1. دَعَا الوَفَاءُ وَهَذَا وَقْتُ تَبْيَانِ

    فَاجْهَرْ بِمَا شِئْتَ مِنْ فَضْل وَإحْسَانِ

    Loyalty has called, and this is the hour of declaration.

    So proclaim whatever you wish of merit and benevolence.

  2. وَاذْكُرْ صُروحاً لِسَمْعَانَ مُشَيَّدَةً

    لَمْ يَبْنِهَا من عُصُورٍ قَبْلَهُ بانِي

    And recount the lofty edifices erected for Sam'an,

    Which no builder in the ages before him had built.

  3. نَهَى تَوَاضُعُهُ عن أن تَشِيدَ بِهِ

    فَاليَوْمُ لاَ تَكُ لِلنَّاهِي بِمِذْعَانِ

    His humility forbade you to extol him;

    So today, do not submit to the one who forbids.

  4. وَحَدِّثِ الشَّرْقَ وَالأَقْوَامُ مُصْغِيَةً

    عَمَّا أحَدَّ لَهُ فِيهَا من الشَّانِ

    And tell the East, while the peoples listen,

    Of the stature he heightened for it through them.

  5. ألَمْ يَكُ الشَّرْقُ مَهْدَ الفَجْرِ أجْمَعِهِ

    فِي كُلِّ فَنِّ أَخْذَنَاهُ وَعِرْفَانِ

    Was not the East the cradle of dawn in its entirety,

    In every art we have acquired, and all knowledge?

  6. تَجَاهَلَتْ قَدْرُهُ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا جَهَلَتْ

    لَكِنَّ قَدِيمٍ رَهْنُ نَسْيَانِ

    The world feigned ignorance of its worth, though it was not ignorant;

    But what is ancient is held hostage to oblivion.

  7. تِلْكَ القِوَى لَمْ تَزَلْ فِي القَوْمِ كَامِنَةً

    وإن طَوَتْهَا اللَّيَالِي مُنْذُ أزْمَانِ

    Those powers remain latent in the people,

    Though the nights have folded them away for ages.

  8. هِيَ الكُنُوزُ الَّتِي لَوْ قُوِّمَتْ لأَبَتْ

    نَفَاسَةً كُلِّ تَقْويمٍ بِأَثْمَانِ

    They are the treasures which, if appraised, would reject,

    For their preciousness, any valuation in money.

  9. ظَلَّ الجُمُودُ عَلَى أَبْوَابِهِ رَصْداً

    حَتَّى تَجَلِّتْ فَفَاقَتْ كُلَّ حَسْبَانِ

    Stagnation stood watch at its gates,

    Until they shone forth, surpassing every expectation.

  10. أمْجِدْ بِسَمْعَانَ إذْ أَبْدَى رَوَائِعِهَا

    وَرُدَّ حُجَّةَ من مَارَى بِبُرْهَانِ

    How glorious is Sam'an, who revealed their marvels!

    And refute the doubter's argument with proof.

  11. فَقَدْ أمَاطَ حِجَابَ الرَّيبِ عن هِمَمٍ

    إن أُطْلِقَتْ سَبَقَتْ فِي كُلِّ مَيْدَانِ

    For he has lifted the veil of doubt from aspirations

    That, if unleashed, take the lead in every arena.

  12. وَسَارَ فِي طَلَبِ العَلْيَاءِ سِيرَتَهُ

    لاَ يَرْتَضِي بِمَقَامٍ دُونَ كِيوَانِ

    And he followed his course in pursuit of the heights,

    Content with no station below Saturn.

  13. فَعَزَّ فِي شَمْلِهِ وَالشَّمْلُ عَزَّ بِهِ

    وَرُبَّ فَرْدٍ بِهِ بَعْثٌ لأِوْطَانِ

    So he gained honor in his circle, and his circle gained honor through him;

    And many an individual brings rebirth to homelands.

  14. فَتْحٌ جَدِيدٌ لِهَذَا العَصْرِ يُقْرَأُ فِي

    عُنوَانِهِِ اسْمُ سَلِيبٍ وَاسْمُ سَمْعَانِ

    A new triumph for this age: one reads in

    Its heading the name of Salib and the name of Sam'an.

  15. سَليمٌ العَلَمُ الفَرْدُ الَّذِي بَعُدَتْ

    بِهِ النَّوى وَهْوَ فِي آثَارِهِ دَانِي

    Salim, the peerless luminary, whom

    Separation has carried far away, though he is near in his works.

  16. الحَازِمُ العَازِمُ المَرْهُوبُ جَانِبُهُ

    وَالمَانِحُ الصَّافِحُ المَحْبُوثُ فِي آنِ

    The firm, resolute man, formidable in his bearing,

    And the giver, the forgiver, the [beloved], all at once.

  17. فِي دَوْحَةِ الصَّيْدْنَاوِيِّ الَّتِي بَسَقَتْ

    إلى العَنَانِ هُمَا فِي النُّبْلِ صِنْوَانِ

    In al-Saydnawi's great tree, which has soared

    To the clouds, they are twin stems in nobility.

