مَن لي بملءِ المَشرِقَينِ بَيانا
وبما وَراءَ النَيِّريْنِ مَكانا
Who will fill the horizons with eloquence for me,
And beyond the two rivers, a place?
رُمْتُ الرّثاءَ فَما ظَفِرتُ بِمنبَرٍ
يَسَعُ الرّثاءَ ولا وَجدتُ بَيانا
I embarked upon elegy, but did not attain a pulpit
That can contain elegy, nor did I find eloquence.
ضَاقَ البيانُ وبَرَّحتْ بِي لَوْعةٌ
مَلكتْ عليَّ الصّبرَ والسُّلوَانا
Eloquence was constricted, and sorrow overwhelmed me,
Patience and resignation overcame me.
يا طُولَ همِّي مَاتَ مَن كُنّا بهِ
نَنْفِي الهُمومَ ونكشفُ الأحزانا
O my prolonged anxiety - he who we used to dispel worries with
And remove sorrows, has died.
الصّادعُ الأزماتِ يَتركُ لَيْلُها
أَهْدَى الهُداةِ مُضَلَّلاً حَيْرانا
His fate trembled in sorrow and shuddered in fear,
So he became the best guide, lost and confused.
والرَّادعُ الأحداثَ تَلتهِمُ القُوى
وتُغادِرُ البَطَلَ الشُّجاعَ جَبانا
The resolver of crises, crises consume his strength,
And leave the brave hero a coward.
ما اسْتصرخَتْهُ بِلادُه في نكبةٍ
إلا رأته الماجِدَ المِعوانا
Whenever his country appealed to him in calamity,
It saw him as the glorious helper.
رَجَفَتْ قَضيَّتُها أَسىً وتَفزّعتْ
ذُعراً فَكانَ لها حِمىً وأمانا
The judges plotted, so it was said what was their proof
Until he came forward, and that sufficed as proof for them.
مَكَر القُضاةُ فَقِيلَ ما بُرهانُها
حتَّى انْبَرى فكفاهُمُ البُرهانا
They inclined with the scales of rights as their desires swayed,
So he established the scales in their hands as justice.
مَالوا بِميزانِ الحُقوقِ مع الهَوَى
فَأقامَ في أيديِهمُ المِيزانا
Money is the easiest thing for one to squander and lose,
No money has cured the diseases of homelands.
المالُ أَيْسَرُ ما أَضاعَ ولم يَضِعْ
مالٌ شَفَى مِن دَائها الأوطانا
Or has not the height of treasures for a person
Been seeking wealth, the most priceless of prices?
أوَ لَمْ تكن أَعْلَى الذَّخَائرِ لامْرئٍ
يَبغِي الغِنَى وأَجلَّها أَثْمانا
And if his homeland becomes cheap to a man,
He will find life disgraced and disdained.
والمرءُ إن هَانتْ عليه بلادُه
وَجدَ الحياةَ مَذلَّةً وهَوانا
The misguided liar will not protect his entity,
One who does not protect his homeland’s entity.
كَذَبَ المُضلَّلُ لن يَصونَ كِيانَهُ
مَن لا يَصونُ مِن البلادِ كِيانا
Your eloquence was from his breaths, O Fawlk,
When his alluring eloquence provoked your eloquence.
كانت بلاغةُ فولكَ مِن نَفحاتهِ
لمّا اسْتَثارَ بَيانَهُ الفَتَّانا
The breaths of his kindness aroused you, so you went on
Repeating your melodious voice.
نفحاتُ سمحٍ هَيّجتهُ حِسانُها
فَمَضى يُردِّدُ صَوتَه الرَّنّانا
Days in which he supports the right of Egypt, and seeks
For its defenders the supporters and aides.
أيّام ينصرُ حقَّ مصرَ ويَبتغي
لِحُماتِها الأنصارَ والأعوانا
When he called on the free ones from its passionate lovers,
He did not find them deaf or blind.
