1. رسلُ البشائرِ ورّدٌ وصدورُ

    فَلترعَ أسماعٌ لها وصدورُ

    The messengers of glad tidings come and go;

    Let ears and hearts attend to them.

  2. بَكَرت تديرُ منَ المسرّة أكؤساً

    بِشذا التهاني نشرُها معطورُ

    They came early, passing round cups of happiness,

    Their fragrance perfumed with congratulation.

  3. يَهتزُّ عطفُ الإرتياحِ لذكرها

    وَيدورُ لحظُ الأنسِ حيث تدورُ

    Delight's frame sways at their mention,

    And pleasure's gaze follows wherever they turn.

  4. للّه دَهرٌ أَعتبَت أيّامهُ

    فَجَنى أزاهرَ وَصلها المهجورُ

    God be praised for an age whose days made amends:

    The forsaken gathered the blossoms of their reunion.

  5. فاءَت إِلى الحُسنى فإِن تكُ أسلفت

    ذَنباً فَموهوبٌ لها مغفورُ

    They returned to kindness; if they had previously committed

    A sin, it is pardoned and forgiven them.

  6. سَمَحت بكأسِ الوصلِ صفواً بعدما

    عَضَلتهُ في خدرِ المطالِ دهورُ

    They freely offered the pure cup of reunion, after

    Long ages had withheld it in delay's secluded chamber.

  7. أَسدَت يديهِ إِلى الورى يُمناهما

    يُمنٌ وفي يُسراهُما ميسورُ

    It extended its two hands to mankind: their right

    Is good fortune, and in their left lies ready bounty.

  8. فَاِنظر لِروضِ الإبتهاجِ قد اِكتسى

    حبرَ النضارةِ غصنه المهصورُ

    Look at the garden of rejoicing: now clothed

    In freshness's brocades stands its bent branch,

  9. مُتبرِّجاً للإحتفالِ كغادةٍ

    وُعدت بأنّ حبيبها سيزورُ

    Adorning itself for celebration like a maiden

    Promised that her beloved will visit.

  10. تَشدو بلابِله على فينانه

    ثَمرُ المُنى بظلالها منثورُ

    Its nightingales sing upon its leafy boughs;

    The fruit of wishes lies scattered beneath their shade.

  11. لا غَرو وَالأهواءُ تَستهدي النهى

    أن يستفزّ منَ السرورِ وقورُ

    No wonder, when desires seek reason's guidance,

    That even a dignified man is stirred by joy.

  12. أَوَ ما تراهُ أبانَ مِن أَعطافنا

    تيهاً فكلّ ذيله مجرورُ

    Do you not see how it has drawn from our bearing

    Such proud delight that everyone trails his robe?

  13. طَرباً بنجلٍ للوزيرِ المصطفى

    ميمونُ كلِّ نقيبة مبرورُ

    In joy at a son born to the minister Mustafa,

    Blessed in every disposition and favored.

  14. أَضحى مُقدّمة الهناء قدومهُ

    وَربيع محل مارَ منه المورُ

    His arrival became the herald of happiness

    And spring for a drought from which dust swirled.

  15. بَينا رمادُ المحلِ مربدٌّ بهِ

    وَجه الصعيدِ وصدرهُ محرورُ

    While drought's ash lay gray upon

    The ground's face, and its breast was scorched,

  16. تَرعى سوائِمُه الهشيمَ تلمّظاً

    وَثرى المواردِ في الرياح يثورُ

    Its grazing beasts nibbled dry stalks, licking their lips,

    And the watering places' dust rose in the winds,

  17. إِذ واجَهته من المحرّمِ غرّةٌ

    سَعدَت فأسعدنا بها المقدورُ

    The first day of Muharram met it,

    Auspicious, and destiny made us happy through it.

  18. نَشَرت بآفاقِ السماءِ مهارقاً

    فيها لِتوقيعِ الهناءِ سطورُ

    It spread scrolls across the sky's horizons,

    Bearing lines for happiness's signature:

  19. بُرءُ المشيرِ وفوزُ أرضٍ مسّها

    بِشكاتهِ لا يشتكي المحضورُ

    The marshal's recovery, and the deliverance of a land afflicted

    By his illness as not even the possessed suffers.

