1. سلام يا وزير المال مني

    إليك ومن جميع المخلصينا

    Greetings, O Minister of Finance, from me

    To you, and from all the loyal.

  2. وتكرمة لقدرك من شيوخ

    ونواب جزاء العاملينا

    And honor for your worth from senators

    And deputies, as the reward of those who labor.

  3. ويا ابن الكابر الموفي قديماً

    لمصر ويا شقيق الكابرينا

    And O son of the eminent man who long ago kept faith

    With Egypt, and O brother of eminent men.

  4. تخيرك المحيط بكل أمر

    فكنت له وكان لك المعينا

    He who comprehends every matter chose you;

    So you stood by him, and he was your helper.

  5. له ولك التقى الحزبان صحباً

    فكانوا القادة المتكافئينا

    For his sake and yours, the two parties met as friends,

    And so became leaders of equal standing.

  6. وقد جمعتهمُ للخير نجوى

    كجمع الأم أبرار البنينا

    Private counsel united them for good,

    As a mother gathers her dutiful sons.

  7. ومن يفخر بكثرته اعتداداً

    فهم بكما السراة الأكثرونا

    Those who proudly boast of their numbers

    Are, through you both, the foremost and most numerous.

  8. نصرت الأولين وهم رفاق

    ومنك اليوم نصر الآخرينا

    You supported the former when they were comrades,

    And today the latter have your support.

  9. وفارقت الذين مضوا يساراً

    وسايرت الذين مضوا يمينا

    You parted from those who went left,

    And kept pace with those who went right.

  10. وما للخارجين عليك دعوى

    سوى دعوى الرواة المرجفينا

    Those who oppose you have no case

    Beyond the claims of rumor-spreading tellers.

  11. ولم نر في الذي اعتادوه عذراً

    لهم إلا الوساوس والظنونا

    We found, in their accustomed ways, no excuse

    For them but misgivings and suspicions.

  12. تركتهمُ كما تركوك عتباً

    وأنت وهم لعُتْبَى عائدونا

    You left them as they left you, in reproach,

    And you and they will return to reconciliation.

  13. وما زالت قلوبهمُ صحاحاً

    وما فقدوا البصائر والعيونا

    Their hearts remain sound,

    And they have lost neither insight nor sight.

  14. وما هم حاملون عليك حقداً

    وإن كانوا أشد الحاسبينا

    They harbor no grudge against you,

    Though they are the most exacting in their reckoning.

  15. وما شغلتك نذر الحرب عنهم

    وقد أوسعتهم بأساً ولينا

    The portents of war did not distract you from them,

    And you gave them firmness and gentleness in abundance.

  16. إذا أرضيت أمتك اطمأنت

    إليك وهان شر الغاضبينا

    When you satisfy your nation, it feels secure

    With you, and the malice of the angry matters little.

  17. وزير المال تجمعه حلالاً

    وتقسمه بعدل الحازمينا

    Minister of Finance, you gather it lawfully

    And apportion it with the justice of the judicious.

  18. جبيت خراجه من كل مثرٍ

    فكان زكاته للمعوزينا

    You collected its tax from every wealthy man,

    And it became his alms for the needy.

  19. فروضٌ ما تحصل لا مكوسٌ

    تؤديها وتقضيها أمينا

    What you collect are rightful dues, not oppressive levies,

    Which you remit and discharge faithfully.

  20. وإن كانت هبات أو قروضاً

    فقد وجدت لها منك الضمينا

    And even if they are grants or loans,

    They have found in you their guarantor.

  21. لهم منهم أخذت وهم سواء

    أمامك يدفعون ويأخذونا

    You took from them for them, and they are equal

    Before you, paying and receiving.

  22. وما يعطون من عرض معادٌ

    إليهم جوهراً حسناً ثمينا

    What worldly goods they give are returned

    To them as a jewel, beautiful and precious.

  23. وما تبقى بما دفعوه إلا

    صلاح حياتهم دنياً ودينا

    And with what they paid, you preserve nothing but

    The well-being of their lives, in this world and in faith.

  24. ومنفق واحدٍ مما اقتناه

    لأمته سيرجعه مئينا

    Whoever spends a single coin of what he has acquired

    For his nation will receive hundreds in return.

  25. ومن ثقلت ضرائبه عليه

    فأنت له الكفيل بأن تهونا

    And whoever finds his taxes heavy upon him,

    You are his guarantor that they shall grow light.

  26. ومعطى الملك مهجته أيبقى

    عليه بما حوت يده ضنينا

    And one who gives the king his lifeblood—will he remain

    Grudging toward him with what his hand holds?

  27. وأية شرعة لا بد منها

    خلت من طائعين وكارهينا

    And what law that cannot be avoided

    Has ever lacked willing and reluctant followers?

  28. ومن أين اتهامك في كنوز

    جعلت لها الملائك حارسينا

    And how can you be accused over treasures

    For which you have appointed angels as guardians?

  29. وتلك خزائن اللّه استزادت

    فكنت لها أعف المالئينا

    Those are God's treasuries, which asked for more;

    And you were the most scrupulous of those who filled them.

  30. وما الدينار بين يديك يسعى

    سوى الجنديّ يحتل الحصونا

    The dinar at work in your hands is nothing

    But a soldier capturing fortresses.

  31. ولولا المال لم تملك سبيلاً

    إلى الآمال أيدي المصلحينا

    Without money, no means could be commanded

    By reformers' hands to attain their hopes.

  32. رأت منك الديار ومن عليها

    عياناً فوق ما علمت يقينا

    The land and those upon it have seen in you

    More, with their own eyes, than they knew for certain.

  33. بنفسك بعد أهلك في حماها

    بلغت مكانك الرحب المكينا

    By your own efforts, after your family, within its bounds,

    You attained your spacious and secure position.

  34. وأفضل طيباتك وهي شتَّى

    من الوادي نصيب الزارعينا

    The finest of your good deeds, varied as they are,

    Is the farmers' share of the valley.

  35. قضيت الدين عنهم فاستعادوا

    مرافقهم وما يستثمرونا

    You paid their debts for them, and they recovered

    Their resources and what they put to productive use.

  36. وما بأس الغزاة على ديار

    بأثقل من قيود الدائنينا

    The violence of invaders against a land

    Is no heavier than creditors' chains.

  37. وأنت محل ما ترجو وترضى

    بلادك وهي عقبى الماهرينا

    You embody what is hoped for and approved

    By your country; such is the reward of the skillful.