لمّا دَعا الأحرارَ من غُرمائِها
لم يُلْفِهمْ صُمَّا ولا عُميانا
Saad's heroes know Muhammad - which of the men
Was firmer in adversities.
أبطالُ سعدٍ يعرفون مُحمّداً
أيَّ الرّجالِ على الشّدائدِ كانا
He was none but the rock of truth, which
Neither iron softened, nor did its affliction gentle.
ما كان إلا صَخرةَ الحقِّ التي
لانَ الحديدُ وبَأسُها ما لانا
Egypt did not produce anyone firmer in resoluteness than him
And more steadfast amidst adversities.
ما أَنْجَبتْ مِصرٌ أشدَّ صرَامةً
مِنه وأثبتَ في الخُطُوبِ جَنانَا
Whispers wander lost in souls, while his soul
Was filled with faith in his time and its people.
تهفو الوَساوِسُ بالنُّفوسِ ونفسُه
مِلءُ الزَّمانِ وأهله إيمانا
Ask it so you may know which sermons it preached,
If you seek knowledge and insight.
سَلْها لِتعلمَ أيَّ خَطبٍ خَطبها
إن كُنتَ تَبغِي العِلمَ والعِرفانا
When they exiled him bitterly, its taste was bitter to him,
And had he not been forbearing and dignified, he would have shown joy.
لمّا سَقوهُ النَّفْيَ مُرّاً طَعمُهُ
وَجَدوهُ حَرّانَ الحَشا ظَمآنا
He did not complain of exile, and with it he did not lack
Kinsmen or neighbors.
لذَّتْ مَذاقتُه فلولا أَنَّهُ
جَمُّ الوقارِ طَوَى المَدَى نَشْوَانا
He gathered the protectors in his house, so they became cordial
After discord, and became brethren.
لم يُنكرِ المَنْفَى ولم يَعْدَم بهِ
مِن عزمهِ أهلاً ولا جِيرانا
They pledged allegiances through it to Egypt by a hand
That heals breasts and removes resentments.
جَمَعَ الحُماةَ بدارهِ فَتألَّفُوا
بعد الشِّقاقِ وأصبحوا إخوانا
Their matter would not be more wondrous if they extinguished
The light of peace and ignited fires.
عَقدوا العُهودَ بها لِمصرَ على يَدٍ
تَشفِي الصُّدورَ وتَنزعُ الأَضْغَانا
They grieve for the wounded homeland, yet they have become
War against the wounded homeland, helpers of injustice.
ما كان أعجبَ أمرَهم إذا أَطفَأُوا
نُورَ السلامِ وأَوْقَدوا النِّيرانا
They descended upon the honored Saad's square,
He did not treat them with kindness or benevolence.
يَرْثُونَ لِلوطنِ الجريحِ وقد غَدَوْا
حَرباً على الوطنِ الجريحِ عَوانا
And they left safely, their elder saying:
"May your Lord greet you", from a caring father.
نَزَلُوا بِسَاحَةِ ماجدٍ مُتكَرِّمٍ
لم يَألُهمْ بِرّاً ولا إحْسَانا
Indeed, he who builds the ranks for his people
Is nobler than he who erected the highest buildings.
ومَضوا بِعافِيةٍ يَقولُ كبيرُهم
حَيَّاكَ رَبُّك مِن أبٍ يرعانا
He ruled the country, walking the path of a just one,
Refusing harm and shunning aggression.
إنّ الذي يبني الصُّفوفَ لِقومهِ
لأَجَلُّ مَن رَفعَ الذُّرَى بُنيانا
And he established the balance of matters wisely,
Giving the weak against the strong a guarantee.
حكمَ البِلادَ فَسارَ سيِرةَ عادلٍ
يَأبَى الأذَى ويُجانِبُ العُدوانا
He spread civilization in the cities and villages,
And brought prosperity to all its corners.
