دَعَا الوَفَاءُ وَهَذَا وَقْتُ تَبْيَانِ

فَاجْهَرْ بِمَا شِئْتَ مِنْ فَضْل وَإحْسَانِ

Loyalty calls, and this is time for proof

So proclaim what you wish of grace and kindness

وَاذْكُرْ صُروحاً لِسَمْعَانَ مُشَيَّدَةً

لَمْ يَبْنِهَا من عُصُورٍ قَبْلَهُ بانِي

And tell of edifices for Samaan erected

That no builder before him in eras built

نَهَى تَوَاضُعُهُ عن أن تَشِيدَ بِهِ

فَاليَوْمُ لاَ تَكُ لِلنَّاهِي بِمِذْعَانِ

His humility forbade that you extol him

So today do not fail to obey the prohibitionist

وَحَدِّثِ الشَّرْقَ وَالأَقْوَامُ مُصْغِيَةً

عَمَّا أحَدَّ لَهُ فِيهَا من الشَّانِ

And tell the East, and nations are listening

Of the prominence he pioneered for it

ألَمْ يَكُ الشَّرْقُ مَهْدَ الفَجْرِ أجْمَعِهِ

فِي كُلِّ فَنِّ أَخْذَنَاهُ وَعِرْفَانِ

Was not the East cradle of dawn altogether

In every art we took and knew?

تَجَاهَلَتْ قَدْرُهُ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا جَهَلَتْ

