هَنيئاً هيَ الآمالُ حيّتْ بنُجْحِها

هَنيئاً هيَ الآمالُ حيّتْ بنُجْحِها

بَشائِرُها لاحَتْ أشِعّةُ صُبْحِها

بَشائِرُها لاحَتْ أشِعّةُ صُبْحِها

Joy to you! Hopes have greeted you with their fulfillment.

Congratulations, here are the hopes that have been fulfilled by their success,

Their glad tidings have shone forth—the rays of their dawn.

Its glad tidings shone with the rays of its dawn,

وإلا فما بالُ المجرّةِ قد غدَتْ

وإلا فما بالُ المجرّةِ قد غدَتْ

تَفَتَّحُ زَهْرُ الزُّهْرِ في روضِ جُنْحِها

تَفَتَّحُ زَهْرُ الزُّهْرِ في روضِ جُنْحِها

Otherwise, why has the Milky Way come to be

Otherwise why has the galaxy become illuminated,

blooming with star-blossoms in the garden of its darkness?

The flowers of flowers bloom in the meadow of its wing,

وما لطُيورِ اليُمْنِ قد سنَحَتْ ضُحىً

وما لطُيورِ اليُمْنِ قد سنَحَتْ ضُحىً

وراقَ على الأفْنانِ ترْديدُ صَدْحِها

وراقَ على الأفْنانِ ترْديدُ صَدْحِها

And why have the birds of good fortune flown past at midmorning,

And why have the birds of Yemen cooed at dawn,

their repeated song upon the branches delighting the ear?

And the melodies echoed beautifully over the treetops,

وما للنّسيمِ اللّدْنِ يُذْكى كأنّهُ

وما للنّسيمِ اللّدْنِ يُذْكى كأنّهُ

يُخيّمُ في بانِ الخِيامِ وطَلْحِها

يُخيّمُ في بانِ الخِيامِ وطَلْحِها

And why is the gentle breeze made fragrant, as though

And why has the gentle breeze been ignited as if

it were encamping among the tents' ban trees and acacias?

It is hovering over the tents and their peaks,

وما ذاكَ إلا أن تطلّعَ نيّرٌ

وما ذاكَ إلا أن تطلّعَ نيّرٌ

ملامِحُهُ تبْأى البُدورُ بلمْحِها

ملامِحُهُ تبْأى البُدورُ بلمْحِها

All this is only because a luminary has risen,

That is only because a brilliant light has shone,

whose features the full moons take pride in glimpsing.

Its features make the full moons shy with its glance,

أثارَتْ بهِ الأقْطارُ لمّا غَدا بها

أثارَتْ بهِ الأقْطارُ لمّا غَدا بها

لتأميلِ أهْليها وتأمين سرْحِها

لتأميلِ أهْليها وتأمين سرْحِها

The lands stirred through him when he went among them,

It has stirred the regions when it came to them,

to give their people hope and secure their grazing flocks.

For the purpose of beautifying its people and securing their pasture,

فنورُ الهُدَى لم يحتَجِبْ عندَما بَدا

فنورُ الهُدَى لم يحتَجِبْ عندَما بَدا

ونارُ القِرى لم تَخْبُ منْ بعْدِ قدْحِها

ونارُ القِرى لم تَخْبُ منْ بعْدِ قدْحِها

For the light of guidance, once it appeared, was never veiled,

So the light of guidance did not disappear when it appeared,

and the fire of hospitality has not died down since its kindling.

And the fire of battles did not die down after its kindling,

كأنّي بهِ يُعْلي مَعالمَ للنّدى

كأنّي بهِ يُعْلي مَعالمَ للنّدى

تُصرِّحُ جدْواهُ بإعْلاءِ صرْحِها

تُصرِّحُ جدْواهُ بإعْلاءِ صرْحِها

I can picture him raising monuments to generosity,

It is as if it raises the landmarks of dew,

his bounty proclaiming itself by raising their edifice.

Its generosity states the elevation of its pavilion,

كأني به والكفُّ منهُ غَمامةٌ

كأني به والكفُّ منهُ غَمامةٌ

تَجودُ لدى منْعِ الزّمانِ بمنْحِها

تَجودُ لدى منْعِ الزّمانِ بمنْحِها

I can picture him, his hand a rain cloud

It is as if its palm is a cloud,

pouring out its gifts when time withholds.

