1. أَحبابنا هَل لِذاك العَهد تذكارُ

    يُدني إَلَيكُم إِذا لَم تُدنِنا الدارُ

    Our loved ones, is there a remembrance of that bond

    To bring us near to you when our dwelling does not?

  2. بنتُم فَلَم يغنِنا مِن أُنسِكُم سَكَنٌ

    يَوماً وَلا راقَنا مِن بَعدَكُم جارُ

    You departed; no dwelling could replace your companionship

    For a single day, nor did any neighbor please us after you.

  3. تَجري المُنى سانِحاتٍ في خَواطِرنا

    وَما لَها غَيرَ جَمعِ الشَملِ أَوطارُ

    Wishes arise and flow through our thoughts,

    And they desire nothing but reunion.

  4. قَد قَطّع البُعد نَجوانا وَما بَرِحَت

    في القَلب مِنكُم أَحاديثٌ وَأَسرارُ

    Separation has severed our private talk, yet there remain

    In the heart, conversations and secrets from you.

  5. نَبيتُ في الرَّبعِ نَستَسقي الغَمامَ لَكُم

    وَقَد سَقَت ربعكم لِلدَمعِ أَمطارُ

    We pass the night at the dwelling, asking the clouds for rain for you,

    And showers of tears have already watered your abode.

  6. حَقٌّ عَلَينا وَإِن غِبتُم زَيارتَهُ

    فَهَل نَراكُم وَأَنتُم فيهِ زُوَّارُ

    Visiting it is our duty, even if you are absent;

    Will we see you there as visitors?

  7. أَما الكَرى فَسَلوا عَنهُ الخَيالَ إِذا

    وارتهُ مِن ظُلماتِ اللَيلِ أَستارُ

    As for sleep, ask the phantom about it when

    Veils of the night's darkness conceal him.

  8. يَطوفُ مِن حَولِنا حَتى يَعود وَقَد

    أَصابَهُ مِن رشاشِ الدَمعِ آثارُ

    He circles about us until he returns, already

    Marked by traces of the spray of tears.

  9. وَبي لَياليَ أُنسٍ بَيننا سَلفت

    كَأَنَّها في رَبيعِ العَيشِ أَزهارُ

    And within me linger nights of companionship we once shared,

    Like flowers in the springtime of life.

  10. كَأَنَّنا لَم نَذُقْ وَصلاً وَلا عبرتْ

    لَنا عَلى الصَّفْوِ آصالٌ وَأَسحارُ

    As though we had never tasted union, nor had there passed

    For us, in serenity, late afternoons and predawn hours.

  11. أَيام نَعشو إِلى ضَوءِ الشّمولِ وَقَد

    بَدا لَها تَحتَ جَنحِ اللَيلِ إِسفارُ

    Days when we groped toward the glow of wine, as

    Its brightness dawned beneath the wing of night.

  12. صَهباءُ تَكسو النَدامَى مِن أَشعَّتِها

    كَوجهِ مُوسى وَقَد ضاءَت لَهُ النارُ

    Tawny wine clothes the drinking companions in its rays,

    Like Moses' face when the fire shone for him.

  13. مُبارَكُ الوَجهِ صافي السر قَد هَبَطَت

    عَلَيهِ مِن أُفق الرُضوانِ أَنوارُ

    Blessed of face and pure of heart—there have descended

    Upon him lights from the horizon of divine favor.

  14. في طاعَةِ اللَهِ مَمساهُ وَمصبحُهُ

    وَمِنهُ لِلخَيرِ إِعلانٌ وَإِسرارُ

    His evenings and mornings are spent in obedience to God,

    And his goodness is both open and concealed.

  15. لِلّهِ غُصنٌ نَشا مِن روحِ مَكرُمَةٍ

    طابَت لَنا مِنهُ أَغصانٌ وَأَثمارُ

    Praise God for a branch sprung from the spirit of generosity,

    Whose boughs and fruits have been sweet to us.

  16. عِرقٌ كَريمٌ وَأحسابٌ مُؤثَّلةٌ

    بِمثلِها أُحرِزَت لِلمَجدِ أَخطارُ

    A noble root, and firmly founded ancestral honors,

    Through whose like glory's high distinctions are attained.

  17. أَنشا لآلِ فُريجٍ عزةً بَسَقَت

    مَن دونِها خَسأت لِلدَهرِ أَنظارُ

    He founded for the house of Furayj a glory that rose so high,

    Before it, time's gazes recoiled, abashed.

  18. بَنى لَهُم طَودُ مَجدٍ طالَ وَاِرتَفَعَتْ

    عَلَيهِ مِن حيطةِ الرَحمانِ أَسوارُ

    He built them a lofty mountain of glory, and there rose

    Upon it ramparts of the All-Merciful's protection.

  19. وَفَوقَهُ نورُ بَدرٍ حينَ لاحَ بِهِ

    غارَت لِمَطلَعِهِ في الأُفقِ أَقمارُ

    Above it shines a full moon; when it appeared there,

    The moons on the horizon envied its rising.

  20. هَذا الهُمامُ الَّذي أَضحَت مَناقِبُهُ

    قُدىً بِها في طِلابِ الحَمدِ يُستارُ

    This is the valiant man whose virtues have become

    Models that guide the pursuit of praise.

