سرورٌ عم حتى ما عرفنا

مهنّي العالمين من المهنا

A joy known not before,

An honor amongst all honors,

وأفراحٌ تروّى الدهر منها

وصفّق وانثنى طربا وغنّى

And glad tidings the ages draw happiness from,

It clapped and bent with joy singing,

وهز الملكُ عطفيه اختيالا

كما هز النسيم الرطب غصنا

And the king gently swayed, pretending,

As the moist breeze sways a branch,

وأقبلت الخلافةُ وهي تيها

تبخترُ مشيةً وتجُرّ ردنا

And the caliphate approached swaying

Strutting with pride dragging its train,

هنيئاً للمليك بيوم ختن

ملا الآفاق إحسانا وحسنا

Congratulations to the king on the day of circumcision,

That filled the horizons with kindness and beauty,

أقر عيون أهل الأرض فيه

سرور لم يدع في الأرض حزنا

Bringing joy to the people’s eyes,

Leaving no sorrow on earth,

لقد رأت الخلافة من بنيها

بحمد اللّه ما كانت تمنّى

The caliphate saw in her sons,

Thanks to God, what she had wished for,

رأت أشبال ضيغمها لديه

مشابهة له صورا ومعنى

She saw the cubs resemble their father,

In appearance and meaning,

ومن يشبه أباه فما تعدّى

وهل للّيثِ إلّا الأسد ابنا

He who resembles his father cannot transgress,

What can the lion have but a lion cub?

لقد نشر الختان الفضل عنهم

وصرّحَ عن شمائلهم وكنّى

Circumcision showed their merit,

And revealed their features and gave them titles,

مشوا نحو الختان بلا اختيال

وقد شحذ الحديد لهم وسنا

They walked to circumcision without pretending,

As the iron was sharpened for them and sharpened,

فما ارتعدت فرائصُهم لديه

ولا نكصوا على الأعقاب جبنا

Their courage did not shudder before it,

Nor did they retreat cowardly,

ولكن زاد أوجههم ضياء

وأجزل في طلاقتهم وأسنى

But their faces shone brighter,

And their eloquence increased and was perfected,

فلا تتعجّبوا لمضاه فيهم

فإنّ رضاءهم قد كان إذنا

So wonder not at their likeness to him,

For their consent was permission enough,

ولو نظروا الحديد بعين سخط

تصدّعَ واكتسى ضعفاً ووهنا

And if they had looked on the iron with angry eyes,

It would have cracked and worn weakness and frailty,

وفي لك بالمراد وما تأنّى

ختان عمّ بالحسنى وثنّى

May you have your wish without delay,

A general circumcision praised and bent,

وأنعش كل روح منه روحٌ

فما أبقى بها قلبا معنّى

Each soul gladdened by it,

Leaving no heart feeling meaning,

وأضحك بالبشاشة كلّ سن

وليس به سوى الشيطان أنّا

Laughing with joy every tooth,

With nothing left but Satan wailing,

تقول له القلوب وقد سباها

إلى وطن المسرّة أين كنا

The hearts say to it as it captivates them,

To the homeland of happiness, where were we?

فتحسب أن يقظتها منامٌ

وأن يقينها قد عاد ظنّا

Deeming its awakening a dream,

And its certainty gone doubt,

سقتها الصرف من خمر التهاني

يدا دهر بذلك كان ضنّا

Served by fate the wine of congratulations,

Oh days of stinginess that were,

ولا لوم على من هزّ عطفا

من الخمر الحلال وان تغنّى

No blame on him who gently sways,

From the permitted wine though he sings,

فحسبكَ أن قنعت به سرورٌ

مهنّي العالمين به مهنّا

It suffices you that a joy has contented you,

Honoring the worlds, it was made an honor,

تلقّى الملك منه بشير فتح

وقد قرأ النهى إنّا فتحنا

The king received from it the opener of conquests,

As he read the verse “Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear conquest”,

وأصبح من بنيه على يقين

بما لهم ترجّى أو تمنّى

And he saw his sons certain,

Of what they hoped for and wished,

وأعجبه تسارعهم لحربٍ

تحيل شجاعة البطال جبنا

And he liked their hastening to a war,

That makes the courage of heroes cowardice,

رأوا بذل النفيس إذا تأتّى

لأبلغ في النفاسة ليس غبنا

They saw the spending of the invaluable, when appropriate,

To show generosity, no loss,

فما اكترثوا بشيء صد عنه

ولا بعثوا إلى الفولاذ أذنا

So they cared not for anything that prevented it,

Nor sent the swords a permit,

وما بدعٌ جبالٌ من عقولٍ

تناطُ بمشبه الأغصان وزنا

And it is no wonder, mountains of intellects,

Weighted against the branches’ like,

وأبله بالمزَيّن حيث أهوى

ليقلم من جنان الحسن غصنا

And he let the adorned ones go where they wished,

To prune a branch of the garden of beauty,

تنزه عالم الأرواح عن أن

يكون بعالم الأجسام مضنى

The world of spirits is above,

Being confined to the world of bodies,

فكم ملك يوازن كفّ رامٍ

فيقضى عند رميِ الأنس شأنا

So how can a king compare to a throwing hand,

In the matter of throwing spears?

وكم دم جرى من غير جرحٍ

وشمّ الطيب قد أجراهُ منها

And how much blood has flowed without wound,

And the scent of musk it produced from them,

فما وجدوا من الختّان لمسا

ولا شحذ الحديد لهم وسنا

So they found no touch from the circumcisers,

Nor was the iron sharpened for them or sharpened.