إنْif فَازَtriumphed نَجْلُكَyour son بَيْنَamong الْرِّفُقَةِthe companions النُّجُبِthe gifted
إنْ فَازَ نَجْلُكَ بَيْنَ الْرِّفُقَةِ النُّجُبِ
فَلَيْسَthen there is no فيin فَوْزِهِhis triumph الْمَشْهُودِthe well-attested مِنْany عَجَبِwonder
فَلَيْسَ في فَوْزِهِ الْمَشْهُودِ مِنْ عَجَبِ
If your son has triumphed among his gifted companions,
If your son proves preeminent among the elite,
then his well-attested triumph is no cause for wonder.
His acclaimed success is no cause for wonder.
وَإِنْand if أصَابَattained امْتِيَازاًa distinction قَلَّis rare مُدْرِكُهُone who attains it
وَإِنْ أصَابَ امْتِيَازاً قَلَّ مُدْرِكُهُ
لَدَىat امْتَحَانٍan examination فَمَنْthen whoever يَجْدُرْis worthy بِهِof it يَصِبِattains
لَدَى امْتَحَانٍ فَمَنْ يَجْدُرْ بِهِ يَصِبِ
And if he has attained a distinction few achieve
If he attains rare distinction in an exam—
in an examination, whoever merits it will attain it.
Who more fitting than he to reap such prowess?
أَبُوهُhis father جَلَّىled the field قَدِيماًlong ago أَيَّwhat a تَجْلِيَةٍtriumph
أَبُوهُ جَلَّى قَدِيماً أَيَّ تَجْلِيَةٍ
وَعَادَand returned فَتَاهُhis son الْيَوْمَtoday بِالْقَصَبِwith the victor's reed
وَعَادَ فَتَاهُ الْيَوْمَ بِالْقَصَبِ
His father long ago led the field—what a triumph!
His father long ago revealed such brilliance.
and today his son has returned with the victor's reed.
His branch today bears the very same fruit.
وَرَاعَand dazzled فِيamong شُهُبِshooting stars مِنْfrom جِيلِهِhis generation سَطَعَتْshone
وَرَاعَ فِي شُهُبِ مِنْ جِيلِهِ سَطَعَتْ
فَلْيَغْدِso may he become فيin جِيلِهِhis generation مِنْamong أَرْوَعِthe most dazzling of الشُّهبِthe shooting stars
فَلْيَغْدِ في جِيلِهِ مِنْ أَرْوَعِ الشُّهبِ
and dazzled among the shooting stars that shone in his generation;
Among the eminent of his generation, he shone.
so may he become one of his generation's most dazzling shooting stars.
May he be the most illustrious of his peers!
مَاhow أَحْسَنَfine الْفَرْعَthe branch يَقُفُوfollows الأَصْلَthe root مُهْتَدِياًguided
مَا أَحْسَنَ الْفَرْعَ يَقُفُو الأَصْلَ مُهْتَدِياً
بِهَدْيِهِby its guidance فيin مَضَاءِstrength الْعَزْمِof resolve وَالدَّأْبِand perseverance
بِهَدْيِهِ في مَضَاءِ الْعَزْمِ وَالدَّأْبِ
How fine the branch that follows the root, guided
How excellent when a branch closely follows the root,
by its example in strength of resolve and perseverance!
Guided by its guidance with determination and perseverance.
وَمَاand how أَعَزَّnoble الْفَتَىthe youth تَنْمِيهَraises him هَمَّتهُhis ambition
وَمَا أَعَزَّ الْفَتَى تَنْمِيهَ هَمَّتهُ
هَذَاthis إلىin addition to أَنَّهthat he يَنْمِيهraises him خَيْرُthe best أَبِfather
هَذَا إلى أَنَّه يَنْمِيه خَيْرُ أَبِ
And how noble the youth whom his ambition raises,
How mighty is a young man nurtured by his ambition—
besides being raised by the best of fathers!
Especially when nurtured by the best of fathers.
قَدْindeed كَافَأَrewarded اللهُGod باِلحُسْنَىwith goodness مَضَاعَفَةًdoubled
قَدْ كَافَأَ اللهُ باِلحُسْنَى مَضَاعَفَةً
فيthrough أَكْرَمِthe noblest of الوُلدِchildren قَلْبِthe heart of الوَالِدِthe father الحَدِبِthe tender
في أَكْرَمِ الوُلدِ قَلْبِ الوَالِدِ الحَدِبِ
God has indeed rewarded with goodness doubled
God has rewarded goodness manifold,
the tender father's heart, through the noblest of children.
In the most noble son, the affectionate father's delight.