That gives generously when time is stingy with its gifts,

كأنّي به تكْفي الأعاديَ كفُّهُ

كأنّي به تكْفي الأعاديَ كفُّهُ

وقد صافَحَ الأبطالَ مرْهَفُ صفْحِها

وقد صافَحَ الأبطالَ مرْهَفُ صفْحِها

I can picture him, his hand keeping his enemies at bay,

It is as if its palm satisfies the enemies,

and its palm's keen blade has already shaken hands with champions.

And the gallant's sword has clasped its forgiveness,

كأني به والرومُ ترْهَبُ بَطْشَهُ

كأني به والرومُ ترْهَبُ بَطْشَهُ

ونارُ الوَغى ترْمي بمَشْبوبِ لَفْحِها

ونارُ الوَغى ترْمي بمَشْبوبِ لَفْحِها

I can picture him, the Romans fearing his onslaught,

It is as if it terrifies the Romans with its might,

and battle's fire hurling its fiercely blazing heat.

And the fire of turmoil casts its flaming sparks,

وقد حلّ منْها في رِضاكَ مَعاقِلاً

وقد حلّ منْها في رِضاكَ مَعاقِلاً

كفيلٌ لها الصّنْعُ الجميلُ بفتْحِها

كفيلٌ لها الصّنْعُ الجميلُ بفتْحِها

And, to please you, he has descended upon their strongholds,

And it has settled graciously in your citadels,

whose conquest gracious providence guarantees.

The good deed guarantees their opening,

تَدور بها غُرُّ الجِيادِ كأنّما

تَدور بها غُرُّ الجِيادِ كأنّما

غدَتْ سِرْبَ أرْآمٍ تَهادَتْ لسَرْحِها

غدَتْ سِرْبَ أرْآمٍ تَهادَتْ لسَرْحِها

White-blazed steeds wheel around them, as though

The steeds circle around it as if they have become

they had become a herd of white gazelles moving gently toward their pasture.

A flock of ostriches brought together for its pasture,

فَما زُهيَتْ بالخيْلِ راقَتْ صُفوفُها

فَما زُهيَتْ بالخيْلِ راقَتْ صُفوفُها

ولكنّها حسْناءُ باهَتْ بوُشْحِها

ولكنّها حسْناءُ باهَتْ بوُشْحِها

They did not glory in horses, lovely though their ranks were;

So its ranks were not adorned with horses,

rather, they were a beauty proud of her sashes.

Rather it is beautiful but pale due to its donation,

وكم لكَ من صفْحٍ يُبيحُ دماءَهُمْ

وكم لكَ من صفْحٍ يُبيحُ دماءَهُمْ

يُروّي أديمَ الأرضِ منْهلُّ سَفْحِها

يُروّي أديمَ الأرضِ منْهلُّ سَفْحِها

And many a blade of yours makes their blood lawful,

And how much clemency you have that allows their blood,

the torrent of their spilled blood drenching the earth's skin.

To water the surface of the earth from its pouring,

كأنّ سُيوفَ الهِندِ أنهارُ دوْحةٍ

كأنّ سُيوفَ الهِندِ أنهارُ دوْحةٍ

تُهَيّأُ أرواحُ العُداةِ لسَبْحِها

تُهَيّأُ أرواحُ العُداةِ لسَبْحِها

As though the swords of India were rivers of a spreading tree,

It is as if the Indian swords are rivers of kindness,

the enemies' souls readied to swim in them.

Prepared for the souls of the enemies for its swimming,

وما نقَعَتْ نارَ الحُروبِ وإنّما

وما نقَعَتْ نارَ الحُروبِ وإنّما

جداوِلُها شبّتْ لواعِجَ بَرْحِها

جداوِلُها شبّتْ لواعِجَ بَرْحِها

And they did not quench the fire of wars; rather,

The fires of wars did not ignite, but rather

their rivulets kindled the burning pangs of its torment.

Its streams bubbled from the agitation of its joy,

إذا ما النّجيعُ احْمرّ فوقَ فِرِندها

إذا ما النّجيعُ احْمرّ فوقَ فِرِندها

حكى وجْنةَ العذْراءِ من تحت رَشْحِها

حكى وجْنةَ العذْراءِ من تحت رَشْحِها

Whenever fresh blood reddens upon their steel's watered pattern,

When the battlefield blushed over its soil,

it resembles a maiden's cheek beneath her perspiration.

