ليهن ورق الحِمى في الأَيك تَغريد

فَحَبَّذا مِن أَماليها الأَناشيدُ

Why does the foliage of the fever-trees twitter in the groves?

How excellent are their melodious songs!

صَفا لَنا مِن أويقات الصَفا زَمَنٌ

وَلِلحَسود بِها غَمٌّ وَتَنكيدُ

A time of pure joy has dawned for us,

While it brings grief and vexation to the envious.

تِلكَ اللَيالي لَنا بيض مَعاهدها

خضرٌ عَلى أَنّ أَيّام العدى سودُ

Those nights are ours, their covenants white,

Though the days of enmity are black.

ما جمّعت شَمل أَفراح لَدى مَلأ

إِلّا وَحَلَّ بِحزب الهَمّ تَبديدُ

No joy has gathered people together,

Without the party of sorrow quickly scattering them.

حَيث الهَنا تَتَهادانا بشائرهُ

بشراً وَيبذل بِالأَفراح مَجهودُ

Whenever we are delighted by good news,

Happiness makes an effort to bestow glad tidings.

فَقُم بِنا نَجتَلي كَأس السُرور إِلى

مَتى وَحتّامَ لا توفى المَواعيدُ

So let us rise and drink the cup of joy,

Before the deadlines pass, unfulfilled.

أَما تَرى الزَهر كَالزُهر النُجوم بَدا

تَخاله عقدَ دُرٍّ وَهوَ مَنضودُ

Do you not see the flowers like shining stars appearing,

You would think them a necklace of pearls, well-strung?

كَأَنَّهُ حينَ حَيّاه الحَيا سحراً

خودٌ بِها لِلحَيا في الخَدّ تَوريدُ

As if, when the living one gave it life through magic,

Bashfulness tinged its cheek with a blush.

أَما تَرى عَذبات البان مائِسَةً

كَأَنَّهن الجَواري الكُنّسُ الغيدُ

Do you not see the gentle, slender maidens

Looking like the tidy, resting slave-girls?

قَد أَعرب اللحنَ صَوت العَندليب بِها

فَوصفه لِبيان الفرق تَأكيدُ

The melody has translated the song of the nightingale,

Describing it clearly, to remove any doubt.

فَاِطرب فَقَد جاءَ بِالبُشرى فَصاحَ ألا

لرتبةِ المجدِ إعلاءٌ وتَشييدُ

So rejoice! For it has brought good news, crying:

“Rise! Rise to the highest rank and position!”

عنيت رُتبة مَن تعلو بِهِ الرُتب ال

عُلى وَتَعنو لَهُ الصيدُ الصناديدُ

I mean the rank of the one whose ranks are above all ranks,

While he is assisted by mighty warriors and hunters of prey.

الصالح الوامق المَعروف من صَلُحت

بِهِ المَعالي وَما في القَول تَرديدُ

The righteous, eminent, well-known man, through whom

Glories have been set right, without any doubt.

سمت بِهِ الرُتبة العليا الَّتي اِفتخرت

بِها عَلى النيّرِ الأَعلى الأَماجيدُ

It has named the supreme rank, of which I boast,

Above all other high and lofty ranks.

في الحَزم وَالعَزم مِن رَأيٍ وَمِن هِمَمٍ

لَهُ مَع الحلم تَشديد وَتَسديدُ

In resolve and determination, in opinion and ambition,

He combines gentleness with firmness and direction.

تَعدّدت فَهيَ لا تُحصى مَناقبهُ

وَهَل تظنّ بِأَنّ النجم مَعدودُ

His virtues are manifold, they cannot be counted,

Can one assume the stars are limited in number?

فَاِروي أَحاديث آلاءٍ مُسلسلةٍ

عَنهُ فَقَد رَجحت مِنها الأَسانيدُ

So narrate the chronicles of his endless favours,

For their supporting chains are well-authenticated.

فَالعَدل مُتَّصل وَالظُلم مُنفَصل

وَالحَقّ وَالبطلُ مَقبول وَمَردودُ

Justice continues while injustice ceases,

Truth and falsehood are accepted and rejected.

كَذا الثَناء عَلَيهِ وَالدعاء لَهُ

في الناس سيّان مَقصور وَمَمدودُ

So, too, praise and prayer for him

Among the people continue, restricted and unrestricted.

