قَصَدَت جَنابَكَ مِن سَحيق مَكان

قَصَدَت جَنابَكَ مِن سَحيق مَكان

تَعنو لِما أُوتيتَ مِن سُلطان

تَعنو لِما أُوتيتَ مِن سُلطان

She sought your presence from a far-distant place,

Your Excellency came from a faraway place

bowing to the authority bestowed upon you.

Seeking what power you were given

هيَ أُمّ عيسى الزَرافَةُ مَن سَمَت

هيَ أُمّ عيسى الزَرافَةُ مَن سَمَت

في قَدرِها عَن أَكثَر الحَيوان

في قَدرِها عَن أَكثَر الحَيوان

She is Umm Isa, the giraffe, who rose

Rising above most animals

in rank above most of the animal world.

She gathered beauty in herself, and adorned herself

جَمَعَت مَحاسنَهُ بِها فَتَبَرَّجَت

جَمَعَت مَحاسنَهُ بِها فَتَبَرَّجَت

وَسَما لَها جيدٌ عَلى الأَقران

وَسَما لَها جيدٌ عَلى الأَقران

She gathered its beauties in herself and displayed her finery,

With a neck towering over others

and her neck rose above her peers.

And was colored with wonders in her dye

وَتَلَوَّنَت بِبَدائِعٍ في صِبغها

وَتَلَوَّنَت بِبَدائِعٍ في صِبغها

تُزري بِزَهر الرَوضِ في نيسان

تُزري بِزَهر الرَوضِ في نيسان

She took on wondrous hues in her coloring,

She blossoms the garden's flowers in April

putting the garden's blossoms in April to shame:

With white, black, yellow and red

مِن أَبيَضٍ يَقَقٍ وَأَصفَرَ فاقِع

مِن أَبيَضٍ يَقَقٍ وَأَصفَرَ فاقِع

في أَسوَدٍ داجٍ وَأَحمَرَ قان

في أَسوَدٍ داجٍ وَأَحمَرَ قان

dazzling white and vivid yellow,

And glanced coquettishly with her eyelash

amid pitch-dark black and deep crimson red.

And swayed like a cheek among the branches

وَرَنَت بِطَرف الريم مِن خُيلائِها

وَرَنَت بِطَرف الريم مِن خُيلائِها

وَتَمايَسَت كالخود بَينَ غَوان

وَتَمايَسَت كالخود بَينَ غَوان

And in her pride she gazed with a white gazelle's eye,

Tame and wild, none could lead her

and swayed like a supple maiden among beauties.

Except the Syrian kings with crowns

إِنسيَّةٌ وَحشيَّةٌ ما اِقتادَها

إِنسيَّةٌ وَحشيَّةٌ ما اِقتادَها

إِلّا المُلوكُ الشُمُّ ذو التيجان

إِلّا المُلوكُ الشُمُّ ذو التيجان

Tame yet wild, none has led her

It's as if she preferred those of high status

but lofty, crown-bearing kings.

Who fetched the spring's water from Zaghwan

وَكَأَنَّها اِختَصَّت بِمَن حازَ العُلى

وَكَأَنَّها اِختَصَّت بِمَن حازَ العُلى

واِجتابَ ماءَ العَين مِن زَغوان

واِجتابَ ماءَ العَين مِن زَغوان

And as though she were reserved for him who attained eminence

I mean the Banu Hafs, and that is enough for you

and brought the spring's water from Zaghouan.

No one else, when she saw you again

أَعني بَني حَفصٍ وَحَسبُكَ هَذِهِ

أَعني بَني حَفصٍ وَحَسبُكَ هَذِهِ

لا غَيرُ لَمّا أَن رأتكَ الثاني

لا غَيرُ لَمّا أَن رأتكَ الثاني

I mean the sons of Hafs; this one suffices you,

The one who drove the fresh Euphrates to Tunis

and no other, since she recognized you as the second:

And the sweet provider to the thirsty

السائِقُ العَذبَ الفُراتَ لِتونِسٍ

السائِقُ العَذبَ الفُراتَ لِتونِسٍ

وَالمورِدُ المَعسولُ لِلظَّمآنِ

وَالمورِدُ المَعسولُ لِلظَّمآنِ

the one who brings sweet, refreshing water to Tunis,

She left the smoke of palm trees in her homeland

and offers honey-sweet drink to the thirsty.

Seeking out one who entertains without smoke

تَرَكَت دُخانَ الرمث في أَوطانَها

تَرَكَت دُخانَ الرمث في أَوطانَها

طَلَباً لِمَن يَقري بِغَير دُخان

طَلَباً لِمَن يَقري بِغَير دُخان

She left the smoke of ramth shrubs in her native lands,

And she came to you in peace and pleasant affection

seeking one who entertains guests without smoke.

