بِكَ إِرتَوى وَتَولى الجور وَالأَلَمُ

بِكَ إِرتَوى وَتَولى الجور وَالأَلَمُ

وَأَخصَب الدَهر وَاِنهَلَت بِهِ النِعَمُ

وَأَخصَب الدَهر وَاِنهَلَت بِهِ النِعَمُ

Through you thirst was quenched, and injustice and pain departed.

With you tyranny and pain were quenched and turned away,

And the age grew fertile, and blessings poured down in it.

And time became fertile, blessings poured forth,

وَأَصبَحَ السَعد وَهُوَ اليَوم مُقتَبَلٌ

وَأَصبَحَ السَعد وَهُوَ اليَوم مُقتَبَلٌ

وَالشَمل مُجتَمع وَالصَدع مُلتَئم

وَالشَمل مُجتَمع وَالصَدع مُلتَئم

And good fortune dawned, today in its first bloom.

Good fortune smiles, as it looks to this day,

And the company is reunited, and the rift is healed.

The bonds of kinship knit together, discord healed.

وَاِستَبشَرَت بِكَ أَبناء الشآم وَقَد

وَاِستَبشَرَت بِكَ أَبناء الشآم وَقَد

آووا إِلى رُكن عزّ لَيسَ يَنَهدَم

آووا إِلى رُكن عزّ لَيسَ يَنَهدَم

And the sons of al-Sham rejoiced in you, having

The people of Syria rejoice because of you,

Sought refuge in a pillar of might that will not crumble.

Having sought refuge in the pillar of honor that does not crumble.

فَما تَمدُّ إِلى غَير الدُعاءِ يَدٌ

فَما تَمدُّ إِلى غَير الدُعاءِ يَدٌ

وَلَيسَ يَفتَحُ إِلّا بِالثَناءِ فَم

وَلَيسَ يَفتَحُ إِلّا بِالثَناءِ فَم

So no hand reaches out except in prayer,

No hand is outstretched now except in prayer,

And no mouth opens except with praise.

No mouth opens but with praise.

أَنتَ الَّذي جَمَعَ اللَهُ القُلوب لَهُ

أَنتَ الَّذي جَمَعَ اللَهُ القُلوب لَهُ

وَزادَهُ العلم حَتّى نطقُهُ الحكم

وَزادَهُ العلم حَتّى نطقُهُ الحكم

You are the one for whom God united hearts,

You, whom God has brought hearts together for,

And enriched him with knowledge until his speech was wisdom.

Increasing your knowledge until wisdom pours from your speech.

عَذب المَوارد فياض النَدى أَبَداً

عَذب المَوارد فياض النَدى أَبَداً

سَمح الأَنامل لا منّ وَلا سَأَم

سَمح الأَنامل لا منّ وَلا سَأَم

Sweet are his watering places, his bounty ever overflowing,

Sweet springs flow eternally from you, clouds of dew,

Generous of fingertips, with neither reminders of favors nor weariness.

Generous hands, never tiring or bored.

كِلتا يَدَيهِ العُلا حازَت فَباطنها

كِلتا يَدَيهِ العُلا حازَت فَباطنها

أَيدٍ وَظاهِرُها لِلناس مُستلم

أَيدٍ وَظاهِرُها لِلناس مُستلم

Both his hands have attained the heights: their palms bestow

Both your hands grasped the heights, so your inner self

Favors, and their backs are touched in homage by the people.

Has hands, your outer self is open to all people.

تَغدو المَجادب مِن نَعماهُ مُخصبة

تَغدو المَجادب مِن نَعماهُ مُخصبة

وَتَستَنيرُ لَنا مِن وَجهِهِ الظُلم

وَتَستَنيرُ لَنا مِن وَجهِهِ الظُلم

Barren lands become fertile through his bounty,

Pastures thrive on your blessings each morning,

And darkness is illumined for us by his face.

And darkness is illuminated for us by your face.

قاضي القُضاة وَناهيكُم بِهِ حُكماً

قاضي القُضاة وَناهيكُم بِهِ حُكماً

ما خابَ يَوماً بِهِ مِن راح يَعتَصم

ما خابَ يَوماً بِهِ مِن راح يَعتَصم

Judge of judges—and what a judge he is!

Chief justice of all judges, your judgment we mention,

No one who sought refuge in him was ever disappointed.

None who clung to you were disappointed any day.

عَين الولاة لَهُ في كُل جارِحَة

عَين الولاة لَهُ في كُل جارِحَة

مِن الفَراسة طود راسخ علم

مِن الفَراسة طود راسخ علم

The eye of governors, he has in every limb

The eyes of governors, in each one is

A mountain of discernment, firmly rooted and prominent.

A firm pillar of knowledge and insight.

تَخشى المَوالي سَطاهُ خاضِعين لَهُ

تَخشى المَوالي سَطاهُ خاضِعين لَهُ

كَأَنَّهُم في مَعالي عِزِهِ حشم

كَأَنَّهُم في مَعالي عِزِهِ حشم

The lords fear his might, submitting to him,

Your deputies are humbly in awe of your authority,

As though they were retainers amid the heights of his glory.

As if they are the protectors of your mighty dignity.

