صدقت علاك الوعد والميعادا

صدقت علاك الوعد والميعادا

هذا الحمى متفقداً مرتادا

هذا الحمى متفقداً مرتادا

Your exalted rank kept its promise and appointed hour,

Your Highness kept the promise and the appointment,

coming to this protected realm to inspect and behold it;

inspecting and touring this domain.

وأجبت دعوة كلَّ موفٍ مخلصٍ

وأجبت دعوة كلَّ موفٍ مخلصٍ

لترى بلاداً نضرة وعبادا

لترى بلاداً نضرة وعبادا

you answered the call of every loyal, sincere soul,

And you answered the invitation of every faithful, devoted man,

to see a flourishing land and its people.

to see a flourishing land and its people.

حملتك أجياد الرجال وإنه

حملتك أجياد الرجال وإنه

لجزاء ما قلَّدتَه الأجيادا

لجزاء ما قلَّدتَه الأجيادا

The noblemen’s steeds bore you—and surely that was

Men's necks bore you, and this is indeed

recompense for the favors you had hung upon noble necks—

recompense for what you hung around those necks.

متيمماً للنيل أطهر ساحل

متيمماً للنيل أطهر ساحل

تَلقى أباك وأهلك الأمجادا

تَلقى أباك وأهلك الأمجادا

making for the Nile, purest of shores,

Heading for the Nile's purest shore,

to meet your father and your glorious kin.

you meet your father and your illustrious kin.

وأبرُّ من ضحَّى وقرَّب وافتدى

وأبرُّ من ضحَّى وقرَّب وافتدى

وأعف من أثرى وشاد وسادا

وأعف من أثرى وشاد وسادا

More dutiful than any who sacrificed, offered, or ransomed himself,

And the most dutiful of those who sacrificed, made offerings, and gave themselves,

more chaste than any who grew rich, built high, and ruled.

and the most upright of those who grew rich, built, and ruled.

قبَّلت راحته وقبَّل وجنةً

قبَّلت راحته وقبَّل وجنةً

لك واستزدت رضاه عنك فزادا

لك واستزدت رضاه عنك فزادا

You kissed his palm, and he kissed your cheeks,

You kissed his palm, and he kissed a cheek

and you sought still more of his pleasure in you, and he gave more.

of yours; you sought more of his approval of you, and it grew.

وأعاد صحته ورد شبابه

وأعاد صحته ورد شبابه

وجدانُهُ ما شاءه وأرادا

وجدانُهُ ما شاءه وأرادا

His health returned, and his youth came back,

And his health was restored and his youth renewed

when he found you as he had wished and desired.

by his attaining what he wished for and desired.

يحنو عليك وإنما يحنو على

يحنو عليك وإنما يحنو على

من شرَّف الآباء والأجدادا

من شرَّف الآباء والأجدادا

He is tender toward you—and tender only toward

He shows you tenderness, and shows tenderness only to

one who has brought honor to fathers and forefathers.

one who has honored fathers and forefathers.

وأحبُّ ما ارتاحت إليه نفسه

وأحبُّ ما ارتاحت إليه نفسه

ما أنت مدركه قوى وجهادا

ما أنت مدركه قوى وجهادا

What his soul loved most and found repose in

And what his soul delights in most

is what you attain through strength and striving.

is what you attain through strength and striving.

ضمن الخلود بأنه لك والد

ضمن الخلود بأنه لك والد

جمع المصائر فيه والآبادا

جمع المصائر فيه والآبادا

He secured immortality by being your father;

He secured immortality by being your father,

all destinies and all ages were gathered in him.

gathering within it destinies and ages.

أخذ الصعيد من العتاد نصيبه

أخذ الصعيد من العتاد نصيبه

وسعى سواه يريد منك عتادا

وسعى سواه يريد منك عتادا

Upper Egypt took its share of the preparations,

Upper Egypt received its share of supplies,

while all the rest hastened, hoping for provision from you.

and the rest strove to obtain supplies from you.

