خليفةَ الله إنّ الدهرَ مُذْ طَلَعَت

خليفةَ الله إنّ الدهرَ مُذْ طَلَعَت

فيه سعودُك بادي الحسن محبوبُ

فيه سعودُك بادي الحسن محبوبُ

O Caliph of God, ever since your auspicious stars rose

O Caliph of God, time—ever since there arose

within it, Time has appeared fair and beloved.

within it your auspicious stars—is visibly fair and beloved.

أعَدْتَ آسِنَه عَذْباً بلا كَدَر

أعَدْتَ آسِنَه عَذْباً بلا كَدَر

وصَرْفَه الصَّعْبَ فينا وهو مَرْكُوب

وصَرْفَه الصَّعْبَ فينا وهو مَرْكُوب

You made its stagnant water sweet again, without a trace of murk,

You made its stagnant waters sweet, free of murk,

and mastered its harsh reversals against us, difficult though they were to ride.

and its unruly course among us a mount to ride.

إنِّي بعثتُ طريفاً وهي سُنْبلةٌ

إنِّي بعثتُ طريفاً وهي سُنْبلةٌ

تَمَّتْ فتمّ لرائيها الأعاجيب

تَمَّتْ فتمّ لرائيها الأعاجيب

I have sent a rarity—a single flowering spike;

I have sent a rare gift—an ear of grain,

it reached perfection, completing wonders for whoever sees it.

grown to perfection, with marvels perfected for its beholder—

وسَوْسَناً تمَّ مرآهُ ومَخْبرُهُ

وسَوْسَناً تمَّ مرآهُ ومَخْبرُهُ

فقد تَكامل فيه الحسن والطِّيب

فقد تَكامل فيه الحسن والطِّيب

And an iris, perfect in appearance and in essence:

and an iris, perfect in appearance and inner nature;

in it beauty and fragrance have reached their fullness.

for beauty and fragrance have reached perfection in it.

كأنّه مِعْصَمٌ بالكفّ مُتَّصلٌ

كأنّه مِعْصَمٌ بالكفّ مُتَّصلٌ

له بَنانٌ من الحِنّاء مخضوب

له بَنانٌ من الحِنّاء مخضوب

It is like a wrist joined to a palm,

It is like a wrist joined to a hand,

with fingers stained by henna.

with fingers dyed with henna.

وقد تفَاءلتُ فيه أنّ باكِرَه

وقد تفَاءلتُ فيه أنّ باكِرَه

بُكور عزِّك ما في ذاك تَكْذيب

بُكور عزِّك ما في ذاك تَكْذيب

I took it as a happy omen: that its first flowering

And I have taken a good omen from it: that its early bloom

is the early dawning of your glory—there is no falsehood in that—

is your glory’s early rising—there is no denying that—

وأنّها سَنَةٌ جاءت مبارَكةً

وأنّها سَنَةٌ جاءت مبارَكةً

تَدِين فيها لك الزَّوْراء والنُّوبُ

تَدِين فيها لك الزَّوْراء والنُّوبُ

and that this is a year that has come blessed,

and that this is a year that has come blessed,

in which al-Zawra and the Nubians submit to you.

in which al-Zawra and the Nubians submit to you.