الملك عندك تستوي أقوامُهُ

والدهر فيك تنافست أيامُهُ

The king, in you his people find equal;

And time, through you, competes its days.

أنت الذي نفع البلاد سلامه

بعد الذي ضر البلاد خصامه

You who brought the land wellness with your peace,

After the one who brought the land harm with his feud.

الليل في التدبير لست تنامه

وبغير رأيك لا يضيىء ظلامه

At night you do not sleep in your judgment,

And without your opinion, its darkness is not illuminated.

أعزز ببرك في الرعايا عادلاً

تجري على أقسامها أقسامه

Honor your subjects with justice and blessing,

Making rules flow through their classes.

أنت الذي أحيى الجهاد رحيله

والرفق والعدل الجميل مقامه

You who revived holy war when it departed,

And gentleness and fine justice have their abode.

كن كيف شئت مشرِّقاً ومغرِّباً

فالأمر موكول إليك تمامه

Be as you wish, rising and setting,

For the matter is submitted to you in its entirety.

في الأفق تصعد بالقباب فما ترى

إلا ومن أوتادها أجرامه

In the horizon you ascend with minarets, and you see

Nothing but its pegs are your planets.

وجرت سفينك في البحار كأنها

لك عسكر منشورة أعلامه

Your ship sailed the seas as though it were

An army for you with banners unfurled.

شرفت بعامرها المدائنُ والقرى

وعنتْ لضيغم قفرها آكامه

The cities and villages were ennobled by your rebuilding,

And the desolate places by your ruins were adorned.

للّه عزمُك في القفار وأنت في

جنح الدجى طلق الحيا بسّامه

Your resolve in the wilds while you are in

The wings of night, set loose and valiant.

إن يطو ركبك بيدها متمهلاً

فالمحل يؤثر أن يقيم غمامه

If your journey takes its time with steady pace

The place prefers that it establish its clouds.

وستصبح الواحات جنات إذا

سار البخار بها وساد نظامه

The oases will become gardens when

Your steam runs through them and its system prevails.

ولسوف تعمرها بجمع حاشد

لَجِبٍ يسرك ورده وزحامه

And you will populate them with a plentiful throng

Whose flowing and crowding you facilitate.

لو كان مغوارٌ سواك ارتادها

ما أثّرت في رملها أقدامه

If an unguided one had come upon them but you,

He would have left no trace of his steps in their sands.

يا حسن ذاك الركب شاقتني إلى

عصر البداوة عيسُهُ وخيامه

Oh, that caravan wearied me back

To the desert’s age, with its Jesus and tents.

فوددت لو كان الفؤاد مجالَه

أو كان كحلاً للعيون قَتامه

I wished the heart was its range

Or that it was kohl for the eyes in their darkness.

شرَّفتَ ذاك العهد فافتخرت به

أعرابه وتشبهت أعجامه

You ennobled that time and so it took pride,

Its Bedouins emulated its non-Arabs.

ذكرت تونس والجزائر ما مضى

من كل مولى زانه إسلامه

I recalled Tunis and Algiers, what passed

Of each master dignified by his Islam.

أيامَ ضمَّهما وما والاهما

في واحدٍ دينُ الهدى ووئامه

Days that gathered them, and what ruled them,

In one, the religion of guidance and harmony.

أيام يدعو شرق مصرك غربها

فيموج فيه عراقه وشآمه

Days that called eastern Egypt and its west,

Surging between its Iraq and Greater Syria.

وسعت طرابلس إليك وإنما

حيَّت أبرَّ من اصطفاه إمامه

Tripoli stretched out to you, and it only

Greeted the most noble, chosen as imam.

وحنت عليك كما حنا سلطانها

علماً بأنك حصنه وحسامه

It yearned for you as its sultan had yearned,

Knowing you are its fortress and sword.

واستقبلتك كريمة النجوى كما

لاقى الحيا الظمآنُ طال أُوامه

It welcomed you, sublime in its whisper, as

The thirsty snake welcomes the water it longed for.

لم لا تعظم قدرك العالي وقد

غلبت بنصحك حولها أحكامه

Why do you not esteem your high worth, when

You have overcome its surroundings with your wisdom?

فترى وجوه الوافدين كأنها

زهر الرياض تفتحت أكمامه

Thus you see the faces of visitors as though they are

Garden blossoms unfolding their petals.

لا يرتجي الوادي سواك فإنما

أنت الوحيد غيوره وهمامه

No valley hopes but in you, for you alone

Are its zealous protector.

أولى بعافية تدوم وصحة

من ذي مقاصده وذا إقدامه

You who are most deserving of lasting health and wellness,

More than one with purposes or daring.

شهدت كنوزك باحتراسك مثلما

شهدت بشدة من مضى أهرامه

Your treasures testify to your safekeeping, just as

The pyramids testify to the might of those passed.

لا يشغلنك عن جهادك زخرف

حسبُ القصورِ منَ الجَسورِ لِمامه

Let not the embellishments of palaces from bridges

Distract you from your holy war and duty.

فلأنت موسى غير أنك إن تعظ

فرعون عصرك تغتفر آثامه

For you are Moses, except if you reproach

The Pharaoh of your time, his sins are forgiven.

أبرأته برضاك عنه بعد ما

طالت على آلامه أعوامه

You pardoned him by being pleased with him after

His agonies lasted for years.

لا تبلوَنِّي بالمطال فإنني

ولِهٌ تحيط بداره لُوّامه

Do not test me with expectations, for I

Am infatuated, encompassing your abode with glances.

باقٍ على ظمأ فلا ترنامُهُ

أهدى إليه غنىً ولا تحوامه

Remaining thirsty, so do not slumber,

Offer him riches, and do not deprive.

أفنى الليالي مغرماً بالنصح في

من لا يعي فجنى عليه غرامه

I spent nights enamored with advice for

One who does not comprehend, so his love was ruin.

إن يدّع المجد الرجال فإنما

في الشعر آية مجده ووسامه

If men claim glory, then surely

In poetry are the signs of his glory and medal.

أتريده لجديد ملكك شاعراً

ومتى تعود حقائقاً أحلامه

Do you want him as a poet for your new reign?

And when do dreams revert to realities?

لولا اليقين ونخوة وحمية

لقضت على آماله أوهامه

Were it not for certainty, gallantry, and zeal

Illusions would have ended his hopes.

قَدِّرْ لشعبك أن يقرَّب كل من

نصر الحمى فحياته إكرامه

Ordain for your people to honor all who

Support the protectors, so their lives are in your bounty.

وأحقُّ بالتكريم والتقريب مَن

هذي بشائره وذا إلهامه

And most deserving of honor and nearness is one

Whose tidings and inspirations are these.