مَن قالَ إنَّ الدَّهرَ ليسَ يعودُ
هذا زمانٌ عادَ وَهْوَ جَديدُ
Who said time does not return?
This is a new time that has returned.
قد عادَ نابليونُ بعدَ زوالهِ
فكأنَّ ذلكَ بَعْثُهُ المَوعودُ
Napoleon returned after his demise,
As if it was his promised resurrection.
يا مَن يقولُ لرِمَّةٍ في لَحدِهِ
إنَّ السَّعيدَ كما عَلِمْتَ سعيدُ
O you who say to dust in its grave,
"The fortunate one, as you knew, is fortunate."
هذا خليفتُهُ الذي أحيا الوَرَى
أحياكِ حتى اخضَرَّ منكِ العُودُ
This is his successor who revived the land,
He revived you until the wood turned green from you.
يا قائماً فوقَ العَمُودِ بشخصهِ
عَلَماً وأنتَ على العَمُودِ عَمُودُ
O you standing on the column in your persona,
A flag, while you are on the column, a pillar.
أبدَيتَ رسمَ لويسَ في الدُّنيا كما
أبدى لكَ الاسكندرُ المعهودُ
You manifested the image of Louis in the world, as
Alexander the Great manifested it to you.
لا تُفقَدُ الدُّنيا لفَقْدِ عزيزِها
ما دامَ يخلُفُ مَيْتها المَولودُ
The world does not lose a beloved one
As long as its dead are replaced with newborns.
تتجدَّدُ الأشخاصُ فيها مثلما
يُفرَى القضيبُ فينبُتُ الأُملودُ
Personalities are renewed in it as
The rod is rubbed and the fire rekindled.
ذَهَبَ الذي كانت بقَبْضةِ كَفِهِ الدْ
دُنيا وأشرَافُ البلادِ جنودُ
The one whose fist held the world is gone -
The lands and armies were his soldiers.
إرثُ العبادِ المالُ لكنْ إرثُهُ
تاجٌ وسيفٌ قاطِعٌ وبُنُودُ
The inheritance of servants is wealth, but his inheritance
Is a crown, a cutting sword, and spears.
قد نالَ تاجَ المُلكِ من هو أهلُهُ
شَرْعاً وكلُّ العالمينَ شُهودُ
He who deserves the crown of kingship attained it,
Lawfully, with all people witnessing.
وأقامَ في بُرجِ الخِلافةِ كوكباً
بضيائهِ انجَلَتِ اللَّيالي السُّودُ
In the tower of the caliphate he shone like a star,
With his glow the dark nights gleamed.
راعتْ شَجاعتُهُ الكُماةَ فما دَرَوا
أفُؤادُهُ أقسَى أمِ الجُلمودُ
His courage stunned the bold ones, so they did not sense
If his heart was harder than granite.
غَلَبَتْ عزيمتُهُ العَزائِمَ مثلما
غَلَبَ الطَّوالعَ نجمُهُ المَسعودُ
His determination overcame determinations, as
His auspicious star overcame the stars.
أهدَاهُ حِكمتَهُ سليمانُ الحِجَى
وحَباهُ صفوَ فؤادِهِ داودُ
Solomon gifted him wisdom,
And David endowed him the essence of his heart.
قامتْ بمصلَحةِ البلادِ يمينهُ
وهي التِّي منها يفيضُ الجودُ
His right hand stood for the betterment of the country,
From which generosity overflows.
كالبحرِ قد صَلُحَ الفسادُ بمِلحِهِ
واُصطِيدَ منهُ اللؤلؤُ المنضودُ
Like the sea, corruption was cured with its salt,
And the hidden pearls were fished from it.
قُطْبٌ عليهِ الأرضُ دائرةٌ كما
يختارُ فَهْيَ تدورُ كيفَ يُريدُ
A pole around which the earth spins, as
The millstone spins however he wants.
فَضَّاضُ مُشكلةِ الملوكِ برأيهِ
وبهِ يُحَلُّ عسيرُها المعقودُ
The solver of the kings’ problems with his opinion,
Through him the stubborn get untied.
