أَجَل هَذِهِ أَعلامُهُ وَمَواكِبُه
هَنيئاً لَهُم فَليَسحَبِ الذَيلَ ساحِبُه
Yes, these are his banners and processions
Congratulations to them, may he who drags his garment in the dirt drag it!
هَنيئاً لَهُم فَالكَونُ في يَومِ عيدِهِم
مَشارِقُهُ وَضّاءَةٌ وَمَغارِبُه
Congratulations to them, for on their feast day
The universe is radiant in the east and luminous in the west
رَعى اللَهُ شَعباً جَمَّعَ العَدلُ شَملَهُ
وَتَمَّت عَلى عَهدِ الرَشادِ رَغائِبُه
May God protect a people united in justice
And may the dark days of oppression vanish
تَحالَفَ في ظِلِّ الهِلالِ إِمامُهُ
وَحاخامُهُ بَعدَ الخِلافِ وَراهِبُه
The imam and the rabbi made peace in the Crescent’s shade
After discord, and the monk as well
خُذوا بِيَدِ الإِصلاحِ وَالأَمرُ مُقبِلٌ
فَإِنّي أَرى الإِصلاحَ قَد طَرَّ شارِبُه
Take the hand of reform—the time is coming
For I see reform girding its loins
وَرُدّوا عَلى المُلكِ الشَبابَ الَّذي ذَوى
فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ المُلكَ شابَت ذَوائِبُه
Give the sovereign back his youthful vigor
For I saw the throne rejuvenate
فَمَن يَطلُبُ الدُستورَ بِالسوءِ بَعدَ ما
حَمَتهُ يَدُ الفاروقِ فَاللَهُ طالِبُه
Let him who seeks evil in the constitution, after
The hand of justice has protected it, seek evil
إِذا شَوكَتُ الفاروقُ قامَ مُنادِياً
إِلى الحَقِّ لَبّاهُ نِيازي وَصاحِبُه
When Uthman grows stern, his herald rises
Calling right and wrong to account, he and his companion
ثَلاثَةُ آسادٍ يُجانِبُها الرَدى
وَإِن هِيَ لاقاها الرَدى لا تُجانِبُه
Three lions spurned by fate
And if fate meets them, it does not spurn them
يُصارِعُها صَرفُ المَنونِ فَتَلتَقي
مَخالِبُها فيهِ وَتَنبو مَخالِبُه
It battles them, and destiny claws
Meet their claws, and their claws meet its
رَوَت قَولَ بَشّارٍ فَثارَت وَأَقسَمَت
وَقامَت إِلى عَبدِ الحَميدِ تُحاسِبُه
They heard Bashar's words and rose up, swore oaths
And stood to demand an accounting from Abdul Hamid
إِذا المَلِكُ الجَبّارُ صَعَّرَ خَدَّهُ
مَشَينا إِلَيهِ بِالسُيوفِ نُعاتِبُه
When the tyrant monarch scowls
We will go to him with swords and call him to account
وَسارَ عَلى أَعقابِها كُلُّ سابِحٍ
عَلى مَتنِهِ بُرجٌ مَشيدٌ يُداعِبُه
And every swimmer followed in their wake
His ship erect and lofty, provoking it
يَصيحُ بِهِ لا رِيَّ أَو نَبلُغَ المُنى
وَلا شِبَعٌ أَو يُرجِعَ الحَقَّ غاصِبُه
Shouting: No peace or we reach our goal!
No satiation or the usurper restores rights!
