قَدْ صَافَحَتْهُ يَدُ العَليَا وَهَامَ بِهَا
كَأنهُ بِزُهُورِ النقْشِ بُسْتَانُ
The hand of the Most High has clasped his, and wandered with it,
As if it were the blossoms of an inscribed garden.
إذْ لاَحَ مُرتَفِعُ الأفيَاءِ فِي سَفَرِ
لَما عَلَتْ فِيهِ أرجَاءٌ وَأرْكَانُ
When the tall one appeared on a journey,
In which heights and pillars rose,
فَفِي الإقَامَةِ لِلتنزِيهِ مَنصِبُهُ
تَجَدَّدَتْ مِنْهُ فِي البَيْدَاءِ عُمْرَانُ
His position was for purification in residence,
From which civilization was renewed in the desert.
وَفِي التغَرُّبِ لِلأوْطَانِ أوطَانُ
أضحَى وَقَدْ حَفَّهُ نُورُ القَبولِ ضِيَا
And in exile were homelands for homelands,
Having been enveloped by the light of acceptance, a place of happiness and possibility.
مَكَانَ غَربِهِ سَعدٌ وَإمْكَانُ
يَهْتَزُّ لُطفاً إذا مَرَّ النسِيمُ بِهِ
It sways gently when the breeze passes by it,
Without doubt, they are brothers in gentleness.
لاَشَكَّ أنهُمَا فِي اللُّطْفِ إخْوانُ
أهْدَتْ إلَى عَطفِهِ الصَّبِ أرجا
It has brought to its affection the patience of youths,
From it, robes and carpets are perfumed.
تَعَطرَتْ مِنْهُ أذْيَالٌ وَأرْدَانُ
يَلُوحُ لِلشُّعَرَاءِ المَاهِرِينَ بِهِ
It flashes to skilled poets through it
A poetry collection, just as a king has a collection.
دِيوَانُ شِعْرٍ كَمَا لِلمُلكِ دِيوَانُ
وَافَتهُ عزة مَولاَهُ بِخَالِقِهِ
The honor of his Master has met him through his Creator
He has power over enemies, though they have power.
عَلَى الأعَادِي لَهُ شَأنٌ وَإنْ شَانوا
عَلَى قَدرِ عَلِي بَاشَا الذي افتَخرَتْ
According to the rank of Ali Pasha, of whom
The great ones took pride and the notables approved.
بِهِ الأكَابِرُ وَاستَرْضَتْهُ أعْيَانُ
مَولَى العُلاَ ابْن حُسَيْن ندى
The Master of Highness, the son of Hussein the guide,
Of high ambition and penetrating understanding,
سارت
ذُو المَحْتِدِ العَالِي وَفَهْمٍ ثَاقِبٍ
And his dignity among kings is graceful.
Forbearance in him is innate, no rancor against him remains in the heart of any man.
وَوَقَارهُ بَيْنَ المُلُوكِ رَزِينُ
الحلم فيه سجية لم يبق في
It protects from calamities and fears, so souls
And eyes ransom him from them.
قلب امريء ضغناً عليه يبين
أمنُ الغَوَائِلَ وَالمَخَاوِفَ فَالْوَرَى
It guards him from harm and protects his territory
With cutting talons, eagles protected him.
تَفْدِيهِ مِنْهَا أنْفُسٌ وَعُيُونُ
تَرْعَاهُ مِنْ شَخصٍ وَتَحمِي حَوزَهُ
Namely the Minister, his namesake, Al-Hajj who
Abdul Aziz is his father and assists him.
بِقَوَابِضٍ بُتْرٍ حِمَاهُ صَوْن
سِيمَا الوَزِيرُ سَمِيُّهُ الحَاجُ الذي
For what! He has pleased God and His creation,
And keeps his covenant, he does not betray.
عَبْدُ العَزِيزِ أبُوهُ وَهْوَ يُعِينُ
لِمَا لاَ وَقَدْ أرْضَى الإلَهَ وَخَلْقَهُ
My mind wandered in composing about another,
And to him came my hidden prose.
