1. عيد حظى بك والأَعياد تقتتلُ

    على وصالك والمحظوظ من يصلُ

    A feast was blessed with you, while the other feasts contend

    for your company; fortunate is whoever reaches you.

  2. ففاز بالوصل هذا الآن دونهم

    ولم يخبه رجىً فيكم ولا أمل

    So this one now won your company ahead of them,

    and no hope in you, nor any expectation, failed it.

  3. وافاك بالنصر والفتح المبين معاً

    هذا وذاك مقيم وهو مرتحلُ

    It came to you bringing victory and manifest conquest together;

    these two abide, while it departs.

  4. وعاينت مقلتاه ما خبأت له

    مما تحير في أوصأَفه المِقِلُ

    Its two eyes beheld what you had stored away for it,

    among things whose descriptions bewilder the eyes.

  5. فها له منك مرأى فوق مسمعه

    وكاد يخرجهُ من عقله الجذلُ

    Behold, it had from you a sight surpassing what it had heard,

    and joy nearly drove it out of its mind.

  6. مثلت فيه عليك التاجُ ممتطياً

    كرسيىّ مملكةٍ تزهو بها الدول

    You appeared that day, the crown upon you, mounted on

    the throne of a kingdom in which dynasties take pride.

  7. والإِذن يبرز في أَهل الفياح بأَن

    يؤتى بهم رجل من بعده رجُلُ

    Permission was issued among the people of the wide lands that

    they be brought in, one man after another.

  8. يكادُ كل مليك أو هزبر وغىً

    كما تقاد وتنضى الأنيقُ الذُلُلُ

    Every king or lion of battle is led,

    as docile she-camels are led and worn down.

  9. يقبلّون الثرى خوفاً وأسعدهم

    من أسقطت تاجه قدامك القُبَلُ

    They kiss the dust in fear; the most fortunate among them

    is he whose kisses knocked his crown off before you.

  10. ويرغمون أُنوفا طال ما شمخت

    تيهاً ولاولا السطا والسيف ما فعلوا

    They rub into the dust noses that long stood high

    in arrogance; but for force and the sword, they would not have done so.

  11. وأرعبت صيحةُ الجاووش أَفئدة

    منهم وقد راعها ما راع إذ دخلوا

    The usher's shout terrified hearts

    among them, already awed by what awed them as they entered.

  12. يوم عظيم كساه من محاسنه

    ملك به في البرايا يُضربَ المَثِلُ

    A splendid day, clothed in his fine qualities

    by a king held up as an example among humankind.

  13. أَظهرت من عزةِ الملك العقيم به

    ما زيّن العيد منه الحليُ والحللُ

    That day you displayed the might of kingship that knows no kin,

    a splendor whose jewels and robes adorned the feast.

  14. والبيض والسمر الدقاق زكت

    والجيش تملي الفضا والخيل والخِول

    White swords and slender brown spears multiplied,

    and the army, horses, and servants filled the open ground.

  15. والأرض ترتجُّ وطياً من حوافرها

    وللصهيل وأَصوات الورى زَجَلُ

    The earth shook under the tread of their hooves,

    and neighing and human voices raised a clamor.

  16. والناسُ تخبط منهم في الخروج به

    هذا يخبر ذا عنه وذا يَسَلُ

    The people jostled among them as they came out with him;

    this one told another of him, while another asked.

  17. وللمصلّى اشتياق لو أَطاق به

    سعياً لكان إِلى لقياك ينتقلُ

    The prayer ground yearned; had it been able, through that yearning,

    to hasten, it would have moved to meet you.

  18. حتى إِذا قيل هذا أُحمدُ انقشعت

    من القساطل عن من تحتها كللُ

    Until, when it was said, 'This is Ahmad,' there lifted

    veils of dust-clouds from those beneath them.

  19. وافترَّ كالثغر عنه الجمعُ واتّضحت

    من بعد ظُلمتها للسالِك السُبُلُ

    The crowd parted around him like a smiling mouth, making clear

    the paths to the traveler after their darkness.

  20. ولاح نورُ محياهُ فأذهلهم

    لما رأوه ولا لوم إِذا ذهلو

    The light of his face shone forth and stunned them

    when they saw him; no blame if they were stunned.

  21. بدا لهم ملكٌ تنبي شمائله

    بأَن في السرج منه ضيغمٌ بطلُ

    A king appeared to them, whose bearing proclaimed

    that he was a lion in the saddle, a champion.

