يومٌ أَهبَّ صَبَا الهباتِ صباحُهُ

وروى حديثَ النّصرِ عنكَ رواحُهُ

A day dawned with the breezes of good tidings blowing,

And its winds related the story of victory to you,

فالسّعْدُ مُشرفَةٌ لنا آفاقُهُ

والنّصرُ باديةٌ لنا أوضاحُهُ

Good fortune has horizons that give us hope,

And victory has clear mornings that guide us.

أَوفى على عُود الثّناء خطيبُهُ

وشَدا على غُصن المُنى صَدّاحُهُ

The orator was true in praising you,

And the singer urged the branch of wishes.

فالشّامُ مُبْتَلُّ الثّرى ميمونُهُ

والعامُ مُنْهَلُّ الحيا سَحّاحُهُ

So Damascus is the blessed land,

And this year is the life-giving rain.

والمحلُ زالَ كبارقٍ مُتهلّلٍ

لمَّ الشُّعوبَ بوَمْضه لمّاحُهُ

The homeland declined like fluttering lightning

Dazzling the nations with its flashes.

فالحمدُ للَّه الذي إفضالُهُ

حُلْوُ الجنَى عالي السّنا وضّاحهُ

So praise be to Allah whose favor

Is sweet, lofty, radiant gain.

عادَ العدوُّ بظُلْمَةٍ من ظُلمهِ

في ليلِ ويل قد خَبا مِصْباحُهُ

The enemy returned in the darkness of his injustice

On a night of woe, his lamp quenched,

ركَدَتْ قبولُ قبولهِ من بَعْد أنْ

هَبّتْ غُروراً بالرياءِ رياحُهُ

Acceptance of his acceptance declined after

The winds of hypocrisy blew arrogantly.

أوفى يريدُ له بجرِّ جُنوده

ربحاً فجرّتْ خَسْرَةً أرباحُهُ

He wanted, by driving his armies,

Profit, but his profits turned to losses.

وجنى عليه جهلُهُ بوقوعهِ

في قبضةِ البازي فهيضَ جناحُهُ

His ignorance brought his downfall

When he fell into the grip of the Mighty, his wings clipped.

حملَ السّلاحَ إلى القتال وما درى

أنَّ الذي يَجْني عليه سِلاحُهُ

He carried weapons into battle, not knowing

That it is his own weapons that will vanquish him.

أضحى يريدُ مواصليه صدودَه

وغدا يُجيدُ رثاءَهُ مُدّاحُهُ

He wanted his confidants to continue their intimacy,

ولي بكسر لا يُرَجّى جَبْرُهُ

وبقَرْح قَلْبٍ لا تُبِلُّ جراحُهُ

Yet morning found his eulogizer lamenting him.

He suffered a wound that will not heal

ونجا إلى حلبٍ ومن حَلَبٍ الرَّدى

دَر وفيه نجاتُهُ وفَلاحُهُ

And a heartache whose injuries will not mend.

He escaped to Aleppo, and from Aleppo refuge,

إن أَفْسَدَ الدِّينَ العصاةُ بحِنْثِهمْ

فالنّاصرُ المَلكُ الصلاحُ صَلاحُهُ

He who enters it will succeed and thrive.

If the sinners corrupted the religion with their sins,

فَرِحَ العدوُّ بجمعهِ ولقيتَهُ

فتحوّلَتْ أحزانُهُ أَفراحُهُ

Then the victorious king, the righteous one, will restore it.

The enemy rejoiced when you faced him with your army,

صَحّتْ على ضربِ الكُماةِ كُسورهُ

وتكسّرَتْ عند الطِّعانِ صِحاحُهُ

Yet his joy turned into sorrow.

His arrogance was shattered by the blows of swords,

وافى بسَرْحٍ للنَّقادِ فكانَ في

لُقيا الأُسودِ الضّارياتِ سَراحهُ

And his resolutions cracked at the thrusts of spears.

You set free a horse for the critics, and it was

مَجْرٌ كبحرٍ دارِعو فرسانه

حيتانُهُ وزعيمُهُم تِمساحُهُ

Like releasing a zebra amongst vicious lions.

A raging sea whose horsemen are sharks,

شَحْناؤهُ شَحَنَتْ جواريَ فُلْكهِ

جَوْراً ومالَ بهُلكهِ مَلاَّحُهُ

And their leader a ferocious crocodile.

Its waves tossed the pearls of his ships

عَدِموا الفلاحَ من الرِّجالِ فجاءَهم

من كلِّ صوبٍ مُكْرَهاً فلاّحُهُ

Ruthlessly, and its sailor led it astray.

They lacked triumphant men, so adversity came at them

فهمُ لحرثٍ لا لحربٍ حزْبُهمْ

أَيثيرُ قُرْحاً من يثارُ قَراحهُ

From all directions, and failure overwhelmed them.