سُرُورُهُhis joy الْيَوْمَtoday أَضْعَافُmany times السُّرُورِthe joy بِمَاin what
سُرُورُهُ الْيَوْمَ أَضْعَافُ السُّرُورِ بِمَا
أَوْلاَهُbestowed on him مِنْof مَنْصِبٍan office عَالٍhigh وَمِنْand of حَسَبِancestral honor
أَوْلاَهُ مِنْ مَنْصِبٍ عَالٍ وَمِنْ حَسَبِ
His joy today is many times his joy in what
His joy today surpasses ordinary joy
He bestowed on him of high office and ancestral honor.
With the lofty post and lineage conferred on him.
وَحَبَّذَاand how splendid لِعُلَىfor the eminence of مِصْرَEgypt وَعِزَّتِهَاand its glory
وَحَبَّذَا لِعُلَى مِصْرَ وَعِزَّتِهَا
تَسَلْسُلِthe succession of النُّخبِthe elite المُثْلَىthe finest مِنَfrom النُّخبِthe elite
تَسَلْسُلِ النُّخبِ المُثْلَى مِنَ النُّخبِ
And how splendid for Egypt's eminence and glory
Blessed for Egypt’s glory are the succession of the finest
is the succession of the finest elite from the elite!
Among the fine intellectuals.
هَذِيthis تَحِيَّةa greeting وُدٍّof affection لاَno مِراءَdispute بِهِabout it
هَذِي تَحِيَّة وُدٍّ لاَ مِراءَ بِهِ
وَنَفْحَةٌand a breath مِنْof وَلاءٍloyalty غَيْرِnot مُؤْتَشِبِmixed
وَنَفْحَةٌ مِنْ وَلاءٍ غَيْرِ مُؤْتَشِبِ
This is a greeting of affection beyond dispute,
These words of affection admit no contention;
and a breath of unalloyed loyalty.
They are a breath of loyalty, no affectation.
نَظَمْتُهَاI composed it حِينَwhen وَافَانِيcame to me الْبَشِيرُthe bearer of glad tidings كَمَاjust as
نَظَمْتُهَا حِينَ وَافَانِي الْبَشِيرُ كَمَا
جَاءَتْit came وَمَاand no مَلْهِمٌan inspirer لِلْشِّعرِfor poetry كَالطَّرَبِlike joy
جَاءَتْ وَمَا مَلْهِمٌ لِلْشِّعرِ كَالطَّرَبِ
I composed it when the bearer of glad tidings reached me, just as
I composed them when the herald brought me the good news—
it came to me; and nothing inspires poetry like joy.
Inspiration for poetry comes like a rapture.
حَقُّthe due of الوَزِيرِthe minister كَبِيرٌgreat وَالشَّفيعُand the intercessor بِهَاon its behalf
حَقُّ الوَزِيرِ كَبِيرٌ وَالشَّفيعُ بِهَا
لَدَىbefore مَعَالِيهِHis Excellency لُطْفُthe grace of الأخْذِmaking use بِالسَّببِof the occasion
لَدَى مَعَالِيهِ لُطْفُ الأخْذِ بِالسَّببِ
The minister is owed much; and what commends this greeting
Great is the minister’s due, and the intercessor hopes
to His Excellency is its gracious use of the occasion.
His good grace will acknowledge the cause.
هَوَhe الْهَمَامُthe noble champion الَّذِيwho يَأْتِيperforms مَحَامِدَهُhis praiseworthy deeds
هَوَ الْهَمَامُ الَّذِي يَأْتِي مَحَامِدَهُ
وَحَسْبُهُand enough for him مِنْby way of جَزَاءِrecompense أَجْرِa reward مُحْتَسَبِhoped for
وَحَسْبُهُ مِنْ جَزَاءِ أَجْرِ مُحْتَسَبِ
He is the noble champion who performs deeds worthy of praise,
He is the resolute one whose praises will come to him,
and a hoped-for reward is recompense enough for him.
And his reward from the Appraiser is enough.
إِذَاwhen تَحَلَّىis adorned عِصَامِيٌّa self-made man بِرُتْبَتِهِwith his rank
إِذَا تَحَلَّى عِصَامِيٌّ بِرُتْبَتِهِ
فَهْوَthen he الْمُحَلَّىthe adorned one بِمَاwith what يُوفَىrises عَلَىabove الْرُّتَبِthe ranks
فَهْوَ الْمُحَلَّى بِمَا يُوفَى عَلَى الْرُّتَبِ
When a self-made man is adorned with his rank,
When a brilliant one attains his rank,
then he is adorned with what rises above ranks.