  20. قَد كاتَمَته تجمّلاً بَأساؤها

    حتّى تكاملَ للشفاءِ ظهورُ

    It had concealed its distress from him, keeping up appearances,

    Until his recovery became fully manifest.

  21. وَثنى لَها عِطفاً فَلمّا اِرتابها

    دَمق السماءَ ووجهه محسورُ

    He turned toward it; when he grew uneasy about it,

    He peered toward the sky, his face unveiled.

  22. فَإِذا خيامُ الغيمِ في أرجائها

    مَضروبةٌ وَحجابُها مستورُ

    And there were cloud-tents throughout its expanses,

    Pitched, and its veil was hidden.

  23. وَاِنحلّ سلكُ القطرِ حتّى أنّه

    في كلّ قطرٍ عقده منثورُ

    The thread of raindrops came undone, until

    In every region its necklace lay scattered.

  24. وَغَدت صلالُ سُيولهِ منسابةً

    فَجرى بِها المعمور والمغمورُ

    The serpents of its torrents went gliding,

    And inhabited and submerged lands ran with them.

  25. تَفري أَديمَ الأَرضِ عَن مَحَلٍ إِلى

    أن أخرَجَت مِنهُ الضبابَ جحورُ

    They ripped the earth's skin free of drought, until

    Burrows cast the lizards out of it.

  26. فَتَلَقَّفَتهُ كَما تَلَقَّفَتِ العَصا

    سحر العصي بِما حَباها الطُورُ

    They swallowed it, just as the staff swallowed

    The rods' sorcery, through what the Mount bestowed on it.

  27. وَتقَرَّتِ الأَجرازُ فَهيَ تُثيرُها

    عَلا بِبَردِ نَميرِها فَتَخورُ

    They sought out barren tracts, stirring them—

    Hard rocks—with their cool, sweet water, until they yielded.

  28. حَتّى إِذا عَفَتِ المَذاهِبُ وَاِغتَدَت

    مِنها سُهولُ الأَرضِ وَهيَ وُعورُ

    Until they effaced the pathways and turned

    The earth's level lands, through them, into rugged ground.

  29. وَتَعَطَّلَت طُرُقُ المَجازاتِ الَّتي

    أَوهَت قَرائِنُها فَعَزَّ عُبورُ

    The routes of crossing were disabled,

    Their connecting bonds weakened, and passage grew difficult.

  30. وَأَغارَ بِالأَغوارِ ذَرءُ سُيوبِها

    وَتَطَلَّع الأَنجاد مِنهُ زَخورُ

    The spread of their streams invaded the lowlands,

    And a surging flood climbed the heights.

  31. وَاِستَقبلَ الخَضراءَ مِن غبرائِها

    وَجهٌ بأعينِ سَعدِها مَنظورُ

    Toward the green sky, from its dusty earth, turned

    A face beheld by the eyes of good fortune.

  32. فَكَأَنَّ كُلَّ قَرارَةٍ قارورَةٌ

    رَقَّت فَلاحَ ضَميرُها المَستورُ

    As though every basin were a glass vessel,

    Made transparent, revealing its hidden interior.

  33. وَكَأَنَّ مُطَّرد الفَواقِع فَوقَها

    دُرَرٌ تَدحرجُ أَرضُها بلّورُ

    And as though the succession of bubbles upon it

    Were rolling pearls, their floor crystal.

  34. تَلقاكَ مِن كُلِّ المَواقِعِ رَوضَةٌ

    خَضلٌ غَضيرُ نَباتِها مَمشورُ

    A garden greets you at every spot,

    Dewy and luxuriant, its plants fully leafed.

  35. لِلطَيرِ فَوقَ مَنابِرِ اِبنِ مَعينِها

    مِن آلِ داوودَ اِعتَرى مَزمورُ

    For birds, above the pulpits of its water-born growth,

    A psalm from the house of David has arisen.

