تراءت لك الأيام باسمة الثغر

ووجه التهاني قد تهلل بالبشر

The days appeared to you with smiling lips,

and the face of congratulations lit up with gladness.

وروض سماء الفضل اينع مزهرا

بسارية الاقمار والانجم الزهر

The garden of the sky of excellence ripened into bloom,

with the night-rain cloud of moons and radiant stars.

وابدت احاديث الصبا عنه ما انطوى

وعادت الينا وهي طيبة النشر

The east wind's tales revealed what lay hidden of it,

and returned to us, sweet in fragrance.

وأضحت دمشق الشام تزهو وقد غدا

لها الشرف الأعلى فدعني من مصر

Damascus of Syria grew radiant with pride, for now

hers was the highest honor—so spare me talk of Egypt.

وفاقت على السمر الرشاق غصونها

اذا ما تثنت في غلائلها الخضر

Her branches surpassed the slender brown lances,

when they swayed in their green gowns.

وجبهتها الغراء سافرة غدت

تضىء بها الاقمار في حندس الشعر

Her radiant brow stood unveiled,

and by it moons shine in the deep darkness of hair.

وحسنا زهت تلك البقاع وقد حلت

كما قد حلا الروض الموشع بالقطر

Those lands shone in beauty and grew sweet,

as the garden grew sweet, embroidered with rain.

وعادت اسآت الزمان وقد صفت

بها حسنات في نقا وجنة الدهر

Time's misdeeds turned, now cleansed,

through her, into good deeds upon the dune of Time's cheek.

وجمجمت الشقرا بميدان شوقها

سروراً وقد يممتم ساحة القصر

The chestnut mare whinnied in the field of her longing,

for joy, as you made for the palace courtyard.

وقد فزت من لقياكم اليوم بالمنى

وقلت لعمري هذه ساعة العمر

Through meeting you today, I attained my wishes,

and said, "By my life, this is the hour of a lifetime!"

فذا اليوم في الايام لا يوم مثله

كما في الليالي قد بدت ليلة القدر

This day has no equal among days,

as the Night of Decree has shone forth among nights.

بماذا ترى ندعوك يا واحد العلا

أكاتب سر انت ام كاتب البشر

What, do you think, shall we call you, O peerless one of eminence?

Are you a confidential secretary, or a scribe of gladness?

دعيت وقد وفقت يوما لامرها

فكنت لها نعم الموفق في الامر

You were summoned and one day granted success in her affairs,

and how well you succeeded for her in that task!

ومنها لقد حليت ما كان عاطلا

ولا شيء للحسناء كالعقد في النحر

You adorned those parts of her that had been bare,

and nothing becomes a beauty like a necklace at her throat.

ووفيتها ما فوق فوق حقوقا

فلا بدع ان تختال في حلل الفخر

You paid her dues far, far beyond what was owed,

so no wonder she struts in robes of pride.

وخزت من المجد الرفيع مكانة

سموت بها قدرا على هامة السنر

You gained a station in lofty glory,

by which your rank rose above the eagle's head.

فللّه من اقلامك السمر انها

تفوق على تلك المثقفة السمر

God be praised for your brown pens, for they

surpass those straightened brown lances.

وسقيا لها بالجود تورق والندى

وتثمر بالمال الجزيل وبالوفر

May they be watered with generosity and dew, putting forth leaves,

and bear abundant wealth and plenty as fruit.

بها امدد يمينا طالما جزرت عدا

فديت يدا بالمد جاءت بالجزر

With them extend a right hand that has so often slaughtered foes;

I would ransom a hand that brought an ebb with its flow.

تجود بما لا جاد من قبل غيرها

وتعطي عطا من لا يخاف من الفقر

It gives what no other hand has given before,

and gives as one who does not fear poverty.

فدع كل وصف عند فيض نوالها

وقل ما تشا عنها وحدث عن البحر

Set aside every description before the flood of its gifts,

say what you will of it, and speak of the sea.

وحقك لم استوف في المدح بعض ما

عليّ لها من واجب الحمد والشكر

By your honor, my praise has not fulfilled even part of what

I owe that hand in rightful praise and thanks.

وهاك فلي عذر اقام به الهوى

فيا صدق من قد قال ان الهوى عذري

Here it is: I have an excuse in which love has settled,

so how truly spoke the one who said, "Love is my excuse!"

اتيت الى علياك استمطر الندى

فقابلتني باليسر في ساعة العسر

I came to your eminence, seeking a rain of bounty,

and you met me with ease in an hour of hardship.

وكم جئت صفر الكف بابك قبلها

فعادت بدي ملأى من البيض والصفر

How often before then I came empty-handed to your door,

and my hand returned full of white and yellow coins.

وقالوا أتحكي البحر يمناه في الوفا

فقلت لهم والفرق يسفر كالفجر

They asked, "Does his right hand resemble the sea in generosity?"

I told them, the difference shining clear as dawn:

فيالخير تأتي في الزيادة هذه

وذلك يأتي في الزيادة بالكسر

"This hand brings good as its bounty increases,

while that sea brings wreckage when its waters rise."

له راحة تروي المكارم عن عطا

كذا وجهه يروي الطلاقة عن بشر

His palm recounts noble deeds on the authority of ʿAta,

and likewise his face recounts cheerfulness on the authority of Bishr.

به قسما ما ان له من مضارع

وتلقاه في افعاله ماضي الامر

I swear by him: he has no equal,

and in his actions you find him decisive in command.

من الاكرمين السابقين إلى العلا

من الصفوة الانجاب والسادة الغر

He is of the noblest, who race toward eminence,

of the chosen, well-born, and illustrious lords:

كرام بنو العباس من نسل هاشم

وعبد مناف من قصى ومن فهو

the noble sons of al-ʿAbbas, of Hashim's lineage,

and ʿAbd Manaf, from Qusay and from Fihr.

فيا لك من مجد اثيل حويته

وقدر عظيم الشأن جل عن القدر

What deep-rooted glory you have gathered,

and what mighty rank, beyond all measure!

فدونكها بكرا اذا ما اجتليتها

فتغنى بها عن كل غانية بكر

So take her, a virgin; when you behold her,

she will suffice you in place of every virgin beauty.

لنحوك وافت من خباها كأنها

وقد سفرت عذراء تبدو من الخدر

She has come toward you from her tent, as though she were,

now unveiled, a virgin emerging from her bower.

مهذبة فاقت معاني صفاتها

بنات بني الآداب انتجها فكري

Polished, the meanings of her descriptions surpass

the daughters of men of letters; my thought begot her.

ويأخذ بالالباب سحر كلامها

فهل اخذت عن بابل صنعة السحر

The enchantment of her words captivates minds;

did she learn the craft of sorcery from Babylon?

مكررها في الذوق لو لم يكن حلا

لما ظهرت تلك الحلاوة من شعري

Had her repeated lines not been sweet to taste,

that sweetness would not have emerged from my poetry.

فدم في ذرى الاقبال وارق سما العلا

على كاهل المجد الرفيع مدى الدهر

So remain upon the heights of good fortune, and climb the sky of eminence,

upon the shoulders of lofty glory, for all time.

فلا زال في العلياء بدرك كاملا

وسعدك زاو بالكمال وبالبدر

So may your moon remain forever full on high,

and your fortune shine with perfection and the full moon.

ونلت فخارا ما بدا الروض يانعا

وما رنحت اعطافه نسمة الفجر

And may you win honor as long as the garden is lush,

and as long as the dawn breeze sways its boughs.