي قَصْرٌ مَشِيدُ

    Indeed, my condition was an abandoned well

    before; now it is a lofty palace.

  15. ولَعَمْري مُذ طالَعَتْنِي بإِسْعا

    دٍ مَعَاليكَ طَالَعتْني السعودُ

    By my life, since there rose upon me with joy

    your lofty merits, auspicious stars have risen upon me.

  16. أَنَا أَشْكو إِليك تقصيرَ شُكري

    فكأَنِّي بالبِرِّ منك كَنُود

    I complain to you of my inadequate thanks,

    as though I were ungrateful for your kindness.

  17. نِعَمٌ لا تَغِبُّ قد أَفْحَمَتْنِي

    فكأَنَّ الذَّكيَّ مِني بَلِيدُ

    Unceasing blessings have left me speechless,

    as though the clever man in me were dull.

  18. قَصُرت خطوَتي وذَاك لأَني

    أَثْقَلتْنِي من الأَيادِي قُيودُ

    My stride has shortened, and that is because

    fetters of favors have weighed me down.

  19. وأَيادِيك في أَعاديكَ أَغْلا

    لٌ وفي الأَوْلياءِ مِنْك عُقُودُ

    Your favors are shackles upon your enemies,

    and necklaces from you upon your friends.

  20. أنتَ مَنْ لاَ تُحصى مناقِبُه العِدُّ

    ويُلْقَى بالفردِ منه العدِيدُ

    You are one whose inexhaustible virtues cannot be counted;

    and one of yours confronts a multitude.

  21. أَنتَ قاضٍ له الشهودُ سجايا

    ه أَميرٌ له المعالي جُنودُ

    You are a judge whose witnesses are his character traits,

    an emir whose troops are lofty merits.

  22. أنتَ مَنْ لو تجاوزَ الدَّهْرُ حدّاً

    لأُقيمت عليه منكَ الحُدودُ

    You are one who, should time overstep a limit,

    would impose the prescribed penalties upon it.

  23. أنتَ مَنْ أَقْسَمَ الزَّمانُ كما شِئـ

    ـتَ بأَلاَّ يريدَ ما لا تُريدُ

    You are one to whom time has sworn, as you wished,

    not to desire anything you do not desire.

  24. هو مَنْ قَدْ أَجَاد فِي الْمَجْدِ والسؤ

    دَدِ طبعاً فهو المُجيد المُجيدُ

    He is one who has excelled in glory and lordship,

    by nature; he is accomplished, accomplished indeed.

  25. قد أَفَدتَ العِدَا كَمَا قَدْ أَفاد الـ

    ـجودُ فِينا فَهْو المُغِيثُ المفِيدُ

    You have slain the foes, just as generosity

    has benefited us; he is the rescuer, the benefactor.

  26. أَوْحَدُ الخلْق أَكْثرُ النَّاسِ عِلْماً

    ونَوالاً فهْوَ الكثيرُ الْوَحيدُ

    Unique among creation, the most abundant of men in knowledge

    and bounty: he is abundant, yet unique.

  27. هوَّنَ الصَّعب قوَّم الدَّهر منه

    خُلقٌ ليِّنٌ وبَأْسٌ شَدِيدُ

    Hardship has been eased and time set straight by his

    gentle character and fierce might.

  28. فإِذا جادَ ما السّحابُ سَحابٌ

    وإِذا صَالَ ما الأُسود أُسودُ

    So when he gives, clouds are not clouds;

    and when he attacks, lions are not lions.

  29. وإِذا قال فالقلوبُ خُشوعٌ

    وإِذا قَام فالوُجُوهُ سجُودُ

    And when he speaks, hearts are humbled;

    and when he rises, faces fall prostrate.

  30. وإِذا جرَّد اليَراعة في الكَفِّ

    عَلِمْنَا أَنَّ السيوفَ غُمُودُ

    And when he unsheathes the reed pen in his palm,

    we know that swords are only sheaths.

  31. حَمْدُ عبدِ الحميدِ قبلُ لقد أَخـ

    ـجَله بَعْدك العزِيزُ الحَمِيدُ

    Abd al-Hamid's former acclaim—indeed,

    after you, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy has put him to shame.

  32. وكذَاك الصَّابِي لديكَ صَبيٌّ

    بك وابْنُ العميدِ مِنْك عَمِيد

    Likewise, al-Sabi beside you is a child,

    because of you; and Ibn al-‘Amid is stricken by you.

  33. إِنما الطَّرسُ مِنْك روضٌ نضيرٌ

    والمعاني في الخَطِّ درٌّ نَضَيدُ

    The page from you is nothing but a flourishing garden,

    and the meanings in its script are pearls in ordered rows.

  34. أَنتَ يا أَفضلَ الأَنام وَيا مَنْ

    وصْفُه البأْسُ والحِجَا والجُودُ

    You, O best of humankind, O you

    whose attributes are valor, reason, and generosity,

  35. قد بذلتَ الإِحسان عندي وإِحسا

    نُك مَا لا يَفْنَى ومَا لاَ يَبِيد

    have lavished kindness upon me; and your kindness

    is what never runs out and never perishes.

  36. إِنْ حمِدْتُ المُقامَ منكَ فما يُحـ

    ـمَدُ إِلاَّ مَقامُك المحْمودُ

    If I praise the station I have from you, nothing is praised

    but your own praiseworthy station.

  37. بك أَصبَحْتُ أَعْجَبَ النَّاسِ حالاً

    أُفْقِي مُشْمِسٌ وظِلِّي مَدِيدُ

    Through you, my state has become the most wondrous of all:

    my horizon is sunlit, and my shade is long.

  38. فتغرَّدْتُ حين طُوِّقْتُ والوّرْقا

    ءُ في الطَّوقِ شَأْنُها التَّغْريدُ

    So I sang when I was collared; the gray dove

    is wont to sing when it wears its collar.

  39. لي عَدن مِنْ راحتيكَ وَمَدْحِي

    لَك مِنْه لا زَال عَنْه الخُلُودُ

    I have Eden from your two palms, and my praise

    of you comes from it—may immortality never leave it.