أَصاحي ما لِطَير العزّ صاحا
وَما لشذا رِياض الأنسِ فاحا
Why does the bird of glory cry out?
Why does the aroma of meadows of companionship diffuse?
وَما لهزارِ غصن المَجد غَنّى
وَما لهلالِ أَوج السَعد لاحا
Why does the bough of glory's tree sing?
Why does the crescent moon of good fortune shine?
وَما لِلفَوز أَسفَر عَن محيّا
بِهِ لَيل الخطوب غَدا صَباحا
Why has the dawn of victory uncovered a smiling face,
By which the night of adversity became a morning?
وَما لليمن أعلن بِالتَهاني
وَبِالبُشرى فَكَم مهج أراحا
Why has the right hand announced congratulations
And good tidings, thereby comforting many a heart?
وَما لِبَشائر الأَفراح عزّا
أَتَت تَطوي المَهامه وَالبِطاحا
Why do the harbingers of joy bring consolation,
Coming to wrap up concerns and sorrows?
وَما لِلمَجد قَد رَقص اِبتِهاجا
كَأَنّ يَد السُرور سَقتهُ راحا
Why does glory dance with elation
As if the hand of joy made it sway?
وَما لِمطالع الإِقبال لاحَت
كَواكبها فَقارَنت الفلاحا
Why have the stars of rising fortune shone
Like its planets culminating in success?
وَما بالي أَرى رتب المَعالي
مِن التَوفيق قَد لَبست وشاحا
Why do I see the ranks of glories
Having worn the robe of divine support?
وَما لِرُبوع بَيروت تَباهَت
وَبِالأَفراح أَعلَنَتِ اِنشراحا
Why do the meadows of Beirut boast
And announce joy with relief?
وَما لِلدَهر أَصبَح ذا اِنقِياد
لَنا وَلطالَما أَبدى جِماحا
Why has fate itself become submissive to us
After having always shown stubbornness?
وَما لِقُلوبِنا سكرت سُرورا
كَأَنّ سُرورَها كانَ اِصطِباحا
Why have our hearts become intoxicated with joy
As if their joy were a morning draught?
وَما لِأَخ الغِواية نال رُشدا
وَنشوان الضَلالة قَد تَصاحى
Why has the misguided brother attained righteousness
And the revelry of misguidance awakened?
لعمرك إنّ كُلّ فَساد شَأن
ينال بِصالح الوزَرا صَلاحا
By your life, the reform of all affairs
Is achieved through the rectitude of ministers.
مُشير عوده عيد عَلَيهِ
قَدِ اِصطَلَحَت مَذاهبنا اِصطِلاحا
Prime Minister Odeh has reconciled
Our doctrines through reconciliation.
مُشير الدَولة الغَرّاء أَعطَت
رَعاياها بِهِ الشَرَف الصُراحا
The Prime Minister of the noble state
Has thereby given its subjects manifest honor.
مُشير تاه فيهِ الشعر عزّاً
لِأَنّ المَدح نالَ بِهِ اِمتِداحا
The Prime Minister, poetry itself languishes before him,
For praise has gained thereby praise.
وَمِن تَشريفه شرف وَفَخرٌ
لَنا كسب المَفاخر قَد أَباحا
His ennoblement is an honor and pride for us
As the gaining of pride he has permitted.
قدوم حُفَّ بِالإِسعاد فَضلاً
مِن المَولى الكَريم فَلا اِنتِزاحا
An arrival enveloped with good fortune and grace
From the Benevolent Lord, so it shall not retreat.
وَإِقبال بِهِ الإِقبال أَضحى
يَسوق لعزّ دَولته النَجاحا
And a rise of rising fortune which now
Leads the glory of his state to success.
وإِمداد مِن المنّان جودا
مَواهبه بِهِ القَدر اِستماحا
And support from the Bestower of bounty, generosity
Whose gifts the Divine Decree implored.
إِذا ما عدَّ في الكرماءِ ختما
ذكرت بِهم محامده اِفتِتاحا
Whenever the seal of nobles was counted,
I mentioned his praises in preface.