هُنالِكَ فَاِنهَل وَاِتَّخِذ ثَمَّ مَربَطاً
بِيَلدِزَ وَاِحمَد في الوَغى مَن تُصاحِبُه
There at Yıldız halt and take cover
And in the fray praise those who take your side
رِجالٌ مِنَ الإيمانِ مَلأى نُفوسُهُم
وَجَيشٌ مِنَ الأَتراكِ ظَمأى قَواضِبُه
Men filled with faith and an army of Turks
Whose swords thirst for the enemy's heads and citadels
صَوالِجُهُ سُمرُ القَنا وَكُراتُهُ
رُؤوسُ الأَعادي وَالحُصونُ مَلاعِبُه
When they rise up, mountains bow down
An ocean kneels, and God fulfills what He has ordained
إِذا ثارَ دُكَّت أَجبُلٌ وَتَخَشَّعَت
بِحارٌ وَأَمضى اللَهُ ما هُوَ كاتِبُه
Thrones are demolished and kingdoms overthrown
And if Dhu l-Qarnayn were there, he would vie against them
وَثُلَّت عُروشٌ وَاِستَقَرَّت مَمالِكٌ
وَلَو أَنَّ ذا القَرنَينِ فيها يُناصِبُه
Let him who has not seen Yıldız after its Lord
Abandoned it and its pillar fell
فَمَن لَم يُشاهِد يَلدِزاً بَعدَ رَبِّها
وَقَد زالَ عَنهُ المُلكُ وَاِندَكَّ جانِبُه
And handed him over to his judges
As he fled, uncaring if his scribe blamed him
وَأَسلَمَهُ أَحبابُهُ لِقُضاتِهِ
وَفَرَّ وَلَم يَخشَ المَعَرَّةَ كاتِبُه
Fate clipped the claws of his tyranny
And indicated what even jinn do not know
وَقَلَّمَتِ الأَقدارُ أَظفارَ بَطشِهِ
وَدَلَّ عَلى ما تَجهَلُ الجِنُّ حاجِبُه
He did not see the world pass away, nor
Witness the tribulation of God's decree against those who war with Him
فَما شَهِدَ الدُنيا تَزولُ وَلا رَأى
بَلاءَ قَضاءِ اللَهِ فيمَن يُحارِبُه
His protection was permitted and the glory of his Lord diminished
And elegists gathered round the honored house
أُبيحَ حِماها وَاِنطَوى مَجدُ رَبِّها
وَقامَت عَلى البَيتِ الحَميدي نَوادِبُه
His cunning did not avail Abdülhamid
Nor did his experiences protect him
وَلَم يُغنِ عَن عَبدِ الحَميدِ دَهاؤُهُ
وَلا عَصَمَت عَبدَ الحَميدِ تَجارِبُه
No fortress shielded him, no treasure stood around him
Nor dinars, as fate desired his ruin
وَلَم يَحمِهِ حِصنٌ وَلَم تَرِم دونَهُ
دَنانيرُهُ وَالأَمرُ بِالأَمرِ حازِبُه
No hiding place concealed him from the eyes of truth
No tunnel beneath the earth has an exit unseen
وَلَم يُخفِهِ عَن أَعيُنِ الحَقِّ مِخدَعٌ
وَلا نَفَقٌ في الأَرضِ جَمٌّ مَسارِبُه
Destiny unleashed death wherever he turned
Passing by him, and youth assailing him
أَقامَ عَلَيهِ مَهلَكاً عِندَ مَهلَكٍ
يَمُرُّ بِهِ رَوحُ الصَبا فَيُواثِبُه
Fears for his life preserved him even from specters
For if a mere phantom touched him, its sides would shake
تَحاماهُ حَتّى الوَهمُ خَوفَ اِغتِيالِهِ
فَلَو مَسَّهُ طَيفٌ لَدارَت لَوالِبُه
He overvalued life, surrounding it
With horrors—no rider can escape
وَأَسرَفَ في حُبِّ الحَياةِ فَحاطَها
بِسورٍ مِنَ الأَهوالِ لَم يَنجُ راكِبُه
In each lock the angel of death lies in wait
In each key, destiny watching over him
فَفي كُلِّ قُفلٍ لِلمَنِيَّةِ مَكمَنٌ
وَفي كُلِّ مِفتاحٍ قَضاءٌ يُراقِبُه
In each corner, if an image could speak
None who addressed Abdülhamid would doubt it
وَفي كُلِّ رُكنٍ صورَةٌ لَو تَكَلَّمَت
لَما شَكَّ في عَبدِ الحَميدِ مُخاطِبُه
Statues of delusion, animated and seated
Imagine his turns and twists
تَماثيلُ إيهامٍ أُنيمَت وَأُقعِدَت
تَراءى بِها أَعطافُهُ وَمَناكِبُه
Mimicking him sleeping and sitting
Deceiving death when it draws near him
تُمَثِّلُهُ في نَومِهِ وَجُلوسِهِ
وَتَخدَعُ فيهِ المَوتَ حينَ يُقارِبُه
He deployed a thousand veiled deaths
To defeat the one unconquerable death
أَقامَ عَلَيهِ أَلفَ مَوتٍ مُحَجَّبٍ
لِيَغلِبَ مَوتاً واحِداً عَزَّ غالِبُه
Ask him: did his marvels avail him on his deposition day
Or did his wonders protect him?