لَكِنَّ قَدِيمٍ رَهْنُ نَسْيَانِ

It overlooked his value, but not in ignorance,

Rather, an ancient one's hostage of oblivion

تِلْكَ القِوَى لَمْ تَزَلْ فِي القَوْمِ كَامِنَةً

وإن طَوَتْهَا اللَّيَالِي مُنْذُ أزْمَانِ

Those powers remained latent in the folk

Though nights since ages shrouded them

هِيَ الكُنُوزُ الَّتِي لَوْ قُوِّمَتْ لأَبَتْ

نَفَاسَةً كُلِّ تَقْويمٍ بِأَثْمَانِ

They are treasures which, if evaluated, would spurn

The preciousness of every estimate and price

ظَلَّ الجُمُودُ عَلَى أَبْوَابِهِ رَصْداً

حَتَّى تَجَلِّتْ فَفَاقَتْ كُلَّ حَسْبَانِ

Stagnation kept guard over its doors

Until they shone forth, surpassing all reckoning

أمْجِدْ بِسَمْعَانَ إذْ أَبْدَى رَوَائِعِهَا

وَرُدَّ حُجَّةَ من مَارَى بِبُرْهَانِ

Honor Samaan, as he displayed its marvels

And refuted the claim of the skeptical with proof

فَقَدْ أمَاطَ حِجَابَ الرَّيبِ عن هِمَمٍ

إن أُطْلِقَتْ سَبَقَتْ فِي كُلِّ مَيْدَانِ

He lifted the veil of doubt from aspiring spirits—

If freed, they would outstrip all in every field

وَسَارَ فِي طَلَبِ العَلْيَاءِ سِيرَتَهُ

لاَ يَرْتَضِي بِمَقَامٍ دُونَ كِيوَانِ

And he sought the heights, his conduct

Not content with any rank beneath the stars

فَعَزَّ فِي شَمْلِهِ وَالشَّمْلُ عَزَّ بِهِ

وَرُبَّ فَرْدٍ بِهِ بَعْثٌ لأِوْطَانِ

So he was mighty in his unity, and unity mighty through him

And many an individual with him a rousing for homelands

فَتْحٌ جَدِيدٌ لِهَذَا العَصْرِ يُقْرَأُ فِي

عُنوَانِهِِ اسْمُ سَلِيبٍ وَاسْمُ سَمْعَانِ

A new opening for this age, to be read in

Its title the name of Salib, and the name of Samaan

سَليمٌ العَلَمُ الفَرْدُ الَّذِي بَعُدَتْ

بِهِ النَّوى وَهْوَ فِي آثَارِهِ دَانِي

Salim the banner, singular sage, whose glow

Illuminated the ends—in his traces, humbling

الحَازِمُ العَازِمُ المَرْهُوبُ جَانِبُهُ

وَالمَانِحُ الصَّافِحُ المَحْبُوثُ فِي آنِ

The resolute decider, formidable, his stance

The bestower, hand-shaker, plowed at the opportune time

فِي دَوْحَةِ الصَّيْدْنَاوِيِّ الَّتِي بَسَقَتْ

إلى العَنَانِ هُمَا فِي النُّبْلِ صِنْوَانِ

In the palm grove of the Sidnawi which gave full rein

To the two, peerless noble steeds

صِنْوَانِ إنْ يَكُ حَالَ البَيْنُ بِيْنَهُمَا

فَقَدْ زَكَا بِمَكَانِ الأوَّلِ الثَّاني

Noble steeds—if estrangement comes between them

The second is certified in place of the first

وَفِي فُرُعِهَمَا مَن تُسْتَدَامُ بِهِ

خَيْرُ الحَيَالتَيْنِ لِلْبَاقِي وَلِلْفَاني

And in their branches are those who are sustained

The best of two lives for the lasting and the perishing

مِنْ كُلِّ رَيَّانِ ذِي ظِلٍّ وَذِي ثَمَرٍ

صُلْبٍ عَلَى الدَّهْرِ أن يَعْصِفْ بِحُدْثان

From every lush meadow, with shade and fruit

Stalwart before time sweeps away the blossoms

سَمْعَانُ دَامَتْ لَكَ النُّعْمَى وَدُمْتَ لَهَا

فَأَنْتَ أوْلَى بِهَا من كُلِّ إنْسَانِ

Samaan, may you enjoy prosperity and endure for it

For you are worthier of it than any human

خَمْسُونَ عَاماً تَقَضَّتْ فِي مُجَاهَدَةٍ

شَرِيفَةٍ بَيْنَ تَأثِيلٍ وَبُنْيَانِ

Fifty years passed in noble

Struggle between founding and building

لَقَيْتَ مُنْفَرِداً فِيهَا العَنَاءَ وَمَا

نَسَيْتَ فِي الغَنْمِ حَظَّ البَائِسِ العَانِي

You shouldered alone therein hardship—and forgot not

In prosperity the share of the suffering and helpless

سَلْسَلْتَهَا فِي كِتَابٍ كُلُّهُ غُرَرٌ

مِنَ المَحَامِد لَمْ تُوصَمْ بِأَدْرَانِ

You chronicled it in a book, all treasures

Of praises untouched by defects

إلَيْكَ بِاسْمِ مِئَاتٍ أنْتَ كَافِلُهُمْ

مِنْ حاسِبينَ وَكُتَّابٍ وَأَعْوَانِ

To you, in name of hundreds you sponsor

Of accountants, writers, and functionaries

وَبِاسْمِ آلافِ أَطْفَالٍ تُقَوِّمُهُمْ

عَلَى مَبَادئِ تَهْذِيبٍ وَإيْمانِ

And in name of thousands of children you guide

In principles of cultivation and faith

وَبِاسْمِ شَتَّى جَمَاعَاتٍ تُؤَازِرُهَا

عَلَى تَبَايُنِ أجْنَاسٍ وَأدْيَانِ

And in name of diverse groups you assist

Despite variance of lineage and religions

أُهْدِي التَّهَانِي فِي شِعْرٍ نَظَمْتُ بِهِ

أَغْلَى القَلاَئِدِ مِنْ دُرٍّ وَعِقْبَانِ

I offer congratulations in verse I composed,

The most precious necklaces of pearls and peridot

شَفَّافَةٍ بِسَنَاهَا عَنْ سَرَائِرِهِمْ

وَمَا أكَنَّتْهُ مِنْ وُدِّ وَشُكْرَانِ

Diaphanous, though its links conceal their feelings

And affection they harbor of love and thanks

لاَ زَالَ بَيْنُكَ مَا مَرَّتْ بِهِ حِقَبٌ

حَلِيفَ نُجْحٍ وَإقْبَالٍ وَعُمْرَانِ

May there persist between you what eras have passed

Ally of success, prosperity, and settlement

يَعْتَزُّ مِنْكَ بِتَاحٍ ثَابِتٍ أبَداً

وَمِنْ بَنِيكَ بِأعْضَادٍ وَأَرْكَانِ

Honored through you by a pillar, ever steady

And through your sons by buttresses and pillars

لاَ فَرْقَ فِي ابْنٍ إذَا عُدُّوا وَلاَ ابْنِ أخٍ

وَهَلْ هُمْ غَيْرُ أَنْدَادٍ وَإخْوَانِ

No difference in a son when counted, or nephew—

Are they not counterparts and brothers?

مَهمَا يُولَّوهُ مِنْ أمرٍ فَإنَّ لَهُمْ

فِيهِ تَصَارِيفَ إبْدَاعٍ وَاتْقَانِ

Whatever command devolves upon them

In it directions of creativity and perfection

هُمُ الشَّبَابُ الأُولَى تَعْتَزُّ أُمَّتُهُمْ

بِهِمْ إذَا أُمَمٌ بَاهَتْ بِفُتيَانِ

They are the youth a nation prides itself on

When nations have faded of champions