  21. في جاهِهِ لِطَريدِ الدَهرِ مُلتَجأٌ

    وَفي غِناه لِأَهلِ العُسرِ إيسارُ

    His standing offers refuge to the outcast of time,

    And his wealth brings ease to those in hardship.

  22. وَهمُّهُ كلّ يَومٍ كَسبَ مَأثرةٍ

    تَخُطُّها في سجِلِّ الفَخرِ أَدهارُ

    His concern each day is to gain a noble achievement

    That ages inscribe in the register of pride.

  23. مُتَيَّمٌ بِغَواني المَجدِ يَعشَقُها

    فَهنَّ مِن حَولِهِ عونٌ وَأَبكارُ

    Enraptured by glory's beauties, he loves them;

    They surround him, both matrons and maidens.

  24. يَضُمُ لِلتّالدِ المَوروثِ طارِفُها

    ذَخائِراً مَثلَها يَبغي وَيَختار

    He adds their new acquisitions to his inherited store,

    Treasures whose like he seeks and chooses.

  25. فِدىً لِموسى رِجال قَد عَرَفتَهُمُ

    كَأَنَّهُم في عُيونِ العَصرِ عُوَّارُ

    May men you have known be a ransom for Musa,

    As though they were motes in the eyes of the age:

  26. مِن كُلِّ راضٍ مِن الدُنيا بِدرهمِهِ

    وَلَيسَ في نَفسهِ لِلمَجدِ إيثارُ

    Every man content with his dirham from this world,

    With no preference in his soul for glory.

  27. وَمَن إِذا حَصَلَتْ في كَفِّهِ جِدَةٌ

    فَإِنَّها ثَمَنٌ يُشرى بِهِ العارُ

    And anyone whose wealth, once it reaches his hand,

    Becomes the price with which disgrace is bought.

  28. الفَقرُ أَجمَلُ ثَوبٍ للّئيمِ وَإِنْ

    عابَ الكَريمَ وَبَعضُ الفُقرِ سَتَّارُ

    Poverty is the finest garment for the base, even if

    It mars the noble; some poverty serves as a veil.

  29. وَشَرُّ ما اِمتازَ قَدرُ الأَغبياءِ بِهِ

    إِذا غابَ مِنهُم بِالفلسِ أَسعارُ

    Worst is what distinguishes the standing of fools,

    When their prices vanish at a copper coin [wording unclear].

  30. وَإِنَّما الفَضلُ ما أَبديتَهُ لَهُمُ

    لَو كانَ فيهِم لِمَرأى الفَضلِ أَبصارُ

    And merit is only what you have shown them,

    If only they had eyes to see merit.

  31. فَدُم لَهُم سائِداً في كُلِّ مَكرُمةٍ

    بِمثلِها قادَ عُنقَ الدَهرِ أَحرارُ

    So remain their leader in every noble deed,

    Through whose like free men have led time by the neck.

  32. وَلتَهنِكَ الرُتبةُ الأُولَى حَباكَ بِها

    مِن جودِ كَفّيهِ في الآفاقِ مِدرارُ

    May the first rank gladden you, bestowed upon you

    By one whose hands shower generosity across the horizons.

  33. مِن عِندِهِ يُنصَفُ الفَضلُ المُبين وَلا

    تُخفي عَلَيهِ لِأَهل الفَضل أَقدارُ

    From him manifest merit receives its due, and

    The worth of men of merit is not hidden from him.

  34. وَمِن إِرادَتِهِ حُكمٌ فَمَن رَفَعَت

    فَما لرفعَتِهِ في الأَرضِ إِنكارُ

    And from his will comes judgment; whomever it elevates,

    His elevation meets no denial on earth.

  35. عَبد الحَميدِ الَّذي في ظِلِّهِ اِستَتَرَت

    مِن البَسيطةِ أَقطارٌ وَأَمصارُ

    Abd al-Hamid, beneath whose shadow have taken shelter

    Regions and cities of the earth.

  36. تَجري الرِياحُ تِباعاً تَحتَ رايَتِهِ

    إِذا جَرَت وَتُقِلُّ الفُلكَ أَبحارُ

    Winds run in succession beneath his banner,

    Whenever they blow, and seas bear the ships.

  37. مُلكٌ إِذا نَظَرَت في الأَمرِ فِكرَتَهُ

    فَالدَهرُ يَومٌ ووجهُ الأَرضِ أَشبارُ

    A dominion: when his thought examines a matter,

    Time is a day, and the face of earth mere handspans.

  38. لَهُ مِن القَدَرِ الجاري جَلاوِزَةً

    وَمِن مَلائكةِ الرَحمانِ أَنصارُ

    He has guards drawn from unfolding fate,

    And allies among the angels of the All-Merciful.

  39. فَدُمْ لنا ما فيا الغُصنُ النَسيمُ وَما

    تَحرَكَتْ مِن جُفونِ العَينِ أَشفارُ

    So remain with us as long as the breeze sways the branch, and as long as

    Lashes stir along the eyelids of the eye.

  40. وَرُمْ بِهِ راقياً أَرَّخَتُ ما نُسِجَت

    بِمَدحِهِ خُطَبٌ منا وَأَشعارُ

    And aspire to rise through him—I have marked the date—as long as there are woven

    In his praise, orations and poems from us.