لَقَد رَفَعَ الإِله لَهُ مَقاماً
بِهِ خَفض الزَمان لَهُ جَناحا
God has elevated him to a station
By which time lowered its wing to him.
حَليم لَو تَمثّل مِنهُ حلم
لِعَينك خلته الماءَ القراحا
He is clement - if clemency took form from him
Your eyes would find its water pure.
وَذو بَأس مَتى ما حَرّكته
شَهامته بَدا قَدراً مُتاحا
He is formidable - whenever his boldness
Was stirred, his stoutness appeared attainable.
وَعَزم أَخجَل السمر العَوالي
وَحَزم أَهمل البيض الصفاحا
And resolve which humbled lofty summits,
And wisdom which neglected white foreheads.
مَتى صَدرت أَوامره لِأَمرٍ
قَضَتهُ كَأَنَّما كانَت سِلاحا
Whenever his commands went forth for a matter,
They accomplished it as if they were weapons.
وَبَين بَنانه الأَقلام تَزهو
فَتزري المشرفيّة وَالرِماحا
And between his incisors the pens swagger
So the escutcheons and lances parade.
أَطل ما شئت فيهِ ثَناً وَمَدحاً
وَلا تَخشَ الملام فَلا جناحا
Praise him as you wish, in prose or verse,
And fear no blame, so do not refrain.
فلو أَنّ السها ساماه قَدرا
لَخلنا جِدَّ غايته مزاحا
If the sword were to compete with him in power,
We would find its utmost extent simply jest.
وَلَو أَنَّ الحَيا جاراه جوداً
لَنال بِبَعض نائله اِفتِتاحا
If the serpent were to vie with him in generosity,
It would attain through some of his gifts a preface.
ألا يا وامق المَعروف طَبعا
وَمَن بِقدومه العاني اِستَراحا
O epitome of kindness by nature,
He whose coming brought respite to the weary!
لَنا نَيل الهَنا بِكَ مِثلَما قَد
تَمنّينا عَلى الزَمَن اِقتِراحا
We can obtain solace through you just as
We wished of fate to gain.
فَكَم داوَيت مِن مُهج سقاما
وَكَم واسيت مِن كَبد جِراحا
How many a heart's sickness have you cured,
And how many a wounded liver consoled!
وَكَم قَيّدت مِن كَرَم ثَناءً
وَكَم أَطلَقت مِن كرب سَراحا
How much generosity have you confined in praise
And how many a hardship released!
فَإِن أمدح عُلاك فَلي لِسان
بِهِ نَفثت فَصاحتهُ فَصاحا
If I were to praise your sublimity, I have a tongue
Through which I can articulate eloquence.
وَإِن قَلّدت عزّ سِواك مَدحا
وَجدت هُناكَ أَقلامي شحاحا
And if I were to decorate the neck of your peerless glory with praise,
I would find my pens parched there.
فَهاكَ فَريدةً عَذراءَ خوداً
تَفوق بِحُسنِها الخودَ الرِداحا
So here is a virginal ode of sensibility
Surpassing in beauty the flexuous sand dune.
أَتَت مِن جَوهريّ الشعر نَظماً
فَأهدتك الثَنا دُرراً صِحاحا
It came in poetic gems from my essence,
So I gifted you this praise, pure pearls.
فَأَمهرها القبول فَلَيسَ حَلّاً
زَفاف البكر إِن أُخِذَت سفاحا
So receive it favorably, for it is not proper
To reject the marriage of an innocent bride.
وَفُز أَنّى ضَرَبت سِهام فَوزٍ
فَقَد أَعلى الزَمان لَكَ القِداحا
Be victorious wherever you cast the arrows of victory,
For time has erected for you the bow.
وَدُم وَاِسلم وَسد شَرَفاً وَمَجداً
وَإِقبالاً وَنَل أَبدا نَجاحا
Endure, submit, attain nobility and glory,
And ever achieve success and rise!
فَلا بَرحت شُموسك مشرقات
عَلى الدُنيا وَلا أَفلت براحا
May your suns never cease shining
Upon the world, nor disappear into the sunset.
