1. أَيْنَ المَجَازُ فَيَهْبِطُ الإِلْهَامْ

    وَالذِّهْنُ نَهْبٌ وَالشُّئُونُ رُكَامُ

    Where is a passage for inspiration to descend,

    while the mind lies ravaged and affairs lie in heaps?

  2. وَهَلِ الشَّتِيتُ القَلْبِ تَجْمَعُ قَلْبَهُ

    مِمَّا يَرَاهُ رَوْعَةٌ وَنِظَامُ

    And can the scattered-hearted have his heart gathered

    by splendor and order in what he sees?

  3. وَلَّى الشَّبَابُ وَصَوَّحَتْ جَنَّاتُهُ

    وَتَخَالَفَتْ فِي طَيْرِهَا الأنْعَامُ

    Youth has departed, and its gardens have withered,

    and among their birds the livestock have fallen into discord.

  4. وَتَنَكَّرَتْ زِيناتُهَا فِي خَاطِرِي

    حَتَّى لَتَنْكِرَ حِبْرَهَا الأقْلامُ

    And their adornments have grown strange in my mind,

    so that even the pens would disown their ink.

  5. أَقْسَى مَعَارِفَنَا الحَقَائِقُ بَعْدَمَا

    يَذْوِي الخَيَالُ وَتَنْصُبُ الأوْهَامُ

    Truths are the harshest things we know, once

    imagination withers and illusions grow weary.

  6. لَكِنْ دَعَا دَاعِي الوَفَاءِ لِمَنْ لَهُ

    فِي نَفْسِي الإِعْزَازُ وَالإِكْرَامُ

    But loyalty's call summoned me for one who has

    esteem and honor within my soul.

  7. حمدي أَيَبْلُغُ فِيكَ حَمْدِي بَعْضَ مَا

    يَبْغِي الوَلاَءُ وَيُوجِبُ الإِعْظَامُ

    Hamdi, can my praise of you attain even part of what

    loyalty seeks and veneration requires?

  8. إنَّ الزِّرَاعَةَ إذْ غَدَوْتَ وَزِيرَهَا

    نَشِطَتْ موفَّقَةً لِمَا تَعْتَامُ

    Indeed, agriculture, when you became its minister,

    grew vigorous, successful in whatever it chose.

  9. وَتَنَاسَقَتْ وِجْهاتُهَا وَتَسَاوقَتْ

    حَرَكَاتُهَا وَتَيَقَّظَ النَّوَّامُ

    And its aims aligned, and in concert moved

    its activities; the sleepers awoke.

  10. وَغَزَتْ جَحَافِلُهَا مُغِيراً جَائِحاً

    يُفْنِي النَّبَاتَ وَتَرْكُهُ إجْرَامُ

    And its legions assailed a ravaging invader

    that destroys vegetation; leaving it unchecked is a crime.

  11. تِلْكَ الوِزَارَةُ لاَ يَفُوتُكَ كُنْهُهَا

    وَلِكُلِّ أمْرٍ فِي يَدَيْكَ زِمَامُ

    That ministry—its essence does not elude you,

    and every matter has its reins in your hands.

  12. تَرْجُو البِلاَدُ عَلَى يَدَيْكَ رُقيَّهَا

    وَذَرِيعَتَاهُ عَزِيمَةٌ وَنِظَامُ

    The country hopes for advancement at your hands,

    and its two means are resolve and order.

  13. يَا سَيْف نُصْرِ الحَقِّ لَسْتُ مُحقِّقاً

    إِنْ كَانَ يَفْعَلُ فِعْلُكَ الصَّمْصامُ

    O sword of truth's triumph, I cannot be sure

    whether a keen sword can do what you do.

  14. إِنْ تَدْعُكَ الجُلَّى مَضَيْتَ مَضَاءهُ

    وَأَحبَّ مِنْ حَرْبٍ إليك سَلاَمُ

    If a grave crisis calls you, you advance with its keenness,

    yet peace is dearer to you than war.

  15. فِي النَّاسِ لاَ يَقْلاَكَ إلاَّ مَنْ بَلاَ

    فَتَكَاتِ بَأْسِكَ حِينَ مِصْرُ تُضَامُ

    Among people, none hates you except one who has experienced

    the deadly blows of your might when Egypt is wronged.