سَلوهُ أَأَغنَت عَنهُ في يَومِ خَلعِهِ
عَجائِبُهُ أَو أَحرَزَتهُ غَرائِبُه
Destiny descended with irresistible command
And the Refuge of Kings found his paths constricted
وَقَد نَزَلَ المِقدارُ بِالأَمرِ صادِعاً
فَضاقَت عَلى شَيخِ المُلوكِ مَذاهِبُه
The Lord of Yıldız expelled him from Yıldız
Stripped him of Uthman's sword, which had given him might
وَأَخرَجَهُ مِن يَلدِزٍ رَبُّ يَلدِزٍ
وَجَرَّدَهُ مِن سَيفِ عُثمانَ واهِبُه
He woke in exile, the army behind him
Battling memories of his reign battling him
وَأَصبَحَ في مَنفاهُ وَالجَيشُ دونَهُ
يُغالِبُ ذِكرى مُلكِهِ وَتُغالِبُه
The voice of truth cries out: “Taste what you tasted them!”
For each person is hostage to what he has earned
يُناديهِ صَوتُ الحَقِّ ذُق ما أَذَقتَهُم
فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ رَهنٌ بِما هُوَ كاسِبُه
Today they granted you what you craved
So return what yesterday you usurped from them
هُمُ مَنَحوكَ اليَومَ ما أَنتَ مُشتَهٍ
فَرُدَّ لَهُم بِالأَمسِ ما أَنتَ سالِبُه
Abandon what you hoped for, if you are determined
For of hopes, nothing remains to be contested
وَدَع عَنكَ ما أَمَّلتَ إِن كُنتَ حازِماً
فَلَم يَبقَ لِلآمالِ فَضلٌ تُجاذِبُه
The age of tyranny has passed and its palace collapsed
Its snakes have writhed and died, its scorpions
مَضى عَهدُ الاِستِبدادِ وَاِندَكَّ صَرحُهُ
وَوَلَّت أَفاعيهِ وَماتَت عَقارِبُه
God bless you, July! You are a balm
For the wounded heart, while time’s caprices continue
لَكَ اللَهُ يا تَمّوزُ إِنَّكَ بَلسَمٌ
لِجَرحى الأَسى وَالدَهرُ تَعدو نَوائِبُه
How many tyrants have you shepherded, and exhausted oppressors,
And championed the rights of those misfortunes befell!
فَكَم رُعتَ جَبّاراً وَأَرهَقتَ ظالِماً
وَأَنصَفتَ مَظلوماً تَوالَت مَصائِبُه
We owe you for a glorious, fortunate month
Whose beginnings are blessed and conclusions
فَدَيناكَ مِن شَهرٍ أَغَرٍّ مُحَجَّلٍ
أَوائِلُهُ مَيمونَةٌ وَعَواقِبُه
The holidays march to meet it on earth whenever
The crescent of the month appears or its brow shines
تُقابِلُهُ الأَعيادُ في الأَرضِ كُلَّما
تَجَلّى هِلالُ الشَهرِ أَو لاحَ حاجِبُه
In the West, a feast the West sings praises of
Its sides quaking at the impact of joy
فَفي الغَربِ عيدٌ يَنظِمُ الغَربُ حُسنَهُ
فَتَهتَزُّ مِن وَقعِ السُرورِ جَوانِبُه
In the East, a feast the likes of which the East has never seen
Its processions flooding the Abode of Peace
وَفي الشَرقِ عيدٌ لَم يَرَ الشَرقُ مِثلَهُ
تَدَفَّقُ في دارِ السَلامِ مَواكِبُه
Circling the Noble Throne as its Lord
Circles them with His favors and virtues
يُطيفونَ بِالعَرشِ الكَريمِ وَرَبُّهُ
تُطيفُ بِهِم آلاؤُهُ وَمَناقِبُه
To bring glad tidings to the Commander of the Faithful Muhammad
His caliphate—the Throne is blest by its planets
لِتَهنَئ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّداً
خِلافَتُهُ فَالعَرشُ سَعدٌ كَواكِبُه
His ship shall rule the waves of the seas
As his battalions ruled the mountains’ peaks
سَتَملِكُ أَمواجَ البِحارِ سَفينُهُ
كَما مَلَكَت شُمَّ الجِبالِ كَتائِبُه
His realms are guarded and his marches
Victorious, his ships and riders
مَمالِكُهُ مَحروسَةٌ وَثُغورُهُ
رَكائِبُهُ مَنصورَةٌ وَمَراكِبُه
