ذِكْرٌ جَمِيلٌ يُوسُفٌ قد جَدَّدَهْ

وذخيرةٌ في الصّالحات مُخَلَّدَة

A beautiful mention, Joseph has renewed it

And a treasure of righteous deeds immortalized

ذا الجامعُ الْحَسَنُ الذي هُوَ جنّةٌ

لولا رسومُ الدّين فيه مُرَدَّدَة

This good mosque which is a paradise

Were it not for the traditions of religion reiterated in it

بيتٌ على التّقوى تأسّس والهدى

فَأَبُو المحاسِنِ بالرّضى ما أَسْعَدَهْ

A house built on piety and guidance

So the father of virtues is made happy by contentment

ولكَم أتى فيما بنى بمحاسنٍ

جُمُلٍ ولكنْ ذي محاسنُ مفرَدَة

And how much in what he built came with virtues

Beautiful but this one’s virtues singular

مَدَدٌ من الباشا العظيم جرى له

فأتَتْ به منه الأمورُ مُسَدَّدة

An endowment from the great pasha flowed to it

So his affairs came to it facilitated

لا بَلْ هو الْبَانِي ولكن حبُّه

فَضْلَ الخفا في الخَيْرِ قد أخفى يَدَهْ

Nay, he is the builder but his love

The excellence of concealment in good he has hidden his hand

حمّودةُ الباشا وما أدراك ما

مَلِكٌ به نِعَمُ الإِلاهِ مُجَدَّدَة

Praised is the pasha and what do you know what

A king with it, God's blessings renewed

نامت به الخضراء في ظلّ الهنا

وغَدَتْ لأجفان العِداءِ مُسَهِّدَة

With it the verdant slept in the shade of tranquility

And it became for the eyelids of enemies a pillow

ولكم له من صالحاتٍ رُصِّعَتْ

تاجاً على رأس الزّمان مُنَضَّدَة

And how many righteous acts have been adorned for him

A crown over the head of time, mounted

صُنْعٌ به ابتهجت ملائكةُ السّما

وغدت به شِيَعُ الأبالس مُكْمَدَة

A work which made the angels of heaven happy

And with it the devils' entourage extinguished

يَهْنِي الورى وخصوصاً العُلَمَاءَ وال

صُّلَحَاءَ أنوارٌ له مُتَوَقِّدَة

It makes the world happy, especially the scholars and

The righteous, lights for him kindled

ما شِئتَ من علمٍ قبست ومن هُدىً

يُهْدَى به للّه مَنْ قد أيَّدَهْ

Whatever knowledge you gained and whichever guidance

You are guided with it to God, whoever supported him

ما شئت من آيِ الكتاب وسُنَّةٍ

هذي مُسَلسَلَةٌ وتلك مُجَوَّدَة

Whatever you wished of the verses of the Book and the Sunnah

This is a chain and that modulated

يَهْدِي المفسِّرُ والمحدِّث منهما

لِينَ الفؤادِ وأَدْمُعاً مُتَبَدِّدة

The exegete and the hadith scholar guide you through them

To the softening of hearts and tears streaming

فاللّهُ يَجْزيه الرّضى ويُنِيلُهُ

غُرَفَ الْجِنَانِ وثَمَّ يُزلف مَقْعَدَهْ

So may God reward him with contentment and grant him

The rooms of Paradise, then draw near his seat

فاشْكُرْ له واسْأَلْ وَقُلْ متعجّباً

ومؤرّخا للّه ما قد شيّدَهْ

So thank Him for it and ask and say amazed

And dating it for God, what He has erected

هذا سبيلٌ حسنه يزداد

وثوابُه يومَ القيامة زادُ

This is a good way that increases its goodness

And its reward on the Day of Resurrection an increase

رِدْ منه سلسالاً فُراتا سائغاً

طُهراً ومنتعِشاً به الأكبادُ

Return from it a flowing, fresh chain

Pure, and with it livers are elated

أجراه يَرْجُو نَيْلَ حُسْنِ ثوابه

مَنْ في الورى خُتِمَتْ به الأجوادُ

Seeking the attainment of the reward of its goodness

The one whose generosity in the world sealed all generosity

ذاك الهُمامُ أبو المحاسنِ يوسفٌ

مَنْ رُشْدُهُ شهِدتْ به الأضداد

That resolute one, Abu al-Mahasin Yusuf

Whose righteousness his enemies have witnessed

ذو طابع المُلْكِ الذي عزماتُه

لِمُهنّداتِ سيوفه أغماد

With the demeanor of a king which his resolves

Are sheaths for the swords of his resolute men

مَلِكٌ جرى في الصّالحات إلى مدى

تَنْبَتُّ دون بلوغه الأقْدَادُ

A king who flowed in righteous deeds to the extent

