بلبل الأنس في التَهاني ترنَّمْ

بلبل الأنس في التَهاني ترنَّمْ

وَرَشيق القَوام بِالوَصل أَنعمْ

وَرَشيق القَوام بِالوَصل أَنعمْ

O nightingale of delight, sing amid congratulations;

The nightingale of intimacy sang joyfully,

And, graceful of stature, graciously grant union.

And the slender one swayed gracefully with the union.

وَزَماني أَتى بِما أَتمنى

وَزَماني أَتى بِما أَتمنى

وَصَفا لي وَثَغرُه قَد تبسم

وَصَفا لي وَثَغرُه قَد تبسم

And my time has brought what I desire,

And my time has come with what I wished,

And turned fair for me, its lips now smiling.

With lips smiling and cheerful.

وَبِهَذا الرشا تَولَّعَ قَلبٌ

وَبِهَذا الرشا تَولَّعَ قَلبٌ

سَهمُ لَحظيه فيهِ ظلماً تحكَّم

سَهمُ لَحظيه فيهِ ظلماً تحكَّم

And a heart fell passionately in love with this fawn;

With this drizzle, a heart became infatuated,

The arrow of his two glances ruled within it unjustly.

The glance of his eyes ruled it unjustly.

فخلعت العذار مِن بَعد نسكي

فخلعت العذار مِن بَعد نسكي

وَقِيامي بِاللَيل وَالناس نُوَّم

وَقِيامي بِاللَيل وَالناس نُوَّم

So I cast off the bridle after my piety,

So I took off chastity after my devotion,

And my nightly vigils while the people slept.

And my night vigil while people slept.

وَبِهِ همت وَالخليّ اِقتَدى بِي

وَبِهِ همت وَالخليّ اِقتَدى بِي

في هَواه وَاأْتَمَّ بي كُلُّ مغرم

في هَواه وَاأْتَمَّ بي كُلُّ مغرم

And I was enraptured with him, and the heart-free followed me

And with it I was preoccupied and the thin one imitated me,

In love of him, and every lover took me as his guide.

In his love and every lover was completed through me.

وَجعلت النَسيب فيهِ نَصيبي

وَجعلت النَسيب فيهِ نَصيبي

مِن فُنون الآداب فيما تَقدَّم

مِن فُنون الآداب فيما تَقدَّم

And I made love poetry about him my share

And I made the drinking companion my share

Of the literary arts in former times.

Of the arts of literature in times past.

لَكن الآن ساغَ لي وَهوَ فَرضٌ

لَكن الآن ساغَ لي وَهوَ فَرضٌ

في اِعتِقادي وَاللَه بِالسرّ أَعلم

في اِعتِقادي وَاللَه بِالسرّ أَعلم

But now it is fitting for me—and a duty,

But now it was pleasant for me and it is a duty,

In my belief, and God knows best what is hidden—

In my belief, and God knows best in secret.

أن أُحلِّي بَديع نَظمي بِمَدحي

أن أُحلِّي بَديع نَظمي بِمَدحي

لَكَ يا بَهجة اللواء المعظم

لَكَ يا بَهجة اللواء المعظم

To adorn my exquisite verse with my praise

To adorn the beauty of my prose with my praise

Of you, O splendor of the exalted brigade.

For you, O delight of the honored banner.

يا أَمير اللواء إنَّ لِساني

يا أَمير اللواء إنَّ لِساني

عَن فُؤادي لَديك بِالشُكر تَرجَم

عَن فُؤادي لَديك بِالشُكر تَرجَم

O commander of the brigade, indeed my tongue

O Emir of the banner, my tongue

Has spoken for my heart before you in gratitude,

Translates my heart to you with gratitude.

وَبحسن الثَناء أَعرَب عَما

وَبحسن الثَناء أَعرَب عَما

في ضَميرٍ بِناء مَعناه مُحكَم

في ضَميرٍ بِناء مَعناه مُحكَم

And with fine praise expressed what

And with excellent praise I express what

Lies in a heart whose meaning is firmly constructed.

Is in a sincere conscience whose meaning is solid.