لولا وقار أبيك بين وفوده

لولا وقار أبيك بين وفوده

ماج المكان من السرور ومادا

ماج المكان من السرور ومادا

But for your father’s dignity amid his delegations,

Were it not for your father's composure among his delegations,

the place would have surged and overflowed with joy.

the place would have surged and swayed with joy.

كانت زيارات مباركة له

كانت زيارات مباركة له

فمضت مواسم وانتهت أعيادا

فمضت مواسم وانتهت أعيادا

Those were blessed visits for him;

They were blessed visits for him,

then the seasons passed, and the festivals ended.

so they passed as festive seasons and ended as festivals.

باشرت فيه عدل حكمك شاملاً

باشرت فيه عدل حكمك شاملاً

وشهدت عقبى ما منحت جوادا

وشهدت عقبى ما منحت جوادا

There you personally administered your all-embracing justice,

You exercised there the all-embracing justice of your rule,

and witnessed the good outcome of what you generously bestowed.

and witnessed the outcome of what you generously bestowed.

ورأيت في الصحراء كيف تبدلت

ورأيت في الصحراء كيف تبدلت

تلك الصخور الشائكات مهادا

تلك الصخور الشائكات مهادا

You saw how, in the desert, there were transformed

And you saw in the desert how they were transformed—

those jagged rocks into a welcoming bed.

those jagged rocks—into a smooth bed.

شقت عليك وفاة رابع قادةٍ

شقت عليك وفاة رابع قادةٍ

كانوا حماةَ الدولة الأندادا

كانوا حماةَ الدولة الأندادا

The death of a fourth among the leaders grieved you sorely;

The death of the fourth of those leaders weighed heavily upon you,

they had been the state’s guardian peers.

who had been the state's guardians, equal in stature.

هل حين تحتفل المدائن والقرى

هل حين تحتفل المدائن والقرى

بك يرجف الوادي عليه حداد

بك يرجف الوادي عليه حداد

While cities and villages celebrate you, should

Is it while cities and villages celebrate

the Valley tremble in mourning for him?

you that the valley trembles in mourning for him?

لولا لقاء القوم فيك معوَّضاً

لولا لقاء القوم فيك معوَّضاً

عنه لطال أساهمُ وتمادى

عنه لطال أساهمُ وتمادى

Had the people’s meeting with you not compensated them

Had the people not found in you one to make up

for him, their sorrow would have lingered and grown.

for his loss, their sorrow would have lasted and lingered.

ما زلت بالجبار تملك بأسه

ما زلت بالجبار تملك بأسه

وترده لك طاعة وودادا

وترده لك طاعة وودادا

You continued to master the tyrant’s might

You have continued to master the mighty one's force,

and turn it back to obedience and affection for you,

turning it into obedience and affection toward you,

حتى أتى أسطوله بسلامه

حتى أتى أسطوله بسلامه

من بعد ما ساق الخطوب شدادا

من بعد ما ساق الخطوب شدادا

until his fleet arrived bearing his peace,

until his fleet came bearing his greeting,

after he had driven harsh calamities onward.

after bringing grievous calamities.

وأتى الأميران البلاد وأحكما

وأتى الأميران البلاد وأحكما

ميثاق قومهما لها وأجادا

ميثاق قومهما لها وأجادا

The two princes came to the country and firmly secured

And the two princes came to the land and firmly secured

their peoples’ covenant with it—and did so well.

their people's covenant with it, and did so well.

يا راحم الحساد من مكروه ما

يا راحم الحساد من مكروه ما

حملوا لعلك تبرئُ الحسادا

حملوا لعلك تبرئُ الحسادا

O you who spare the envious from the evil they

O you who spare the envious the torment of what

have laid upon you: thus you acquit the envious;

they harbor, perhaps you will cure the envious.

ومنوِّلَ العاصي المعادي فرصةً

ومنوِّلَ العاصي المعادي فرصةً

ليعود عوناً من عصاك وعادى

ليعود عوناً من عصاك وعادى

and you who grant the disobedient, hostile foe a chance

And you who grant the disobedient foe a chance,

to return as your helper after disobeying and opposing you.

so that whoever disobeyed and opposed you may return as a helper.