  36. جُدَد بأَذنابِ الطَواويسِ اِكتَسَت

    مِن بَعدِ أَن جَثَمَت بِهِنَّ الحورُ

    Tracks have clothed themselves in peacocks' tails,

    After fair maidens had settled upon them.

  37. مُتَخَيِّفات الوَشيِ تَحسَبُ زَهرها

    خَلَعَت عَلَيهِ بُرودَهُنَّ الحورُ

    Variegated in embroidery, their blossoms seem

    To wear the striped robes the fair maidens bestowed upon them.

  38. سحبَ النَسيمُ عَليهِ فَضلَ ذُيولِهِ

    فَاِنحَلَّ جَيبُ عَبيرِهِ المَزرورُ

    The breeze dragged its trailing skirts across them,

    And their perfume's buttoned collar opened.

  39. فَكَأَنَّما خُلُقُ الوَزيرِ تَمَثَّلَت

    رَوضاً وَفَيضُ أَكُفِّهِ مَمطورُ

    As though the minister's character had taken form

    As a garden, with his palms' bounty raining down.

  40. هَشَّت بِمَولِدِ نَجلِهِ فَسَرى بِها

    في العالَمينَ بَشاشَةٌ وَحُبورُ

    They rejoiced at his son's birth, and through them spread

    Throughout the worlds, cheerfulness and delight.

  41. آلَت لتَمتدّنَّ فيهِ مَوائِدٌ

    وَليَشهَدَنَّ نَوالَها الجُمهورُ

    They vowed that banquet tables would surely be spread for him,

    And the public would surely witness their bounty.

  42. رامَت عُمومَ البرِّ ثمَّت أَشفَقَت

    مِن أَن يُجشَّم للقَصِيِّ حُضورُ

    They sought kindness for all, then feared

    That attendance might be imposed upon those far away.

  43. وَكَأَنَّه فَهمَ الأَلِيَّةَ فَاِختَشى

    أَن يَستَحيلَ إِلى العُقوق بُرورُ

    As though he understood the oath and feared

    That kindness might turn into ingratitude,

  44. فَاِرتاثَ في المَأوى الطَهورِ رَجاءَ أَن

    يَنهَلَّ مِن رُحمى الإلهِ طهورُ

    He lingered in his pure shelter, hoping that

    Purifying water might pour from God's mercy.

  45. تَغدو مَوائِدهُ البَرِيَّةُ وَالبرا

    وَيَكونُ عيداً عَودُهُ مَشكورُ

    Creation and open country would become its banquet tables,

    And its return a festival, gratefully received.

  46. حَتّى إِذا غَمَرَ الأنامَ وَوُفِّيت

    مِنهُ لِآمالِ الوَزيرِ نُذورُ

    Until, when it had overwhelmed mankind and fulfilled

    Through it the vows answering the minister's hopes,

  47. وافى بِأيمَنِ طالِعٍ ما قَبلَهُ

    أَمسَت مَطالِعُ لِلهِلالِ حُجورُ

    He arrived with the luckiest rising: never before him

    Had bosoms become rising places for a crescent.

  48. وَضَعَتهُ مِن قَبلِ السرارِ بِلَيلَةٍ

    كَي لا يَبينَ شَبيههُ الدَيجورُ

    She bore him one night before the moon's dark nights,

    So darkness would not part him from his likeness.

  49. فَبَدا كَما يَبدو فِرِندُ مُهَنَّدٍ

    جافى الغرابَ صَقِيلُهُ المَشهورُ

    He appeared like the watered pattern of an Indian sword,

    Its drawn, polished blade leaving raven-blackness behind.

  50. مُتَأَلّقُ الصفحَينِ يُبدي دلّهُ

    ليناً وَبَأسُ غِرارهِ مَحذورُ

    Gleaming on both flats, his charm displays

    Softness, while his blade-edge's might is feared.

