عَرُوسُ شِعْرٍ تَنْجَلِي
بَيْنَ الحِلَى وَالحُلَلِ
The bride, a poem of hair unleashed
Between jewels and dresses
مَا أَبْهَجَ الزَّهْرَ عَلَى
جَبِينِهَا المُكَلَّلِ
Her forehead crowned with blossoms
How lovely her beauty stirs
يَا حُسْنَهَا تَخْطِرُ فِي
هَفْهَافِهَا المُذَيَّلِ
In her trailing, embroidered gown
As if houris had woven
كَأَنَّمَا الحُورُ نَسَجْن
غَزْلَهُ مِنْ غَزَلِ
Her gown of yarn
You'd think her an angel
شَبهْتَها بِمَلَكٍ
مِن الجِنَانِ مُرْسَلِ
Sent down from Heaven
In a pure, white veil, dwelling
فِي غَيْهَبٍ أَبْيَضَ لَمَّا
عٍ بِهَا مُنَزَّلِ
Don't you see in her eyes
A gleam that's never ceased
أَمَا تَرَى فِي نَاظِرَيْهَا
لَمْحَةً لَمْ تَزِل
Of the blue sky on a bright
And sunny day?
مِنْ زُرْقَةِ السَّمَاءِ فِي اليَوْمٍ
البَشُوشِ المُقْبِلِ
A maiden in the spring of youth
The branches speak of
عَذْرَاءُ مِلْءُ العَيْنِ فِي
شَبَابِهَا الُمْقَتبلِ
Her graceful figure
Hearts sigh, leaning
تَحَدَّثُ الغُصُونُ عَنْ
قَوَامِهَا المُعْتَدِلِ
Toward her should she glance around
A wellspring of nobility
تَهْفُو القُلُوبُ مَائِلاَ
ت نَحْوَهَا إِنْ تَملِ
I'm proudest to claim
The daughter of a father embodied
مِنْ نَبْعَةٍ أَكْرِمُ بِهَا
مُنْتَسَباً وَأَنْبِلِ
In manliness, standing tall
Of virtuous manner, far
بِنْتُ أَبٍ هُوَ الإِبَاءُ
مَاثِلاً فِي رَجُلِ
From blame or baseness
His kindness and honor are of
مُنَزَّهُ الشِّيمَةِ عَنْ
عَيْبٍ وَعَنْ تَبَذُّلِ
The highest standing
Extremely forgiving, refusing
لَهُ مِنَ الإِكْرَامِ وَالإِ
عْزَازِ أَسْنَى مَنْزِلِ
Any hint of rebuke
Never inclined to
مَنَّاحِ أَقْصَى العُذْرِ
مَنَّاعٍ لأَدْنَى العَذَلِ
Suspect or doubt
He's Abdallah's son, of high
وَمَالَهُ بِخُطَّةٍ
شَائِنَةٍ مِنْ قِبَلِ
Station, lofty and eminent
The pillar of his generation
هُوَ ابْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ ذِي الْ
قَدْرِ الرَّفِيعِ المُعْتَلي
In height and stature
And the best of mothers, known
أَسْمَى عِمَادِ جِيلِهِ
بِالطَّوْلِ وَالتَّطَوُّل
For perfect manners
From the finest stock
وَخَيْرِ أُمٍّ عُرِفَتْ
بِالخُلُقِ المُكَمَّلِ
With ties to the noblest lineage
This and whatever other praise
مِنْ خَيْرِ عُنْصُرٍ
بِأَسْبَابِ العُلَى مُتَّصِلِ
You wish to add, say!
She's a gazelle in her manners
هَذَا وَمَا تَشَاءُ مِنْ
مَحْمدَةٍ بَعْدُ قُلِ
Of the finest style
Her talk is water for thirsty souls
فِي غَادَةٍ آدَابُهَا
مِنَ الطِّرَازِ الأوَّلِ
Her conscience purer than pure
Radiant, shining,
حَدِيثُهَا فِي الأَنْفُسِ ال
عَطْشَى كَمَاءٍ الجَدْوَلِ
Resplendent to behold
Like a brilliant star
ضَمِيرُهَا أَنْقَى ضَمِيرٍ
خَالِص مِنْ دَخَلِ
Visible to all eyes
At the height of its arc, its light
زَاهِيَةٌ زَاهِرَةٌ
بَاهِرةٌ لِلْمُجْتَلِي
Flooding the horizons
The bride's mother is occupied
كَالْكَوْكَبِ الدُّريِّ
لِلأَبْصَارِ يَبدُو مِنْ عَلِ
And how occupied
With every good matter
أَوْجُ العَنَانِ بُرْجُهُ
وَنُورُهُ فِي المُقَلِ
For present and future
You've been granted happiness, bride, so don it and revel!