كَيفَ لا يَزدَهي بِمدحك نَثرٌ

كَيفَ لا يَزدَهي بِمدحك نَثرٌ

درُّ أَلفاظِه الثَمين مُنظَّم

درُّ أَلفاظِه الثَمين مُنظَّم

How can prose not shine with your praise,

How can prose not flourish with praise of you

Its words' precious pearls strung together?

Whose precious words are organized.

وَبِكَ اخضرّ يابسٌ وَهَشيمٌ

وَبِكَ اخضرّ يابسٌ وَهَشيمٌ

كادَ مِن شدة الظِما يَتحَطَّم

كادَ مِن شدة الظِما يَتحَطَّم

And through you, dry growth and withered brushwood turned green,

And through you the barren and ruins

Though nearly crumbling from the severity of thirst.

Nearly crumbled from severe thirst.

فَلَكم بِالمِياه أَحييت أَرضاً

فَلَكم بِالمِياه أَحييت أَرضاً

مِن موات وَكَم نوالك قَد عَم

مِن موات وَكَم نوالك قَد عَم

So how often you have revived land with water

For how many lands you have revived

From lifelessness—and how widely your bounty has spread!

From death and how extensive is your charity.

ولكم أينعت بمصر رياضٌ

ولكم أينعت بمصر رياضٌ

كان منظورُها كشكل المُقطَّم

كان منظورُها كشكل المُقطَّم

And how many gardens have flourished in Egypt,

And how many gardens have flourished in Egypt

Whose appearance had resembled the shape of Muqattam!

Whose view was like fragmented patches.

وَلَكم مِن قَناطرٍ وَمَبانٍ

وَلَكم مِن قَناطرٍ وَمَبانٍ

أَنتَ شَيدتها لنفع وَمغنَم

أَنتَ شَيدتها لنفع وَمغنَم

And how many bridges and buildings

And how many bridges and buildings

You have built for benefit and gain!

You have erected for benefit and gain.

وَبِأَمر السَعيد خَير مليكٍ

وَبِأَمر السَعيد خَير مليكٍ

نوّر الأُفق بَعدَ ما كانَ أَظلَم

نوّر الأُفق بَعدَ ما كانَ أَظلَم

And by command of the fortunate one, the best of kings,

And by order of the fortunate, best king,

Who lit the horizon after it had grown dark,

You illuminated the horizon after it was dark.

نلت بِالعدل في المَساحة أَجراً

نلت بِالعدل في المَساحة أَجراً

حَيث كُلٌّ بِما قضيت تنعَّم

حَيث كُلٌّ بِما قضيت تنعَّم

You earned a reward through fairness in surveying,

You have earned reward with justice in administration,

For everyone enjoyed the benefit of what you decreed.

Where each one enjoys what you have ruled.

وَوَضعت الزِمام في يَد قَوم

وَوَضعت الزِمام في يَد قَوم

يَحفَظون الذمام إِن صالَ ضَيغم

يَحفَظون الذمام إِن صالَ ضَيغم

And you placed the reins in the hands of men

And you have placed the reins in the hands of people

Who keep their covenant if a lion charges.

Who safeguard the reins if discord roars.

وَنشرت العُلوم مِن بَعد طيٍّ

وَنشرت العُلوم مِن بَعد طيٍّ

فَسما رفعة بِها مِن تعلَّم

فَسما رفعة بِها مِن تعلَّم

And you unfurled the sciences after they had been folded away,

And you have spread knowledge after obscurity,

So those who learned rose in stature through them.

So it rose in status for those who learned.

وَلعمري ما أَنتَ إِلا فَريد ال

وَلعمري ما أَنتَ إِلا فَريد ال

عصر في كُل ما بِهِ تَتكلَّم

عصر في كُل ما بِهِ تَتكلَّم

And, by my life, you are none but the peerless one of the

And by my life you are unmatched in your time

Age, in everything that you speak of.

In all that you undertake and say.

فَانتهز فُرصة الصَفا وَتهنّأ

فَانتهز فُرصة الصَفا وَتهنّأ

بِمقام في دَولة السَعد أَعظَم

بِمقام في دَولة السَعد أَعظَم

So seize the opportunity of serenity, and rejoice

So seize the opportunity of purity and congratulate yourself

In a greater station in the reign of good fortune.

