حُصون السَعيد الشَهم خَيرِ إِمامِ
تَباهَت بِإِحكامٍ بَديع نِظامِ
The fortresses of the valorous, magnanimous leader are the best sanctuaries,
Adorned with the perfection of a wondrous system.
وَبالحفظ وَالتَأييد قامَت لمصره
مدافعُها فيها أَتمَّ قِيام
They stood for Egypt with protection and support,
Their cannons within performed their duty completely.
وَقَد نشرت للنصر أَعلام بَهجة
عَلى كُل باب للصواعق رامي
They raised the flags of victory in joy,
Above each lightning-striking door.
وَدوراتها دارَت عَلى كل شانئٍ
ففرّ وَلَم يظفر بنيل مَرام
Their battalions turned against every enemy,
So they fled, failing to achieve their hopes.
وَمِنها خُطوط النار شبّ ضرامها
وَأَودى بِطاغ مِن بَعيد مرامي
From them, lines of fire ignited their flames,
Destroying the ambitions of a distant tyrant.
وَأَغصان أَدواح الحَماسة لَم يَزَل
يحرّك مِنها الريحُ كُلَّ قوام
The branches of their fervor's banners continued
To be stirred by the winds at every pillar.
وَبرداتُها وَالبستيوناتُ أُحكِمت
فَهاب الوَغى مِنها لَديد خصام
Their parapets and bastions were made firm,
So strife was awed by their severe conflict.
وَفاضَت مياهٌ مِن خنادقها طغت
عَلى شوّ صَحْرا تَحتَ جنحِ ظَلام
Waters flowed from their moats, flooding
Over a desolate plain beneath the wings of darkness.
فَلم يَنجُ مِنها طامعٌ في سَلامة
وَلا عادَ في أَوطانه بِسَلام
No ambitious invader escaped unharmed,
Nor returned to his homelands in peace.
فَأَما مَيادين القِلاع فَإِنَّها
بِها كُلُّ ليثٍ في النِزال همام
As for their arenas of fortresses, they
Harbor every ferocious lion in battle.
فيا سَعد مَن والى جيوش مَليكها
وَفازَ بِوَعد أَو بِأَخذ ذمام
Happy is he who commands their king's armies
And gains a promise or seizes the reins.
وَيا وَيل مَن عاداه عِندَ نِضاله
سيصلى سَعيراً مِن هوانِ حِمام
Woe to he who opposes them in their fight-
He will suffer disgrace like a doveling dove.
أَلم يَدر أَن الأُسدَ حرّاسُ قلعةٍ
مَدافعُها في الحَرب ذاتُ ضرام
Does he not know the lion guards a castle?
Its cannons are fierce in war.
وَأَنهمُ سادوا بِبَأسٍ وَقوّة
وَنَفس بِها تَأتمّ نَفسُ عصام
They prevailed with might and strength
And a soul that matches the soul of resolute men.
وَكَيفَ وَقَد ربّاهمُ ذو شَهامة
بِها تُضرَب الأَمثال يَوم زحام
How could it be otherwise, when they were raised
By one whose nobility is proverbial in times of strife?
رَعى اللَه هَذا الداوريَّ فَإِنَّهُ
لَنا مِن ملمّات الحَوادث حامي
May God protect this counselor, for he
Is our shield against the blows of events.
وَأَيّده بِالفَتح وَالنَصر ما بَدا
هِلالٌ وَما قَد لاحَ بَدر تَمام
May He grant him victory and triumph whenever
A new moon appears or the full moon is completed.
فَلا زالَ يُنشي كُل حصن وَقَلعة
لعز كِرامٍ أَو لذل لئام
He continues to establish each fortress and citadel
For the glory of dignity or the disgrace of villains.
إِلى أَن يَرى كُلَّ البِلاد مُطيعةً
لمصر بَرأيٍ بِالإِصابة سامي
Until he sees all the lands obedient
To Egypt, with sound opinion and noble ideals.
وَلا برح التَأييد عَبداً لدولة
بِها الغَيث مِن أُفق المَكارم هامي
And support continues for a state
Where the rain of glories is flooding from the horizon.
وَلا اِنفكَّ مَملوكُ العِناية يَنتَقي
لَها مِن نَفيس النَظم درَّ كَلام
Nor has the protected one of Providence ceased
To pick for it the finest compositions and words.
وَيَركضُ في مضمار بَثِّ ثَنائها
بِسابق فكرٍ في المَدائح نامي
He runs in the racecourse of spreading its praise
With an early rising thought in eulogies.
وَإِقبالُه الأَسنى يَقول مؤرِّخاً
حُصوني تَحلَّى عقدها بِتَمام
His good fortune says, recording it in history:
"My fortresses have adorned their necklaces with perfection."