  51. تَرنو العُيونُ لمائِهِ وَكَأَنَّما

    إِنسانُها مُتَوَعِّدٌ مَذعورُ

    Eyes gaze at his luster, as though

    Their pupil were both threatening and terrified.

  52. شِيَمٌ حَواها مِن أَبيهِ وَنالَهُ

    مِن خالِهِ حَظٌّ بِها مَوفورُ

    Traits he inherited from his father; he received

    From his maternal uncle an abundant share in them.

  53. وَاللَّيثُ مِنهُ مَخائِلٌ في شِبلِهِ

    وَالشَمسُ مِنها في الأَهِلَّةِ نورُ

    The lion leaves signs of himself in his cub,

    And the sun lends its light to crescents.

  54. وَمن المُشيرُ إِذا تَمَحَّضَ خالُهُ

    فَلَهُ عَناصِرُ في العُلى وَجُذورُ

    Whoever truly has the marshal as his maternal uncle

    Has origins and roots in eminence.

  55. يُنميهِ مِن شَرَفِ الأُمومَةِ مَغرَسٌ

    كَرَمُ الأُبُوَّةِ عِندَهُ مَبذورُ

    A planting of noble motherhood nurtures him,

    With paternal nobility sown within it.

  56. يا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي بِفِعالِهِ

    زينَت لِعيدِ المَكرُماتِ نُحورُ

    O lord, through whose deeds

    Necks were adorned for noble deeds' festival,

  57. وَطِئَت أَخامِصُ فَخرِهِ قُلَلَ العُلى

    وَعَلى التَواضُعِ طَبعُهُ مَفطورُ

    The soles of whose pride trod eminence's summits,

    Yet whose nature is innately humble,

  58. مُذ أَلَّفَ الدُنيابِدينٍ قَيِّمٍ

    وَسِواهُ بَينَهُما عَلَيهِ نُفورُ

    Since he united worldly life with upright religion,

    While others find the two at odds,

  59. يَهَبُ السِيادَةَ وَالسَعادَةَ وَالغِنى

    مُتَفادِياً أَن يَجتَديهِ قُصورُ

    He gives leadership, happiness, and wealth,

    Taking care that no want need beg of him.

  60. طَلقُ المُحَيّا وَالبَنانِ سميدَعٌ

    رَحبُ الجَنانِ إِذا تَضيقُ صُدورُ

    Open in countenance and fingers, a noble lord,

    Ample-hearted when other breasts grow tight.

  61. تَلقى بَشاشَةُ وَجهِهِ وَجهَ الرَجا

    فَتُماطُ مِن خَجَلٍ علاهُ سُتورُ

    His face's brightness meets the face of hope,

    And removes the veils of shyness covering it.

  62. يَستَأنِسُ الفَزِع الهَيوب بِمَنطِق

    أريِ الجَنى مِن مَعدنَيهِ مَشورُ

    The frightened and timid take comfort in speech

    Whose harvest is honey, drawn from its two sources.

  63. يُحيي مَواتَ العُذرِ مِمَّن قَد جَنى

    وَيُميتُ غمراً شَعَّرَتهُ غُمورُ

    He revives the lifeless excuse of one who has offended,

    And extinguishes rancor stirred by other grudges.

  64. دُم لِلإيالَةِ وَالإِنالَةِ وَالعُلى

    تُحيي مآثِرَ ذِكرُها مَأثورُ

    Endure in governance, giving, and eminence,

    Reviving glorious deeds whose remembrance is handed down.

  65. تُؤوي الأَنام إِلى ظِلالِ مَعيشَةٍ

    مَهدُ النَعيمِ لِجَنبِها مَوثورُ

    Sheltering mankind beneath the shade of a livelihood

    Whose side rests on comfort's softly furnished bed.

  66. وَتُعيدُ لِلأَيّامِ عُذرَ شَبيبَةٍ

    وَعهودَ أُنسٍ غالَهُنَّ دُثورُ

    Restoring to the days youth's innocence

    And times of intimacy destroyed by decay.

