هاتِ حدّث عَن المَليك السَعيدِ

لا عَن المالك الإِمام الرَشيدِ

Sing of the happy king, not of the pious caliph,

And turn the pages in books away,

وَاضرب الذكر في الدَفاتر صَفحاً

عَن عُلوم المَأمون خَير وَليد

From the sciences of al-Ma'mun, best heir,

And sing his praises wherever he revived,

وَتَغنَّى بِمدحه حَيث أَحيا

بِالمَعالي رُسوم كُل تَليد

With glories, the ways of every tradition,

Wherever he revived his father, the best king,

حَيث أَحيا أَباه خَير مَليك

ساد في مصره بفعل حَميد

Who prevailed in his Egypt with praiseworthy deed,

And followed in his footsteps with it and it sufficed him,

وَاِقتَفى إِثره بِها وَكَفاها

شَرَّ باغٍ مراقب وَعَنيد

Evil of a vigilant and obstinate watcher,

And endowed it with sciences and knowledge,

وَحَباها مِن علمه بِفُنون

وَعُلوم وَكُل درّ فَريد

And every precious, unique pearl,

And rode the horses of loftiness in guiding it,

وَاِمتَطى غارب العلا في هداها

مِن ضلال بِكُل رَأي سَديد

From misguidance with every right opinion,

And with it he built fortresses resolutely,

وَبِها شَيّد الحُصون بِحَزم

وَثَبات لِقَمع خَصم عَنيد

And steadfastly to subdue a stubborn foe,

And protected the coast of Purity attentively,

وَحمى حَوزة الصفا باهتمام

وَاجتِهاد في خَلق جَيشٍ جَديد

And striving to create a new army,

Among them cannoneers who make enemies,

مِنهُ طوبجيةٌ تَبيت الأَعادي

مِن تعدّي نيرانها في عَديد

Spend the night in fear of their abundant fire,

Among them horsemen who lead the troops of death,

مِنهُ زرخ تَسوق جرد المَنايا

في الدَياجي إِلى العَدوِّ الجَحود

In the darkness against the thankless enemy,

Among them cavalry, when they prepare,

مِنهُ خَيالة إِذا ما استعدّت

لِهُجوم باءَت بِنصرٍ أَكيد

For an attack, they achieve assured victory,

And call out to the armies, "We have conquered,

وَتلت للجيوش إِنا فتحنا

فادخلوها بِالعز وَالتأييد

So enter it in might and support!"

Among them riflemen whom you see in ranks,

مِنهُ قرّابة تراها صُفوفاً

في المَيادين كَالبِناء المشيد

In the battlefields like erected building,

Among them engineer lions, when,

مِنهُ أَسد مُهندسون إِذا ما

أَقبَلوا أَدبرت جُموع الحَسود

They advance the envious hordes take flight,

Apart from them, distinct in sciences,

عَن سِواهُم تَمَيزّوا بِعُلوم

وَفُنُون مَنظومة كَالعُقود

And regular arts like beads,

And sappers who have every pride,

وَكَبورجيةٌ لَها كل فَخر

في جَميع البِقاع بَينَ الجُنود

In all parts among the soldiers,

And hold sway by land and sea,

وَلَها سَطَوة بِبر وَبَحر

تَطحَن المارِقين طَحن الحَصيد

Grinding rebels like threshing harvest,

O owner of a clement king at peace,

يا لَهُ مالِكاً حَليماً لَدى السل

م وَفي الحَرب ذا مراس شَديد

And in war of piercing spears,

He on land is unmatched lion,

هُوَ في البر قَسَورٌ لا يُبارَى

هُوَ في البَحر يا لَهُ مِن مبيد

He at sea - O how annihilating,

In knowledge and languages he is the imam,

هُوَ في العلم وَاللُغات إمام

هُوَ في عَصره أَجل وَحيد

In his time most eminent and unique,

Just like Chosroes, though he aspired he doesn't equal,

عَدل كِسرى وَإِن سَما لا يُساوي

عُشر مِعشار عَدل هَذا العَميد

A tenth of the justice of this pillar,

Caesar of Rome, his resolve in palaces,

قَيصَر الرُوم عَزمه في قُصور

عِندَ صَدرٍ مُؤيد وَسَعيد

Is with a supported and fortunate breast,

The generosity of Ma'an and Hatim doesn't match,

جُود مَعن وَحاتم لا يُضاهي

ذَرّة مِن شُعاع جُود مَديد

An atom of the rays of his long generosity,

The generosity of Amr in his generosity you cannot measure him,

كَرّ عَمروٍ بِكرِّه لا تَقسه

هُوَ في حربه مبيد الأُسود

He in his war is the annihilator of lions,

He didn't boast of noble origin,

هُوَ لَم يَفتَخر بِأَصلٍ كَريم

كَسِواه وَلا بِفَضل الجُدود

Like others, nor of the merits of forefathers,

He is true to his promise and you see him,

هُوَ لِلوَعد منجز وَتَراه

دائِماً مائِلاً لِخُلف الوَعيد

Always inclined to the opposite of threats,

Can Eias match him in intelligence,

هَل يُجاريه في الذَكاء إِياسٌ

وَهُوَ فيهِ إِمام كُل مجيد

When he in it is the imam of every glorious one?

O king of the world and darling of Egypt,

يا مَليك الوَرى وَبُغية مَصر

وَحِماها مِن كُل ضدٍّ مريد

And its protector from every hostile schemer,

And mate of gazelles and companion of highlands,

وَقَرين الظُبى وَخدن العَوالي

وَطَويل النِجاد يَوم الرُعود

And long of spear on the day of commotion,

With the splendor of praise and eulogy,

هاكَ مِني يَتيمة قَد تَحلّت

مِن بَديع الثَناء بِالتَمجيد

It is this gift and my hope,

Is acceptance from me of this ode,

هِيَ هَذي هَدية وَرَجائي

فيك مني قبول هَذا القَصيد

This is the way of kings of old,

And present and in all eras,

هَذِهِ سنّة المُلوك قَديماً

وَحَديثاً وَفي جَميع العُهود

In their view the most valuable gifts to them,

Are books whose mention is allied with eternity,

عِندَهُم أَنفُس الهَدايا إليهم

كتب ذكرها حَليف الخُلود

Not fresh herbs and perfumes are gifted to them,

Nor silver like the rest of slaves,

لا إليهم يُهدَى نِضارٌ وَتبرٌ

لا وَلا فضة كَباقي العَبيد