It depicted the cheek of the innocent virgin beneath its drizzle,

فما ترْتَجي إلا نَدى كفّ يوسُفٍ

فما ترْتَجي إلا نَدى كفّ يوسُفٍ

إمامِ المُلوكِ الأكْرَمينَ وسمْحِها

إمامِ المُلوكِ الأكْرَمينَ وسمْحِها

So they hope only for the bounty of Yusuf's hand,

So it does not desire but the dew of Yusuf's palm,

leader of the noblest kings, and the open-handed one among them.

The Imam of the most generous kings and his clemency,

فللهِ منْها راحةٌ ناصريّةٌ

فللهِ منْها راحةٌ ناصريّةٌ

تعوّدَتِ الأملاكُ عادةَ صفْحِها

تعوّدَتِ الأملاكُ عادةَ صفْحِها

God be praised for a Nasrid palm among them,

By it there is a Nasiri comfort,

whose habitual clemency kings have grown accustomed to.

The angels have become accustomed to its forgiveness,

أموْلايَ يا مَنْ قد حَبا اللهُ كفَّهُ

أموْلايَ يا مَنْ قد حَبا اللهُ كفَّهُ

بأعْلى أسانيدِ النّدى وأصَحّها

بأعْلى أسانيدِ النّدى وأصَحّها

O my lord, you whose hand God has endowed

My Lord, O you whose palm God has granted

with generosity's highest and soundest chains of transmission,

The highest proofs of guidance and its most correct,

نَواسِمُ أفكاري تُذيعُ مدائِحاً

نَواسِمُ أفكاري تُذيعُ مدائِحاً

تعطّرتِ الأرجاءُ من طيبِ نفْحِها

تعطّرتِ الأرجاءُ من طيبِ نفْحِها

the breezes of my thoughts spread praises,

The melodies of my thoughts spread praises,

whose sweet fragrance has perfumed the surroundings.

The horizons are fragrant from the scent of its breath,

فهَذي قَوافي الشّعْرِ أعْذَبْتُ وِرْدَها

فهَذي قَوافي الشّعْرِ أعْذَبْتُ وِرْدَها

ومَن رامَها ضنّتْ عليهِ بنَضْحِها

ومَن رامَها ضنّتْ عليهِ بنَضْحِها

So here are poetry's rhymes; I have made their draught sweet,

So these rhymes of poetry, I have ripened their roses,

and from whoever sought them, they withheld even a sprinkling.

And whoever desires them, they have been stingy to him with their dripping,

رأتْ بمَغاني المُلْكِ إذ سرحَتْ بها

رأتْ بمَغاني المُلْكِ إذ سرحَتْ بها

مغانيَ لا يأتي البليغُ بشرْحِها

مغانيَ لا يأتي البليغُ بشرْحِها

In the abodes of kingship, as they roamed through them, they saw

They have seen with the meanings of the kingdom when they roamed through it,

abodes that no eloquent speaker can describe.

Meanings that the eloquent cannot describe,

فصاغَتْ من النظْمِ البليغِ قِلادةً

فصاغَتْ من النظْمِ البليغِ قِلادةً

وموْلَى الوَرى يُصْغي استِماعاً لمدْحِها

وموْلَى الوَرى يُصْغي استِماعاً لمدْحِها

So they fashioned a necklace of eloquent verse,

So it crafted from the eloquent prose a necklace,

while the lord of mankind listens attentively to their praise.

And the Lord of the people listens closely to its praise,

وقد علِمَتْ منْها القلائدُ أنّها

وقد علِمَتْ منْها القلائدُ أنّها

قلائِدُ حَلّى حُسْنُها جيدَ فتْحِها

قلائِدُ حَلّى حُسْنُها جيدَ فتْحِها

And the necklaces among them knew themselves to be

And the necklaces have learned that they

necklaces whose beauty adorned the neck of their victory.

Are necklaces whose beauty is the beauty of its opening,

فهُنِّئْتَها بُشْرى تعودُ بكُلِّ ما

فهُنِّئْتَها بُشْرى تعودُ بكُلِّ ما

تؤمّلُهُ الأيامُ من فوْزِ قِدْحِها

تؤمّلُهُ الأيامُ من فوْزِ قِدْحِها

So joy be yours in it—glad tidings returning with all that

So you were given the glad tidings of all

the days hope for from their lot-drawing arrow's success.

That the days hope for from the success of its kindling,