أَبَداً عليك يَعود عوداً احمدا

أَبَداً عليك يَعود عوداً احمدا

عيدٌ اذا قَدُم الزَمان تجدَّدا

عيدٌ اذا قَدُم الزَمان تجدَّدا

Forever may it return to you—a most felicitous return,

May it forever return to you, each return more welcome:

a feast renewed whenever time grows old.

a feast renewed whenever time grows old.

عيدُ اسمِك السامي اتانا نائِباً

عيدُ اسمِك السامي اتانا نائِباً

عن شخصك الباهي المكارم وَالندى

عن شخصك الباهي المكارم وَالندى

The feast of your exalted name has come to us, standing in

The feast of your exalted name has come to us as proxy

for your radiant person, resplendent in noble deeds and generosity.

for your person, resplendent in noble deeds and bounty.

ابعدتَ عنّا في البلاد وانَّما

ابعدتَ عنّا في البلاد وانَّما

لك عندنا ما ليس عنّا مبعدا

لك عندنا ما ليس عنّا مبعدا

You have gone far from us, away in distant lands; yet

You have gone far from us through the lands, and yet

we still possess something of yours that is not far removed from us:

you have with us what is never far removed from us:

ذكرٌ يَفوحُ الندُّ من انفاسِهِ

ذكرٌ يَفوحُ الندُّ من انفاسِهِ

هو سلوة المشتاق او ريُّ الصَدى

هو سلوة المشتاق او ريُّ الصَدى

your memory, from whose breaths the perfume of aloeswood wafts.

a remembrance from whose breath fragrant incense wafts;

It consoles the yearning lover and quenches thirst.

it is the yearning one's solace, or the thirsty one's refreshment.

ابداً تَفوهُ بِهِ الثُغورُ فتَجتَني

ابداً تَفوهُ بِهِ الثُغورُ فتَجتَني

عَسَلاً وفي الاسماع يَجلو مَعبَدا

عَسَلاً وفي الاسماع يَجلو مَعبَدا

Forever do mouths utter it, thereby reaping

Lips forever utter it, and so you gather

honey, while in listeners’ ears it unfolds as cooling relief.

honey; and in the ears it conjures Maʿbad.

يَدعو بِهِ الداعي ولَولا هيبَةٌ

يَدعو بِهِ الداعي ولَولا هيبَةٌ

مِنهُ لكان بِهِ مُغَنينا شَدا

مِنهُ لكان بِهِ مُغَنينا شَدا

By it the supplicant invokes you; were it not for the awe

The caller invokes it; and were it not for awe

it inspires, our singer would sing it aloud.

of him, our singer would have sung of it.

وَمآثِرٌ غَرّآءُ نذكر بعضها

وَمآثِرٌ غَرّآءُ نذكر بعضها

وَبِهِ الغنى عن كلِّها متعددا

وَبِهِ الغنى عن كلِّها متعددا

Of illustrious exploits we recount but some;

And resplendent deeds, of which we recount a few—

with that, there is no need to enumerate them all.

and that suffices for them all, however numerous.

غرغور يُس من آل يوسُفَ قد ثَوى

غرغور يُس من آل يوسُفَ قد ثَوى

مصراً وهبهُ يدوم فيها ما اِعتدى

مصراً وهبهُ يدوم فيها ما اِعتدى

Gregorius, of the house of Joseph, has taken up residence;

Gregory, of the house of Yusuf, has settled

your two Egypts bestowed their gift upon him—may he remain in them as long as eternity endures.

in Egypt—and suppose he stays there: he has done no wrong.

مُدَّت الجَنان وَلَم يَكن بمحاربٍ

مُدَّت الجَنان وَلَم يَكن بمحاربٍ

ابداً تَكون لهُ المغارب حُسّدا

ابداً تَكون لهُ المغارب حُسّدا

The gardens of Paradise were spread for him, though he was no warrior;

The heart was stretched forth [wording unclear], and he was no warrior;

may the western lands forever envy him.

forever the western lands shall be envious of him.

ثَبَّت الجَنان وَلَم يكن بمحاربٍ

ثَبَّت الجَنان وَلَم يكن بمحاربٍ

الّا مُلِمّات النوائب لا العدى

الّا مُلِمّات النوائب لا العدى

His heart stood firm, although he was no combatant,

He steeled his heart, and battled nothing

except against the onslaughts of calamities—not hostile foes.

but the onslaughts of calamity, not foes.

