في مَشرِقِ المَجدِ نَجمُ الدينِ مَطلَعُهُ

وَكُلُّ أَبنائِهِ شُهُبٌ فَلا أَفَلوا

In the east where glory dawns, the star of faith arises

And all his sons are comets that never set

جاءوا كَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطَ إِذ وَرَدوا

عَلى العَزيزِ مِن أَرضِ الشامِ وَاِشتَمَلوا

They came like Jacob and his brethren when they entered

Upon the Viceroy from the land of Syria and gathered

لَكِنَّ يوسُفَ هَذا جاءَ إِخوَتُهُ

وَلَم يَكُن بَينَهُم نَزعُ وَلا زَلَلُ

But this Joseph, his brothers came to him

Among them no conflict or discord fell

وَمَلكو أَرضَ مِصرَ في شَماخَتِهِ

وَمِثلَها لِرِجالٍ مِثلُهُم نَزَلوا

And they ruled the land of Egypt in its glory

And the like of it for men like them descended

أَبو المُظَفَّرِ مَأوى كُلِّ مُضطَهِدٍ

بِحِلمِهِ وَنِداهُ يُضرَبُ المَثَلُ

Abu al-Muzaffar, refuge of the persecuted

For his patience, justice is exemplified

مَهما يَمِل جائِرَ أَو عائِثٌ عَمَّهُ

فَعِندَ عَدلِ صَلاحِ الدينِ يَعتَدِلُ

However much an oppressor or aggressor insists

With Saladin's justice, he is moderated

أَحيا بِهِ اللَهُ مِصراً فَهيَ ناشِرَةٌ

وَاِفتَكَّها مِن عَدوٍ ما بِهِ قِبَلُ

He revived Egypt with it, so it blossoms

And delivered it from an enemy, than which none worse

كَم لِلفِرِنجِ بِها وِرداً وَمُنتَجَعاً

وَنارُهُم حَولَها تَذكو وَتَشتَعِلُ

How many citadels and retreats for the Franks in it

And their fires around it kindle and flare

فَأَطفَأَ الناصِرُ المَنصورُ جَذوَتَهُم

وَأَدبَروا بِقُلوبِ شَهمُها وَجِلُ

But al-Nasir al-Mansur quenched their embers

And they fled with hearts apprehensive and fearful

مَلكٌ تَقَلَّدَ سِلكُ المُلكِ مُنتَظِماً

وَقالَ لِلمالِ هَذا مِنكَ لي بُدلُ

A king who assumed the path of kingship orderly

And said of wealth, “This, from you, is my exchange”

فَفَرَّقَ المالَ جَمعاً لِلقُلوبِ بِهِ

وَحَسبُهُ فيهِمُ إِدراكُ ما سَأَلوا

So he distributed wealth, gathering hearts with it

And for them, attaining what they sought sufficed

إِنَّ المُلوكَ الَّذينَ اِمتَدَّ أَمرُهُم

لَم يَخزِنوا المالَ بَل مَهما حَوَوا بُذِلوا

Indeed, the kings whose command spread

Did not hoard wealth, but whatever they grasped, they gave

كَذا السِياسَةُ فَالأَجنادُ لَو عَلِموا

بُخلَ المَليكِ وَجاءَت شِدَّةُ خُذِلوا

Thus is politics, for if soldiers knew

The stinginess of the king, and hardship came, they would abandon

لَتَظفُرَنَّ بِما لَم يَحوهُ مَلِكٌ

أَبا المُظَفَّرِ حَقّاً حَظَّهُ الأَزَلُ

You will certainly attain what no king possessed,

Indeed, Abu al-Muzaffar, eternal destiny is your right

دَليلُ ذَلِكَ آراءُ اِقتَرَنَت

بِالحَزمِ وَالعَزمِ لَم يُخَصَّص بِها الأَوَّلُ

Proof of that is views associated

With wisdom and resolve, none preceded with them

قَد سادَ اِسكَندَرَ أَهلَ الزَمانِ مَعاً

في سِنِّ عِشرينَ وَاِمتَدَّت لَهُ الحِيَلُ

Alexander surpassed the people of his time together

At twenty, and stratagems extended for him

وافى الثَلاثينَ وَالأَقطارُ أَجمَعُها

طَوعاً لَهُ وَمُلوكُ الأَرضِ وَالمِلَلُ

He reached thirty and all the regions entirely

Were obedient to him, and the kings of earth and nations