هَنيئاً للْمَواسِمِ والتَّهاني

هَنيئاً للْمَواسِمِ والتَّهاني

إذا ما حانَ فطْرٌ أو صِيامُ

إذا ما حانَ فطْرٌ أو صِيامُ

Joy to the festive seasons and felicitations,

Congratulations for the seasons and greetings

Whenever fast-breaking or fasting comes,

When the dawn of Eid or fasting arrives

طويلُ بَقائكَ النَّضِرِ المُرَجَّى

طويلُ بَقائكَ النَّضِرِ المُرَجَّى

فمنهُ بكُلِّ رائعَةٍ عِصامُ

فمنهُ بكُلِّ رائعَةٍ عِصامُ

For your long, flourishing life, so eagerly hoped for;

May your freshness last long as we hope

For from it comes protection in every calamity.

Through you every magnificent poem flows

وعِشْت مَدى الزمان مُطاعَ أمرٍ

وعِشْت مَدى الزمان مُطاعَ أمرٍ

حَسُوداكَ السَّحائبُ والحُسامُ

حَسُوداكَ السَّحائبُ والحُسامُ

And may you live for all time, your commands obeyed;

May you live long obeyed in command

The clouds and the sword are your two enviers.

Envied by clouds and swords

يَفِرُّ المحْلُ من جدواكَ شَدَّاً

يَفِرُّ المحْلُ من جدواكَ شَدَّاً

ويُهْزَمُ مِن بَسالَتِكَ اللُّهامُ

ويُهْزَمُ مِن بَسالَتِكَ اللُّهامُ

Drought flees headlong from your bounty,

The homeland flees from your firmness

And the mighty army is routed by your valor.

And the brave are defeated by your valor

فقد نَضُرتْ بك الأيامُ حتى

فقد نَضُرتْ بك الأيامُ حتى

جَراوِلُها الخُزامى والثُّمامُ

جَراوِلُها الخُزامى والثُّمامُ

Through you the days have flourished, until

Through you the days flourished until

Their rocky wastes are lavender and thumam grass.

Their flowers and birds chirped

نَدىً وحِمىً وإِحقاقٌ وعدْلٌ

نَدىً وحِمىً وإِحقاقٌ وعدْلٌ

وحِلْمٌ لا يُساوِرُهُ انْتِقامُ

وحِلْمٌ لا يُساوِرُهُ انْتِقامُ

Generosity, protection, vindication, and justice,

Benevolence, protection, justice and equity

And forbearance untouched by vengeance—

And clemency not marred by revenge

مَناقِبُ دون غايتِها الثُّرَيَّا

مَناقِبُ دون غايتِها الثُّرَيَّا

بغَيْرِكَ لا تُنالُ ولا تُرامُ

بغَيْرِكَ لا تُنالُ ولا تُرامُ

Virtues with the Pleiades beneath their summit,

Merits beyond their ultimate goal

Which none but you can attain or aspire to.

Cannot be attained or aspired without you

يتيهُ الدينُ إذْ ندعوكَ صِدْقاً

يتيهُ الدينُ إذْ ندعوكَ صِدْقاً

لهُ عَضُداً ويبْتَهِجُ الإِمامُ

لهُ عَضُداً ويبْتَهِجُ الإِمامُ

Religion glories when we truthfully call you

Religion wanders astray unless we call you sincerely

Its supporting arm, and the Imam rejoices.

A pillar for it as the imam rejoices

فمنْصورانِ حَبْرٌ أو إِمامٌ

فمنْصورانِ حَبْرٌ أو إِمامٌ

ببأسِكَ حينَ يحْتَدم الخِصامُ

ببأسِكَ حينَ يحْتَدم الخِصامُ

For scholar or Imam—both are victorious,

So a skilled writer or imam is victorious

Through your might when conflict rages.

With your might when discord ignites

مَلكْتَ الناسَ بالإِحسانِ حتى

مَلكْتَ الناسَ بالإِحسانِ حتى

رئيسُهُم وسَيِّدُهُمْ غُلامُ

رئيسُهُم وسَيِّدُهُمْ غُلامُ

You have won the people through kindness, until

You won people’s hearts with kindness

Their chief and master is your servant.