ثَبَتت لَهُ قدمٌ بمصرٍ مثلما

ثَبَتت لَهُ قدمٌ بمصرٍ مثلما

ثَبَتت بها الاهرامُ من قِدَم المدى

ثَبَتت بها الاهرامُ من قِدَم المدى

His foothold in Egypt was made firm, just as

His footing in Egypt was firm, just as

her pyramids have stood since the beginning of time.

the pyramids have stood there from time immemorial,

في مأزِقٍ كادَت بِهِ اهرامها

في مأزِقٍ كادَت بِهِ اهرامها

تَلوي الأَعِنَّةَ للهَزيمة شُرّدا

تَلوي الأَعِنَّةَ للهَزيمة شُرّدا

In a crisis when her pyramids nearly

in a crisis when its pyramids almost

let their reins turn toward defeat and fled,

turned their reins toward defeat, scattering in flight.

عَصَفت بها ريحُ الوَباءِ فاوشكت

عَصَفت بها ريحُ الوَباءِ فاوشكت

تَهوي ولكن كان منها أَوطِدا

تَهوي ولكن كان منها أَوطِدا

the wind of plague raged upon her, and she almost

The wind of pestilence swept over them, and they were about

collapsed; but he proved more steadfast than she.

to fall; but he stood more firmly rooted than they.

وَالريحُ تعبَث بالَّذي تبني يَدٌ

وَالريحُ تعبَث بالَّذي تبني يَدٌ

اما الجِبالُ فصدمُها يَمضي سُدى

اما الجِبالُ فصدمُها يَمضي سُدى

Though the wind toys with the summits and gathers might,

And the wind toys with whatever a hand builds;

seeking to demolish mountains, it passes away in vain.

but against mountains its blows are spent in vain.

جَبَلٌ سوى الرحمن لم يمدُد اليهِ

جَبَلٌ سوى الرحمن لم يمدُد اليهِ

يداً كما لِسواهُ لَم يمدُد يدا

يداً كما لِسواهُ لَم يمدُد يدا

A mountain to whom none but the All-Merciful extended

A mountain: none but the Merciful has held out to him

a hand, just as he extended his hand to none but Him;

a hand, just as he has held out a hand to none but Him.

متقلِّدٌ سيفَ الفضائل والتُقى

متقلِّدٌ سيفَ الفضائل والتُقى

وَكَفى فَلَيسَ سواهما متقلِدّا

وَكَفى فَلَيسَ سواهما متقلِدّا

girded with the sword of virtues and piety—

Girded with the sword of virtues and piety—

and that suffices, for no other sword does he wear.

and that suffices: he is girded with nothing else.

يَبري بذا سيفَ الجهالة ان سطا

يَبري بذا سيفَ الجهالة ان سطا

وَبِذاكَ سيفَ الكفر حين تجرَّدا

وَبِذاكَ سيفَ الكفر حين تجرَّدا

With the one he blunts ignorance’s sword when it attacks,

With this he hews through ignorance's sword if it attacks,

and with the other, unbelief’s sword when it is drawn.

and with that, unbelief's sword when it is drawn.

انشا المدارسَ للعقول وَهَكَذا

انشا المدارسَ للعقول وَهَكَذا

انشا الكنائسَ للنفوس على هُدى

انشا الكنائسَ للنفوس على هُدى

He founded schools for minds, and likewise

He founded schools for minds, and likewise

founded churches for souls, upon true guidance.

he founded churches to guide souls aright.

هذه لذي الدنيا وَتِلكَ لِتلكَ كي

هذه لذي الدنيا وَتِلكَ لِتلكَ كي

يُجري بكلهما لدينا مَورِدا

يُجري بكلهما لدينا مَورِدا

The former are for this world, the latter for the world beyond, so that

These for this world, and those for the next, so that

through both he may make a life-giving spring flow for our world.

through both he might set a wellspring flowing among us.

راعٍ بحكمتهِ يسوس رعيَّةً

راعٍ بحكمتهِ يسوس رعيَّةً

امسى لديها قدوةً لمن اِقتَدى

امسى لديها قدوةً لمن اِقتَدى

A shepherd who wisely governs his flock,

A shepherd who governs a flock with his wisdom,

he has become, in their eyes, a model for whoever would follow.

he has become among them a model for those who follow.

تَدعو لَهُ بِبقائِهِ حِرزاً لَها

تَدعو لَهُ بِبقائِهِ حِرزاً لَها

وَتَروم منهُ لَها الدعآءَ المجتَدى

وَتَروم منهُ لَها الدعآءَ المجتَدى

They pray that he remain alive, out of concern for themselves,

They pray that he may remain a safeguard for them,

and seek from him, for themselves, the prayer they hope will be granted.

and seek from him the favor of prayer on their behalf.