للروض بادر تمنح التكريما — Mufti Fathallah

لِلرّوضِ بادِر تُمنح التّكريما

مِن زَهرهِ مزري الجُمانِ نَظيما

Hasten to the garden, and you will be granted honor

from its blossoms, which put strung pearls to shame:

مِن عَسجَدٍ وَزُمرّدٍ وَعَقائق

تُسقى لُجَيناً قَد حَكى التّسنيما

of gold, emeralds, and agates,

watered with silver that resembles Tasnim.

فيهِ تَدورُ مِنَ المَسرَّةِ خَمرة

يَبدو لَها حُسنُ الصّفاءِ نَديما

Within it a wine of joy goes round;

the beauty of purity appears as its boon companion.

بِالعَينِ تشرَبُ في القُلوبِ خِمارها

تَشفي فُؤاداً بِالهُمومِ سَقيما

It is drunk through the eye; its intoxication is in hearts,

healing a heart made sick by cares.

فَاِدخُل إِلَيهِ كَي تُشاهِدَ حُسنَهُ

وَاِشهدهُ تَشهد جنَّةً وَنَعيما

So enter it to behold its beauty,

and behold it: you will behold a paradise and bliss.

قَد راقَ ماءٌ كَاللُّجينِ زُلالهُ

حَصباؤُهُ درٌّ ورقَّ نَسيما

Delightful is the water, its limpid flow like silver;

its pebbles are pearls, and its breeze is gentle.

فَاِنشق شَذاهُ وَاِقتَطِف نَفَحاتِه

فَزُهورهُ تزري العَبيرَ شَميما

So inhale its fragrance and pluck its fragrant wafts,

for its flowers put perfume to shame in scent.

وَالوردُ فيهِ مِنَ الجَمالِ تَخالُهُ

فَوقَ الغُصونِ كَواكِباً وَنُجوما

And the roses there, so beautiful, you would take

for planets and stars above the boughs.

وَالنَّرْجِسُ الغضُّ النّضير فَسوقُه

قُضبُ الزّمرُّدِ تَشرحُ المَغموما

And the tender, fresh narcissus—its stems

are emerald rods that cheer the sorrowful.

مِن كلِّ نَرجِسَةٍ غَدَت شَمساً على

بَدرٍ يُضيءُ متمَّماً تتميما

Each narcissus blossom has become a sun upon

a full moon, shining in consummate fullness.

وَاِسمَع بِهِ فَوقَ الغُصونِ طيورهُ

قَد أَحسَنَت في شَدوِها التّرنيما

And hear its birds there, above the boughs:

they have made their singing beautifully melodious,

مِن كُلِّ غِرّيدٍ بِلَحنٍ مُنعشٍ

كَالنّاي صَوتاً في السّماعِ رَخيما

each songbird with a refreshing tune,

its voice like a reed flute, mellow to the ear.

وَأَدِرْ بِهِ كَأسَ الحَديثِ مُسامراً

وَاِختَر لَهُ يا ذا الذّكاءِ حَكيما

And pass the cup of conversation there, conversing by night,

and choose for it a wise man, O man of intelligence.

وَاِسرُد بِهِ ذِكرَ الكرامِ وَجودِهم

فَعَسى بِذِكراهُم تَصيرُ كَريما

And speak there of the noble and their generosity;

perhaps by remembering them you will become generous.

وَاِذكُر بِهِ مَجدَ الأَماجِدِ في الورى

فَبِمَجدِهم قَد أَدرَكوا التّفخيما

And recall there the glory of the illustrious among humankind,

for through their glory they have attained grandeur.

رَكِبوا بِهِ شَرَفَ العُلى فَوقَ السُّهى

وَعَلوا بِهِ ظَهر الفَخارِ شَكيما

By it they mounted lofty honor above al-Suha,

and by it mounted pride's back, firm of resolve.

وَإِذا أَردتَ أَجلَّ مَجدٍ قَد سَما

بَينَ الكِرامِ فَمَجدُ إِبراهِيما

And if you seek the loftiest glory that has risen

among the noble, it is Ibrahim's glory:

الكامِل الشّهم الوَجيه وَمَن حَوى

وَجهاً بَهيّاً بِالكَمالِ وسيما

the accomplished, gallant, distinguished one, who possesses

a radiant face, handsome in its perfection.

