1. دَعَانِيَ مِن ذكرِ السًّقام دَعانيَا

    وهَاتِ اسقِني كأسَ المَسَّرةِ صافِيا

    Spare me, you two, the mention of illness—spare me.

    And come, give me a clear cup of joy to drink.

  2. وكَرِّر على سَمعِي أَناشيدَ أُنسِه

    مَثالِثُها في لَحنِها والمثَانِيا

    And repeat in my hearing the songs of its delight,

    Their third strings in their melody, and the second strings.

  3. فَهذي أُوَبقاتُ السُّرورِ تَراجَعت

    ودَوما اُوَيقاتُ السُّرور كمَا هِيَا

    For these brief moments of joy have returned,

    And the brief moments of joy remain forever as they are.

  4. نَعم غَشِىَ البدرُ السِّرارُ هُنيهةً

    وهَاهو بدرُ التَّمِّ قد لاَح ضَاويا

    Yes, the dark of the moon veiled the full moon for a moment,

    And here he is, the moon in its fullness, appearing radiant.

  5. وما كَان قلبُ الخَافِقينِ بخافِقٍ

    سِوى لحظةٍ من بعدِها صَار هَادِيا

    And the heart of East and West did not tremble,

    Save for a moment, after which it grew calm.

  6. قدِ ابتلَّ طرفُ المجدِ والجودِ والعُلاَ

    وما ابتلَّ حتَّى صار يضحَكُ عَاليا

    The eye of glory, generosity, and eminence grew wet,

    And no sooner was it wet than it began to laugh aloud.

  7. ومَا اكتأبت منا القُلوبُ سِوى لكَى

    يكُونَ سرورٌ للكَآبةِ تَالِيا

    And our hearts grew sorrowful only so

    That joy might follow sorrow.

  8. وإِن عَبَسَت منا الوُجوهُ فإِنما

    لِيُضحى بها نورُ التهلُّلِ باديَا

    And if our faces frowned, it was only

    So that the light of gladness might appear upon them.

  9. تَنَهُّدُ مَحزونٍ ورَجعُ تَنَهُّدٍ

    بفرطِ سُرورٍ عادَ في القلبِ هَاويا

    A sorrowful person's sigh, and the echo of a sigh,

    With overwhelming joy, came plunging back into the heart.

  10. فيا شاديا يشدو بنَيلِ مُنَائِيا

    أعِدهُ علَى الأسمَاع حُيِّيتَ شَاديا

    So, singer, singing of my wishes fulfilled,

    Repeat it to listening ears—blessings on you, singer!

  11. فها وَجهُ مولاَنا التِّهامى مُشرِقٌ

    وَحَسبُ الورَى إشراقُ وجهِ التَّهاميا

    For behold, our lord al-Tihami's face is radiant,

    And the radiance of al-Tihami's face suffices humankind.

  12. وأضحَى رجاءُ العالمينَ مُحقَّقا

    وقبلَ رجاءِ العالمِين رجَائِيا

    And the world's hope has been fulfilled,

    And before the world's hope, my own.

  13. وليسَ عَجِيبا أن عُبَيدٌ مُمَلَّكٌ

    تَذكَّرَهُ مولاَهُ مولَى المَوَالِيا

    It is no wonder that a humble servant granted dominion

    Should be remembered by his Lord, the Lord of lords.

  14. نَعم كلُّ ما في الأمرِ مِن عجَبٍ إذا

    بَدا لكُمُ واللهِ ما قَد بَدا لِيا

    Yes, all the wonder of the matter is this, if

    By God, you see what has become clear to me:

  15. تَذَكَّرَهُ من دُون ما ألمٌ به

    فكانَ حَبيبا عندَ ربِّه غَاليا

    He remembered him without any pain afflicting him,

    So he was beloved and precious in his Lord's sight.

  16. وكانَ به بَراًّ شَفوقاً لأنَّه

    بخُلُقِهِ ذو بِرِّ شَفوقٍ مُوَاسيا

    And He was kind and compassionate to him, because he

    Is by nature benevolent, tender-hearted, and consoling.

  17. وللهِ في هَذا الوُجودِ ظَوّاهِرٌ

    وللِه في هَذا الوُجودِ خَوافِيا

    And to God belong the manifest things of this world,

    And to God belong the hidden things of this world.

  18. ألاَ انظُر وُفودَ التَّهنئاتِ تلاَحقَت

    حَواضِرها من مَغربٍ وبَواديا

    Look how the delegations of congratulations arrive in succession,

    Their urban and rural contingents from the Maghrib.