For they are a people of farming, not war,

قد فاظَ لمّا فاضَ جيشُكَ جأْشُهُ

غيظاً وغاضَ لبحركمْ ضَحْضاحهُ

The wounds of the fallen cry louder than their weapons.

The enemy trembled when your armies surged,

كم سابقٍ برَداهُ يُردَى سابحٍ

من بَحْرِ هُلْكٍ ما نجا سَبّاحُهُ

And the sea of your forces roared powerfully.

How many racers, their bodies tossed in blood

كم عَيْنِ عَيْنٍ غَوَّرَتْ غوّارُهُ

وقليبِ قَلْبٍ عَوَّرَتْ متّاحُهُ

Of a lethal sea - only its swimmer survived!

How many dear eyes were blinded,

إنء آذنتْ بالنتنِ ريحُ قتيلهم

فالنّصر نفّاحُ الشَّذا فَوّاحُهُ

And ardent hearts were made bitter!

The stench of their dead heralded your victory,

كم مارقٍ من مأزقٍ دَمُهُ على

مَسْحِ الحسامِ مُراقُهُ مسّاحُهُ

Which blew the blossoms of joy.

How many deserters, their blood spilt

يُصبيكَ نَهْدٌ إن سباهُ ناهِدٌ

ولديكَ جدٌّ إن أَباهُ مزاحُهُ

By the swords, met their deaths as they fled!

They insult you, but if a beauty insults, her joking is charm.

ولكَ الكعوبُ مُقَوَّماتٌ للرَّدى

وله الغَداةَ كَعابُهُ ورَداحُهُ

You have glory, even if fools deride it.

You have brave warriors to subdue the rebellious,

راحُ النجيعِ بها صحافُ صِفاحكُمْ

مَلأْى وتملأُ كلَّ كاسٍ راحُهُ

While honoring those who defend their honor.

A garden of yellow and red roses,

وتجولُ في صَهَواتِها فرسانُكُمْ

وتدورُ في خَلَواتهِ أَقداحُهُ

With blossoms of white adorning its branches.

All swords were unsheathed,

ويروقُهُ الخمرُ الحرامُ وعندكمْ

مما يُراقُ من الدِّماءِ مُباحُهُ

To slice the necks bound in sheaths.

Their bodies are clad in thick iron,

ضَرْبُ الطُّلَى بالمشرفيِّ طِلابُكُمْ

وبراح مَنْ شربَ الطِّلا طُلاّحُهُ

Their resolves filled with shining mettle.

Your determination to destroy them, by God's will, succeeded -

محمرُّ خدِّ صقيلةٍ تُفّاحُكمْ

وأَسيلُ خدِّ عقيلةٍ تُفّاحُهُ

As you have witnessed its triumph.

I imagine myself by the farthest shore,

للهِ جيشٌ بالمروجِ عرضتَهُ

أُسدُ العرين رجالُهُ ورماحُهُ

As its waves wash the blood of Franks.

So cross the Euphrates against those people, and make them drink

ومن الحديدِ سوابغاً أَبدانُهُ

ومن المضاءِ عزائماً أَرواحُهُ

The bitter death - its pails are full.

Free, quickly, the captives from their hands,

وله فوارسُ بالنُّفوسِ سَمَاحُها

أَتُعادُ بالعِرْضِ المصونِ شحاحُهُ

Before night falls upon them.

And save Harran, for within it

روضٌ من الصُّفْرِ البنودُ وحُمرِها

والبيضِ يُزهي وردُهُ وأَقاحُهُ

Are so many burning hearts longing for you.

Rescue the towns from affliction through your justice,

من كلِّ ماضي الحدِّ طَلَّقَ غمْدَهُ

فَتْكاً لأَغمادِ الرِّقابِ نِكاحُهُ

For oppression in all quarters has perished.

And conquer any obstinate strongholds,

قد كان عزمُكَ للإلهِ مُصَمِّماً

فيهمْ فلاحَ كما رأَيتَ فَلاحُهُ

For your Lord will facilitate it for you.

Tell the people of faith to rejoice,

وكأَنّني بالساحلِ الأَقصى وقد

ساحَتْ ببحرِ دم الفرنجةِ ساحُهُ

For the pillar of their faith was erected by its adherents.

Give glad tidings, for Islam has gained

فاعبُر إلى القومِ الفراتَ ليشربوا ال

موتَ الأُجاجَ فقد طَما طَفّاحُهُ

A sultan that comforts and reassures all hearts.

A king whose right hand grants security

لتفُكَّ من أيديهمُ رَهْنَ الرُّها

عجلاً ويدركَ لَيْلَها إصباحُهُ

And spreads prosperity to all who seek refuge.

When his men showed such hope,

وابغوا لحرّانَ الخلاصَ فكم بها

حرّانُ قلبٍ نحوكم مُلتاحُهُ

His magnanimity poured like rain from the sky.

