Sol 6.1

  1. عادَ قَلبُ الْشُوقِ إِذْ عُدتَ عِيدُه

    وَوَفَى وَعْدُه وَوَافَتْ سُعُودُه

    Longing's heart revived when you returned as its feast day,

    and its promise was fulfilled, and its good fortunes arrived.

  2. وسَقَاهُ مَاءُ الحياةِ فَمَا احْمَرّ

    مُحَيَّاً لَه ولا اخْضَرَّ عُودُه

    The water of life gave it drink; yet no flush

    rose in its face, nor did its bough grow green.

  3. وهنيئاً له السرورُ ولا غَر

    وَ فَمَنْ يُبدِي السُّرورَ يُعِيدُه

    May its joy be blessed—no wonder,

    for whoever brings forth joy renews it.

  4. وهنيئاً له مِنَ الْخَلْقِ لمَّا

    جَاءَه مَنْ يَسُوسُه ويَسُودُه

    And congratulations to it from mankind, when

    there came to it one who governs it and rules it:

  5. من يودُّ الزَّمَانُ مِنه الرِّضَا عَنه

    ولا شَيءَ فِي الزَّمانِ يَؤُوده

    one whose approval time itself desires,

    and whom nothing in time can burden;

  6. مَنْ يُنيم الأَنَامَ أَمْناً ولاَ يُمسكُ

    عِقد الوجودِ إِلاَّ وُجُوده

    one who lets mankind sleep securely, and nothing holds together

    the necklace of existence but his existence;

  7. من أَتَتْه الأَيَّامُ مُعْتذِرَات

    فأَتى صَفْحُه وَرَاحَتْ حُقُودُه

    one to whom the days came apologizing,

    and his pardon came, and his grudges departed;

  8. من أَقَرَّت له الملوكُ وقَالَتْ

    هُو سُلطَانُنا ونَحْن عَبيدُه

    one whom kings acknowledged, saying,

    “He is our sultan, and we are his slaves.”

  9. إِنَّ فَضْل الإِله جَدَّدَ للأَفـ

    ـضلِ ما قَدْ بَنَتْه قِدْماً جُدُودُه

    God's bounty has renewed for al-Afdal

    what his forefathers built long ago,

  10. وحَبَاه الملكَ الَّذي صدَّعَتْه

    وأَبى الله أَنْ يَتِمَّ صُدودُه

    and granted him the kingdom the days had shattered;

    and God refused to let his estrangement be complete.

  11. ذِيدَ عَنْ مُلْكِه الموكِّل واللهُ

    إِليه لاَ عَنْه كَان يَذُودُه

    The appointing ruler was driven from his kingdom; yet God

    was driving him toward it, not away from it.

  12. إِنَّ مِصراً ترى به إِرْثَه الأَقْـ

    ـدَمَ حَقَّاً أَثاثُه مَوْجُودُه

    Indeed, in Egypt you see his oldest inheritance,

    rightfully his furnishings, his possessions.

  13. ملكُه عنْ أَبِيه قَدْ أَكَّدت فيه

    عَليهم عُقودُه وعُهودُه

    His kingship, inherited from his father, has been confirmed there

    against them by his contracts and covenants.

  14. ما عَلِيٌّ إِلاَّ سُليمانُه الأَعْـ

    ـظَمُ مُلْكاً ويوسفٌ دَاوُدُه

    Ali is none but its Solomon, greatest

    in dominion; and Yusuf is its David.

  15. ليس هذا حَقًّا يضيعُ وَرَبُّ الـ

    ـخلقِ قاضٍ به ونَحْن شُهودُه

    This is no right that can be lost, while the Lord of

    creation judges in its favor, and we are its witnesses.

  16. مصرُ عِقْدُ الزَّمانِ حُسْناً ومَا لا

    قَ بِعقدِ الزَّمانِ إِلاَّ جِيدُه

    Egypt is time's necklace in beauty, and none

    befits time's necklace but his neck.

  17. كانَ فيها كآدمٍ حين ما أُهـ

    ـبِط مِنْ جَنَّةٍ إِلَيها صُعودُه

    He was there like Adam when he was

    cast down from a garden to which he had ascended.

  18. راح مِنْها حَتَّى يعودَ كَما كا

    ن وحَتَّى يكونَ فِيها خُلُودُه

    He left her so that he might return as he had

    been, and so that his dwelling there might be eternal.