  67. مُستَعصِماً مِنكَ الزَمانُ بِعُروَةٍ

    وُثقى وَعَهدٍ حَبلُهُ مَمرورُ

    Time seeks protection from you through a grip

    Firm, and a covenant whose cord is tightly twisted.

  68. يَأبى الإلهُ وَكُلُّ عَبدٍ مُؤمِنٍ

    إِلّا عُلاكَ عَن السِوى مَحجورُ

    God and every believing servant will have

    Nothing but your eminence, withheld from others.

  69. لِمكارِم إِن يَحوِ غَيرُكَ نَزرَها

    فَكَما حَوى أَسماءَها المَسطورُ

    For noble deeds: if others possess a scant share,

    They hold it as written pages hold their names.

  70. وَسَدادُ رَأيٍ أَعزَبَتهُ زُيودُهُم

    وَسَوادُ ثغرٍ أَسلَمَتهُ عُمورُ

    And sound judgment, which their Zayds have let slip,

    And a frontier's people, abandoned by their Amrs.

  71. مَن كان حُبُّ النَفسِ جُلّ هُمومِهِ

    فَلِحُبِّ أَحمَدَ مُصطَفى مَنصورُ

    Others make self-love their chief concern;

    Mustafa is championed by his love of Ahmad.

  72. حَدبٌ عَلَيهِ يَوَدُّ أَنَّ حَياتَهُ

    لِفِداءِ أَحمَدَ إِن يُرابَ تمورُ

    Solicitous for him, he wishes that his life

    Would surge forth to ransom Ahmad if danger touched him.

  73. لَقَدِ اِصطَفى مِنهُ المُشيرُ لِنَفسِهِ

    خِدناً عَلى الحُرُماتِ مِنهُ غيورُ

    The marshal indeed chose him for himself

    As a confidant, jealously guarding his sacred trusts.

  74. فَبِرَأيِهِ المَيمونِ أَصبَحَ قُطرُنا

    وَعَلَيهِ مِن حُسنِ الإيالَةِ سورُ

    Through his auspicious judgment, our land became

    Encircled by a wall of excellent governance.

  75. يَرتَدُّ طَرفُ النَجمِ عَنهُ خاسَئاً

    وَيَعزُّ أَن تُعزى إِلَيهِ فُهورُ

    The star's gaze returns from it humbled,

    And crushing blows can scarcely be attributed to it.

  76. يا سَيِّدَ الوُزَراءِ وَالكَهف الَّذي

    في ظِلِّهِ عَيشُ الوَرى مَغضورُ

    O chief of ministers, and refuge

    Beneath whose shade mankind's life prospers,

  77. وافَتكَ مِن عَبدِ السَلامِ سَلامَةٌ

    وَإِلى المُشيرِ الفَألُ مِنهُ يَحورُ

    From Abd al-Salam, safety has come to you;

    And the good omen from him returns to the marshal.

  78. فَاِبشِر بهِ فهوَ الهلالُ لِفَرقَدي

    صِنوَيهِ مِنهُ تَهَلُّلٌ وَبُشورُ

    Rejoice in him: he is the crescent beside the two Farqad stars,

    His two brothers, who gain radiance and glad tidings from him.

  79. وَاِنعَم بِهِم وَبِمثلِهِم مِنهُم وَكُن

    جَدّاً حَوالَيكَ الجُدودُ تَدورُ

    Delight in them and in their like born from them, and become

    A grandfather, with good fortunes circling you.

  80. حَتّى تَرى أَحفادَهُم ما مِنهُمُ

    إِلّا بِدَستِ وِزارَةِ دُستورُ

    Until you see their grandchildren, none of them

    Other than a statesman in a ministerial seat.

  81. آراؤُهُم لِلمُهتَدينَ ثواقِب

    وَأَكَفّهُم لِلمُجتَدين بُحورُ

    Their counsels pierce through for those seeking guidance,

    And their palms are seas for supplicants.

  82. يأوونَ مِن قَلبِ المُشيرِ وَطَرفِهِ

    لِمَنازِلٍ لَم تَنحهُنَّ بُدورُ

    They find shelter in the marshal's heart and gaze

    At stations no full moons ever sought.