جَبَلٌ على باريسَ قامَ فأطبَقتْ
في جانبيهِ من الرِّجالِ أُسودُ
A mountain over Paris stood so its sides
Were crowded with lions.
يُجنَى جَناهُ ويُستَظَلُّ بِظِلِّهِ
أبداً ولكن ما إليهِ صُعودُ
Its shade is enjoyed and its fruits are picked,
But ascending it is never possible.
مَلِكٌ أذَلَّ المالَ وهوَ جَواهرٌ
وأعزَّ نصلَ السَّيفِ وهو حديدُ
A king who humiliated wealth though it is gems,
And honored the sword though it is iron.
بَسْطٌ وقبضٌ في يديهِ فيُرتَجَى
وعدٌ لهُ ويُخافُ منهُ وَعِيدُ
In his hands are expansion and restraint, so he is hoped for
And feared, promised and warned.
دانَتْ لِهَيْبتهِ كتائبُ دولةٍ
دانتْ لهيبتِها المُلوكُ الصيِّدُ
The regiments of a state bowed to his awe,
Kings bowed to his awesomeness.
قومٌ إذا تَركَ الغُمودَ نِصالُهم
فكأنَّ أسيافَ العُدَاةِ غُمودُ
A people, when the blades leave their sheaths,
As if the enemy swords are in their sheaths.
يغزو القبائلَ ذكرُهم قبلَ اللِّقا
فيَفُلُّ عَزْمَ الجيشِ وَهْوَ بعيدُ
The mention of them invades the tribes before the encounter,
So the enemy’s resolve dissolves while still far.
وإذا همُ اعتَنقوا الكُماةَ تَلاحَموا
مثلَ الحُروفِ يضُمُّها التَّشديدُ
And when they cling to the bold ones they unite
Like letters joined by sharkadation.
هُوَ قَيْصرُ العَصْرِ الذي من دونِهِ
كِسرَى الذي ضاقتْ عليهِ البيدُ
He is Caesar of the time without whom
There would be distress like with Kisra.
لسعودِهِ الفَلَكُ المُسخَّرُ خادِمٌ
ولَوجْههِ القَمَرُ المنيرُ حَسودُ
For his good fortune the orbits are subservient,
And for his luminous face the shining moon envious.
ملِكٌ لدولتهِ العظيمةِ هيبةٌ
تهتزُّ منها الأرضُ وهيَ تَميدُ
A king whose great kingdom has such awe
That the earth quakes from it as it sways.
في الغربِ طالعةٌ سحائبُ جيشها
ولها بروقٌ عندَنا ورُعودُ
In the west are the clouds of his armies,
For them by us lightning and thunder.
حَمَلتْ رُبَى لبنانَ منها مِنَّةً
مِثْلَ الجِبالِ على الجِبالِ تزيدُ
They carried the saplings of Lebanon as a favour,
Like mountains over mountains they increase.
سالت بنعمتِها البِطاحُ فأخصَبَتْ
وجرَى عليها ظِلُّها المَمْدودُ
The plains flowed with their bounty and became fertile,
And their extended shade streamed over them.
حيا الصَّبا أزْهارَها فتبسَّمتْ
ومن النَّدَى في جِيدهِنَّ عُقودُ
The morning breeze revived their flowers, so they smiled,
With necklaces of dew on their cheeks.
رَقَصتْ حمائمُها وصَفَّقَ دَوْحُها
فأجابَهُنَّ من الهَزَازِ نشيدُ
Their doves danced and their mounts stomped,
Answered by the warblers with a song.
هذا هُوَ المَلِكُ السَّعيدُ وإنَّنا
نِلنا السَّعادةَ حيث نَحنُ عبيدُ
This is the fortunate king, and we
Have attained fortune being his servants.
للنَّاسِ منهُ كلَّ يومٍ بَهجةٌ
في المَكرُماتِ فكلَّ يومٍ عيدُ
From him for the people everyday is delight
With gifts, so everyday is celebration.