  19. أتوا كقِلاَصٍ في الفِجَاجِ تَواخَذت

    يحثُّهمُ قلبٌ لهم صار حَادِيا

    They came like young she-camels following one another through the passes,

    A heart of theirs urged them on, becoming their camel-driver.

  20. فَمِن ناطِقٍ بالحمدِ يَشكُرُ ربَّهُ

    وآخَرَ يرجُوه وآخر دَاعيا

    One speaks in praise, thanking his Lord,

    And another hopes in Him, and another prays.

  21. ويلقَونَ قبلَ النُّطق من بِشر وَجهِه

    دَليلا على شُكرِ العَواطِف كَافيا

    And before they speak, they find in his cheerful face

    Ample evidence of gratitude for their affection.

  22. وقد جَاء سُلطانُ البلادِ مُهنِّئاً

    وكانت تَهانيه أعزَّ التَّهانِيا

    And the country's sultan came to offer congratulations,

    And his congratulations were the dearest of all.

  23. أتاهُ يُحَيِّي الودَّ فيه مُبَرهِنا

    علَى أنَّ ذاك الودَّ يزدادُ نامِيا

    He came to him, reviving affection in him, and demonstrating

    That this affection keeps increasing and growing.

  24. فشُكراً لِهَاتيكِ الشَّمائِل والنُّهَى

    وأكرِم بِهَاتيك المَبادي مَبَادِيا

    So thanks for those virtues and that good sense,

    And how noble those principles are, as principles!

  25. تَباركَ مَن أولَى التهامَى رُتبَةً

    على النَّجمِ تسمُو وهوَ في القلبِ ثَاويا

    Blessed is He who granted al-Tihami a rank

    That rises above the stars, while he dwells in the heart.

  26. إذا نحنُ أثنينَا عليه فإِنَّما

    نُحيِّي به جِيدَ العُلاَ والمعَاليا

    When we praise him, we only

    Salute through him the neck of eminence and lofty honors,

  27. ورُوحاً لها رَوحُ العَبير تأرُّحاً

    ومِن نَسمةٍ هبَّت أرقَّ حَواشِيا

    And a soul with perfume's freshness in its fragrance,

    And softer at its edges than a breeze that blows.

  28. وكُنتُ أقولُ الرُّوحُ مني فِداؤُهُ

    ولكنَّ رُوحي ما عرَفتُ القَوافيَا

    And I used to say, 'My soul is a ransom for him,'

    But my soul is my knowledge of rhymes.

  29. فلولا أَمانٌ في مُحَيَّاهُ إِن سَطا

    عَليَّ زَمانِي ما عَرفتُ القَوافيا

    For without the safety in his countenance, should

    My times assail me, I would not have known rhymes.

  30. ولولاَه طلَّقتُ القريضَ ولم أعُد

    لِقولِهِ إِلاَّ شاكِيا مِن زمَانِيا

    And without him I would have divorced poetry, and not returned

    To composing it, save to complain of my times.

  31. ولا سيَما مَن يَجهلُون مكَانَه

    لَدَّى ولَم يَدرُوا لَديه مَكَانِيا

    And especially of those who do not know his standing

    With me, nor understand my standing with him.

  32. ألاَ سُبَّةً للجاهلين وضِلَّةً

    لِسَعيهُمُ يرجونَ منه ابتِعَاديَا

    Ah, disgrace upon the ignorant, and futility

    Upon their efforts: they hope to see me parted from him.

  33. وما لَهُمُ ثَأرٌ علىَّ وإن يكُن

    فَوَالله ما أدريه مُذ كنتُ دَارِيا

    And they have no vendetta against me; and if they do,

    By God, I have known nothing of it since I gained awareness.

  34. إذا كَان فقرُ الحبِّ ذنبِي لَديهِمُ

    فما ضَرَّهم إن كنتُ بِالفَقرِ راضِيا

    If love's poverty is my sin in their eyes,

    Then what harm does it do them if I am content with poverty?

  35. وفَقرُ نفُوسٍ لو هُمُ يعلَمُونَه

    بِحقٍّ لَدام الطَّرفُ منهُمُ دامِيا

    And poverty of souls—if they knew it

    Truly—their eyes would go on bleeding.

  36. إلَهي أنا راضٍ بِحَالي وشَاكرٌ

    لِنُعمَاكَ هذِي عن رِضَائي بِحَاليا

    My God, I am content with my lot, and grateful

    For this blessing of Yours, out of contentment with my lot.

  37. وما طِلبِتي إلا التِّهامِي تُديمُهُ

    وتُبقِيه لي ما دام جُودُكَ باقِيَا

    And my only request is that You make al-Tihami endure,

    And preserve him for me as long as Your generosity endures.