مَولايَ دَعوة عَبد عزّ ناصرهُ

مَولايَ دَعوة عَبد عزّ ناصرهُ

إِلّا إِلَيكَ إِذا ما زَلّت القَدَم

إِلّا إِلَيكَ إِذا ما زَلّت القَدَم

My lord, hear a servant's plea, for he finds no champion

My Lord, the prayer of a servant who finds strength in you,

Except by turning to you whenever his foot slips.

When my steps falter, is to none but you.

يَشكو إِلَيكَ ذَوي ضغن وَإِن عَظموا

يَشكو إِلَيكَ ذَوي ضغن وَإِن عَظموا

سيان عِندَهُم المَخدوم وَالخَدَم

سيان عِندَهُم المَخدوم وَالخَدَم

He complains to you of spiteful men, however mighty they may be;

I complain to you of those causing me woe, however great,

To them the master and the servants are alike.

Slave and master are equal to them.

قَوم إِذا جئت أَشكو ما دَهيت بِهِ

قَوم إِذا جئت أَشكو ما دَهيت بِهِ

أَفهمت صُم الحَصى قَولي وَما فَهِموا

أَفهمت صُم الحَصى قَولي وَما فَهِموا

When I came to those people to complain of what had afflicted me,

A people, when I come to complain of what pains me,

I made deaf pebbles understand my words, but they did not understand.

Understand me as little as deaf rocks understand speech.

غَرَّتهُم ثَروة الدُنيا وَزينتها

غَرَّتهُم ثَروة الدُنيا وَزينتها

وَإِنَّما جودَها الحِرمان وَالنَدَم

وَإِنَّما جودَها الحِرمان وَالنَدَم

The world's wealth and its adornment have deceived them,

The wealth and adornments of this world have fooled them.

Yet its generosity is nothing but deprivation and regret.

Yet its generosity is but deprivation and regret.

وَكَم تَحظى ذَوي الاحساب مُعتَدياً

وَكَم تَحظى ذَوي الاحساب مُعتَدياً

وَضيعُ جَرثومة في أَنفِهِ شمم

وَضيعُ جَرثومة في أَنفِهِ شمم

And how often the wellborn have been wrongfully outstripped

How often do the immoral enjoy good fortune,

By one of base stock, his nose held high.

While the noble man has but dust up his nose!

عَساكَ تُنقِذني إِن جئت مُلتَجياً

عَساكَ تُنقِذني إِن جئت مُلتَجياً

مِن اللَيالي الَّتي في طَيِها نَقَم

مِن اللَيالي الَّتي في طَيِها نَقَم

May you rescue me, if I come seeking refuge,

Perhaps you may save me if I come seeking refuge,

From the nights with calamities hidden in their folds.

From nights whose folds conceal only rancor.

أَبقى لَكَ اللَهُ نَجلاً طابَ محتده

أَبقى لَكَ اللَهُ نَجلاً طابَ محتده

مِن مَهدِهِ نَقَلتُهُ لِلعُلا هِمَم

مِن مَهدِهِ نَقَلتُهُ لِلعُلا هِمَم

May God preserve for you a son whose stock is noble;

May God grant you a pure and perfect son,

From his cradle, aspirations carried him to the heights.

Whom I have trained since the cradle for the heights.

مُهَذَّب الخَلق قَرَّت عِندَ رُؤيَتِهِ

مُهَذَّب الخَلق قَرَّت عِندَ رُؤيَتِهِ

عَينُ الكَمال وَراح الفَضل يَبتَسِمُ

عَينُ الكَمال وَراح الفَضل يَبتَسِمُ

Refined in nature, the sight of him brought delight

Refined in manners, the eye of perfection sparkles

To perfection's eye, and excellence began to smile.

To see him, excellence smiles in delight.

مِن دَوحَة بِثِمار الفَضل يانِعَةٍ

مِن دَوحَة بِثِمار الفَضل يانِعَةٍ

وَرَوضة قَد تَولى سَقيِها الكَرَم

وَرَوضة قَد تَولى سَقيِها الكَرَم

From a spreading tree ripe with the fruits of excellence,

From the oasis of Doha, ripe with fruits of merit,

And a garden whose watering generosity has undertaken.

And a garden whose watering is done by generosity.

وَاِستجل دُر نِظام كادَ مِن طَرَب

وَاِستجل دُر نِظام كادَ مِن طَرَب

إِلى مَعاليك قَبل النَظم يَنتَظم

إِلى مَعاليك قَبل النَظم يَنتَظم

And behold pearls of verse that almost, in rapture,

The pearl of proper order nearly burst from rapture,

Strung themselves for your lofty merits before being composed.

To form itself into poems before your lofty virtues.

بَل غادة مِن بَنات الفكر قَد ظغنت

بَل غادة مِن بَنات الفكر قَد ظغنت

بِها إِلى بابك الآمال تَحتَكم

بِها إِلى بابك الآمال تَحتَكم

Rather, a maiden among thought's daughters, borne forth

No, but the daughters of thought have struggled

By hopes to your door, seeking your judgment.

To bring their hopes before your door as pleas.

إِن الهَدايا وَخَير القَول أَصدَقُهُ

إِن الهَدايا وَخَير القَول أَصدَقُهُ

تَفنى بَقيتَ وَتَبقى هَذِهِ الكَلم

تَفنى بَقيتَ وَتَبقى هَذِهِ الكَلم

Indeed, gifts—and the best speech is the truest—

Truly, the best words and noblest gifts

Perish; may you endure, while these words remain.

Pass away, while these words remain.