And asked about the animals in the enclosure

وَأتَتكَ في خَفرٍ وَحُسن تَوَدّدٍ

وَأتَتكَ في خَفرٍ وَحُسن تَوَدّدٍ

وَسَلَت عَن الفَيفاء بالمَيدان

وَسَلَت عَن الفَيفاء بالمَيدان

And she came to you with modesty and gracious affection,

The one who gathered opposites, a lion with serenity

and forgot the open desert in the arena,

And the varied birds and whales

الجامِع الأَضداد أُسد مَع مَهاً

الجامِع الأَضداد أُسد مَع مَهاً

وَالطَير ذي الأَنواع وَالحيتان

وَالطَير ذي الأَنواع وَالحيتان

which gathers opposites—lions with oryxes,

And wonders of the Merciful's creation, that

and birds of various kinds, and fish,

Were not gathered for the founder of the enclosure

وَعَجائِبٍ مِن خَلقَة الرَحمَنِ ما

وَعَجائِبٍ مِن خَلقَة الرَحمَنِ ما

لَم يَجتَمِع لِمُؤَسِّس الإيوان

لَم يَجتَمِع لِمُؤَسِّس الإيوان

and marvels of the Merciful's creation that

No, by the Lord of Sadir and its lightning

were never gathered for the founder of the Iwan.

And the honored castle from Ghumdan

كَلا وَلا رَبّ السَدير وَبارِقٍ

كَلا وَلا رَبّ السَدير وَبارِقٍ

وَالقَصر ذي الشرُفات مِن غُمدان

وَالقَصر ذي الشرُفات مِن غُمدان

No—nor for the lord of al-Sadir and Bariq,

Reserved by kings, when they wanted to spread it

and the battlemented palace of Ghumdan.

Through the tongues of architecture

مِمَمُ المُلوك إِذا أَرادوا نَشرَها

مِمَمُ المُلوك إِذا أَرادوا نَشرَها

مِن بَعدهم فَبألسُن البُنيان

مِن بَعدهم فَبألسُن البُنيان

The aspirations of kings, when they wish to proclaim them

Indeed, when a building's prestige grows

after their passing, are voiced through the tongues of buildings.

It denotes the grandeur of status

إِنَّ البِناءَ إِذا تَعاظَمَ قَدرُهُ

إِنَّ البِناءَ إِذا تَعاظَمَ قَدرُهُ

أَضحى يَدُلُّ عَلى عَظيم الشان

أَضحى يَدُلُّ عَلى عَظيم الشان

Indeed, when a building's stature grows great,

O Bey, advisor, chosen one

it points to one of mighty standing.

The honest in promise, brother of benevolence

يا أَيُّها الباش المُشيرُ المُرتَضى

يا أَيُّها الباش المُشيرُ المُرتَضى

الصادِقُ الوَعدُ أَخو الإِحسان

الصادِقُ الوَعدُ أَخو الإِحسان

O Pasha, esteemed marshal,

Congratulations on what none were given before you

true to your promise, a man of benevolence,

In past eras and times

يَهنيكَ ما لَم يُؤتَهُ مِن قَبلكم

يَهنيكَ ما لَم يُؤتَهُ مِن قَبلكم

في سالِف الأَحقاب وَالأَزمان

في سالِف الأَحقاب وَالأَزمان

may you enjoy what those before you were not granted

So receive the countries' voluntary submission

in bygone ages and times.

And their souls, let alone their bodies

فاِسلَم تَسوقُ لَكَ البِلادُ نَفيسَها

فاِسلَم تَسوقُ لَكَ البِلادُ نَفيسَها

وَنُفوسَها فَضلاً عَن الأَبدانِ

وَنُفوسَها فَضلاً عَن الأَبدانِ

So live in safety, as the lands bring you their treasures

And have good fortune in eternal, extending kingship

and their souls, not to mention their bodies.

In glory that grows and reaches safety

واِسعَد لِمُلكٍ دائِمٍ مُتَطاوِلٍ

واِسعَد لِمُلكٍ دائِمٍ مُتَطاوِلٍ

في عَزَّةٍ تَنمو وَنَيل أَمان

في عَزَّةٍ تَنمو وَنَيل أَمان

And rejoice in a lasting, long-enduring reign,

And God protects your glory and increases

in growing glory and the attainment of safety.

Your merit, by the station of the Criterion

وَاللَهُ يَحرُسُ مَجدَكُم وَيَزيدُكُم

وَاللَهُ يَحرُسُ مَجدَكُم وَيَزيدُكُم

مِن فَضله بِمُنَزَّل الفُرقان

مِن فَضله بِمُنَزَّل الفُرقان

And may God guard your glory and grant you more

of His bounty, by the revealed Furqan.