زَكِيُّZaki ياO صَفوةَchoicest أَبناءِsons العَرَبthe Arabs
زَكِيُّ يا صَفوةَ أَبناءِ العَرَب
وَخيرَand best منthose who أَلَّفَcomposed فيناamong us وَكَتَبand wrote
وَخيرَ من أَلَّفَ فينا وَكَتَب
Zaki, O choicest of the sons of the Arabs,
O excellent one, cream of the Arabs’ sons
And best of those among us who have composed and written,
And best of those who rallied us and wrote
نِلتَyou attained المعاليhigh honors وَتَسَنَّمتَand you ascended الرُتَبthe ranks
نِلتَ المعالي وَتَسَنَّمتَ الرُتَب
تَسعىthey hasten إِلىto بابِكyour door منfrom غيرِwithout طَلبa request
تَسعى إِلى بابِك من غيرِ طَلب
You attained high honors and ascended the ranks;
You have attained the heights and grasped the reins
They hasten to your door unbidden.
To your door come those who do not ask or note
لوif لمnot تكنyou were باشاa pasha لأَغناكwould have sufficed for you الأَدَبliterature
لو لم تكن باشا لأَغناك الأَدَب
وَالعِلمُand learning وَالفَضلُand merit وَذَيّاكَand that اللَقَبtitle
وَالعِلمُ وَالفَضلُ وَذَيّاكَ اللَقَب
Had you not been a pasha, literature would have sufficed for you,
Were you not Pasha, your learning would suffice
And learning, and merit, and that title.
And your excellence and titles bring you fame
لوif أَنَّthat كلَّevery مُعجَبٍadmirer بماof what كَتَبhe wrote
لو أَنَّ كلَّ مُعجَبٍ بما كَتَب
هنَأَكَcongratulated you اليَومَtoday بِسَطرٍwith a line منof ذَهَبgold
هنَأَكَ اليَومَ بِسَطرٍ من ذَهَب
If every admirer of what he wrote
If all who admired what you wrote
Congratulated you today with a line of gold,
Congratulated you today in lines of gold
لماthen … not أَتىhe brought إِلّاexcept بِبَعضِwith part of ماwhat وَجَبwas due
لما أَتى إِلّا بِبَعضِ ما وَجَب
He would have offered only part of what was due.
They could only give a fraction of what is owed
Sol 6.1