  83. يُرضيهِ مَخبَرُهُم إِذا ما اِفتَرَّهُم

    وَيُقِرُّ طرفهُ مِنهُمُ المَنظورُ

    Their inward worth pleases him when he tests them,

    And what he sees of them delights his eye.

  84. يَأتونَ ما يُرضي عُلاهُ سَجِيَّةً

    ما فيهِمُ المَنهِيّ وَالمَأمورُ

    They naturally do what pleases his high rank;

    None among them needs prohibition or command.

  85. يَأويهمُ منهُ ببرّ مسبلٍ

    وَهو الهزبرُ الضيغمُ الهيصورُ

    He shelters them with his freely flowing kindness,

    Though he is the lion, the biting, crushing lion.

  86. لا يَختَشي نوبَ الليالي جارُهُ

    وَلو اِنّ سائرها به موتورُ

    His protected neighbor does not fear the nights' calamities,

    Though all of them might bear him a grudge.

  87. فَبَقيتَ تَلحظُ مِن أسرّةِ وَجههِ

    بَرقَ الرّضا ينهلّ منه قرورُ

    May you live on, watching in the lines of his face

    The flash of approval, pouring cool delight from him.

  88. وَتَفيضُ مِن جَدوى يَديه رغائبٌ

    كلُّ الأنامِ بفيضها مغمورُ

    And may precious gifts pour from his hands' bounty,

    All mankind overwhelmed by their abundance,

  89. ما دامَ للفلك المدارِ إحاطةٌ

    وَلِشمسهِ بعدَ الحجاب سفورُ

    As long as the revolving celestial sphere encompasses all,

    And its sun emerges after being veiled.

  90. وَإِليك من أبكارِ فكري رادة

    حرّ الكلامِ برقّها مأسورُ

    To you comes a tender maiden from my thought's virgin offspring;

    Freeborn speech is captive in her bondage.

  91. قَد عُلّقَت مِن بيت مجدك كعبةً

    فَلَها طوافُ ثنائِها منذورُ

    She has been bound to your house of glory as her Kaaba;

    Her circling praise is vowed to it.

  92. زفّت لبابِكَ غبّ أترابٍ لها

    هيَ للقلوبِ حبائل وصقورُ

    She was led as a bride to your door after companions of her age,

    Who are snares and falcons for hearts.

  93. لَولا أيادٍ منكَ يبهضُ شكرها

    ما أطلَعَت مِنها الشموس خدورُ

    Were it not for favors from you whose gratitude weighs heavily,

    No curtained chambers would have brought forth their suns.

  94. إِنّ القلوبَ عَلى اِختلافِ طِباعها

    بِودادِ أحمَد كلّها معمورُ

    Indeed, hearts, despite their differing temperaments,

    Are all filled with love of Ahmad.

  95. فَمذ اِشتكى دانت بوَأد بَناتها

    إِذ ما لها إلّا لديه مهورُ

    Since he fell ill, they pledged to bury their daughters alive,

    For nowhere but with him do they have dowries.

  96. حتّى إِذا ساغَ الهنا بشفائهِ

    للسّمعِ واِرتبطَ القلوب حبورُ

    Until joy at his recovery became pleasing

    To the ear, and delight bound the hearts,

  97. أَهديتُها عذارء ملء فُؤادها

    حبّ المشيرِ ومَن إليه يجورُ

    I offered her as a virgin, her heart filled with

    Love of the marshal and those who turn to him.

  98. قَد هنّأتكَ فَهنّأت كلّ الورى

    بأعزّ أَبلجَ لم تقله ضؤورُ

    She congratulated you, and thus congratulated all mankind,

    On a most precious, radiant child such as no foster mothers ever carried.

  99. سرّ العُلى مَن قال في تَأريخهِ

    عبدُ السلامِ لوالديه سرورُ

    He gladdened eminence who pronounced his chronogram:

    “Abd al-Salam is a joy to his parents.”