أُمُّ العَرُوسِ وَلَهَا
شغْلٌ وَأَيُّ شُغُلِ
May the eminent and gentle Yuhanna live
In perfect contentment
بِكُلِّ أَمْرٍ صَالِحٍ
لِلْحَالِ وَالمُسْتَقْبَلِ
Scion of Fathallah
Paragon of paragons
أُوتِيتِ سَعْداً يَا عَرُو
سُ فَالْبَسِيهِ وَارْفُلِي
The eminent and lofty lord
Of splendid lineage
وَلْيَحْيَا سَامِي نَاعِماً
بِحَظِّهِ المُكْتَمِلِ
His son is his pride
In merit and nobility
سَلِيلُ فَتْحِ اللهِ
وَجْهِ الوُجَهَاءِ الأمْثَلِ
A dear soul, free
In deed and word
السَّيِّدِ العَالِي الجَنَا
بِ السَّنَدِ المُبَجَّلِ
God has granted him
Fulfillment of his deepest hopes
إِنَّ ابْنَهُ لَسِرُّهُ
فِي الفَضْلِ وَالتَّفَضُّلِ
May his wedding last, and last
In joy and pleasure
فَتًى عَزِيزَ النَّفْسِ حُر
الفِعْلِ عَفُّ المِقْوَلِ
Let no hasty greeting here
Replace the one I'd penned
قَدْ يَسَّرَ اللهُ لَهُ
فَوْزاً بِأَقَصَى الأمَلِ
In finely wrought verse
For Emilee and her groom
دَامَ وَدَامَتْ عِرْسُهُ
فِي فَرَحٍ وَجَذَلِ
A gift I'd prepared from me
What a fine lad he is
وَلاَ تَفُتْنِي هَهُنَا
تَهْنِئَةٌ فِي عَجَلِ
In himself and ancestry
Counted among the men of action
تَنُوبُ عَنْ تَهْنِئَةٍ
سَالِفَةٍ لَمْ تُقَلِ
If men of action are counted
And what an excellent Hypha is Emilee
أَعْدَدْتُهَا مَنْظُومَةً
مِنْ جَوْهَرٍ مُفَصَّلِ
In her disposition and inclination!
She has the smiles of morn
لإِمِلِي وَزَوْجِهَا
هَدِيَّةً مِنْ قِبَلِي
And the passions of a nightingale
So I pray with a heart
نِعْمَ الفَتى بِنَفْسِهِ
وَالعُنْصُرِ المُسَلْسَلِ
Pure and imploring
For John's happiness
يُعَدُّ فِي الأَفْرَادِ
إِنْ عُدَّ رِجَالُ العَمَلِ
And Emilee's delight
And the perfection of their union
وَنِعْمَتِ الهَيْفَاءُ مَا
فِي مَيْلِهَا مِنْ مَيَلِ
A union representing
What their family was like
لَهَا ابْتِسَامَاتُ الصَّبَاحِ
وَشُجُونُ البُلْبُلِ
When gathered together
I remember with pleasure
فَأَنَا أَدْعُو بِفُؤَادِ
المُخْلِصِ المُبْتَهِلِ
He who brings me and you joy
What can praise do
بِسَعْدِ يُوحَنَّا الحَبِيبِ
وَهَنَاءِ إِمِلي
For the cherished, favored friend?
Alexander Shahmir
وَلاِكْمتِمَالِ الشَّمْلِ
شَمْلِ الأُسْرَةِ المُمَثَّلِ
The righteous, just, and moderate
Sincere and wholesome in his manner
فِي صُورَة أَشْبَهَ
مَا كَانَتْ بِهِمْ فِي مَحْفِلِ
Free of defects
And his wife of glittering adornments
أَذْكُرُ مِنْ فِي ذِكْرِهِ
مَسَرَّةٌ لَكُمْ وَلِي
Of captivating beauty
Grace and charm in loveliness
مَاذَا يَفِي الثَّنَاءُ
مِنْ حَقِّ الصَّدِيقِ المُفْضِلِ
In modesty, lovelier still
And a wit like the rays
اسْكَنْدر الشَّهْمِ
الأبِيِّ العَادِلِ المُعْتَدِلِ
Of a shining pearl
O Khouri family, your
الصَّادِقِ السَّالِمِ فِي
أَخْلاَقِهِ مِنْ عِلَلِ
Bishop is the truest friend to me
Your friend in times past
وَزَوْجِهِ ذَاتَ الحُلِيِّ
الكَاسِفَاتِ لِلْحُلِي
Your friend in times to come
Loyal forever
لُطْفٌ وَظَرْفٌ فِي جَمَالٍ
فِي عَفَافٍ أَجْمَلِ
As long as life remains unchanged
Live, roots and branches
وَفِطْنَةٌ شِبْهُ سَنىً
فِي دُرَّةٍ مُشْتَعِلِ
In the most splendid tranquility
Of established lineage
يَا آلَ خُوري إِنَّ
مُطْرَاناً لَكُمْ أَوْفَى وَلِي
And ancestral ties
خَلِيلُكُمْ فِيمَا مَضَى
خَلِيلُكُمْ فِيمَا يَلِي
بَاقٍ عَلَى العَهْدِ
مَدَى الدَّهْرِ بِلاَ تَحَوُّلِ
عِيْشُوا أُصُولاً وَفُرُوعاً
فِي الصَّفَاءِ الأجْزَلِ
بِحَسَبٍ مُؤَثَّلٍ
وَنَسَبٍ مُؤَصَّلِ
