تَمت بدورٌ في سَماء صِناعةٍ

عَنها اِنجَلى غَيمٌ وَزالَ بِأَسرهِ

A full moon rose in the skies of creation

From which clouds and darkness completely departed

إِذ بانَ عَن كَشف الرُموز قِناعُهُ

وَالدَهر جادَ بِفَكه مِن أَسره

As the veil of symbols was lifted

And time generously freed them from captivity

فَهُوَ الَّذي أَحصى الفُنون جَميعها

وَاِنحَلَّ مشكلُها بِواضح سره

It is he who compiled all the arts

And unraveled their complexities with lucid mysteries

وَهُوَ المُحيط بِكُل فَن أَظرف

فَاقدُم عَلَيهِ وَاِرتشف مِن ثَغره

He encompasses every refined art

So present yourself and savor from his fountain

وَاشكر صَنيع الداوريّ محمد

فَهُوَ الَّذي أَحيا العلوم بمصره

And thank the creation of Muhammad Ali Pasha

For he revived the sciences with his will

لِمَ لا وَإِنّ كَتابنا في عَهده

جادَ الزَمان لَدى الأَنام بِنشره

Why not, for in his era

The age gracefully disseminated our book among the people

مُذ تَمَّ بَدرُ الطَبع قُلت مؤرخاً

أَبدى الخديويّ الفُنون بِعَصره

Since the moon of print shone, I said as a chronicler

The Khedive displayed the arts in his time