اليّومَ يَومُ سُرورٍ يوم أَفراحِ
كَالبرء تَجري بِأَجسامٍ وَأَرواحِ
Today is a day of joy, a day of delights
Running through bodies and souls like innocence
قُم وَاِسقِني بِالتّهاني مِن طلى فَرحٍ
في كَأسِ بِشر لَقَد فاقَت عَلى الرّاحِ
Arise and give me congratulations from the radiance of joy
In a cup of glad tidings that has surpassed winds
وَاِخلَع عِذارَك بِالأَفراحِ ذا مَرحٍ
وَاِطرَب وَلا تَختَشِ التّعيير مِن لاحِ
Take off your excuse-garb with joys—a fun-lover
Dance about and do not fear the censure of any critic
هِمْ وَاِستَمِع قَولَ مَن يُغريكَ فيهِ وتِهْ
وَدَعْ وَلا تَستَمِع أَقوالَ نصّاحِ
Listen and hear the words of those who tempt you therein
And leave off listening to the advice of admonishers
أَما تَرى الأُفقَ بِالأَفراحِ ذا طَربٍ
وُضوحُهُ قَد كَفى عَن بَسْطِ إيضاحِ
Do you not see the horizon in rapture with joys
Its clarity has sufficed instead of explanation
قَد قامَ يَرقُصُ بِالأَفراحِ مُزدَهِياً
رَقصَ الطّروبِ غَدا النّشوان وَالصّاحي
It has arisen, dancing with joys proudly
The dance of bliss—tomorrow the vigilant and wakeful
وَقامَ يَرقُصُ جَذلاناً كَواكبه
بِحلَّةِ النورِ فاقَت نورَ مِصباحِ
And it has arisen dancing coquettishly like its stars
In a dress of light that surpassed the light of a lamp
وَالطّيرُ غَرَّدَ في رَوضِ الهنا طَرباً
أَنواعُ تَغريدِهِ في غُصنِ أَفراحِ
And the birds warbled in the garden of delight ecstatically
Types of their warbling in the branch of joys
مِن كلِّ شادٍ تُغذِّي الروحَ نَغمَتُهُ
حَلاوَة الأُنسِ غِرّيد وَصدّاحِ
From every lover its melody nourishes the soul
The sweetness of company, twittering and clucking
يُبدي أَفانينَ سَجعٍ وَهوَ في فننٍ
مِنَ الصّفا عِنَد إِمساءٍ وَإِصباحِ
Expressing meanings of rhymed prose while in arts
From sincerity in the company of Ismā‘īl and Iṣbāḥ
جاءَ البشيرُ بِما رُمنا يُبشّرنا
وَأَفصَحَ القَولَ فيهِ أيَّ إِفصاحِ
The harbinger came with what we hoped, giving good news
And was most eloquent in speech therein—what eloquence!
وَطافَ يَسعى إِلى الأَكوانِ يُخبِرُها
أَن نالَ ما قَد رَجَونا حسنَ إِنجاحِ
And he went about striving to the corners of the earth informing them
That we had attained what we had hoped for—excellent success
أَبدى بِنَيْلِ المُنى فينا بِشائِرهُ
وَما كَنيلِ المُنى يُجدي بِأَرواحِ
He manifested by attaining the object of desire in us his glad tidings
And attaining the object of desire cannot avail by souls
حتّى كَسانا كساءً حِيكَ مِن مَرَحٍ
مُفصَّلاً قَدرَ أَرواحٍ وَأَشباحِ
Until we were clothed in a garment woven from joy
Detailed to the measure of souls and specters
وَقَد سَقانا سُلافَ الصّفوِ صافِيَةً
مَمزوجَةً بِالهَنا في حُسنِ أَقداحِ
And he gave us the pure wine of amity
Mixed with bliss in excellent goblets
حَتّى سُرِرنا سُروراً لَم نُسرَّ بِهِ
وَلا نُسَرَّ وَقَد طِرنا كَأَرياحِ
Until we were delighted with a delight we had never delighted in
Nor will we be delighted although we flitted about like winds
وَقَد نَحَرْنَا مَعَ التّحميدِ تَضحِيةً
بُدْنَ الغمومِ اِنفَرت مِن كَفِّ ذَبّاحِ
And we slaughtered along with praise as an offering
The corpse of sorrows—they scattered from the hand of a slaughterer
فَقالَ بُشراكُم إِنّ الوزارَة قَد
بَدَت كَبدرِ دُجى في الأُفقِ سبّاحِ
So he said “Congratulations! The ministry has appeared
Like the full moon in the horizon giving praise”
