لحاظك في العُشاق سَيفٌ مهندُ
وَقَدّك غُصن مائس مُتأَوِّدُ
Your cheeks among lovers are a sharpened sword,
And your nape is a supple, bending branch.
وَبَدرك في أُفق الملاحة دُونَه
شُموسُ ضُحى أَنوارُها تَتَوقَّد
Your full moon in the horizon of sailing is unmatched,
Suns of morning whose lights kindle and ignite.
وَثَغرك فيهِ الدر عقدٌ مُنظَّمٌ
وَدُونك ريمٌ ناعسُ الطَرف أَغيَد
Your lips on them a string of pearls arranged,
Below them a gazelle asleep with languid eyes.
وَخصرك يا حُلو الشَمائل في يَدي
يَكاد لما فيهِ مِن اللين يُعقد
Your waist, O sweet of features, in my hand,
Nearly knots from the softness that is inside.
وَأَنتَ مَليح أَبدَع اللَهُ شَكلَه
بِفائق حسن جَمعُه فيك مُفرَد
You are graceful, God created your form perfectly,
With outstanding beauty He gathered solely in you.
فَهات اِسقِني الصَهبا عَلى رَغم عاذلٍ
يَغورُ بِوادي اللوم فيك وَيُنجِد
So give me the wine despite the blamer’s descent,
Who sinks into the valley of blame against you and helps.
فَإِن زَماني قَد صَفا لي بِدَولة
لِتَوفيقها في مَصر رَأيٌ مُسدد
For my time has been blessed with a government
Whose success in Egypt is a well-aimed vision.
لَهُ اللَه مِن صَدر رَفيع بِناؤُه
عَلى العَدل في تِلكَ الدِيار مشيَّد
God gave him a lofty, just chest to build
On justice in those lands established and formed.
وَرَأفته بِالعالَمين سَجيةٌ
بِها كُل فَرد في المَحافل يَشهَد
And his mercy to all creation is a trait
By which each soul in gatherings bears witness.
وَغَيث يَدَي علياه في كُل لَحظةٍ
يَفيض عَلى أَرض العفاة فَتسعَد
The rain of his high hands each instant
Spills on the land of the destitute and brings joy.
أَلا يا بَني الأَوطان إِن أَميرَكُم
أَياديهِ لا تُحصى وَلا تَتَحدد
O children of homelands, your ruler, his hands
Are uncounted, unbounded, unrestrained!
فَقُوموا لَهُ بِالواجِبات وَقابِلوا
مَساعيهِ بِالشُكر الَّذي لا يَقيَّد
So stand by your duties to him and match
His efforts with unsparing thanks unfettered.
وَقُولوا بِإِخلاص مَعي في دُعائكم
يَدوم لَنا هَذا المُشير المُمَجَّد
And say with me sincerely in your prayers,
May this honored counselor endure and stay!
فَقَد سارَ في التَدبير أَحسن سيرة
بِفَضل عَلَيهِ في المَمالك يُحسَد
For he has governed most excellently, by grace
Upon him in realms he is envied always.
أَيا اِبن خديوي مَصر إن قُلوبَنا
عَلى حُبك المَفروض تُطوى وَتُفرَد
O son of the Khedive of Egypt, our hearts
Are folded around our ordained love for you.
وَكَيفَ وَقَد أَحييت مِنا نُفوسنا
بِوافر بذل مِنهُ يَعذُب مَورد
How not, when you revived our souls
With abundant generosity, a sweet spring to drink.
وَأَولَيتنا مِن صدق وَعدك ما بِهِ
تَسود عَلى كُل الأَنام وَتُحمد
And you gave us of your honest promise what makes you
Prevail over all people and earn acclaim.
فَإِن غبتَ فَالأَرواح تَسعى جُنودُها
لَدَيك وَفي الأَشباح دُونك تزهد
If you are absent, spirits race and yearn,
While visions without you are spurned and shunned.
وَلَولاك لَم تَسمَح بِنَظم قَريحة
تَكاد لِعَجزي عَن مَديحك تَجمد
Without you, poetry would not be allowed to compose,
Almost frozen in inability to praise you.
وَلَولاك ما باحَ اللِسان بِما اِنطَوى
عَلَيهِ فُؤادٌ ودُّه مُتَأكِّد
Without you the tongue would not reveal what filled
A heart loyal, intent upon you.
فَعش رافِلاً في حلة الملك وَاقترح
عَلى الدَهر ما تَبغى فَأَنتَ المؤيد
So live as a magnificent king, and suggest
To fate what you wish, for you are supported.
وَفُز يا وَليَّ العَهد مِن طيّب الثَنا
دَواماً بِما فيهِ الرضا يا مُحمد
And succeed, O Heir Apparent, with bountiful praise
Everlasting, fulfilling all gladness, O Muhammad!
فَقَد عَمَّت البُشرى بِمقدمك الَّذي
بِهِ نالَ ما يرجو غُلام وَسَيد
For the good tidings have spread of your arrival, which
Brought all that boy and elder hoped to gain.
فَلا زلت في التَوكيل عَن خَير سَيد
لِأَحكامه نعم الوَزير المُعضَّد
You still represent the best lord in delegation,
His judgments well-supported by the vizier.
وَلا زالَ ثَغر الملك يَتلو مؤرخاً
لِمَصر بِتَوفيقي مَع العَدل سؤدد
And still the king’s mouth chronicles Egypt
With my success and justice both secured.