  19. حادَ عنه المرادُ حِيناً لِكي يُعـ

    ـلَمَ مقدارُه وَيُرْوى وُرُودُه

    His desire turned away from him awhile, so that

    his worth might be known and his coming recounted.

  20. ثم جَادَ المُرادُ والسَّعدُ يَحدو

    ه وكفُّ الآمَالِ مِنَّا تَقُودُه

    Then his desire yielded generously, and good fortune urged

    him onward, while the hand of our hopes led him.

  21. خمدت نارُ مَنْ عَصاهُ ونور الـ

    ـدين هيهات ليس يخشى خموده

    The fire of those who disobeyed him died out; but the light of

    faith—far from it!—has no fear of extinction.

  22. بعده لا عصاه عاصٍ ولا

    تَخْفِق في الخاَفِقَين إِلاَّ بُنُودُه

    Thereafter no rebel disobeyed him, and none

    but his banners flutter in the two horizons.

  23. ورأَت فقرَها الأَنامُ إِليه

    فَدَعَتْه كَأَنَّما هُو جُودُه

    Mankind saw its need of him,

    and called upon him, as though he were his generosity itself.

  24. ودَعا الدِّينُ رُشدَهُ وهُداهُ

    فَهو مَهْديُّه وَإلاَّ رَشيده

    Faith called for his sound judgment and guidance;

    he is its Mahdi, or else its Rashid.

  25. وأَتى مصرَ وهْي بالخلق قد ما

    دَتْ ولكَنْ أَقَرَّها تَمْهيدُه

    He came to Egypt, which, with her people, had

    swayed; but his firm ordering steadied her.

  26. وأَتى البَدْرُ مِنه يُعْشِي سَنَاه

    مَنْ يَراه والبحرُ يَطغَى مَدِيدُه

    From him came the full moon, its radiance dazzling

    whoever sees it, and the sea, its spreading tide overflowing.

  27. ومحبٌّ يشدُّ ما شَادَ مِنْه

    فهو حَقّاً عِمادُه وعَمِيدُه

    And a lover strengthens what he has built of it;

    he is truly its pillar and its chief.

  28. جاءَه مَنْ يطبُّ ما فيه من سُقـ

    ـمٍ وقد كَانَ عَادِماً مَنْ يَعْودُه

    To it came one who treats whatever it has of

    sickness; it had lacked anyone to visit it.

  29. قدَّر اللهُ كُلَّ مَا كَان حَتَّى

    عَاشَ مُنْتَابُه وَأَوْدَى حَسودُه

    God ordained all that happened, so that

    his visitor might live and his envier perish.

  30. فَلِبَسْنَا مِنْه الجديدُ وما يخـ

    ـلَع عَنَّا الخليعَ إِلاَّ جَدِيدُه

    So we donned his new garment, and nothing

    strips our cast-off garb away but his new one.

  31. ملكٌ طَائِعٌ لِباريه لا ينـ

    ـفَكُّ فِيه قِيامُه وقُعودُه

    A king obedient to his Maker, unceasing

    in that obedience as he stands and sits.

  32. مَلأَ اللَّيلَ بالتَّهجُّدِ حَتَّى

    فَاض عَنْه رُكُوعُه وسُجودُه

    He filled the night with vigil prayers until

    his bowing and prostration overflowed beyond it.

  33. كَمْ أَقَامَتَ عَلى العُفَاةِ لَهاه

    وأُقِيمَتْ عَلَى اللَّيالِي حُدُودُه

    How often his gifts stood ready for supplicants,

    while his penalties were enforced against the nights.

  34. سيفُه في الجهادِ قَلَّده الملْـ

    ـكَ فتقليدُ مُلكِه تَقْليدُه

    His sword in holy war invested him with

    kingship; his royal investiture is his girding on that sword.

  35. جَعَلَتْه أَغْنى الملوكِ ظُبَاهُ

    إِنَّما مَعْدِنُ النُّضَارِ حَدِيدُه

    Its cutting edges made him the richest of kings;

    his iron is the very mine of pure gold.

  36. قدَرُ اللهِ مُلكُهُ لا يُبالي

    إِنْ تَنَاءَتْ أَوْ إِنْ تَدانَتْ جُنُودُه

    His kingship is God's decree; he does not care

    whether his troops are far away or close at hand.

  37. فالذي قرَّ منهم قَرَّ عَيْنَاً

    والَّذِي فَرَّ لاَ يَكَادُ يَكيدُه

    Whoever among them stayed had his eye gladdened,

    and whoever fled can scarcely scheme against him.

