عَن الدَهر فاصفح إِنَّهُ لانَ جانبُهْ

عَن الدَهر فاصفح إِنَّهُ لانَ جانبُهْ

وَطابَت عَلى رغم الوشاة مَشاربُهْ

وَطابَت عَلى رغم الوشاة مَشاربُهْ

Forgive Time, for its side has softened,

Turn away from fate, for its aspect is not kind.

And its waters have grown sweet, despite the slanderers.

Yet its watering-places are sweet despite the slander of foes.

وَبِالصَبر وَالتَسليم للّه في القَضا

وَبِالصَبر وَالتَسليم للّه في القَضا

بَلغتَ مِن الأَيّام ما أَنتَ طالبه

بَلغتَ مِن الأَيّام ما أَنتَ طالبه

And through patience and submission to God in His decree,

With patience and resignation to God's decree

You have gained from the days what you seek.

You have attained your wish of the days.

وَهامت بكَ العَليا وَأَلقت زِمامها

وَهامت بكَ العَليا وَأَلقت زِمامها

إِلَيكَ وَجَيش الأُنس ماجَت مَواكبه

إِلَيكَ وَجَيش الأُنس ماجَت مَواكبه

And eminence has fallen in love with you and cast its reins

The heights have swayed toward you and handed their reins to you,

To you, while the army of joy surged in its processions.

While the legions of intimacy have come marching in procession for you.

وَبَدر التَهاني في السَماء بِنُوره

وَبَدر التَهاني في السَماء بِنُوره

أَضاءَت بِأَوقات السُرور كَواكبه

أَضاءَت بِأَوقات السُرور كَواكبه

And the full moon of congratulations in the sky—by its light

The full moon of felicitations in the sky has shone for you

Its stars shone in the hours of joy.

With its light at times of joy illuminating its planets.

فَأَشرَقَت الدُنيا بِطَلعته الَّتي

فَأَشرَقَت الدُنيا بِطَلعته الَّتي

بِها شابَ مِن لَيل التَجافي ذَوائبه

بِها شابَ مِن لَيل التَجافي ذَوائبه

So the world shone at its appearance, through which

The world has been illuminated by its rising,

The tresses of estrangement's night turned gray.

Which has rejuvenated the night of estrangement by its beams.

وَلاحَت مِن المريخ فيهِ التفاتة

وَلاحَت مِن المريخ فيهِ التفاتة

فَوَلَّت عَلى الأَعقاب مِنهُ غَياهبه

فَوَلَّت عَلى الأَعقاب مِنهُ غَياهبه

And within it a glance from Mars appeared,

And Mars has glanced toward it diverting

So its dark depths turned on their heels and fled from him.

Its spying ravens backward.

وَأَوتر للجوزاء قَوساً رَمَت بِهِ

وَأَوتر للجوزاء قَوساً رَمَت بِهِ

حشا زحلٍ حينَ اِستَطالَت كَتائبه

حشا زحلٍ حينَ اِستَطالَت كَتائبه

And he strung a bow for al-Jawza, with which she shot at

And Gemini has drawn a bow against it, shooting with it

Saturn's vitals, when his battalions grew overbearing.

The foe bands of Saturn when its troops were overbold.

وَطافَت عَلَينا بِالبشارة في المَسا

وَطافَت عَلَينا بِالبشارة في المَسا

مِن المُشتَري أَتباعُه وَصَواحبه

مِن المُشتَري أَتباعُه وَصَواحبه

And at evening, bearing glad tidings, there came round to us

And she has circled about us with good tidings in the evening

From Jupiter, his followers and companions.

From Jupiter—its followers and companions.

فَجادَ لَها بِالرُوح مِنا عِصابةٌ

فَجادَ لَها بِالرُوح مِنا عِصابةٌ

بِها أَصبَح العرفان تَسمو مَطالبه

بِها أَصبَح العرفان تَسمو مَطالبه

So a band of us freely offered them its very soul,

So a group of us has responded to it wholeheartedly

Through whom the aspirations of knowledge came to soar.

Whereby knowledge is exalted and its requests made lofty.

وَمَن يَتَقِ الرَحمن يَظفر بِسؤله

وَمَن يَتَقِ الرَحمن يَظفر بِسؤله

وَحاجاته تُقضَى وَتَعلو مَناصبه

وَحاجاته تُقضَى وَتَعلو مَناصبه

And whoever fears the All-Merciful attains his wish;

He who fears the Merciful succeeds in his request,

And his needs are met, and his stations rise.

