1. The stars of art shone on the horizon of the West,
And a sun rose among them, Yousef Wahbi.

2. The sun is but its light and its course,
Rising from the east, radiating in the west.

3. Yes, Wahbi came among us and his comrades,
And they took the place of the beloved in our hearts.

4. Noble guests, generous, honored,
In the open space—O best of guests in the open space!

5. You came to a keen, eager, longing country,
Longing to see you like the thirsty long for water.

6. Its people reciprocate the sincerity of affection with you,
Witnessing, not through letters and books.

7. And you attained the highest favor and status
With the protective king, guardian of the sanctuaries, ruler of the people—

8. A king who knew the merit of the arts and their masters,
And the gifted among them, so he cared for the gifted—

9. May the Lord of the Throne make him a pride of the throne forever,
And his mention a sanctification among non-Arabs and Arabs.

10. And you headed for the Red Sea, your mounts urged on
By the eagerness of its people for that caravan.

11. So welcome, among loving friends once,
And a thousand times welcome to the Pasha, intimate of the exalted and refined—

12. A loyal and faithful one who gladdens the heart in seeing him,
As cascading rain gladdens the flowers.

13. When at times the clouds gather threat’ningly,
His cheerfulness is more important than the clouds.

14. You came in the constellation of good fortune on your journey, and will
Come in the constellation of good fortune, O meteors of August!

15. You brought, in your representation, gardens with which an onlooker is delighted,
We entertain the gaze in their thickets and bushes.

16. And we harvest the fruits of advice, guidance and purpose,
And we drink from the soft, sweet chain of its spring.

17. And we see Wahbi singularly manifold,
Appearing as he desires in a captivating persona—

18. He dives into the sea of art with the dive of one able,
And emerges from it with rare, moist pearls.

19. We cannot endure patience after your leaving,
And with the intensity of love, there is no patience for the patient one!

20. Yes, and remember the sacred covenant—remember it—
And do not forget the loved ones in distance or nearness.

21. And convey my greetings to Egypt and her people,
And convey my greetings to the company of friends.