With a position in the state of greatest felicity.

وَتقبّل هديةً مِن غلامٍ

وَتقبّل هديةً مِن غلامٍ

بِالثَنا عَنكَ دائِماً يترنّم

بِالثَنا عَنكَ دائِماً يترنّم

And accept a gift from a youth

And accept a gift from a boy

Who always sings your praises.

Who is always singing your praise.

مِن غلام لَهُ بمدحك وَجدٌ

مِن غلام لَهُ بمدحك وَجدٌ

مِن قَديم الزَمان ما عَنهُ أَحجَم

مِن قَديم الزَمان ما عَنهُ أَحجَم

From a youth with a passion for praising you,

From a boy who has passion in praising you

Who, since long ago, has never drawn back from it.

Since ancient times which he does not refrain from.

مِن غُلام حُصونُه في المَعاني

مِن غُلام حُصونُه في المَعاني

ذاتُ سور مشيَّدٍ لَيسَ يُثلَم

ذاتُ سور مشيَّدٍ لَيسَ يُثلَم

From a youth whose fortresses in the realm of meanings

From a boy whose fortresses in meanings

Have a lofty wall that is not breached.

Have walls built that cannot be pierced.

مِن غُلام إِذا اِبتَدا في مَديح

مِن غُلام إِذا اِبتَدا في مَديح

أَحسن البدء وَالخِتام وَتمَّم

أَحسن البدء وَالخِتام وَتمَّم

From a youth who, when he begins a panegyric,

From a boy who if he embarks on praise

Perfects its beginning and ending, and completes it.

Excels in the beginning, end and completion.

وَإِذا ما كَبا بمضمار مدح

وَإِذا ما كَبا بمضمار مدح

طِرفُه جال في مَثالب أَبكَم

طِرفُه جال في مَثالب أَبكَم

And if, on praise's racecourse, there stumbled

And if he contends in the racecourse of praise

His steed, he ranged through a mute man's faults;

His gaze wanders in the deepest ravines.

وَعَلى ابن جرّد عضبا

وَعَلى ابن جرّد عضبا

وَاِقتَفى إثره وَصاحَ وَدمدم

وَاِقتَفى إثره وَصاحَ وَدمدم

And against a son he unsheathed a keen sword,

And he scolded Ibn Jarrad

And followed his trail, and shouted and thundered.

And followed in his tracks, shouted and rumbled.

وَرَماه بأسهمٍ مِن هجاءٍ

وَرَماه بأسهمٍ مِن هجاءٍ

صائِبات حَتّى يَتوب وَيندم

صائِبات حَتّى يَتوب وَيندم

And he shot at him with arrows of satire,

And struck him with arrows of lampoon

Unerring, until he repented and felt remorse.

That hit their mark until he repents and regrets.

وَانثنى بعدَها إليك وَحيّا

وَانثنى بعدَها إليك وَحيّا

ك بِمَدح عَلَيهِ بالجدّ أَقدَم

ك بِمَدح عَلَيهِ بالجدّ أَقدَم

And afterward he turned back to you and greeted

And afterwards he turned to you and greeted you

You with praise, which he undertook in earnest.

With praise he embarked upon in earnest.

وَتَلا في الهَناء إِنا فتحنا

وَتَلا في الهَناء إِنا فتحنا

لَكَ باب القبول فاصعد بِسُلَّم

لَكَ باب القبول فاصعد بِسُلَّم

And in congratulation he recited: 'Indeed, we have opened

And he recited in joy, "Indeed We have opened for you

For you the gate of acceptance, so ascend by a ladder.'

A gate of acceptance, so ascend the ladder."

ما العلا قالَ لارتقائك أَرِّخ

ما العلا قالَ لارتقائك أَرِّخ

بَهجةٌ شرّف اللواء المقوّم

بَهجةٌ شرّف اللواء المقوّم

What did Glory say for your ascent? 'Record the date:

Elevation said for your ascent, record

Bahjat has ennobled the well-ordered brigade.'

The delight that ennobled the rectified banner.