  16. عَجَبٌ وَأَنْتَ السَّيْفُ أَنَّكَ مَوْرِدٌ

    تَهْفُو الضِّعافُ إِليهِ وَهْيَ حَمَامُ

    How wondrous: though a sword, you are a watering place

    to which the weak flock, doves that they are.

  17. هِمَمٌ كَنِيرانِ القِرَى وَمَكَارِمٌ

    أَبداً عَلَى أَبْوابِهِنًّ زِحَامُ

    Lofty aims like hospitality's fires, and generous deeds—

    with crowds forever at their doors.

  18. تُعْطِي كَأَنْكَ لِلْبَرِيَّةِ كَافِلٌ

    وَكَأَنَّ أكْثَرَ مَنْ بِهَا أيْتَامُ

    You give as though you were creation's guardian,

    and as though most who dwell in it were orphans.

  19. لَمْ أُلْفِ حَيّاً والزمانُ مُذَمَّم

    يَعْدُوهُ فِيهِ كَمَا عَدَاكَ الذَّامُ

    I have found no living man, in this much-maligned age,

    whom censure spares as it has spared you.

  20. أَكْبَرْتُ فِيكَ خِصَالَ أرْوَعَ مَاجِدٍ

    يَسْتَصْغِرُ الأَحْدَاثَ وَهْيَ جِسَامُ

    I have admired in you the qualities of a splendid, noble man,

    who counts calamities as small, though they are immense.

  21. وَعَلَى مُرَاوَدَةِ المَنَافِعِ عَهْدُهُ

    أبداً وَثِيقٌ وَالذِّمامُ ذِمَامُ

    And despite the lure of gain, his pledge

    is always firm, and a bond remains a bond.

  22. تَدْرِي النِّقَابَةُ مُنْذُ مَبْدَأِ أَمْرِهَا

    مَا حَزْمُهُ مَا العَزْمُ مَا الإِقْدَامُ

    Since its beginnings, the syndicate has known

    what his prudence is, what resolve is, what boldness is.

  23. وَتَسِيرُ فِي إرْشَادِهِ سَيْرَ الهُدَى

    وَبِرَأْيِهَا يَتَصَرَّفُ الحُكَّامُ

    And under his guidance it follows the right path,

    and the rulers act upon its counsel.

  24. إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا المُلْكُ مَرْفُوعَ الذُّرَى

    فَالزَّارِعُونَ لَهُ قُوىً وَدِعَامُ

    If this realm's peaks are raised high,

    then the farmers are its strength and pillars.

  25. بَلْ هُمْ قِوَامُ عُلُومِهِ وَفُنُونِهِ

    وَلِكُلِّ أَسْبَابِ الحَيَاةِ قِوَامُ

    Rather, they are the mainstay of its sciences and arts,

    and a mainstay for all the means of life.

  26. فَإذَا وَكَلْنَاهُمْ إلى أَسْقَامِهِمْ

    عَرَتِ البِلاَدَ وَأَهْلَهَا الإسْقَامُ

    If, then, we abandon them to their ailments,

    illness overtakes the country and its people.

  27. أَكْبِرْ بِمَا تَأْتِي النِّقَابَةُ خِدْمَةً

    كَيْفَ الجَمَاعَةُ وَالرَّئِيسُ هُمَامُ

    How great the service the syndicate renders!

    How fares the body, with so resolute a president?

  28. إِيهاً رَئِيسي قَبْلَ عَتْبِكَ إنَّنِي

    لَكَ مُعْتِبٌ وَالشَّاهِدونَ كِرَامُ

    Hold, my president! Before you reproach me, I

    offer you amends, and the witnesses are honorable.

  29. مُنْذُ التقَينا لَمْ يُكَدِّرْ صَفْوَنَا

    خُلْفٌ وَزَادَتْ وُدَّنَا الأعْوَامُ

    Since we met, our harmony has never been clouded

    by discord; the years have deepened our affection.

  30. لَكِنْ عصَيْتُ اليَوْمَ أَمْرَكَ مَرَّةً

    مِنْ حَيْثُ حُرِّمَ أَنْ يَكُونَ كَلاَمُ

    But today, for once, I disobeyed your order,

    in that speaking had been forbidden.

  31. وَالعُذْرُ أَنِّي لَوْ سَكَتُّ لَكَانَ لِي

    مِنْ مُكْرِميكَ جَمِيعِهِمْ لُوَّامُ

    And my excuse is that, had I kept silent, I would have had

    critics among all those who honor you.