That mountains fall short of reaching his aims

وله من التّوفيق أَطْوَعُ ساعدٍ

ومن العناية في المهمّ سِناد

And he has from success the most compliant arm

And from providence in important matters a support

فأتى بما أيّامُنَا بجماله

اللّه يعلم أنّها أعياد

So he came with what our days in their beauty

God knows they are celebrations

وتقلّدَتْ للملك منه ترائبٌ

فلسانه لصنيعه حَمَّادُ

And garlands for the king were donned from it

So his tongue in describing his work is praiser

حمّودةُ الباشا الذي أخبارُه

يُهْدِي إليك عطيرَها التّردادُ

Praised is the pasha whose news

Guide to you their fragrance resonating

فخرت به الدّنيا وكم للدّين مِنْ

فَخْرٍ به إذْ قام منه عِمَادُ

The world took pride in him and how much pride for the religion from

A pillar from it standing when erected

هذا السّبيلُ وإن بَنَاهُ وزيرُه

فيه ومنه تَيَسَّرَ الإِمدَادُ

This water-house and if his minister built it

Through it and from it facilitation of supplies was made easy

فَهَبِ الدُّعاءَ إذِ انْتَهَلْتَ كُؤوسَهُ

إنّ الدّعاء من السّبيل يُرَادُ

So bestow prayer when you implore its goblets

Verily prayer from the water-house is intended

واشْكُرْ لِمَنْ أسدى إليك مُسَارِعاً

إنّ المَزِيدَ لشاكِرٍ ينقادُ

And thank who raced to provide you

Surely increase for the grateful is guided

واعجبْ لها إذ قد أتى تاريخُها

يَحْيَى بِعَذْب معينها الوُرّادُ

And marvel at it when its date came

The freshness of its spring makes al-Warrād live

حُلُولُ السّعدِ في بُرجِ السّعادة

زِفافُ البَيْرَميّةِ للسّيادة

The entering of fortune in the mansion of felicity

The wedding of the Pyramids to sovereignty

بآمنِ طائرٍ وألذِّ عَيْشٍ

وأرضى عند سيّدنا وَدادة

With the safe flight of birds and sweetest living

And most contentment with our master affection

غَدَتْ حوراء لولا أنّ فيها

من الآداب والتّقوى زيادة

It became a houri, were it not that in it

Is more of morals and piety a surplus

فيَهْنِينا وإيّاكُمْ سرورٌ

نُرَجِّي أن يُرَى كالعيد عادة

It makes us and you happy a joy

We hope to see it a tradition like the Eid

تبَسَّم منه ثَغْرُ الدّين لمّا

تَوَسَّم من سعادته سدادة

The face of religion smiled at it when

It inferred from its happiness soundness

وكم بقِلادَةِ جيدٍ تحلّى

ولكن ذا الْبِنَا شَرَفُ القِلاَدَة

And how it adorned itself with a necklace of beauty

But this building is the honor of necklaces

أسَرَّ العالمين سوى حسودٍ

كوى بسعير محنته فؤادَه

It amazed both worlds except an envier

Whose heart was burned with the flames of his affliction

وسار حديثُه في النّاس يُرْوَى

عطيراً مسنداً عن كل سادة

And its narration went around among people, narrated

Fragrantly supported from every chief

سما فوق السّماء فلا عجيبَ

لِغَيْظ البدر إذ أبدى سواده

It ascended above the sky so no wonder

For the moon's anger when it showed its darkness

ومَنْ ظنّ الخُسوفَ بَدَا لِشرٍّ

فَخَيْرُ الخلق قد ردَّ اعتقادَه

And whoever thought the eclipse boded evil

The best of people has repelled his belief

أدام اللّهُ عزَّهما وأَمْناً

من الحِدْثانِ لا نخشى نفادَه

May God make their might last and safety

From scandals we do not fear its cessation

أَحَطْتُ بما بعثتَ إليّ خُبْراً

من الصُّوَرِ المُدَارةِ كالقِلاَدَة

I have encompassed what you have informed me

Of the well-rounded images like necklaces

فكان الرّأيُ أن لا خُلفَ فيها

لِمَا تحويه من حُسْنِ الإِجادة

So the view was that there is no shortcoming in them

For what they contain of excellence of execution

فلا زلتم مناراً في رشادٍ

ولكن غَيْرَ مختصرِ الإِفادة

So you remain a beacon in guidance

But not of summarized expression