أَقدِم كَما قَدِمَ الرَبيعُ الباكِرُ

أَقدِم كَما قَدِمَ الرَبيعُ الباكِرُ

وَاِطلُع كَما طَلَعَ الصَباحُ الزاهِرُ

وَاِطلُع كَما طَلَعَ الصَباحُ الزاهِرُ

Come as early spring has come,

I come forward as the early spring came forward,

And rise as radiant morning has risen.

And rise as the bright morning rose.

قَسَماً لَقَد وَفّى المُنى وَنَفى الأَسى

قَسَماً لَقَد وَفّى المُنى وَنَفى الأَسى

مَن أَقدَمَ البُشرى بِأَنَّكَ صادِرُ

مَن أَقدَمَ البُشرى بِأَنَّكَ صادِرُ

I swear, he fulfilled hopes and banished grief—

By God, wishes have been fulfilled and sorrows dispelled

The bearer of glad news that you were homeward bound.

By him who brought the good news that you are coming.

لِيُسَرَّ مُكتَئِبٌ وَيُغفِيَ ساهِرٌ

لِيُسَرَّ مُكتَئِبٌ وَيُغفِيَ ساهِرٌ

وَيَراحَ مُرتَقِبٌ وَيوفِيَ ناذِرُ

وَيَراحَ مُرتَقِبٌ وَيوفِيَ ناذِرُ

So the downcast may rejoice and the sleepless slumber,

To delight a grieving soul and lull an insomniac to sleep,

And the waiting find relief, and the vow-maker fulfill his vow.

To give rest to one who waits and fulfil the vow of one who makes offerings.

قَفَلٌ وَإِبلالٌ عَقيبَ مُطيفَةٍ

قَفَلٌ وَإِبلالٌ عَقيبَ مُطيفَةٍ

غَشِيَت كَما غَشِيَ السَبيلَ العابِرُ

غَشِيَت كَما غَشِيَ السَبيلَ العابِرُ

A homecoming and recovery after a passing illness,

The departure and the veneration after an appearance

That visited you as a wayfarer traverses a road.

That covered the path like a passing cloud.

إِن أَعنَتَ الجِسمَ المُكَرَّمَ وَعكُها

إِن أَعنَتَ الجِسمَ المُكَرَّمَ وَعكُها

فَلَرُبَّما وُعِكَ الهِزَبرُ الخادِرُ

فَلَرُبَّما وُعِكَ الهِزَبرُ الخادِرُ

If its fever afflicted your honored body,

If you favour the esteemed body that carried you

Even the lion in his lair is sometimes fever-stricken.

Then perhaps even the tottering old man will be favoured.

ما كانَ إِلّا كَاِنجِلاءِ غَيابَةٍ

ما كانَ إِلّا كَاِنجِلاءِ غَيابَةٍ

لَبِسَ الفِرَندَ بِها الحُسامُ الباتِرُ

لَبِسَ الفِرَندَ بِها الحُسامُ الباتِرُ

It was only like the lifting of a dark veil,

It was but the disappearance of clouds

In which the cleaving sword had worn its watered pattern.

In which swords are sheathed during a skirmish.

فَلتَغدُ أَلسِنَةُ الأَنامِ وَدَأبُها

فَلتَغدُ أَلسِنَةُ الأَنامِ وَدَأبُها

شُكرٌ يُجاذِبُهُ الخَطيبَ الشاعِرُ

شُكرٌ يُجاذِبُهُ الخَطيبَ الشاعِرُ

So let the tongues of humankind have as their constant practice

So henceforth let the tongues and pursuits of mankind

Thanks, which poet and orator vie to express.

Be thankfulness contending with an eloquent orator.

إِن كانَ أَسعَدَ مِن وُصولِكَ طالِعٌ

إِن كانَ أَسعَدَ مِن وُصولِكَ طالِعٌ

فَكَذاكَ أَيمَنَ مِن قُفولِكَ طائِرُ

فَكَذاكَ أَيمَنَ مِن قُفولِكَ طائِرُ

If any rising star were luckier than your arrival,

If a rising star was happier than your arrival

Then an omen would likewise be more auspicious than your return.

Then, likewise, a bird in flight was more fortunate than your departure.

أَضحى الزَمانُ نَهارُهُ كافورَةٌ

أَضحى الزَمانُ نَهارُهُ كافورَةٌ

وَاللَيلُ مِسكٌ مِن خِلالِكَ عاطِرُ

وَاللَيلُ مِسكٌ مِن خِلالِكَ عاطِرُ

Time's daylight has turned to camphor,

The days have become camphor and the nights

And night is musk, fragrant with your virtues.

Musk because of you, perfumed through your presence.

قَد كانَ هَجري الشِعرَ قَبلُ صَريمَةً

قَد كانَ هَجري الشِعرَ قَبلُ صَريمَةً

حَذَري لِذاكَ النَقدُ فيها عاذِرُ

حَذَري لِذاكَ النَقدُ فيها عاذِرُ

My earlier abandonment of poetry had been a firm resolve—

Previously, I shunned poetry, fearing criticism of it,

Critical judgment excuses my caution in that resolve—

Until that censor might find excuses for it.