His needs are fulfilled, and his positions made eminent.

وَيَسعى لَهُ بِالخَير مِنهُ تَطوّعاً

وَيَسعى لَهُ بِالخَير مِنهُ تَطوّعاً

شَريفٌ عَن الإِحصاء جلَّت مَناقبه

شَريفٌ عَن الإِحصاء جلَّت مَناقبه

And, of his own free will, there strives for his good

One noble beyond counting spontaneously seeks good for him,

A nobleman whose virtues are too great to count.

Whose merits are manifest.

فَيزداد بَينَ الناس جاهاً وَرفعةً

فَيزداد بَينَ الناس جاهاً وَرفعةً

وَتَنجح في كل الأُمور مآرِبُه

وَتَنجح في كل الأُمور مآرِبُه

So he gains prestige and eminence among people,

Thus he increases among the people in prestige and eminence,

And his aims succeed in every affair.

And all his wishes come to fruition.

وَأَنتَ بِحَمد اللَه أَوحَدُ مِن جرت

وَأَنتَ بِحَمد اللَه أَوحَدُ مِن جرت

بِبَحر الهُدى في الحالتين مَراكبه

بِبَحر الهُدى في الحالتين مَراكبه

And you, praise be to God, are peerless among those whose

By God's grace, you are peerless

Ships have sailed the sea of guidance in both conditions,

Among those whose ships have sailed the sea of guidance in both respects.

وَأَخلَصَ في الأَعمال لِلّه فَاِكتَسى

وَأَخلَصَ في الأَعمال لِلّه فَاِكتَسى

مِن العلم بُرداً حَبذا هُوَ صاحبه

مِن العلم بُرداً حَبذا هُوَ صاحبه

And who acted sincerely for God in their deeds, and thus donned

You have been sincere in your deeds for God's sake and so

A cloak of knowledge—how excellent its wearer!

Have earned a praiseworthy garment of knowledge that suits you.

وَفازَ عَلى حُسن الصَداقة بِالثَنا

وَفازَ عَلى حُسن الصَداقة بِالثَنا

فَمَن ذا الَّذي بَعد التَراضي يُغاضبه

فَمَن ذا الَّذي بَعد التَراضي يُغاضبه

And won praise for the beauty of friendship;

You have surpassed in excellence of friendship, so who

Who, then, would quarrel with him after mutual accord?

After concord would resent you?

فَلا تَبتئس يا اِبن المَعارف وَالعُلا

فَلا تَبتئس يا اِبن المَعارف وَالعُلا

بِفعل امرئ ما حنكته تَجاربه

بِفعل امرئ ما حنكته تَجاربه

So do not grieve, O son of learning and eminence,

So do not grieve, O son of knowledge and sublimity,

At the deed of a man whom his experiences have not seasoned.

For the deed of one whom experience has not matured.

وَهَب أَنه مِن نسل أخوة يُوسف

وَهَب أَنه مِن نسل أخوة يُوسف

وَمِن حقده ضاقَت عَلَيهِ مَذاهبه

وَمِن حقده ضاقَت عَلَيهِ مَذاهبه

And suppose he is descended from Joseph's brothers,

Suppose he were of Joseph's brothers' stock

And his rancor has narrowed his paths around him.

And his hatred encompassed by its own tendencies

وَمثلك بِالأسباط أَدرى وَفعلهم

وَمثلك بِالأسباط أَدرى وَفعلهم

بِيوسف لا تَخفى عَلَيكَ غَرائبه

بِيوسف لا تَخفى عَلَيكَ غَرائبه

And one such as you knows the Tribes best; what they did

You know better about the brothers, and their treatment

To Joseph, in all its strangeness, is not hidden from you.

Of Joseph—its strangeness is not hidden from you.

فَقُل أَنتَ لا تَثريب مِن حَيث أَنَّهُ

فَقُل أَنتَ لا تَثريب مِن حَيث أَنَّهُ

أَتى تائِباً لَما تَوالَت مَصائبه

أَتى تائِباً لَما تَوالَت مَصائبه

So say, for your part, 'No reproach,' since he

Say you are not to be blamed in that he

Came repentant when his misfortunes followed one another.

Returned penitent when misfortunes followed upon misfortunes.