So visit his honorable abode,

نَجُّوا البلادَ من البلاءِ بعدلكم

فالظلمُ بادٍ في الجميعِ صُراحُهُ

For in his sanctuary, is rest on days of audience.

A king who rules what his ancestors ruled,

واسْتَفْتحوا ما كان من مُستَغْلقٍ

فيها فربُّكُم لكمْ فَتّاحُهُ

So glory remains glory and refuge remains refuge.

A king who loves to pardon his enemies,

قُولوا لأَهلِ الدينِ قَرُّوا أَعيناً

فلقد أَقامَ عَمُودَهُ سَفّاحُهُ

Thus he overlooks the sins of those who opposed him.

You have a house of eternal glory -

بشرايَ فالإسلامُ من سلطانهِ

جَذِلُ الفؤادِ بنصره مُرتاحُهُ

Measurers cannot gauge the breadth of its chambers.

Were it not for your magnanimity, I would call it

مَلكٌ ليُمنِ المعتفينَ يمينُهُ

ولراحةِ الراجينَ تُبْسَطُ راحُهُ

A waist, with the visiting delegations as its belt.

You are the kings of our time, its elite,

لما اجتداهُ من الرَّجاءِ رجالُهُ

أَوْفَى على قَطْرِ السّماءِ سَماحُهُ

Its nobility, magnates, and eloquent speakers.

Its grandees, its prominent ones, its virtuous ones,

فاقصدْ بِبَرْجِ الفقرِ رَحْبَ جَنابهِ

فبِراحِهِ يومَ النّوالِ بَراحُهُ

Its wise ones, its firm ones, and its shining lights.

Its moons, its suns, its stars,

مَلكٌ تَملّكَ جَدُّهُ من جِدِّهِ

فالمجدُ مَجْدٌ والمَراحُ مِراحُهُ

Its seas, its mountains, and its dunes.

You are the men of the age - indeed its horsemen.

ملكٌ يُحبُّ الصفحَ عن أعدائه

فلذاكَ تَصفَحُ عن عِداهُ صِفاحهُ

And the reckless souls are your racing steeds.

Its warriors, its ascetics, its knights,

لكَ بيتُ مجدٍ ليس يُدْرَكُ حَدُّهُ

يعيا بذرعِ عُروُضهِ مَسّاحُهُ

Its fierce ones, its defenders, and its staunch heroes.

And Abu al-Muzaffar Yusuf is its food,

المُلْكُ غابٌ أَنتمُ أَشبالُهُ

والدينُ رُوحٌ أَنتمُ أَشباحُهُ

Its nourishment, its bold leader, its ferocious attacker.

When he attends a gathering, greet him graciously,

ما شَرْحُ صَدْرِ الشّرْعِ إلا منكمُ

ولذاكَ منكُمْ للهدى إيضاحُهُ

But when he raids on a campaign, flee from his assault.

You were forgiving when you ruled,

فخراً بني أَيوبَ إنَّ محلَّكُمْ

ضاقتْ على كلِّ الملوكِ فِساحُهُ

For the generous are hopeful of pardon.

You are the kings of our time, its pinnacle,

لولا اتساعُ جنابكم لعَدَدْتهُ

خصْراً وفودُ المعتفينَ وِشاحُهُ

Its nobles, its pillars, and its eloquent speakers.

Its grandees, its chiefs, its meritorious ones,

أَنتمْ ملوكُ زماننا وسَراتُهُ

وكِرامهُ وعظامُهُ وفصاحُهُ

Its intellectuals, its firm ones, and its shining lights.

You are its moons, its suns, its stars,

عظماؤهُ كبراؤهُ فضلاؤهُ

ورِزانُهُ ورِصانهُ وصِباحُهُ

Its oceans, its mountains, and its dunes.

You are the stalwarts of the age - indeed its horsemen,

أقمارُهُ وشموسُهُ ونجومُهُ

وبحارُهُ وجبالُهُ وبطاحُهُ

While the rash souls are your racing steeds.

Its warriors, its devoted ones, its knights,

أنتم رجالُ الدَّهرِ بل فرسانُه

ولذي الحلومِ الطائشاتِ رِجاحُهُ

Its fierce ones, its defenders, and its staunch heroes.

فُتّاكُهُ نُسَاكُهُ ضُرّارُهُ

نُفّاعُهُ منّاعُهُ مُنّاحُهُ

وأبو المظفّرِ يوسفٌ مِطْعامُهُ

مِطْعانُهُ مِقْدامُهُ جَحْجاحُهُ

وإذا انتدى في محفلٍ فَحييُّهُ

وإذا غدا في جَحْفلٍ فَوَقاحُهُ

أسْجَحْتَ حينَ ملكتَ عفواً عنهمُ

إنَّ الكريمَ مُؤمّلٌ إسجاحُهُ