  18. صِنْوَانِ إنْ يَكُ حَالَ البَيْنُ بِيْنَهُمَا

    فَقَدْ زَكَا بِمَكَانِ الأوَّلِ الثَّاني

    Twin stems: though separation has come between them,

    The second has flourished in the place of the first.

  19. وَفِي فُرُعِهَمَا مَن تُسْتَدَامُ بِهِ

    خَيْرُ الحَيَالتَيْنِ لِلْبَاقِي وَلِلْفَاني

    And among their branches are those through whom endure

    The blessings of [both lives], for the survivor and the departed.

  20. مِنْ كُلِّ رَيَّانِ ذِي ظِلٍّ وَذِي ثَمَرٍ

    صُلْبٍ عَلَى الدَّهْرِ أن يَعْصِفْ بِحُدْثان

    Each a lush stem bearing shade and fruit,

    Too sturdy for time to buffet with calamities.

  21. سَمْعَانُ دَامَتْ لَكَ النُّعْمَى وَدُمْتَ لَهَا

    فَأَنْتَ أوْلَى بِهَا من كُلِّ إنْسَانِ

    Sam'an, may good fortune endure for you, and you endure for it;

    For you deserve it more than any other person.

  22. خَمْسُونَ عَاماً تَقَضَّتْ فِي مُجَاهَدَةٍ

    شَرِيفَةٍ بَيْنَ تَأثِيلٍ وَبُنْيَانِ

    Fifty years have passed in striving,

    Nobly, in laying foundations and building.

  23. لَقَيْتَ مُنْفَرِداً فِيهَا العَنَاءَ وَمَا

    نَسَيْتَ فِي الغَنْمِ حَظَّ البَائِسِ العَانِي

    During them you faced hardship alone, yet never

    Forgot, amid your gains, the wretched sufferer's share.

  24. سَلْسَلْتَهَا فِي كِتَابٍ كُلُّهُ غُرَرٌ

    مِنَ المَحَامِد لَمْ تُوصَمْ بِأَدْرَانِ

    You strung them together in a book, all shining examples

    Of praiseworthy deeds, unstained by blemishes.

  25. إلَيْكَ بِاسْمِ مِئَاتٍ أنْتَ كَافِلُهُمْ

    مِنْ حاسِبينَ وَكُتَّابٍ وَأَعْوَانِ

    To you, on behalf of hundreds whom you support,

    Among accountants, clerks, and assistants,

  26. وَبِاسْمِ آلافِ أَطْفَالٍ تُقَوِّمُهُمْ

    عَلَى مَبَادئِ تَهْذِيبٍ وَإيْمانِ

    And on behalf of thousands of children whom you guide

    By principles of moral refinement and faith,

  27. وَبِاسْمِ شَتَّى جَمَاعَاتٍ تُؤَازِرُهَا

    عَلَى تَبَايُنِ أجْنَاسٍ وَأدْيَانِ

    And on behalf of the varied communities you assist,

    Despite differences of race and religion,

  28. أُهْدِي التَّهَانِي فِي شِعْرٍ نَظَمْتُ بِهِ

    أَغْلَى القَلاَئِدِ مِنْ دُرٍّ وَعِقْبَانِ

    I offer congratulations in verse, with which I have strung

    The costliest necklaces of pearls and [pure gold],

  29. شَفَّافَةٍ بِسَنَاهَا عَنْ سَرَائِرِهِمْ

    وَمَا أكَنَّتْهُ مِنْ وُدِّ وَشُكْرَانِ

    Transparent in their glow, revealing their inmost thoughts

    And the love and gratitude they have concealed.

  30. لاَ زَالَ بَيْنُكَ مَا مَرَّتْ بِهِ حِقَبٌ

    حَلِيفَ نُجْحٍ وَإقْبَالٍ وَعُمْرَانِ

    May your [house], as ages pass over it,

    Remain allied with success, prosperity, and flourishing;

  31. يَعْتَزُّ مِنْكَ بِتَاحٍ ثَابِتٍ أبَداً

    وَمِنْ بَنِيكَ بِأعْضَادٍ وَأَرْكَانِ

    Taking pride in you as an ever-firm [crown],

    And in your sons as supports and pillars.

  32. لاَ فَرْقَ فِي ابْنٍ إذَا عُدُّوا وَلاَ ابْنِ أخٍ

    وَهَلْ هُمْ غَيْرُ أَنْدَادٍ وَإخْوَانِ

    When they are counted, no distinction is made between son and brother's son;

    And are they anything but equals and brothers?

  33. مَهمَا يُولَّوهُ مِنْ أمرٍ فَإنَّ لَهُمْ

    فِيهِ تَصَارِيفَ إبْدَاعٍ وَاتْقَانِ

    Whatever task they are entrusted with, they have

    Within it, manifold ways of creativity and mastery.

  34. هُمُ الشَّبَابُ الأُولَى تَعْتَزُّ أُمَّتُهُمْ

    بِهِمْ إذَا أُمَمٌ بَاهَتْ بِفُتيَانِ

    They are the young men whose nation takes pride

    In them when nations boast of their young men.