وَالعَهْدَ يُوفِيهِ فَلَيسَ يَخُونُ
شَرَدَتْ قَرِيحَةُ فِكرَتِي في غَيرِهِ
To God belongs the mark of wonders gathered
In him like the Indian Ocean, vast.
وَإلَيهِ جَاءَ نِظَامِيَ المَكْنُونُ
لِلهِ دَرُّ عَجَائِبٍ قَدْ جُمِّعَتْ
It cannot be counted, the eloquence to number them
And when can its hidden secret be emulated?
فِيهِ كَبَحْرِ الهِندِ مَا جَيْحُونُ
لاَيُسْتَطَاعُ لِذي البَلاَغَةِ عَدُّهَا
Its virtues appeared boundless,
Revealed yet its honor preserved.
وَمَتَى يُجَارَى سِرُّهَا المَخْزُونُ
بَانَتْ مَحَاسِنُهُ بِلاَ حَصْرِ لَهَا
His exceeding generosity has spread through the land,
The rich and poor have benefited equally.
مَكشُوفَةً وَالعِرضُ مِنْهُ مَصُونُ
عَمَّتْ فَوَاضِلُهُ البَرِيَّةَ فَاستَوَى
Its eminent presence was purified, darkness and
Its terrors have vanished.
فِيهَا غَنِيُّ الحَالِ وَالمِسكيِنُ
وَافَى لِحَضْرَتِهِ العَلِيةِ فَانْجَلَى
The kingdom made its glory manifest with events
Whose pace intensifies and gentles.
عَنْهَا غَيَاهِبُ وَحشِهَا وَالهُونُ
وَالمُلْكُ أظْهَرَ عِزَّهُ بِمَحَافِلٍ
So steeds neigh and warriors don armor
With their weapons, and their blades sing.
يَشْتَدُ وَخْدُ مَسِيرِهَا وَيَلِينُ
فَالخَيلُ تَصْهَلُ وَالكُمَاةُ تَدَرَّعَتْ
Spears are in the horsemen’s hands, rising high,
And the banners flutter, varied hues.
بِسِلاحِهَا وَلِصَوْلِهَا تَلحِينُ
وَالسُّمْرُ فِي أيدِي الفَوَارِسِ تَعْتَلِي
The air thunders with drums as if
It is thunder with sounds that croon.
وَالبَندُ يَخفُقُ زَانَهُ التَّلْوِينُ
وَالجَوُّ يَدْوِي بِالطُّبُولِ كَأنَّهُ
Dawn is dazed by the summons, so it is guided
To answer with joy and melody.
رَعدٌ بِأصْوَات لَهُنَّ حَنِينُ
وَالصُّبْح يَصعَق لِلنَّفِير فَيَهْتَدي
The naqara resounds with a band angrily
Mimicked by their echoes, a pair.
لِجَوابِهِ التطْرِيب وَالتلْحِينُ
وَالنَّقْرُ زَانَ بِزَمرَةٍ فِي نِقمَةٍ
People yearn to see his face,
So all are enraptured by his beauty.
يَحكِيهِ مِنْ أصدَائِهِنَّ قَرِينُ
وَالناسُ مُشتَاقُونَ رُؤيَةَ وَجْهِهِ
The full moon and glow of his face are equal,
If the shining full moon had a forehead.
فَجَمِيعُهُمْ بِجَمَالِهِ مَفْتُونُ
سِيانِ بَدرُ دُجَى وَغُرَّةُ وَجهِهِ
I have protected it from onlookers’ eyes, not
A glance has fallen on it from their eyelids.
لَو كَانَ لِلبَدْر المُنِير جَبِين
عَوَّذْتُه مِنْ أعْيُن المِعْيَان مَا
He remains supported in the blessed kingdom,
Protected by an Able and Helper Lord.
رَمَقَتْ بِألْحَاظ إلَيه جُفُون
لاَزَالَ فِي المُلك السعِيد مؤَيداً
However much is said, it has encompassed every scope,
And reached Tunisia’s auspicious Bey.
يَحْمِيه رَبٌ قَادر وَمُعِين
مَا قِيلَ مَهَمَا آبَ كُلُّ مَحَلَّة
وَافَى لِتُونِسَ بَايُهَا المَيْمُون