عَلى أَن سَيف الخَطب شيم وَقد نَبَت

عَلى أَن سَيف الخَطب شيم وَقد نَبَت

لَدى حدّه المَحدود فينا مَضاربه

لَدى حدّه المَحدود فينا مَضاربه

Besides, the sword of calamity is sheathed, and its blades have glanced off

Moreover, the sword of disaster is a trait, and it has sprouted

At its fixed limit among us.

At its limited edge among us its reaping-hooks.

فَكُن آمِناً في دولةٍ داورية

فَكُن آمِناً في دولةٍ داورية

بِها الخائف الموتور يَعتز جانبه

بِها الخائف الموتور يَعتز جانبه

So be safe in a sovereign realm,

So rest assured in a just state

In which the fearful, wronged man's side grows strong.

Where the anxious and dejected soul esteems its aspect.

وَخذ في التَهاني مِن فَرائد مُخلص

وَخذ في التَهاني مِن فَرائد مُخلص

نَفيساً أَجادَ النظم في العقد ثاقبه

نَفيساً أَجادَ النظم في العقد ثاقبه

And take, in congratulation, from a sincere man's choice pearls,

And take for your felicitations the choice expressions of a sincere friend

A precious one, whose piercer has deftly strung it in the necklace.

Who aptly composes verse in stringing pearls.

فَإِن عابه يَوماً حَسودٌ عذرته

فَإِن عابه يَوماً حَسودٌ عذرته

وَعاهَدت خلِّي أَنَّهُ لا يُعاتبه

وَعاهَدت خلِّي أَنَّهُ لا يُعاتبه

So if an envious man faults it one day, I excuse him,

If an envier blames you one day, ignore him,

And I have made a pact with my friend that he will not reproach him.

And pledge to my bosom friend that you will not reproach him.

وَلَكن نَغضُّ الطَرف عَنهُ سَماحةً

وَلَكن نَغضُّ الطَرف عَنهُ سَماحةً

وَإِن لَم تَكُن تُحصى لَدينا مَعايبه

وَإِن لَم تَكُن تُحصى لَدينا مَعايبه

But we avert our gaze from him, out of generosity,

Rather, from magnanimity we avert our eyes from him

Even though his faults cannot be counted by us.

Even if his faults cannot be counted against us.

لِأَني مِن الآداب أَدركت بغيتي

لِأَني مِن الآداب أَدركت بغيتي

بِثاقب فكر وَاجتهاد يصاحبه

بِثاقب فكر وَاجتهاد يصاحبه

For through literature I have attained my desire,

Because I have achieved my goal in manners

With penetrating thought and the diligence that accompanies it.

Through penetrating thought and assiduous application.

وَحَسبيَ أَني أَنتمي لابن رافع

وَحَسبيَ أَني أَنتمي لابن رافع

أَميري الَّذي بِالفَضل عَمَّت مَواهبه

أَميري الَّذي بِالفَضل عَمَّت مَواهبه

And it suffices me that I belong to Ibn Rafiʿ,

It suffices me to belong to the house of Ibn Rafa',

My emir, whose bountiful gifts have reached everyone.

My master whom talents have flooded.

فَلا زالَ كُلٌّ مِنكُما طُول عُمره

فَلا زالَ كُلٌّ مِنكُما طُول عُمره

بِمصر لَهُ رَب العِباد يُراقبه

بِمصر لَهُ رَب العِباد يُراقبه

So may each of you two, throughout his life,

So each of you live on, as long as God preserves you in Egypt,

Be watched over in Egypt by the Lord of His servants.

While He watches over you both.

وَلا زالَ مَجدي يَنتقي مِن مَديحه

وَلا زالَ مَجدي يَنتقي مِن مَديحه

لِكُل أَميرٍ مِنكُما ما يُناسبه

لِكُل أَميرٍ مِنكُما ما يُناسبه

And may Majdi continue to choose from his praise,

And my glory continues choosing from his praise

For each of you two emirs, what befits him,

For every master among you what befits him.

وَيبسط راحات الدُعاء مُؤرّخاً

وَيبسط راحات الدُعاء مُؤرّخاً

تَدوم لحماد بِفَوز مَراتبه

تَدوم لحماد بِفَوز مَراتبه

And stretch out his palms in prayer, recording the date:

And it extends the palms of prayer chronicling

May Hammad's ranks endure in triumph.

May good fortune endure for Hamad in his high stations.