1. أَصاحي ما لِطَير العزّ صاحا

    وَما لشذا رِياض الأنسِ فاحا

    O my friend, why has the bird of honor cried out?

    And why has the fragrance of fellowship's gardens wafted?

  2. وَما لهزارِ غصن المَجد غَنّى

    وَما لهلالِ أَوج السَعد لاحا

    And why has the nightingale on glory's bough sung?

    And why has the crescent at good fortune's zenith appeared?

  3. وَما لِلفَوز أَسفَر عَن محيّا

    بِهِ لَيل الخطوب غَدا صَباحا

    And why has triumph unveiled a face

    through which the night of calamities has become morning?

  4. وَما لليمن أعلن بِالتَهاني

    وَبِالبُشرى فَكَم مهج أراحا

    And why has good fortune proclaimed congratulations

    and glad tidings—how many hearts it has eased!

  5. وَما لِبَشائر الأَفراح عزّا

    أَتَت تَطوي المَهامه وَالبِطاحا

    And why have tidings of joy, gloriously,

    come, traversing deserts and broad plains?

  6. وَما لِلمَجد قَد رَقص اِبتِهاجا

    كَأَنّ يَد السُرور سَقتهُ راحا

    And why has glory danced in delight,

    as though joy's hand had given it wine to drink?

  7. وَما لِمطالع الإِقبال لاحَت

    كَواكبها فَقارَنت الفلاحا

    And why, at prosperity's horizons, have there appeared

    their stars, entering conjunction with success?

  8. وَما بالي أَرى رتب المَعالي

    مِن التَوفيق قَد لَبست وشاحا

    And why do I see the ranks of high distinction

    now wearing a sash of success?

  9. وَما لِرُبوع بَيروت تَباهَت

    وَبِالأَفراح أَعلَنَتِ اِنشراحا

    And why have Beirut's quarters gloried,

    and proclaimed their delight with festivities?

  10. وَما لِلدَهر أَصبَح ذا اِنقِياد

    لَنا وَلطالَما أَبدى جِماحا

    And why has Time become submissive

    to us, when it has so often shown unruliness?

  11. وَما لِقُلوبِنا سكرت سُرورا

    كَأَنّ سُرورَها كانَ اِصطِباحا

    And why have our hearts grown drunk with joy,

    as though their joy were a morning draught of wine?

  12. وَما لِأَخ الغِواية نال رُشدا

    وَنشوان الضَلالة قَد تَصاحى

    And why has the brother of waywardness attained right guidance,

    and the one drunk on error sobered up?

  13. لعمرك إنّ كُلّ فَساد شَأن

    ينال بِصالح الوزَرا صَلاحا

    By your life, every corruption in affairs

    finds reform through upright ministers.

  14. مُشير عوده عيد عَلَيهِ

    قَدِ اِصطَلَحَت مَذاهبنا اِصطِلاحا

    A marshal whose return is a festival, concerning whom

    our schools of thought have reached complete accord.

  15. مُشير الدَولة الغَرّاء أَعطَت

    رَعاياها بِهِ الشَرَف الصُراحا

    A marshal—the illustrious state has bestowed

    on its subjects, through him, unalloyed honor.

  16. مُشير تاه فيهِ الشعر عزّاً

    لِأَنّ المَدح نالَ بِهِ اِمتِداحا

    A marshal in whom poetry has exulted in honor,

    for praise itself has gained praise through him.

  17. وَمِن تَشريفه شرف وَفَخرٌ

    لَنا كسب المَفاخر قَد أَباحا

    And from his gracious visit come honor and pride,

    which have allowed us to earn distinctions.

  18. قدوم حُفَّ بِالإِسعاد فَضلاً

    مِن المَولى الكَريم فَلا اِنتِزاحا

    An arrival attended by good fortune, a favor

    from the generous Lord—may there be no departure!

  19. وَإِقبال بِهِ الإِقبال أَضحى

    يَسوق لعزّ دَولته النَجاحا

    And an arrival through which prosperity has come

    to bring success to the glory of his state.

  20. وإِمداد مِن المنّان جودا

    مَواهبه بِهِ القَدر اِستماحا

    And aid from the Bestower, generously given,

    whose gifts Destiny has solicited through him.

  21. إِذا ما عدَّ في الكرماءِ ختما

    ذكرت بِهم محامده اِفتِتاحا

    If ever he is counted last among the generous,

    his virtues are mentioned first among them.

