طلعت كشمس الأفق غير محجب — Mufti Fathallah

طَلَعت كَشَمسِ الأُفق غَيرَ مُحجّبٍ

وَصِرتَ مُضيئاً كلَّ شَرقٍ وَمغربِ

You rose like the sun on the horizon, unveiled,

And became a light to every east and west.

وَسارَت بِكَ العَلياءُ في كلِّ مَذهَب

قَدمت عَليَّ المَجدِ في حُسنِ مَوكِبِ

And eminence bore you along every path.

You arrived, lofty in glory, in a splendid procession,

بِهِ تُضرَبُ الأَمثالُ بَينَ المَواكِبِ

ذَهَبتَ عَلى العَلياءِ أَمجَدَ ذَاهِب

One held up as an example among processions.

You departed in eminence, the most glorious of travelers,

وَقَد إِبتَ بِالعَلياءِ أَسعد آيبِ

تَراقَصَتِ الأَكوانُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

And returned with eminence, the happiest homecomer.

All creation danced on every side,

فَكُنتَ كَبدرٍ سارَ بَينَ كَواكِبِ

وَلا شَيءَ مِثل البدرِ بَينَ الكَواكِبِ

And you were like a full moon moving among stars;

Nothing among the stars is like the full moon.

وَنِلتَ عَلى العَلياءِ خَيرَ مَغانِم

وَكُنتَ هِزَبراً ذا اِبتِسام مَباسِمِ

And in eminence you gained the finest spoils.

You were a mighty lion with smiling lips,

مَهيباً وَقوراً ما لَهُ مِن مُصادم

وَلَيث عَرينٍ بَينَ أُسدٍ ضَياغمِ

Awe-inspiring and dignified, with no adversary,

A lion of the den among ferocious lions,

أَضاقَ بِمَن عاداهُ رَحب المَذاهِبِ

تَقَلَّدْتَ عَضباً هابَهُ كلّ صَيقَلٍ

Who made wide paths narrow for whoever opposed him.

You girded on a sharp sword that every sword-polisher feared,

وَرمحاً يَطول النّجمَ في كلِّ مَحفلِ

وَقَد صلتَ تُبدي لِلحِجى كلَّ مذهل

And a spear that reaches the stars at every gathering.

You charged, displaying all that dazzles the mind.

رَكبت عَلى طِرْفٍ أَغرَّ مُحجَّلِ

عَجيبٍ تَراهُ مِن غَريبِ العَجايِبِ

You mounted a noble steed, white-blazed and white-stockinged,

A marvel you behold among the rarest wonders,

كَحيلٍ وَيعبوب أَصيل وَأَعنَق

بِوَجهِ غَزالٍ بِالمَحاسِنِ مُشرِقِ

Kohl-dark-eyed, a swift thoroughbred, and long-necked,

With a gazelle's face, radiant with beauty,

بِجُؤجُؤِ طاووسٍ بِحُسنِ تَخَلُّقٍ

بِحُسنِ تَقاطيعٍ بِلَون مؤرِقِ

With a peacock's breast, beautifully formed,

With fine proportions and a sleep-robbing hue,

بِحُسنِ نَياشينٍ بِخَيرِ مصاحِبِ

فَإِنْ يَجرِ فَهوَ البرقُ إِن راحَ أَو غَدا

With handsome markings and the finest companion.

If he runs, he is lightning, whether setting out at evening or dawn.

يَخوضُ الوَغى لا يَختَشي المَوتَ والردى

وَكَم جالَ في المَيدانِ وَاِختَشَتِ العِدى

He plunges into battle, fearing neither death nor doom.

How often he has wheeled across the field while enemies trembled,

بِعَدوٍ يَفوقُ الرّيح لَو أَنّهُ عَدا

مِنَ الشّرقِ حالاً قَد يرى في المَغارِبِ

At a gallop surpassing the wind: if he ran

From the east, he would instantly be seen in the western lands.

فَلَو رُمت جَوبَ الأَرضِ فيهِ لَجُبتها

بِمدّةِ يَومٍ قَد ذَهبت وَأُبتها

If you wished to cross the earth on him, you would cross it;

Within a day, you would have gone and returned across it.

فَإِنْ تَعلُه هام السّماكِ رَكِبتها

تَطولُ الثّريّا فَوقه لَو طَلبتها

If you mount him, you ride the heights of al-Simāk.

Upon him you could reach the Pleiades, if you sought them;

وَفيهِ الثّريّا لَم تَفت كَفَّ طالِبِ

بِهِ مُعتَليهِ كَم يسرّ إِذا جرى

On him the Pleiades would not elude a seeker's hand.

How his rider rejoices in him whenever he runs!

وَيَبدو عَليهِ لَو جَباناً غَضَنفرا

وَذَلكَ طِرفٌ بِالخُيولِ قَدِ اِزدَرى

Upon him, even a coward appears a mighty lion.

That noble steed holds other horses in contempt.

يَقولُ مِثالي قَلَّ في الخَيلِ أَن يُرى

كَما قَلَّ في فُرسانِها مثل رَاكبي

He says, “Rarely among horses is my like seen,

Just as rarely among their horsemen is one like my rider.”

تَسلطنهُ في الخَيلِ لا شَكّ واجِب

وَراكِبهُ لَم يَحكهِ في الدّهرِ رَاكِب

His kingship among horses is doubtless his due.

No rider in all time has equaled his rider.

وَسائِسُه العَلياء وَالمَجدُ ساحِبٌ

لَهُ السّعدُ خَدّامٌ لَهُ اليُمن صاحِب

Eminence is his groom, and glory draws him onward.

Good fortune is his servant; prosperity his companion.

