بلبل الأنس في التَهاني ترنَّمْ

وَرَشيق القَوام بِالوَصل أَنعمْ

The nightingale of intimacy sang joyfully,

And the slender one swayed gracefully with the union.

وَزَماني أَتى بِما أَتمنى

وَصَفا لي وَثَغرُه قَد تبسم

And my time has come with what I wished,

With lips smiling and cheerful.

وَبِهَذا الرشا تَولَّعَ قَلبٌ

سَهمُ لَحظيه فيهِ ظلماً تحكَّم

With this drizzle, a heart became infatuated,

The glance of his eyes ruled it unjustly.

فخلعت العذار مِن بَعد نسكي

وَقِيامي بِاللَيل وَالناس نُوَّم

So I took off chastity after my devotion,

And my night vigil while people slept.

وَبِهِ همت وَالخليّ اِقتَدى بِي

في هَواه وَاأْتَمَّ بي كُلُّ مغرم

And with it I was preoccupied and the thin one imitated me,

In his love and every lover was completed through me.

وَجعلت النَسيب فيهِ نَصيبي

مِن فُنون الآداب فيما تَقدَّم

And I made the drinking companion my share

Of the arts of literature in times past.

لَكن الآن ساغَ لي وَهوَ فَرضٌ

في اِعتِقادي وَاللَه بِالسرّ أَعلم

But now it was pleasant for me and it is a duty,

In my belief, and God knows best in secret.

أن أُحلِّي بَديع نَظمي بِمَدحي

لَكَ يا بَهجة اللواء المعظم

To adorn the beauty of my prose with my praise

For you, O delight of the honored banner.

يا أَمير اللواء إنَّ لِساني

عَن فُؤادي لَديك بِالشُكر تَرجَم

O Emir of the banner, my tongue

Translates my heart to you with gratitude.

وَبحسن الثَناء أَعرَب عَما

في ضَميرٍ بِناء مَعناه مُحكَم

And with excellent praise I express what

Is in a sincere conscience whose meaning is solid.

كَيفَ لا يَزدَهي بِمدحك نَثرٌ

درُّ أَلفاظِه الثَمين مُنظَّم

How can prose not flourish with praise of you

Whose precious words are organized.

وَبِكَ اخضرّ يابسٌ وَهَشيمٌ

كادَ مِن شدة الظِما يَتحَطَّم

And through you the barren and ruins

Nearly crumbled from severe thirst.

فَلَكم بِالمِياه أَحييت أَرضاً

مِن موات وَكَم نوالك قَد عَم

For how many lands you have revived

From death and how extensive is your charity.

ولكم أينعت بمصر رياضٌ

كان منظورُها كشكل المُقطَّم

And how many gardens have flourished in Egypt

Whose view was like fragmented patches.

وَلَكم مِن قَناطرٍ وَمَبانٍ

أَنتَ شَيدتها لنفع وَمغنَم

And how many bridges and buildings

You have erected for benefit and gain.

وَبِأَمر السَعيد خَير مليكٍ

نوّر الأُفق بَعدَ ما كانَ أَظلَم

And by order of the fortunate, best king,

You illuminated the horizon after it was dark.

نلت بِالعدل في المَساحة أَجراً

حَيث كُلٌّ بِما قضيت تنعَّم

You have earned reward with justice in administration,

Where each one enjoys what you have ruled.

وَوَضعت الزِمام في يَد قَوم

يَحفَظون الذمام إِن صالَ ضَيغم

And you have placed the reins in the hands of people

Who safeguard the reins if discord roars.

وَنشرت العُلوم مِن بَعد طيٍّ

فَسما رفعة بِها مِن تعلَّم

And you have spread knowledge after obscurity,

So it rose in status for those who learned.

وَلعمري ما أَنتَ إِلا فَريد ال

عصر في كُل ما بِهِ تَتكلَّم

And by my life you are unmatched in your time

In all that you undertake and say.

فَانتهز فُرصة الصَفا وَتهنّأ

بِمقام في دَولة السَعد أَعظَم

So seize the opportunity of purity and congratulate yourself

With a position in the state of greatest felicity.

وَتقبّل هديةً مِن غلامٍ

بِالثَنا عَنكَ دائِماً يترنّم

And accept a gift from a boy

Who is always singing your praise.

مِن غلام لَهُ بمدحك وَجدٌ

مِن قَديم الزَمان ما عَنهُ أَحجَم

From a boy who has passion in praising you

Since ancient times which he does not refrain from.

مِن غُلام حُصونُه في المَعاني

ذاتُ سور مشيَّدٍ لَيسَ يُثلَم

From a boy whose fortresses in meanings

Have walls built that cannot be pierced.

مِن غُلام إِذا اِبتَدا في مَديح

أَحسن البدء وَالخِتام وَتمَّم

From a boy who if he embarks on praise

Excels in the beginning, end and completion.

وَإِذا ما كَبا بمضمار مدح

طِرفُه جال في مَثالب أَبكَم

And if he contends in the racecourse of praise

His gaze wanders in the deepest ravines.

وَعَلى ابن جرّد عضبا

وَاِقتَفى إثره وَصاحَ وَدمدم

And he scolded Ibn Jarrad

And followed in his tracks, shouted and rumbled.

وَرَماه بأسهمٍ مِن هجاءٍ

صائِبات حَتّى يَتوب وَيندم

And struck him with arrows of lampoon

That hit their mark until he repents and regrets.

وَانثنى بعدَها إليك وَحيّا

ك بِمَدح عَلَيهِ بالجدّ أَقدَم

And afterwards he turned to you and greeted you

With praise he embarked upon in earnest.

وَتَلا في الهَناء إِنا فتحنا

لَكَ باب القبول فاصعد بِسُلَّم

And he recited in joy, "Indeed We have opened for you

A gate of acceptance, so ascend the ladder."

ما العلا قالَ لارتقائك أَرِّخ

بَهجةٌ شرّف اللواء المقوّم

Elevation said for your ascent, record

The delight that ennobled the rectified banner.