  22. لَقَد رَفَعَ الإِله لَهُ مَقاماً

    بِهِ خَفض الزَمان لَهُ جَناحا

    God has indeed raised him to a station

    through which Time has lowered its wing to him.

  23. حَليم لَو تَمثّل مِنهُ حلم

    لِعَينك خلته الماءَ القراحا

    Forbearing: if his forbearance were embodied

    before your eyes, you would take it for pure water.

  24. وَذو بَأس مَتى ما حَرّكته

    شَهامته بَدا قَدراً مُتاحا

    And possessed of might: whenever he is roused

    by his gallantry, he appears as ordained fate.

  25. وَعَزم أَخجَل السمر العَوالي

    وَحَزم أَهمل البيض الصفاحا

    And resolve that has shamed the tall, tawny spears,

    and prudence that has left bright, broad blades unused.

  26. مَتى صَدرت أَوامره لِأَمرٍ

    قَضَتهُ كَأَنَّما كانَت سِلاحا

    Whenever his commands issue concerning a matter,

    they settle it as though they were weapons.

  27. وَبَين بَنانه الأَقلام تَزهو

    فَتزري المشرفيّة وَالرِماحا

    Between his fingertips the pens shine proudly,

    putting Mashrafi swords and spears to shame.

  28. أَطل ما شئت فيهِ ثَناً وَمَدحاً

    وَلا تَخشَ الملام فَلا جناحا

    Prolong his praise and commendation as much as you wish,

    and fear no reproach, for there is no fault.

  29. فلو أَنّ السها ساماه قَدرا

    لَخلنا جِدَّ غايته مزاحا

    For if al-Suha vied with him in rank,

    we would take its most earnest effort for a jest.

  30. وَلَو أَنَّ الحَيا جاراه جوداً

    لَنال بِبَعض نائله اِفتِتاحا

    And if rain rivaled him in generosity,

    it would make a beginning with a portion of his bounty.

  31. ألا يا وامق المَعروف طَبعا

    وَمَن بِقدومه العاني اِستَراحا

    O lover of kindness by nature,

    and you through whose arrival the captive found relief,

  32. لَنا نَيل الهَنا بِكَ مِثلَما قَد

    تَمنّينا عَلى الزَمَن اِقتِراحا

    through you, happiness is ours, just as we had

    wished to request it of Time.

  33. فَكَم داوَيت مِن مُهج سقاما

    وَكَم واسيت مِن كَبد جِراحا

    And how many hearts' ailments you have healed,

    and how many wounds of the liver you have soothed!

  34. وَكَم قَيّدت مِن كَرَم ثَناءً

    وَكَم أَطلَقت مِن كرب سَراحا

    And how much praise you have captured through generosity,

    and how much release from distress you have granted!

  35. فَإِن أمدح عُلاك فَلي لِسان

    بِهِ نَفثت فَصاحتهُ فَصاحا

    So if I praise your eminence, I have a tongue

    through which its eloquence breathed forth, so it cried aloud.

  36. وَإِن قَلّدت عزّ سِواك مَدحا

    وَجدت هُناكَ أَقلامي شحاحا

    And if I garland another's glory with praise,

    there I find my pens miserly.

  37. فَهاكَ فَريدةً عَذراءَ خوداً

    تَفوق بِحُسنِها الخودَ الرِداحا

    So take this peerless pearl, a virgin maiden,

    surpassing the full-figured maiden in beauty.

  38. أَتَت مِن جَوهريّ الشعر نَظماً

    فَأهدتك الثَنا دُرراً صِحاحا

    She came from poetry's jeweler, strung in verse,

    and offered you praise as flawless pearls.

  39. فَأَمهرها القبول فَلَيسَ حَلّاً

    زَفاف البكر إِن أُخِذَت سفاحا

    So give her acceptance as her bridal dower, for it is not lawful

    to wed a virgin if she is taken in illicit union.

  40. وَفُز أَنّى ضَرَبت سِهام فَوزٍ

    فَقَد أَعلى الزَمان لَكَ القِداحا

    And triumph wherever you cast victory's arrows,

    for Time has raised the lot-arrows in your favor.

  41. وَدُم وَاِسلم وَسد شَرَفاً وَمَجداً

    وَإِقبالاً وَنَل أَبدا نَجاحا

    And endure, be safe, and hold sway in honor and glory,

    and prosperity, and attain success forever.

  42. فَلا بَرحت شُموسك مشرقات

    عَلى الدُنيا وَلا أَفلت براحا

    May your suns never cease to shine

    upon the world, nor ever set and depart.