لولا عقاب الصحف منك بطيها

لولا عقاب الصحف منك بطيها

يقضي عليها الدهر عنك كسادا

يقضي عليها الدهر عنك كسادا

Were your punishment of the newspapers not to fold them away,

But for your punishment of the newspapers by shutting them down,

time itself would doom them, on your behalf, to languish unsold.

time would ruin them for you through lack of sales.

ليس المصرُّ على النزاع لمأرب

ليس المصرُّ على النزاع لمأرب

مثل المصرِّ على الجحود عنادا

مثل المصرِّ على الجحود عنادا

One who persists in conflict to attain a purpose

One who persists in conflict for a purpose is not

is not like one who persists in denial out of sheer obstinacy.

like one who persists in ingratitude out of obstinacy.

ومن العزيمة دفعك اليوم الأذى

ومن العزيمة دفعك اليوم الأذى

ومن الحنان علاجك الأحقادا

ومن الحنان علاجك الأحقادا

Resolve means that today you ward off harm;

Your warding off harm today springs from resolve,

tenderness means that you heal resentments.

and your healing of hatreds springs from compassion.

لك أن تعيد إلى سماحك كل من

لك أن تعيد إلى سماحك كل من

يبغي إليك مثابة ومعادا

يبغي إليك مثابة ومعادا

You may restore to your magnanimity everyone who

It is yours to bring back into your clemency everyone

seeks in you a place of reward and return.

who seeks in you a refuge and a place of return.

أيعيب في مصر امرؤ لك خطةً

أيعيب في مصر امرؤ لك خطةً

سرَّت دمشق وأعجبت بغدادا

سرَّت دمشق وأعجبت بغدادا

Can any man in Egypt fault a policy of yours

Can anyone in Egypt fault a policy of yours

that delighted Damascus and amazed Baghdad?

that pleased Damascus and impressed Baghdad?

ولأنت نعم المستبدُّ حكومةً

ولأنت نعم المستبدُّ حكومةً

إن كان حزم المصلح استبدادا

إن كان حزم المصلح استبدادا

You are indeed an excellent autocrat in government,

And you are indeed an excellent despot in governance,

if a reformer’s firmness is to be called autocracy.

if a reformer's firmness is despotism.

ولقد صدقت سريرة وعزيمة

ولقد صدقت سريرة وعزيمة

وتأهباً للملك واستعدادا

وتأهباً للملك واستعدادا

You have proved true in inner purpose and resolve,

And you have indeed proved sincere in heart and resolve,

in readiness for kingship and preparation.

and in your readiness and preparation for kingship.

إن أبطأ الماضون عن آمادهم

إن أبطأ الماضون عن آمادهم

فقد انفردت تعجل الآمادا

فقد انفردت تعجل الآمادا

If those before you were slow to reach their goals,

If those before you were slow to reach their goals,

you alone have hastened the goals.

then you alone have hastened the attainment of those goals.

ولئن أنلت المعوزين مرافقاً

ولئن أنلت المعوزين مرافقاً

فلقد وهبت الغافلين رشادا

فلقد وهبت الغافلين رشادا

And if you have furnished the needy with public services,

And if you have granted the needy comforts,

you have also bestowed right guidance upon the heedless.

you have indeed bestowed guidance on the heedless.

وأجل من فتحِ الممالكِ فتحُ من

وأجل من فتحِ الممالكِ فتحُ من

ساق الشعوب إلى الكمال وقادا

ساق الشعوب إلى الكمال وقادا

Greater than the conquest of kingdoms is the conquest achieved by one

And nobler than conquering kingdoms is the conquest achieved by one

who leads peoples toward perfection and guides them.

who drives peoples toward perfection and leads them.

أتمم فقد أرضيتَ مصر وأهلها

أتمم فقد أرضيتَ مصر وأهلها

إرضاءك الملكَ الكريمَ فؤادا

إرضاءك الملكَ الكريمَ فؤادا

Complete the work: you have pleased Egypt and its people,

Complete it: you have pleased Egypt and its people,

as you have pleased the king, noble of heart.

as you have pleased the gracious King Fuad.