قُل لِلأَمير أَدامَ اللَه نعمتَهُ

طُولَ المَدى وَكَساهُ أَبهَجَ الحللِ

Tell the ruler, may God prolong his bounty

Of long duration and cloak him in splendid robes,

يا اِبن المبارك يا خَير الأَنام أَباً

وَيا أَجلّ وَزير بِالسداد عَلي

O son of the blessed, O best of men as a father

And O most venerable minister of integrity,

عشرون حولاً وخمسٌ بعدها نفدت

في خدمة لك بالإخلاص في العمل

Twenty years have passed and five more after them

Spent in your service with sincerity in deed,

عرَّبتُ فيها مِن الأَسفار ما عجزت

عَنهُ الأَواخر بَعدَ السادة الأَول

In which I have translated from books what stumped

The later ones after the earlier masters,

وَلَم أَدَع لَحظةً تَمضي بِلا تَعبٍ

يَعود بِالنَفع لِلأَوطان مِن قِبَلي

And I have not let a moment pass without toil

That benefits the homelands because of me,

وَهاكَ ستّينَ سَفراً كُلُّها ظَهرت

لِلناس فَاِنتَفَعوا مِنها بِكُلِّ جلي

And here are sixty books all of which appeared

To the people who benefited fully from them,

وَكُلُّ مجتهدٍ عانى تلاوتها

وَحفظَها فازَ في دُنياه بِالأَمل

And every diligent one who recited them

And memorized them succeeded in his life's hope,

وَكَيفَ لا وَهيَ بَعدَ الطَيّ قَد نشرت

وَشَمسُها لَم تَزَل في دارة الحمل

How not when they have after goodness spread

And their sun continues in the circle of Aries,

مِنها فُروع الرِياضيات أَجمعها

وَالعَسكرية بِالتَفصيل وَالجمل

From them are branches of all mathematics

And military science in detail and in summary,

وَأَنتَ أَدرى بأَشغالي وَدقَّتها

وَما أُلاقيهِ مِن كدٍّ بِلا مَلل

And you know best my works and their precision

And what I face of toil without boredom,

وَاللَيل أَطويه في تَنميق ما سمحت

بِهِ القَريحة مِن آداب محتفل

And the night I spend embellishing what you allowed

Of literature from celebrated compositions,

وَالآن أَوليتَني مَربوط ثانية

بِعدَ العَبوس بِها دَهري تبسم لي

And now you have engaged me a second time

After frowning at me, my days smiled at me,

وَقَد حظيت بِما أُوتيت في صفرٍ

مِن عام ستٍّ بِأَمر النائب البَطَل

And I was granted what I was given in Safar

Of a year six with the order of the brave deputy,

وَحَيث لَم يَبقَ للفرمان عَن ثقة

إِلّا كِتابةُ تَوقيعٍ بِلا مهل

And where nothing remained of the decree except trust

Except writing a signature without delay,

فَامنن بِهِ إِن خَير البرِّ عاجلُه

وَلا تَقُل خُلِقَ الإِنسانُ مِن عجل

So favor me with it, for the best of righteousness is its urgency,

And do not say man was created of haste,

وَلا تَلمني عَلى التَأكيد في طَلبٍ

فيهِ الشِفاء مِن الأَمراض وَالعلل

And do not blame me for insisting on a request

In which is the cure for illnesses and pains,

وَلا تكلني بِتسويف إِلى فرصٍ

فَإِنَّني عَن نجاز الوعد لَم أَحُل

And do not burden me with procrastination until chances

For I do not replace fulfilling a promise with anything,

وَقَد شرحت إِلى عَلياك ما طمحت

إِلَيهِ نَفسي فَقابل بِالرضا وَصِل

And I have explained to your excellency what my soul aspires

To, so meet it with acceptance and join,

فَما الوَظائف إِلّا لِلذين لَهُم

ميلٌ إِلى راحة الأَبدان وَالكَسَل

For positions are only for those who have

An inclination for the rest of bodies and laziness,

لا للذين لَهُم بَينَ الوَرى شَغَفٌ

بِحُبِّ حكمةِ إِن العزَّ في النَقل

Not for those who have among people a passion

For love of the wisdom that honor is in transmitting,

وَتِلكَ نفثة مصدور عرضتُ بِها

حالي عَلَيك بِلا رَوعٍ وَلا وَجَل

And that is an outpouring I have presented

My state to you without fear or dread,

لِأَنني صرتُ مَحسوباً عَلَيكَ وَلا

أَنفكُّ عَنكَ إِلى أَن يَنتَهي أَجَلي

Because I have become affiliated with you and do not

Cease from you until my term ends,

لا زالَ سَعيُك مَشكوراً وَلا برحت

تُثني عَلَيك بِخَيرٍ سائرُ الملل

Your efforts are still appreciated and you have not stopped

Praising you with good, the rest of the nations,