حسن اِختَراعي في جَنابك أَظرَفُ

وَلَأَنتَ بي في مَدح ذاتك أَعرفُ

My ingenuity in praising you is most eloquent

And you know me best in eulogizing your essence

يا أَيُّها البَطَل المُجاهد في الوَغى

بِكَ لِلثَبات تَأنُّسٌ وَتَألُّف

O hero, veteran of battles and strife

With you, steadfastness and harmony prevail

وَالجَيش تَحتَ لِواك أَين سَعى لَهُ

في كُل واد نصرةٌ بِكَ تُعرَف

The army under your banner, wherever it went

Victory through you in every valley is known

فَإِذا حَملت عَلى الخُصوم أَصابَهُم

مِن عَضبك المَصقول ما لا يُوصف

When you charge the enemies, they are struck

By your sharpened wrath, beyond description

وَاللَيث يَستر بَعضه مِن رَوعه

وَيَلوح مِنهُ الودّ وَهوَ تكلُّف

The lion hides some of his ferocity

Feigning affection, though it is pretense

وَبحزم رَأيك في الهُجوم وَفي اللقا

أَمِنَ العَساكرُ وَالعِداة تَخوّفوا

With your wise strategy in offense and battle

The troops are safe, and the enemies cower in fear

وَالوَيل ثُمَ الوَيل مِنكَ لِمَن بَغوا

وَعَن الصِراط المُستَقيم تَحرّفوا

Woe, then woe, to those who transgressed

And deviated from the straight path

فَلَهُم عَذاب الهون إِن ثَبَتوا وَإِن

هزموا فخلفهمُ كماةٌ تَزحف

For them is disgrace if they stand fast, and if

They flee, ruin creeps up behind them

وَكَريدٌ اِفتَخرت بِأَكرَم مَولد

بِسَمائه نجم السَعادة مُشرف

Cairo prides itself on the noblest birth

Under its sky the star of fortune shines

وَلمصر حَظ وافر بخدامة

مِنكَ اِستَنار بِها ظَلام مرجف

And Egypt's share is bountiful in your service

By which its darkness is illuminated

وَلجندها بِكَ وَهوَ صاحب سَطوة

فَتح وَنَصر دائم وَتصرُّف

And for its troops, with you, the mighty one

Victory and triumph are constant and assured

وَلِمَن تجرّد بِالنِزال مَنية

تَأتي وَحدّ المشرفية مُرهف

While for those who bare steel in battle, death comes

And the cavalry's onslaught is piercing and swift

وَلِمَن عَرفت مِن الأَنام وقاية

مِن كُل شَر ساقَه متعسف

And for those whom you shielded from all harm

Though an unjust fate befell them

وَلِمَن أَجرت مِن الخطوب حِماية

وَالقَتل فيهِ أَخو البَسالة مسرف

And those whom you saved from calamities

Wherein heroes rush to glorious death

وَلَكَم مَيادين عَلى أُسدِ الشَرى

ضاقَت وَمنكَ عَلَيهِ طالَ المَوقف

How many arenas, too narrow for the lion of battle

Were you in for long, standing your ground

وَلَكَم رَمى بِشهاب بَأسك غادرٌ

لِلوَعد في كُل المَعاهد مخلف

And how many treacherous cowards, struck by the flames of your might

Broke every pledge and covenant

وَلَكم كَميّ باسل ذي نَجدة

ما ردّ بطشَك عَنهُ خلٌّ مسعف

And how many valiant heroes, when gripped

By your might, remained unyielding and steadfast

وَلَكم أَسير قال حينَ مَلكته

وَسَمحت بِالإِطلاق هَذا منصف

And how many captives, when you had seized them

Then released, said "he is just"

وَرضيت بَعدَ الانتصار عَلى العِدا

وَعَن العيال عَفَوت وَهوَ تعفف

And after defeating the enemies, you pardoned

Their families, being generous and noble

وَالمَدح فيكَ حَقيقة وَطَبيعة

وَلَدى سِواك تَصنُّعٌ وَتكلف

Praising you is truth and nature

While with others it is pretense and hypocrisy

فَاقبل يَتيمة فكرة نطقت بِها

لَكَ في الثَناء مِن الضَمير الأَحرف

So accept this orphaned thought I have uttered

To you, from my heart, though inadequate

وَأَجز فتاك عَلى المَديح قبوله

فَهُوَ المرام وَعَنهُ لا أَتخلف

And permit your servant to accept praise

For it is my wish, and I shall not refrain

وَبرتبة بِكَ يا فَريق تَشرفت

وَسَمَت تَهنأ فَالحَسود معنف

With your rank, O eminent one, I have been honored

And taken to the heights, while enviers are enraged

ما أَشرقت شَمس المَناصب بامرئٍ

مِن دُونه في الحلم يذكر أَحنف

Never did the sun of high office shine on one

As wise and forbearing as you, it is said

أَو ما غَدا مَجدي يَقول مؤرّخاً

ما مصطفى إِلا فَريق أَشرَف

Nor did the annals of glory speak of any

Other than Mustafa, most noble commander