He is adorned with what befits the rank;
وَأَنْand that يُقَلَّدَis invested with وَزِيرُthe minister of الْحُكْمِgovernment مَنْصِبَهُhis office
وَأَنْ يُقَلَّدَ وَزِيرُ الْحُكْمِ مَنْصِبَهُ
فَلاَbut not كَذَاكَlike that وَزِيرُthe minister of الْعِلْمِlearning وَالأَدَبِand letters
فَلاَ كَذَاكَ وَزِيرُ الْعِلْمِ وَالأَدَبِ
And a minister of government may be invested with his office,
But for the minister of knowledge and literature to gain his post—
but not so a minister of learning and letters.
Never so! Knowledge and letters have another standard.
هَيْهَاتَfar from possible يَبْلُغُencompasses شِعْرٌa poem مِنْof مَآثِرِهِhis glorious deeds
هَيْهَاتَ يَبْلُغُ شِعْرٌ مِنْ مَآثِرِهِ
بَعْضَa portion of الْمُخَلَّدِwhat is immortalized فيin الأَسْفَارِthe tomes وَالْكُتُبِand the books
بَعْضَ الْمُخَلَّدِ في الأَسْفَارِ وَالْكُتُبِ
No poem could ever encompass his glorious deeds,
Alas, no poetry can capture some glories chronicled
not even a portion of those immortalized in tomes and books.
In books and scrolls for eternity!
مَنْwhoever أَمَّheads toward سَاحَتَهُhis courtyard يَحْتَتُّهurges him on أَمَلٌhope
مَنْ أَمَّ سَاحَتَهُ يَحْتَتُّه أَمَلٌ
وَلَوْand even if عَدَتْهُassailed him عَوَادِيthe assaults of الْدَّهْرِtime لَمْnot يَخِبِbe disappointed
وَلَوْ عَدَتْهُ عَوَادِي الْدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَخِبِ
Whoever seeks his courtyard, urged on by hope,
He who hopes for his support remains hopeful,
will not be disappointed, even if time's assaults beset him.
And if the turns of fate opposed him, his hope would not fail.
وَمَنْand whoever تَفَيَأَsheltered ظِلاًّa shade مِنْof مُروءَتِهِhis magnanimity
وَمَنْ تَفَيَأَ ظِلاًّ مِنْ مُروءَتِهِ
أَوَىtook refuge إلىin مَأْمَنٍa safe haven مِنْfrom صَوْلَةِthe onslaught of الْنُّوَبِcalamities
أَوَى إلى مَأْمَنٍ مِنْ صَوْلَةِ الْنُّوَبِ
And whoever shelters in the shade of his magnanimity
Whoever takes shelter in his chivalry
takes refuge in a safe haven from the onslaught of calamities.
Has refuge from the slings of misfortune.
سَمِحَgenerous الْفُؤادِof heart قَوِيُّstrong الْجَأْشِof spirit رَابِطُهُholding it steady
سَمِحَ الْفُؤادِ قَوِيُّ الْجَأْشِ رَابِطُهُ
بِحَيْثُso that يُعْصَمُis shielded مِنْfrom جَهْلِfolly وَمِنْand from غَضَبِanger
بِحَيْثُ يُعْصَمُ مِنْ جَهْلِ وَمِنْ غَضَبِ
Generous of heart, strong and steady in spirit,
Open-hearted, strong-willed, steadfast—
so that he is shielded from folly and from anger.
Where ignorance and rage are barred.
تَزْدَادُgrows فيat أَوْجِهَاits zenith الضَّاحِيthe sunlit كَرَامَتُهُhis honor
تَزْدَادُ في أَوْجِهَا الضَّاحِي كَرَامَتُهُ
وَلَيْسَand not يَنْقُصُهَاdiminishes it غَاشٌa covering مِنَof الْسُّحبِthe clouds
وَلَيْسَ يَنْقُصُهَا غَاشٌ مِنَ الْسُّحبِ
His honor grows at its sunlit zenith,
In all aspects his nobility grows,
and no veil of clouds diminishes it.
Undimmed by any clouds.
فَلْيُهْنِيءِso may He gladden اللهُGod إِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahim مُرْتَقِياًascending
فَلْيُهْنِيءِ اللهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُرْتَقِياً
فيin السَّعدِgood fortune مِنْfrom َأَرَبٍa wish يَقْضِيfulfills إلىto أَرَبِa wish
في السَّعدِ مِنْ َأَرَبٍ يَقْضِي إلى أَرَبِ
So may God gladden Ibrahim as he ascends
May God allow Ibrahim to ascend, ever rising
in good fortune, from one wish fulfilled to another.
In fortunes, from nobility to greater nobility!
Sol 6.1