قَيّدت شارد فِكري بِالمَديح لَهُ

وَهَل عَلى شارِدٍ يا صاح تَقييدُ

I have fettered my wandering thoughts by praising him,

But can the thoughts of one who wanders, O friend, be fettered?

أَزين عقد نِظامي في مَدائحهِ

وَرُبَّما زانَ عقد الغادة الجيدُ

I have adorned the thread of my poem with his praises,

And perhaps it has decorated the necklace of poetry.

قلّدتُ جيد مَعاليه جَواهره

دُرّاً يَتيماً لَهُ في العنق تَقليدُ

I have likened the jewels of his glories to a unique pearl,

Hanging solitary round his neck by way of similitude.

مَوّهت باب الرَجا مِنهُ بتبرِ ثنا

وَهَل عَلى باب أَهل الفَضل تَحديدُ

I have concealed my hope for favours from him

With praise, but can giving be limited at the door of the noble?

يَجلو صَدا القَلب وردٌ مِن مَناهلهِ

وَالمَنهل العَذب للصادين مَورودُ

The coolness of his springs clears the heat of the heart,

And the sweet spring is free-flowing for the thirsty.

لا بدع لَو تحسد الأَنواءُ نائِلَهُ

فَكُلُّ ذي نعمة في الخَلق مَحسودُ

It would be no wonder if the stars envy its drinkers,

For every possessor of blessings is envied among creation.

لِلّه خَلقٌ بَديع زانَهُ خُلقٌ

مكرَّم فَهوَ مَمدوح وَمَحمودُ

God created a wondrous being, honoured by good character,

So he is praised and lauded and thanked.

وَطالع فَوق فرق الفرقدين لَهُ

أَنار فَهوَ بِحَمد اللَهِ مَسعودُ

He rose above the Pleiades, and for him

The star of good fortune shone, by God’s praise, auspiciously.

فرع ذكا أَصله عزّاً وَمُنتَسبا

فَما لِقامة غُصن المَجد تَأويدُ

A branch of sharp wit, whose origin is glory and nobility,

So how can the stature of a branch of majesty be propped up?

أَعلى اِنتظام العُلى أحكام حكمته

وَزان عقد طُلى الأَحكام تَنضيدُ

The perfection of his wisdom is the utmost coherence of the lofty,

The necklace of his judgments is of the finest threading.

رَأيٌ تَعوَّدَ حلَّ المُشكلات كَما

عَلى عُلاه لِواءُ العزّ مَعقودُ

An opinion accustomed to solving problems

As the banner of glory over his mind is fastened.

أَعلت بِهِ الدَولة العليا مَراتبه

لِما لَهُ مِن بَديع الصدق مَعهودُ

The Supreme State elevated his ranks,

Because he is known for his wonderful sincerity.

فَزاده اللَهُ إِسعاداً وَتكرمة

وَزان إِسعاده بالعزّ تَخليدُ

So may God increase his good fortune and honour,

And may his good fortune be adorned with glory and eternity!

حَتّى نَنال بِهِ خلع العَنا بِهنا

إِلى قَديم التَهاني فيهِ تَجديدُ

That we may gain, through him, the robe of favour,

With, in it, renewal of ancient congratulations.

وَأيّدَ اللَهُ سُلطان الوَرى لِنَرى

بِهِ لعزمة هذا الدين تَأييدُ

And may God support the Sultan of mankind, that we may see,

Through him, aid for the pillar of this religion.

وَدام بِالعزِّ وَالتَوفيق في شَرَفٍ

لَهُ بِأَوج تَراقي السَعدِ تَأبيدُ

And may he continue in glory and success, in nobility

For which, at the peak of rising fortunes, is permanence.

عَلى المَدى ما تَغنّى فَوق غُصن نَقا

مِن الحَمائم صدّاح وَغَرّيدُ

For as long as the ring-doves coo above the branches,

Or the morning breeze of youth reminds

أَو ما نَسيمُ صبا الأسحار ذكّرهُ

إِلفاً فحنَّ فواد مِنهُ مَفؤودُ

A heart that pines, and so increases its longing,

Or the caller to congratulations sings his song:

أَو قام داعي التَهاني وَهوَ يُنشدهُ

ليهن ورقَ الحِمى في الأيك تَغريدُ

“Why does the foliage of the fever-trees twitter in the groves?

How excellent are their melodious songs!”