طَلق المُحيّا بِشره بادٍ لَنا

وَلَه المَهابَة بِالبَشاشةِ سيما

Bright of countenance, his cheer is plain to us,

and his is awe-inspiring dignity, with cheerfulness as its hallmark.

حَسن الصّفاتِ غَدا الحَميد خَلائِقاً

قَد حازَ طَبعاً في الأَنامِ سَليما

Fine in his qualities, he has become praiseworthy in character;

he possesses a sound disposition among humankind.

الجَوهَر الفَرد الّذي لَم يحكِهِ

الدُّرُّ الثّمين وَلَو يَكون نَظيما

The peerless jewel, unmatched

by precious pearls, even when strung.

ما إِن أَرَدت مِثالَهُ وَنَظيرَهُ

إِلّا وَجدتَ لَه المِثالَ عَديما

You never seek his likeness or his equal

without finding that he has no counterpart.

الضّيغَمُ القرمُ الغَضنفَرُ في الوَغى

رَأس الفَوارِسِ مَن حَوى التّقديما

The fierce lion, the chieftain, the mighty lion in battle,

leader of horsemen, the one who holds precedence.

لَيث العَرينِ لَهُ الأُسودُ فَرائِس

يُقري بِها وَحشَ الفَلاةِ لُحوما

The lion of the den, with lions as his prey;

with them he serves the beasts of the wilderness meat.

رَبّ الصّفاحِ البيضِ ما إِنْ سَلَّها

إِلّا سَقى مِنها العداةَ سُموما

Master of white blades, he never draws them

without giving his enemies poison to drink from them.

رَبّ العَوالي ما رَآها فارِسٌ

إِلّا هَوى مِن رُعبِهِ مَعدوما

Master of tall spears, no horseman sees them

without falling lifeless from dread of him.

شِبل العُلى في جَبهَةِ العليا بدا

بَدراً تَجلّى بِالسّعودِ عَظيما

The lion-cub of eminence appeared upon the brow of loftiness

as a great full moon, radiant with good fortune.

نَجم المَعالي كَوكب الشّرف الّذي

قَد ضاءَ مَجداً في الكِرامِ فَخيما

The star of lofty ranks, the luminary of honor, who

has shone in glory, majestic among the noble.

وَقَدِ اِستَفادَ المَجد مِن مَجدِ العُلى

تاج الأَماجِدِ مَن حَوى التّعظيما

And he has gained glory from the glory of loftiness—

the crown of the illustrious, who has won veneration:

الفَخم عَبد اللَّهِ أَمجد سَيّدٍ

شادَ العُلى مبتنىً وَرُسوما

the august Abdullah, most glorious of lords,

who raised the edifice and outlines of eminence.

شَمس الوِزارَةِ مَفخر الوُزراءِ مَن

فيهِ الوزارَةُ نالَتِ التّفخيما

The sun of the vizierate, the pride of viziers, the one

through whom the vizierate has attained grandeur.

وَالشَّمس مِنها يَستَفيدُ ضَياءهُ

بَدرُ السماءِ وَلَيسَ ذا مَوهوما

And from the sun comes the light

of heaven's full moon—and this is no illusion.

داما بِعِزٍّ بِالسّعودِ مُسربل

بَل لا يَزالُ مَدى الزّمانِ مُقيما

May they both endure in honor, robed in good fortune;

nay, may he remain abiding throughout all time,

ما لاحَ بَرقٌ ما تَغَنّى بُلبُلٌ

ما اِستَعذَبَ الرّوض الأَريض نَسيما

as long as lightning flashes, as long as a nightingale sings,

as long as the lush garden finds a breeze sweet,

ما الزَّهرُ يَزهو في الرِّياضِ وَما الصَّبا

مِنهُ أَذاعَت سِرّهُ المَكتوما

as long as blossoms flourish in gardens, and as long as the east wind

spreads abroad their hidden secret,

ما قَد دَعا داعٍ وَأَحسَنَ مادِحٌ

في مَدحِهِ المَنثور وَالمَنظوما

as long as a supplicant prays and a praiser excels

in praising him in prose and verse,

ما الفَتحُ قالَ لِمَن أَراد كَرامَةً

للروض بادِرْ تُمنَحِ التّكريما

as long as al-Fath says to whoever seeks honor:

"Hasten to the garden, and you will be granted honor."