That their leader and master is a lad

ورَوَّيْتَ الرَّجاءَ منَ الأيادي

ورَوَّيْتَ الرَّجاءَ منَ الأيادي

وكانَ بهِ إلى الرَّشفِ الهُيامُ

وكانَ بهِ إلى الرَّشفِ الهُيامُ

And you have slaked hope's thirst with favors,

You let hopes flow from hands

When it had been burning with thirst for a sip.

To lofty aspirations they streamed

كسَوْتَ وزارةَ الخُلفاءِ نُبْلاً

كسَوْتَ وزارةَ الخُلفاءِ نُبْلاً

ومَنْزِلَةً وإنْ جَلَّ المَقامُ

ومَنْزِلَةً وإنْ جَلَّ المَقامُ

You have clothed the caliphs' vizierate in nobility

You adorned the ministers’ office with nobility

And dignity, though the office is exalted.

And stature though the position is sublime

يزيدُ العِقْدُ بالحَسْناء حُسناً

يزيدُ العِقْدُ بالحَسْناء حُسناً

وإنْ كَمُلَ التَّناسُبُ والنِّظامُ

وإنْ كَمُلَ التَّناسُبُ والنِّظامُ

The necklace gains beauty from a beautiful woman,

A necklace becomes more beautiful with a pearl

Even when its proportions and arrangement are perfect.

When proportion and order are complete

وتَزْدادُ السُّيوفُ إذا تُحَلَّى

وتَزْدادُ السُّيوفُ إذا تُحَلَّى

ومنْها العَضْبُ شَطْباً والكَهامُ

ومنْها العَضْبُ شَطْباً والكَهامُ

And swords gain beauty when adorned,

Swords shine more when embellished

And among them are the keen-cutting sword and the blunt.

Among them sharp blades and pearly sheaths

فضلْتَ الكابرينَ أباً وجَدَّاً

فضلْتَ الكابرينَ أباً وجَدَّاً

وما يُرْتابُ أنَّهم كِرامُ

وما يُرْتابُ أنَّهم كِرامُ

You have surpassed your forebears, father and grandfather,

You excelled the arrogant elders in fatherly care

And there is no doubt that they are noble.

Undoubtedly they are generous men

فأنتَ الدُّرُ والِدُهُ خِضَمٌّ

فأنتَ الدُّرُ والِدُهُ خِضَمٌّ

وأنتَ الغَيْثُ والدُهُ غَمامُ

وأنتَ الغَيْثُ والدُهُ غَمامُ

For you are the pearl whose father is a vast sea,

So you are the pearl and its essence is precious

And you are the rain whose father is a cloud.

You are the rain and its origin is clouds

وأنت إذا الحُبى طاشَت لخطْبٍ

وأنت إذا الحُبى طاشَت لخطْبٍ

ثَبِيرٌ في أناتِكَ أو شَمامُ

ثَبِيرٌ في أناتِكَ أو شَمامُ

And you, when knee-bands fly loose at a calamity,

And you, when calamities clash in adversity

Are Thabir or Shamam in your composure.

Are a piercing sword or determined sheath

سليمُ القلبِ منْ صَوَرٍ وغِشٍّ

سليمُ القلبِ منْ صَوَرٍ وغِشٍّ

إذا ما أضْمَرَ الغِشَّ اللِّئامُ

إذا ما أضْمَرَ الغِشَّ اللِّئامُ

Your heart is free of crookedness and deceit,

Sincere of heart from images and deception

When the base harbor deceit.

When the wicked conceal their wickedness

تَجُلُ عنِ الخديعة وهي حَزْمٌ

تَجُلُ عنِ الخديعة وهي حَزْمٌ

وفي الأعْداءِ جَبَّاهٌ هُمامُ

وفي الأعْداءِ جَبَّاهٌ هُمامُ

You rise above deception, even when it is prudent,

You rise above fraud which is wisdom

And against enemies, you are a bold, resolute challenger.

And among foes determined brows

ولم يَكُ مثلُ فضلك في وزيرٍ

ولم يَكُ مثلُ فضلك في وزيرٍ

ولا سَيكونُ وانْقَطَعَ الكَلامُ

ولا سَيكونُ وانْقَطَعَ الكَلامُ

And no vizier has ever had excellence like yours,

Never did a minister possess your merit

Nor will there be—and the speech is ended.

Nor will anyone as speech ends