1. بك الدهر قد أبدى التهلل والبشرا

    ومما جنى قد جاء يبدي لنا العذرا

    Through you, time has shown radiance and gladness,

    and has come offering us an excuse for the wrong it wrought.

  2. وإن كانت العلياء غاب شهابها

    فانك فيها مطلع انجما زهرا

    Though the bright star of glory's heights has vanished,

    you bring forth radiant stars within them.

  3. وان كان ذاك البحر قد غاض في الثرى

    فيمناك قد ابدت لنا ابحرا عشرا

    And though that sea has sunk away into the earth,

    your right hand has brought forth ten seas for us.

  4. وما مات من في الدهر انت وليه

    ولم يطو يوما من نشرت له ذكرا

    He whose protector you are in this world has not died,

    nor is anyone ever forgotten whose renown you have spread.

  5. فصبرا اولي الدين صبرا لما مضى

    وشكرا لما اوتيت من بعدها شكرا

    So patience, O people of faith, patience for what has passed,

    and gratitude for what you were granted afterward—gratitude.

  6. وبشراك قد وليت اشرف منصب

    وبالصبر قد نلت المثوبة والاجرا

    Glad tidings to you: you have been appointed to the noblest office,

    and through patience have won recompense and reward.

  7. وزادت دمشق الشام حسنا واصبحت

    لها الشرف الاعلى وفاقت بكم مصرا

    Damascus of Syria has grown more beautiful, and now

    holds the highest honor, surpassing Egypt through you.

  8. وقد حازت الشقرا بميدانها العلا

    وسادت على الشهبا بجبهتها الغرا

    Al-Shaqra has won eminence in her arena,

    and surpassed al-Shahba with her radiant brow.

  9. ومالت بها السمر الرشاق على الربا

    وقد لبست من سندس حللا خضرا

    Upon her hills the slender, dusky trees have swayed,

    clad in green robes of fine silk.

  10. وعن لؤلؤ الانداء ثغر اقاحبا

    بدا باسماً يزهو فاكرم به ثغرا

    And a daisy-mouth, revealing pearls of dew,

    appeared smiling and radiant—what a splendid mouth!

  11. وجامعها زفت عليك عروسه

    ومنبره ابدى المسرة والبشرا

    Her great mosque's bride was escorted to you,

    and its pulpit displayed delight and gladness.

  12. وقد اصبحت تلك المساكن جنة

    فمن حل فيها لا يجوع ولا يعرى

    Those dwellings have become a paradise,

    where whoever settles neither hungers nor goes naked.

  13. منازل للأقمار امست منازلا

    اذا غاب بدرٌ اطلعت بعده بدرا

    Dwellings that have become mansions for moons:

    whenever one full moon sets, they raise another after it.

  14. الا يا بني الآمال فاعثوا لناره

    وان رستم وردا فدونكم البحرا

    Lo, children of hope, seek his fire;

    and if you seek a watering place, here is the sea.

  15. فهذا الذي يفتي النضار مواهبا

    ولا نصبا حاشاه يخشى ولا فقرا

    For this is he who lavishes pure gold in gifts,

    fearing neither hardship—far be it from him—nor poverty.

  16. ومن جاءه يشكو من الدهر عسرة

    فان مع العسر الذي ناله يسرا

    Whoever comes to him complaining of hardship from fate,

    finds ease alongside the hardship that befell him.

  17. امام الهدى قاضي القضاة ومن سمت

    ببهجته الدنيا واظهرت البشرى

    The imam of guidance, chief of judges, through whose

    splendor the world has risen high and proclaimed glad tidings.

  18. خبير بصير بالامور اخو ذكا

    له فطنة يذكي نوقدها الجمرا

    Well-versed and discerning in affairs, endowed with intelligence,

    he has a wit whose blaze sets the embers aglow.

  19. وقد عبق الارجاء طيب ثنائه

    واحيا شذاه ما انطوى وذكا نشرا

    The fragrance of praise for him has perfumed every quarter,

    and its scent revived what lay hidden and grew strong in fragrance.

  20. وقد حاز في العلياء مجداً وسؤددا

    ونال محلا ساميا وعلا قدرا

    He has won glory and eminence in the heights,

    reached an exalted station and risen in worth.

  21. وما ذاك الا من ابيه وراثة

    ولا عجب للبحر ان ولد الدرا

    This is nothing but an inheritance from his father;

    no wonder that the sea should beget pearls.

  22. فقل للذي قد رام يحكي نواله

    لقد رمت شيئا لن تحيط به خبرا

    Tell the one who has sought to rival his bounty:

    You have sought something your knowledge will never encompass.

  23. وما ذا عسى اني اقول ومدحه

    اذا قلت شعرا زين النظم والنثرا

    What could I possibly say? Praise of him,

    when I utter poetry, adorns both verse and prose.

  24. وان تليت بالحمد آيات شاعر

    بمدح سواه فهو آيتها الكبرى

    If a poet's verses are recited with acclaim

    in praise of another, he is their greatest verse.

  25. فيا واحد الدنيا ومن نور فرقه

    ازال الدجا عنا وابدى لنا الفجرا

    O peerless one of the world, whose hair-parting's light

    has banished darkness from us and revealed the dawn:

  26. لنحوك قد اضحى التفاتي لأنني

    وحقك لا زبدا اروم ولا عمرا

    my attention has now turned toward you, for I—

    by your honor—seek neither Zayd nor Amr.

  27. ولولا معانيك البديعة لم اقل

    قريضاً ولا صغتُ القوافي والشعرا

    Were it not for your wondrous qualities, I would not have uttered

    verse, nor fashioned rhymes and poetry.

  28. فخذها عروسا بالمعاني بديعة

    مكملة الاوصاف غانية عذرا

    So take her, a bride wondrous in meaning,

    perfect in her qualities, beautiful and virginal.

  29. مخدرة عنها اميط قناعها

    فأسبل عليها من حلي الرضا سترا

    A secluded maiden, her veil has been lifted from her;

    so drape over her a veil of the jewels of favor.

  30. وألق نثار الدر عند زفافها

    عليها وزد في النقد وابذل لها المهرا

    And cast a scattering of pearls at her wedding

    upon her; increase the cash, and grant her the bridal dower.

  31. فلا زال نجم السعد نحوك ناظرا

    وطالعك الميمون يسمو على الشعرى

    May the star of good fortune ever look toward you,

    and your auspicious ascendant rise above Sirius.

  32. وقصر عن علياك كل مماثل

    وطول رب العالمين لك العمرا

    May every rival fall short of your eminence,

    and may the Lord of all worlds prolong your life.