حَتّى إِذا آنَستُ أَوبَكَ بارِئاً

حَتّى إِذا آنَستُ أَوبَكَ بارِئاً

صَفَتِ القَريحَةُ وَاِستَنارَ الخاطِرُ

صَفَتِ القَريحَةُ وَاِستَنارَ الخاطِرُ

Until, when I saw you return restored to health,

But when I sensed your righteous return

My poetic gift cleared and my mind grew bright.

Inspiration flowed and ideas illuminated my thoughts.

عَيٌّ قَلَبتَ إِلى البَلاغَةِ عِيَّهُ

عَيٌّ قَلَبتَ إِلى البَلاغَةِ عِيَّهُ

لَولا تُقاكَ لَقُلتُ إِنَّكَ ساحِرُ

لَولا تُقاكَ لَقُلتُ إِنَّكَ ساحِرُ

Tongue-tied was I; you turned my faltering into eloquence.

What an amazing transformation your attention made

Were it not for your piety, I would have called you a magician.

Of my flawed poetry! Had it not been for your support I would have said you are a sorcerer!

لَقَّحتَ ذِهني فَاِجنِ غَضَّ ثِمارِهِ

لَقَّحتَ ذِهني فَاِجنِ غَضَّ ثِمارِهِ

فَالنَخلُ يُحرِزُ مُجتَناهُ الآبِرُ

فَالنَخلُ يُحرِزُ مُجتَناهُ الآبِرُ

You pollinated my mind; now harvest its fresh fruits,

You fertilised my barren mind until it bore fruit

For the palm's pollinator secures its harvest.

And the date palms safeguard their pollinated clusters.

كَم قَد شَكَرتُكَ غِبَّ ذِكرِكَ فَاِنتَشى

كَم قَد شَكَرتُكَ غِبَّ ذِكرِكَ فَاِنتَشى

مُتَذَكِّرٌ مِنّي وَغَرَّدَ شاكِرُ

مُتَذَكِّرٌ مِنّي وَغَرَّدَ شاكِرُ

How often I have thanked you after recalling you, till rapture seized

How often, when you were absent, did I thank you,

The remembering self within me, and the grateful self burst into song.

Remembering you while a thankful bird chirped its song?

يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي عَلياؤُهُ

يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي عَلياؤُهُ

مَثَلٌ تَناقَلُهُ اللَيالي سائِرُ

مَثَلٌ تَناقَلُهُ اللَيالي سائِرُ

O king, whose lofty glory

O king, your supremacy

Is a far-traveled proverb passed on by the nights.

Is an example circulated through passing nights.

يا مَن لِبَرقِ البِشرِ مِنهُ تَهَلُّلٌ

يا مَن لِبَرقِ البِشرِ مِنهُ تَهَلُّلٌ

ما شيمَ إِلّا اِنهَلَّ جودٌ هامِرُ

ما شيمَ إِلّا اِنهَلَّ جودٌ هامِرُ

O you, whose lightning of good cheer shines bright:

O you, from whom flashes of mankind’s good fortune emerge

No sooner is it seen than bounty pours in torrents.

Pouring down continuous, torrential generosity.

أَنتَ اِبنُ مَن مَجدَ المُلوكَ فَإِن يَكُن

أَنتَ اِبنُ مَن مَجدَ المُلوكَ فَإِن يَكُن

لِلمَجدِ عَينٌ فَهُوَ مِنها ناظِرُ

لِلمَجدِ عَينٌ فَهُوَ مِنها ناظِرُ

You are the son of one who surpassed kings in glory; and if

You are the son of one who glorified kings, so if

Glory has an eye, he is its pupil.

Glory has eyes, they look through him.

مَلِكٌ أَغَرُّ اِزدانَتِ الدُنيا بِهِ

مَلِكٌ أَغَرُّ اِزدانَتِ الدُنيا بِهِ

وَأَعَزَّ دينَ اللَهِ مِنهُ ناصِرُ

وَأَعَزَّ دينَ اللَهِ مِنهُ ناصِرُ

A radiant king, through whom the world was adorned,

A king who adorns the world by his beauty

And God's faith was strengthened by the champion in him.

And champions God’s religion as its victorious defender.

أَبناكَ في ثَبَجِ المَجَرَّةِ قُبَّةً

أَبناكَ في ثَبَجِ المَجَرَّةِ قُبَّةً

فَهَناكَ أَنَّكَ لِلنُجومِ مُخاصِرُ

فَهَناكَ أَنَّكَ لِلنُجومِ مُخاصِرُ

He built you a dome in the midst of the Milky Way,

Your children built a dome for you in the galaxy,

So may you rejoice that you are arm in arm with the stars.

So it is there you watch the stars.

وَتَلَقَّ مِن سِمَتَيكَ صِدقَ تَفاؤُلي

وَتَلَقَّ مِن سِمَتَيكَ صِدقَ تَفاؤُلي

فَهُما المُؤَيَّدُ بِالإِلَهِ الظافِرُ

فَهُما المُؤَيَّدُ بِالإِلَهِ الظافِرُ

And see in your two titles my good augury confirmed:

And my optimistic hopes have truthfully received

For they are "Supported by God" and "Victorious."

Support from those two divine signs of triumph.