  22. يمشى به الطَرْفُ مما قد يؤربه

    مشيَ الغمامة لا ريبٌ ولا عَجلُ

    His steed bore him along, thanks to his skillful schooling of it,

    with the gait of a cloud, neither wavering nor hastening.

  23. فما يُشار إِليه هيبة بيدٍ

    ولا يكرر فيه لحظُه الرجُلُ

    No hand pointed toward him, out of awe,

    nor did any man give him a second look.

  24. والشمس أكسفُ ما كانت بطلعِته

    كما تجلّى عليها النور يشتعلُ

    The sun was at its most eclipsed by his appearance,

    as light shone forth upon it, blazing.

  25. وبان للمنكرى كون الكسوف جرا

    للشمس في يوم عيد إِنهم جهلوا

    It became clear to those denying that an eclipse had occurred

    to the sun on a feast day that they had been ignorant.

  26. أَقبلت والخيل في الميدان عاكفةٌ

    للطعنِ في حلق حوكي بها المقلُ

    You approached while the horses were intent in the arena

    on thrusting at rings made to resemble eyes.

  27. يمضون فيه على ما رتّبوا أَسفاً

    والوحَيُ منتظر والأُمر مَمتثِلُ

    They proceeded through it in their appointed order, in distress,

    with the signal awaited and the command obeyed.

  28. هذا يصيبُ وذا يخطى بطعنتهِ

    وأَنت تضَحكُ ممن مسَّهُ الخجلُ

    This one struck true, while that one's thrust missed,

    and you laughed at whoever was touched by embarrassment.

  29. وجئتَ نحو المصلّى سَيّداً ملكاً

    بقلبِ عبدٍ لرب العرش يبتذلُ

    You came toward the prayer ground as a lord and king,

    with the heart of a servant humbling himself before the Lord of the Throne.

  30. تمشى الهويني وأيدي الخلق قد رفعت

    تدعو لك الله عن حبٍّ وتبتهلُ

    You walked gently, while people's hands were raised,

    praying to God for you out of love and supplicating.

  31. حبٌّ يزيد على الإِحسان موقعُهُ

    ينبي بأَن عليه الخلق قد جُبلوا

    A love whose effect surpasses that of kindness,

    proclaiming that people were naturally fashioned to feel it.

  32. وقمتَ لله تدعوه وتذكرهُ

    ذكر امرىءٍ حبله بالله متصلُ

    You stood before God, praying to Him and remembering Him,

    with the remembrance of a man whose cord is joined to God.

  33. وعدت للنحر كي تحيى شعائره

    عود الحلي لجيد مسه عطلُ

    You returned to sacrifice, to revive its rites,

    like ornaments returning to a neck left bare.

  34. نحرتها بدراً تغني العُفاة بها

    فما الشياه وما الأَبقار والإِبلُ

    You slaughtered purses of money, enriching petitioners with them;

    so what are sheep, and what are cattle and camels?

  35. وليهنِكَ العيد واليوم الذي انتظمتْ

    لك المحاسنُ فيه واكتفى الاملُ

    May the feast delight you, and the day on which were gathered

    all excellences for you, and hope was satisfied.

  36. وليهنهِ منك هذا الاحتفال به

    مما يصدِّقُ فيه قولَك العملُ

    And may your celebration of it bring it joy,

    in which deeds bear out your words.

  37. أَثنى صباحا على الأَفلاك سائرة

    وذمَّها حين دانى سمته الطَّفلُ

    In the morning it praised the moving celestial spheres,

    and blamed them when twilight drew near its course.

  38. وهل يلامُ على شكوى فراقكمُ

    والقربُ منك حياةٌ والنوى أَجل

    Can it be blamed for lamenting parting from you,

    when nearness to you is life, and separation is death?

  39. خذها عروساً بغير الحسن ما جُليت

    والكحل في العين أَمر فوقه الكحلُ

    Take her as a bride, unveiled with beauty alone;

    kohl in the eye is one thing; natural dark beauty surpasses it.

  40. فقد غنيت بكم عن علقة بفتى

    يلفق القول في وصفي وينتحلُ

    For through you I need no attachment to a fellow

    who fabricates words about me and makes false claims.

  41. استغفر الله فالأَقدارُ جاريةٌ

    بما قضى الله لا تغنى الفتى الحيلُ

    I seek God's forgiveness, for destinies run their course

    as God has decreed; stratagems avail a man nothing.