الدَهر كلل تاج الملك بالحِكَمِ

وَأَيد الدين وَالأَوطان بالهممِ

Time has crowned the king with wisdom

And supported religion and homeland with determination

وَدَولة العدل إسماعيل مذ رغبت

في راغبٍ أَصبحت مَنشورة العلم

And the state of justice, Ismail, since you desired

In the desirer, has become published knowledge

أَما تَرى أَنَّهُ في مصر وَهوَ لها

حصن مَنيع حباها مِنهُ بِالشمم

Do you not see that he is in Egypt as if

An impregnable fortress God has endowed it with glory

وَأَنَّهُ عضد الحَق المُبين بِما

قَد فاجأ الباطل المَذموم بِالعَدم

And that he is the supporter of the clear truth with what

He suddenly defeated the despised falsehood with annihilation

أَما تَرى أَنَّهُ بِالعَدل وَهوَ لَهُ

أَهل أَباد رسوم الجور وَالنقم

Do you not see that with justice, which belongs to him

The people abolished the norms of tyranny and grievance

وَأَنَّهُ أَنصف المَظلوم حَيث لَهُ

ردّ الظَلامة رغم الخصم وَالحَكَم

And that he gave justice to the oppressed wherever he has

Repelled the darkness despite the opponent and the judge

أَما تَرى أَنَّهُ في كُل مَشوَرَةٍ

يَسمو عَلى الغَير بِالآراء وَالحِكَم

Do you not see that in every consultation

He rises above others with opinions and wisdom

وَأَنَّهُ ما لَهُ بَين الوَرى شبهٌ

في الحَزم وَالحلم وَالإقدام وَالكَرَم

And that he has no equal among all people

In resolve, patience, daring and generosity

أَما تَرى أَنَّهُ شهم سِياستُه

أَنست سياسةَ مَأمون وَمعتصم

Do you not see that the boldness of his politics

Made forget the politics of Mamun and Mu'tasim

وَأَنَّهُ عالَمٌ في واحد وَبِهِ

ركن المروءة أَضحى غَير منهدم

And that he is a scholar in one, and in him

The pillar of manhood has become indestructible

أَما تَرى أَنه فيما يُباشره

مِن الأُمور همامٌ راسخ القدم

Do you not see that in what he undertakes

Of matters he is determined, firm of foot

وَأَنَّهُ لجدير في رياسته

بِالسَبق وَالرفق بِالمَخدوم وَالخَدم

And that he is worthy in his leadership

Of preceding and gentleness with the ruled and the servants

وَكَيفَ تُحصَر أَوصاف لَهُ مُلِئت

بِها الصَحائف مِن نثرٍ وَمنتظم

And how can his descriptions in which

The pages are filled with prose and verse be enumerated

أَم كَيفَ يُحصي مُجيدٌ في مَدائحه

ما فيهِ مِن كَرم الأَخلاق وَالشِيَم

Or how can a praiser in his praises

Enumerate what is in him of the generosity of morals and qualities

وَقَد تنزه عَن ندٍّ يُماثله

فيما يَعود بِهِ نفع عَلى الأُمم

And he is far above any peer who can equal him

In what benefits he brings upon the nations

وَحَيث إِن مَبانيه مؤسسة

عَلى قَواعد حفظ العَهد وَالذمم

And where his foundations are established

On the basis of keeping promises and covenants

وَبذل ما فيهِ إِصلاح وَمنفعة

بمصر للناس مِن عرب وَمِن عَجَم

And giving what in it reforms and benefits

Egypt for the people, Arabs and non-Arabs

وطيّ ما كانَ قَبل الآن مُنتَشِراً

مِن التَعدّي وَسَلب المال وَالنعم

And folding what was before spread

Of transgression and looting of wealth and blessings

بَث التمدّنَ في أَرجائِها وَبِهِ

نَفَى التوحشَ عَنها بارئُ النسم

Spreading civilization in its outskirts, and with it

He eliminated savagery from it, the creator of breaths

وَهوَ الَّذي جاوب الصَدر الجَليل عَلى

إِنشاء أَشياء قَد دلت عَلى العِظَم

And it is he who corresponded to the noble breast to

Establish things that indicated magnificence

مِنها مجالس للإنصاف قَد بُزِلَت

أَعضاؤُها في القَضا وَالحكم مِن تُهَم

Among them councils of justice whose members

In judging and ruling were appointed from accusations

فَكم قَضايا بِها انحلت مَشاكلها

وَأَنتَجَت بَعدَ طُول اليَأس وَالعقم

So how many cases through them complications were solved

And produced after long despair and infertility

لِأَنَّها مِن سَنا أَنواره اقتبست

ما قَد جَلا غَيهَب الأَوهام وَالظلم

Because from the radiance of his lights they drew

What illuminated the horizons of illusions and injustice

وَللدواوين مِنها في إِدارتها

أَبهى نِظام بَديع غَير منخرم

And for the offices among them in their administration

Most wondrous, beautiful system not ruptured

وَللأقاليم أَرزاقٌ مضاعفةٌ

بحسن تَدبيره تَزداد في القيم

And for the regions multiplied sustenances

By his good management they increase in value

وَللمصالح مِنهُ صحةٌ وَبِهِ

قَد زالَ عَن جسمها ما كانَ مِن سقم

And for the interests from him health, and with him

What was of disease has been removed from its body

وَمُذ رَأى أَنَّهُ لا بد مِن حجج

لقمع من ضل عَن إِرشاده وَعمي

And since he saw that it is inevitable to have proofs

To suppress those who strayed from his guidance and blinded

وَردعه بِالقوانين الَّتي صدرت

أَحكامها بِقَرارٍ كاشف الغمم

And deter him with the laws that were issued

Whose rulings were pronounced with a decision dispelling doubts

قضى بتعريبها حَتّى يَكون لَها

في مصر أَمرٌ لَهُ يَنقاد كُل كَمِي

He decreed to translate them so that for them

In Egypt there would be a matter to which every mute submits

فَاِختار أَربعةً منا ورتبهم

مَع الرَئيس لهذا الشأن في قلم

So he chose four of us and arranged them

With the president for this matter in an office

وَاختصَّ كُلٌّ بِقانونٍ فترجمه

بسرعةٍ وَبَيانٍ واضح الكلم

And each specialized in a law and translated it

Quickly, eloquently, and clear in expression

وَإننا مِن أَياديه عَلى ثقة

بِأَنَّها لَم تَزَل تنهلّ كالديم

And we are from his hands confident

That they have not ceased drawing like rainwater

وَحسبُنا أَنَّنا نلنا بِهِ شَرَفاً

لَما حُسبنا عَلى علياه مِن قدم

And it suffices us that we attained through him an honor

When we were counted among his veterans

لَكننا الآن نَرجو مِن مَكارمه

عِندَ اِقتِسام العَطايا أَوفرَ القسم

But now we hope from his generosity

Upon dividing the gifts the most plentiful share

لازالَ يَزداد مِنّا في مَناقبه

شُكراً بكل لِسانٍ ناطق وَفم

He continues to increase from us in his virtues

Gratitude with every speaking tongue and mouth