أَتَت إِلى أَهلِها المَيمون طائرةً
رَبّ الجَمالِ صَبيحِ الوجهِ وَضّاحِ
It came to its rightful people, good fortune,
Lord of beauty, bright of face and beaming
شَمس المَعالي وَبدر المَجدِ في شَرَفٍ
مِن ذَروَةِ العزِّ ما إِن طالَها ناحي
Sun of glorious deeds and full moon of honor loftily
At the peak of might—no critic can reach it
غرّ الأَماجِدِ في عَلياءِ سُؤددهِ
مَجد الأَكارِمِ مَلجا كلِّ مُلتاحِ
Sheltering the nests of glories in its high minarets
The glory of generous deeds takes refuge there, sought by all who seek
السّيّد الشّهمِ أَهل المَجدِ تَخدِمُهُ
مِن كلِّ أَمجَدَ سامي القَدرِ جحجاحِ
The noble, valiant lord of glory—in his service
Is every most glorious and lofty, wide-winged eagle
رَبّ القَواضِبِ بيض الهِند باتِرة
مِن كلِّ عَضبٍ لعنقِ الضدِّ مَسّاحِ
Lord of the white Indian ships cleaving
Through every hostile current, smoothing the necks of foes
رَبّ العَوالي وَسُمر اللّدنِ طاعِنَة
مِن كلِّ أَسمر آجال العِدى ماحي
Lord of the heights and reddish brown steeds charging through
Every swarthy, death-courting epoch
الفارِس الرّامِح الصّنديد يَرْهَبُه
عِندَ الوَغى كلُّ خَيّالٍ وَرمّاحِ
The hardy knight frightening all horsemen
When war stirs, every horseman and lancer
الضّيغَم الفَحل تَخشى الأُسدُ سَطوَتَهُ
بِبيضِ هِندٍ لَه أَو سمر أَرماحِ
The fierce warrior—even lions fear his might
With his Indian or swarthy brown lances
إِذا بَدا تَختَفي الآسادُ مِن رَهبٍ
وَلَيسَ يسمَعُ مِنها صَوت صيّاحِ
When he appears, lions vanish in awe
And no roar is heard from them
مِثل الكَواكبِ تَخفَى حَيث قَد طَلعت
شَمسُ النَّهارِ لَدى إِبّان إِصباحِ
Like stars they disappear when has risen
The sun of daytime at the time of dawn
مَن خَصَّهُ اللَّهُ إِذ زينَت شَجاعَتهُ
عَلى الهَياصِمِ فيها حسنَ إِرجاحِ
He whom God distinguished when He adorned his bravery
Above adversaries therein lies excellent favor
رَبُّ النّدى وَالسّخا مَعنُ بنُ زائِدةٍ
وَبَحر جودٍ كَثير البذلِ رَحراحِ
Lord of bounty and munificence, Ma‘n son of Zā’ida
And a sea of generosity, abundant in spending, overflowing
وَمَزلة الفَضل سَحَّت فيهِ متّصلاً
وَكُلّما سُئلت تَهمى بِإِصفاحِ
And the station of superiority was poured into him uninterrupted
And whenever asked, he refused to pay it heed
وَإِنّما الفَضلُ لِلسُّحبِ الّتي هَطَلت
وَلَم يَكُن لِسحاب غير سحَّاحِ
For superiority belongs only to clouds that poured down rain
And no cloud was a pourer other than a pourer
فَلَو سَأَلتَ الدُّنى يُعطيكَها بِرضى
وَلَو سَأَلتَ بِإِلحافٍ وَإِلحاحِ
So if you asked for the (lifelong) goods, he would give them to you pleased
Even if you asked importunately and insistently
الكَامل الشّهم عَبد اللَّه مَن شَهِدَت
بِفَضلِهِ النّاس مِن ضدٍّ وَمَدّاحِ
The perfect, valiant ‘Abdullāh—all mankind witnessed
His merit over foe and praiser alike
العَدلُ سِيرتهُ وَالحِلمُ شيمَتُهُ
وَالصّفحُ عادَتهُ في حُسنِ إِسجاحِ
Justice is his wont, forbearance his quality
And pardoning his habit in excellent composure
مَن صيتُهُ في الوَرى وَالكون مُنتَشِراً
كَأذفرِ المِسكِ زاكي العرفِ نفّاحِ
One whose repute in the world and universe has spread
Like fragrant aloewood, Eastern aromatic wafting
لَهُ الوِزارةُ جاءَت وَهيَ مَرتبة
قَعساءُ بَدرٍ عَلاها لِلوَرى ضَاحي
To him the ministry came disciplined
Like a fleet she-camel—for the world it rose radiant
عَلَيهِ مَنَّ بِها مِن جودِهِ مَلك