  38. أَيُّ كَفٍّ مَا سوَّرتْها عَطَايا

    هُ وعنقٍ مَا قُلِّدته عُقودُه

    What hand has not been braceleted by gifts

    of his, or neck not adorned with his necklaces?

  39. لا ثَنَاءٌ إِلاَّ إِلَيْه تَنَاهِيـ

    ـه وفضلٌ إِلاَّ لَديه مَزيده

    There is no praise but in him lies its culmination,

    nor excellence but with him lies its increase.

  40. وهل الفَخْرُ الْفَحْمُ إِلاَّ نزيلٌ

    بِذُرَاهُ والفَقْر إِلاَّ طريدُه

    And is pride—[coal]—anything but a guest

    at his heights, and poverty anything but his outcast?

  41. كلُّ شيءٍ يُفيدُه فَهْوَ بَاقٍ

    لا تفيتُ الأيَّامُ شَيئاً يُفِيدُه

    Everything he bestows endures;

    the days cannot destroy anything he bestows.

  42. فَنِيَتْ أَبْحُرُ القريضِ وما وفَّا

    هُ وصْفاً بَسيِطُه وَمَدِيدُه

    The seas of verse were exhausted, yet neither

    its Basit nor its Madid did him justice in description.

  43. وإِذا مَادِحٌ أَتَاهُ فَمِمَّا

    أَوْجَبَ الحقُّ قَصْدَه لا قَصِيدُه

    And when a poet comes to praise him, it is because

    duty enjoins his coming, not his ode.

  44. فَهَنَاه الملْكُ الجديدُ وجَدَّ

    كلَّ يومٍ مُشبَّهٌ تَجْديدُه

    May the new kingship gladden him, and may

    a like renewal be fresh each day.

  45. هنأَ العبدَ ذا الزمانُ وعيشٌ

    راحَ مَذْمومُه وجاءَ حَميده

    This age has gladdened the servant, and a life

    whose blameworthy part has gone and whose praiseworthy part has come.

  46. كنتُ إِذ غبتُ عنكَ قد غابَ عَنِّي

    كُلُّ شيءٍ يُريدُني وَأُرِيدُه

    When I was absent from you, there had vanished from me

    everything that wanted me and that I wanted.

  47. كنتُ أَبْكِي دَماً وكَمْ قِيلَ هَذَا

    مَأْقُه مَا يَرَوْنَه أَوْ وَرِيدُه

    I used to weep blood, and often it was said: “Is this

    the corner of his eye they see, or his vein?”

  48. جزعاً مِنْ فِرَاق مملكةِ العِزّ

    وأَنَّى يَأْتي المُرادُ بَعيدُه

    In anguish at leaving the kingdom of glory—

    and how can one far from the goal attain it?

  49. كاد جسمي يَطيرُ نحوكَ لكِنْ

    طائِرُ الجِسْم خَافَ مِمَّنْ يَصِيدُه

    My body almost flew toward you; but

    the bird of my body feared whoever would hunt it.

  50. فاستَنَاب الفُؤادَ يخدُمُ بالبا

    بِ وهَذا مِنْ عَبدِه مَجْهودُه

    So it sent the heart in its stead to serve at the

    gate; this is the utmost effort of his servant.

  51. منعَ العبدَ أَنْ يقولَ وأَن يسـ

    ـعى إِليه خُطَّابُه وقيودُه

    The servant was prevented from speaking or

    hastening to him by his suitors and his shackles.

  52. إِنَّ يوماً رأَيتُ فيه مُحيَّا

    كَ لَيومٌ قد قَابَلَتْنِي سُعودُه

    Indeed, a day when I saw your face

    was surely a day whose good fortunes met me.

  53. سوف أًقْضِي فرائِضِي وأَعُد الـ

    ـجودَ حتَّى يفوتَني تَعْديدُه

    I shall discharge my duties and count the

    bounty, until its tally eludes me.

  54. أَيُّ ملكٍ يأْتيه أَيُّ مديح

    إِن يكن جعفراً فإِنِّي وَليدُه

    What king receives what praise?

    If he is Ja'far, then I am his Walid.

  55. وكما أَسْعَد الزَّمانُ بلقيا

    هُ فإِنِّي كَمَا نُعِتُّ سَعِيدُه

    And as time made me happy by meeting

    him, I am, as I have been styled, his Sa'id.