تقبل الله صوماً أنت واصله

من الصلاح بأعمال تشاكله

May God accept a fast you have joined

with righteous deeds that match it.

صوم تولى وقد أثنت فرائضه

عليك خيراً كما أثنت نوافله

A fast has passed, its prescribed rites having spoken

well of you, as have its voluntary devotions.

إن فارقت نيلك الأسنى أواخره

فقد تلقتك بالحسنى أوائله

If its last days have left your most splendid bounty,

its first days had already welcomed you with goodness.

لم يلق عندك غير البر قادمة

ولا تزود غير البر راحلة

It found nothing with you but goodness when it came,

and took nothing but goodness as provisions when it left.

صوم تبسم عن قطر كما ابتسمت

عن غرة الفجر من ليلى عياطله

A fast that smiled, revealing rain, just as there smiled

the long, dark reaches of my night, revealing dawn's bright brow.

ودعت هذا وداع المحسنين كما

قابلت هذا بما الرحمن قابله

You bade this farewell as the virtuous do, just as

you welcomed this with the welcome the All-Merciful gave it.

لما أظلك عيد الفطر وافتقرت

أسماع قوم إلى ما أنت قائلة

When the Feast of Fast-Breaking shaded you, and longing arose

in a people's ears for what you would say,

زرت المصلى ولولا ما خلعت على

رحابه من غراب خف آهله

you visited the prayer ground; had you not cast over

its courts a raven's mantle, its people would have taken flight.

واهتز شوقاً فلو يسطيع منبره

مادت أعاليه وارتجت أسافله

It swayed with longing; if its pulpit could,

its heights would sway and its lower reaches would quake.

حتى إذا ضاق بالأشهاد واستمعت

فصل الخطابة من قرب محافله

Until, when it was thronged with witnesses and they listened

in its nearby gatherings to the sermon's lucid eloquence,

لم يبق فصلك في الأفهام من صدأ

إلا وعقلك بالإفهام صاقله

your clear discourse left no rust in their understanding

that your intellect did not polish away by making things clear.

عرفتهم من طريق الرشد ما جهلوا

حتى تنبه غاوي القلب غافله

You taught them what they did not know of right guidance's path,

until the errant, heedless heart awoke.

وعدت نحو مقر العز في لجب

كالسيل فارسه والليل راجله

And you returned toward the seat of might amid a tumult,

its cavalry like a torrent, its infantry like night.

مثل الغمام ومن برق صوارمه

تحت القتام ومن رغد صواهله

Like clouds, with the lightning of its swords

beneath the dust, and its wealth of neighing steeds.

ترنو إليك عيون الخلق شاخصة

والأجر والفخر أدنى ما تحاوله

The eyes of all people gaze at you, fixed,

while reward and glory are the least of what you seek.

وفي المظلة وجه لم يزل أبداً

بشر القبول على وجه يقابله

And beneath the parasol is a face; always

the joy of welcome rests on any face that meets it.

وراية الملك والإسلام يحملها

لك اللواء الذي جبريل حامله

And the banner of kingship and Islam is borne

for you by the standard whose bearer is Gabriel.

أشبهت هدي رسول الله حين بدت

على شمائلك الحسنى شمائله

You mirrored the way of God's Messenger when there appeared

in your finest qualities his own qualities.

وفي جبينك نور من نبوته

وشاهد الحق لا تخفى دلائله

And on your brow is a light from his prophethood,

and a witness to truth whose proofs cannot be hidden.

قد أيد الله ديناً أنت عاضده

والناصر الذخر كافيه وكافله

God has indeed strengthened a faith whose supporter you are,

and al-Nasir, its treasured resource, sustains and guards it.

الكاشف الكرب لما عز كاشفه

والفارج الخطب لما ضاق نازله

Dispelling distress when a dispeller was hard to find,

and relieving calamity when its sufferer was hard-pressed.

لما أعز الهدى قرت قواعده

وامتد ساعده واشتد كاهله

When he made right guidance mighty, its foundations stood firm,

its arm stretched forth and its shoulders grew strong.

ماضي الأوامر إلا أن قدرته

يضيق ذرعاً بها قدر يماثله

His commands prevail—yet his power

is more than even an equal power can bear.

عزت به دولة أضحت محافظة

عنها يجالد خصماً أو يجادله

Through him a dynasty grew mighty and came under protection;

on its behalf he fights an enemy or debates him.

وكف بالأمس من كفي معاندها

حتى تلاشى بنور الحق باطله

And yesterday he stayed the hands of its adversary,

until his falsehood vanished in the light of truth.

ومن أراد بهذا البيت غائلة

فالنصر عاذله والنصر خاذله

Whoever intends harm against this house,

victory will rebuke him, and victory will forsake him.

فتح مبين ونصر عن يدي ملك

روض الهدى ذابل لولا ذوابله

A manifest triumph and victory at the hands of a king:

the garden of guidance would wither but for his slender spears.

يا عادل الحكم قل للدهر لا عجب

أن يفقد الجور لما قام عادله

O you just in judgment, tell Time: no wonder

that injustice should vanish when its redresser arose.

جادت بنانك مصراً وهي ذاوية

فاليوم طل الندى فيها ووابله

Your fingertips showered Egypt while she withered;

today she has generosity's dew and its downpour.

رويت بالقطر قطريه على ظمأ

ولا سحاب سوى ما أنت باذله

You watered its two regions with rain in their thirst,

and there is no cloud but what you bestow.

أصفاك ساكنها حباً ولا عجب

حسب الأنام لمن تندى أنامله

Its people have given you pure love; no wonder:

humanity's esteem belongs to one whose fingertips flow with bounty.

فاشكر نداك على ما أنت سامعه

من الثناء فإن الجود قائله

So thank your generosity for what you hear

of praise, for generosity is its speaker.

لا تلزمن القوافي فوق طاقتها

فالقول يقصر عما أنت فاعله

Do not burden rhymes beyond their power,

for words fall short of what you do.

أثني عليك أمير المؤمنين بما

يغنيك عاجله فخراً وآجله

The Commander of the Faithful has praised you with that

whose present and future are glory enough for you.

أضحت سجلاته في كل مجتمع

تتلو مديحك فانظر من يساجله

His decrees now, in every gathering,

recite your praise; see who can rival him.

فاسلم لدولته حتى تبلغها

أضعاف ما يتمناه ويأمله

So live unharmed for his dynasty until you bring it

many times what he desires and hopes for.