لَهُ العِزُّ قَوّادٌ لِأَسنى المَراتِبِ

فَيا ضَيغَماً في الأُسدِ أَعظَمَ ضَيغَمٍ

Honor is his guide to the loftiest ranks.

O mighty lion, greatest lion among lions,

ذَهَبت إِلى عكّاء في حُسنِ مَيسمِ

وَمُذ أبت مِنها خَيرَ فَخمٍ وَمكرم

You went to Acre with a handsome bearing.

And when you returned from there, finest of the august and honored,

قَدمت عَلى بَيروتِنا خَيرَ مقدمِ

فَسارَت بِها الأَفراحُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

You came to our Beirut with the finest arrival.

Joy spread through her on every side.

غَدا كلُّها بِالشّكرِ إِذ ذاكَ ألسُنا

وَفاضَ عَلى أَكنافِها النّور وَالسّنا

Then all of her became tongues of gratitude,

And light and radiance poured across her reaches.

وَقَد قامَ طَيرُ البِشرِ يَصدَحُ بِالغنا

وَقامَت مِنَ الأَفراحِ تَرقصُ بِالهَنا

The bird of gladness rose, warbling in song,

And she rose to dance in bliss for joy,

تَقولُ هَناي اليومَ قَد جاءَ غائِبي

وَقَد أبدلَت بِالرّقصِ مِن بَعدِ رَعشةٍ

Saying, “What joy is mine today: my absent one has come!”

After trembling, she turned instead to dancing,

وَأَبدَت فنونَ الرّقصِ مِن فَرطِ دَهشَةِ

وَصارَت عَلى الأَفراحِ في حُسنِ هشّة

And displayed the arts of dance in sheer amazement.

Amid her joys, she became all graceful cheer.

وَإِذ غِبت قَد أَوحَشتها أَيَّ وَحشَةِ

يَكادُ بِها يَبدو حُلول الغَياهِبِ

When you were absent, how desolate you left her!

Deep darkness seemed almost to settle upon her.

عَلَيها سَماءُ الأُنسِ بِالبشرِ أَوسَمت

وَفيكَ عَلَت مَجداً وَفَخراً وَقَد سَمَت

Above her, the sky of delight bore the marks of gladness.

Through you she rose in glory and pride, and soared aloft.

وَقالَت وَقَد آلَت يَميناً وَأَقسَمت

وَلَو لَم يَكُ المِصباحُ فيها لَأَظلَمت

And she said, having pledged an oath and sworn:

Had the lamp not been within her, she would have darkened

ظَلام الدّياجي مِن جَميعِ الجَوانِبِ

فَذا شِبلكَ المَسعود زادَ اِعتِلاءها

With the darkness of deep night on every side.

For this, your fortunate lion cub, has heightened her eminence,

وَنالَت مِنَ الأَكدارِ فيها صَفاءها

فَلَولاهُ فَالتّكديرُ إِذ غبتَ ساءها

And she found serenity within, in place of troubles.

But for him, distress at your absence would have grieved her;

وَلَكنّه إِذ نابَ عَنكُم أَضاءها

وَقَد كانَ عَن شَمسِ العُلى خَير نائِبِ

But when he stood in your stead, he illuminated her.

He was the finest deputy for the sun of eminence.

فَلا زالَ مِصباحاً لِأَنوارِهِ اِعتَلى

وَكَعبةَ آمالٍ وَلِلنّاسِ مَنهلا

May he remain a lamp, exalted for his radiance,

A Kaaba of hopes, and a watering place for the people,

وَحمد الرّبى حيث لِلمَجدِ أهّلا

فَأَبقاهُ رَبّي اللّه بِالعزِّ وَالعلى

And the praise of the hills, since he was made worthy of glory.

May my Lord, God, preserve him in honor and eminence,

وَرَقّاه مَولانا لأَعلى المَناصِبِ

وَنِلتُم بِهِ فَخراً وَيَسمو بِفَخرِكم

And may our Master raise him to the highest offices.

May you gain pride through him, and may he rise through your pride.

وَطالَت بِهِ في الدَّهرِ أَعمارُ ذِكرِكُم

وَطالَ لِسانُ الكَونِ فيهِ بِشُكرِكُم

May your remembrance live long through him throughout time,

And may the universe's tongue speak long in gratitude to you for him.

وَمَنَّ عَلَينا اللَّه في طولِ عُمرِكم

وَنَوَّلكم بِالخيرِ كلّ المَطالِبِ

May God bless us with your long life,

And grant you, in goodness, everything you seek.

وَمِن كُلِّ شَينٍ دُمتَ أَسنى مُنَزَّه

وَنِلتَ اِعتِلاءً في الدُّنَى غَيرَ مُنتَهِ

May you remain most exalted, free of every blemish,

And attain eminence throughout the worlds without end,

فَريداً بِهِ في الدّهرِ عَن كلِّ مُشبه

بِمَجدٍ وَجاهٍ لَيسَ في الدّهرِ يَنتَهي

Unrivaled in it through time, beyond any likeness,

With glory and standing that never end,

وَأَرغد عَيشٍ مِنهُ صَفو المَشارِبِ

وَراحَة بالٍ ما العُيون تَفَجَّرَت

And the most easeful life, yielding the purest draughts,

And peace of mind, as long as springs burst forth,

وَما قَد هَمى غَيثُ السّماءِ وَأَمطَرَت

وَما ماجَ مَوجٌ في البحارِ وَما جَرَت

As long as heaven's rain pours down and showers fall,

As long as waves surge in the seas and their waters flow,

مَدى الدّهرِ ما قَد لاحَ بَرقٌ وَما سرَت

نَسيمٌ وَما سَحَّ وَبل السّحائِبِ

Throughout time, as long as lightning flashes and there wafts

A breeze, and as long as the clouds pour down heavy rain.