ناهيكَ مِن مَلك لِلخَيرِ مَنّاحِ
Through his munificence the King graced him with it
Not to mention the kingdom of beneficence from a Granter
مَليكِ كُلِّ مُلوكِ الأَرضِ قاطِبة
خَليفَةُ اللَّهِ وَلّاهُ لإِصلاحِ
Sovereign over all sovereigns of earth entirely
Caliph of God—He appointed him to set things right
وَظلُّهُ مَدَّهُ لِلنّاسِ أَجمَعهم
آووا إِلَيهِ فَعاشوا عَيشَ مُرتاحِ
And Sūrat al-Naṣr (Quran 110) lasted, its verses
Its emblems in openings keep conquering, bestowing victory
وَهوَ الإِمامُ إِمامُ المسلمينَ دَعا
هاؤوا الفَلاحَ تَنالوا حقَّ إِفلاحِ
Adorning the neck of that gallant one, so it flourished
As if it were the dawn in the time of its splitting open
سُلطانُنا الملكُ المَحمودُ صَدرُ بَني
عُثمان لا زالَ رَحبَ الصّدرِ وَالسّاحِ
And it gladdened the people, along with these countries therewith
That Sovereign and Greatest Favorer of Joy
وَسورَةُ النّصرِ دامَت آيَ دَولَتهِ
تَفوزُ راياتُها في فَتحِ فَتّاحِ
They beseeched, petitioning the corners of existence with prayers
For that Sovereign, in gratitude and praise
حَلّى بِها جيدَ ذاكَ الشَّهمِ فَاِزدَهَرَت
كَأَنّها الصّبحُ في إِبّانِ إِفضاحِ
So congratulate, O Constitution, persisting
Unfading in splendor or turned white with decay
وَأَفرَحَ النّاسَ مَع هَذي البِلادِ بِذا
ذاكَ المَليك وَأَولى حُسن إِفراحِ
As if it were the sun come to dwell in your abodes
Therewith is hidden from others each lamp
تَضَرَّعوا مالِئي الأَكوانِ أَدعِيَةً
لِذا المَليكُ بِشُكرانٍ وَتِمداحِ
So hold fast to gratitude when she comes faithful
For she is a gift from the Bestower’s Gifts
فَاِهنَئ بِها أَيّها الدّستورُ لا بَرِحَت
ذات الحُبورِ وَلا شيبَت بِأَتراحِ
And take from gratitude the making of excellent justice your mantle
Clothed in the garb of pardon—hold fast to forgiving pardoning
كَأَنّها الشّمسُ قَد حَلَّت مَنازِلكم
يَخفى بِها مِن عَداكُم كلُّ مِصباحِ
Forbearance is an ocean—its mercy has surged
And be like the sea of bounty, quickening with generosity
فَلازِمِ الشُّكرَ إِذ جاءَتكَ وافِية
فَإِنّها مِنحةٌ مِن منحِ مَنّاحِ
And submit your reign loftily, sublime
Soaring on high beyond hostility and contention
وَاِجعَل مِنَ الشّكر حسنَ العَدلِ متّشحاً
بِحلَّةِ العَفوِ وَاِلزَم صَفحَ صَفّاحِ
And you remained a mountain of loftiness, elevated without cease
Receiving from Our Lord buttressing of foundations
وَالحِلمُ بَحراً لَقَد ماجَت مَراحِمهُ
وَكُن بِبَحرِ نَدى بِالجودِ فيّاحِ
Upon you the emblems of support wave triumphant
With victory and openings in justice and reform
وَاِسلَم وَدُم في ذُرى العَلياءِ سامِيَة
هام الثريّا عَديم الضدِّ وَاللّاحي
As long as time and duration of endless time persist
The branches in the garden of Lordliness ne’er stirred from wave of winds
وَلَم تَزَل جَبل العَلياءِ مُرتَفِعاً
تَنالُ مِن رَبّنا تَشييدَ أَركاحِ
Nor over its pulpit did the orator dove clack
From the branches—it became with its cooing a prattler
عَلَيكَ أَلويةُ التّأييدِ خافِقة
بِالنَّصرِ وَالفَتحِ في عَدلٍ وَإِصلاحِ
“What victory?” he said, and congratulated you with joy
“Today is a day of joy, a day of delights.”
مَدى الزّمانِ وَطول الدّهرِ ما رَقَصت
غُصون رَوضِ الرّبى مِن كفِّ أَرياحِ
وَما خَطيب حَمام فَوقَ مِنبَرِهِ
مِنَ الغصونِ لَقَد أَضحى بِصدّاحِ
ما الفَتحُ قالَ وَقَد هنّاكُمُ فَرِحاً
اليّومَ يَوُ سرورٍ يَوم أَفراحِ