ويُقيمُ مِيزانَ الأمورِ بِحكمةٍ
تُعطِي الضعيفَ من القويِّ ضَمانا
And he prepared strong life for the sick,
To build souls and support bodies.
بَثَّ الحَضارةَ في المدائِنِ والقُرَى
وأجالَ في أرجائِها العُمرانا
The ruler knows him as noble and formidable -
Neither status nor authority made him arrogant.
وأعدَّ لِلمَرْضَى الحياةَ قَويَّةً
تَبنِي النُّفوسَ وتَدْعَمُ الأبدانا
His virtues inherited the virtues of his house,
So with which virtue did he want to adorn himself?
الحكمُ يَعرِفُه نَبيلاً كَابِراً
ما زَادَهُ جَاهاً ولاسُلطانا
A house which Islam built the wall of its glory,
And protected its sides and pillars.
وَرِثَتْ مَناقِبُه مَناقبَ بَيْتهِ
فَبِأيِّ مَنْقَبةٍ أرادَ ازْدَانا
Time passed but it still remains as it was,
Refusing decline and denying change.
بَيتٌ بَنَى الإسلامُ حَائطَ مَجدِه
وَحمىَ الجوانبَ منه والأركانا
You, O Muhammad, have a rank in glories,
Which has overtaken me in description and eloquence.
دَارَ الزمانُ وما يزالُ كعهدهِ
يَأْبَى الصَّغارَ ويُنكِرُ الدَّوَرانا
You refuted Henderson with the opinion that
Exhausts the cunning and defeats the brave.
لَكَ يا مُحمّدُ في المَفاخرِ رُتبةٌ
مَلكتْ عليَّ الوَصفَ والتِّبيانا
Politics gave through your hand what its pillars refused
To give to peers.
جَالدتَ هندرسونَ بالرّأيِ الذي
يُعيِي الدُّهاةَ ويَغلبُ الشُّجْعَانا
You pleased your people with noble deeds,
Hoping for God's approval through them.
أَعْطَتْ على يَدِكَ السِّياسةُ ما أَبَتْ
أقطابُها أن تُعطِيَ الأقرانا
And you were angry for the peasant with the anger of one dignified,
The Nile is too proud to see it humiliated.
أَرْضَيْتَ قَومَكَ بالفعالِ كريمةً
تَرجو بها مِن رَبّكَ الرّضوانا
God inspired him with guidance and made him
A symbol of the Nile's glory, or a sign.
وغَضِبتَ للفلّاحِ غَضْبَةَ مُكرِمٍ
لِلنّيلِ يَأنَفُ أن يَراهُ مُهانا
O honorer of lofty literature, you saddened it,
And left it in my heart grieved.
اللهُ أَلهَمَهُ الهُدَى وأقَامَهُ
رَمزاً لمجدِ النّيلِ أو عُنوانا
You bestowed abundant kindness upon me, and I did not find
Kindness like it before, nor affection.
يا مُكرِمَ الأدبِ الرّفيعِ فَجعتَهُ
وتَركتَهُ في خَاطِري أشجانا
You are not one who withholds, nor am I one who
Accepts ingratitude and prefers forgetfulness.
أَوليْتَني البرَّ الجزيلَ فلم أَجِدْ
مِن قبلُ بِرّاً مِثلهُ وحَنانا
I remember it sometimes, kindness,
And manners that bring beauty to the generous.
ما أنتَ بالجافي ولا أنا بالذي
يَرْضَى الجُحودَ ويُؤثِرُ النِّسْيانا
O company of the free, patience - for it
Is destined, and the affliction of a people has come.
إنّي لأَذكُرها خِلالاً سَمْحةً
وخَلائقاً تُصبِي الكريمَ حِسانا
You are the aides of your country if its events
Intend aggression.
يا معشرَ الأحرارِ صَبراً إنّه
قَدَرٌ جَرَى ومُصابُ شَعْبٍ حَانا
Return the decision to Egypt, and take hold
Of perseverance’s hand, restraining its panic.
أنتم على الأيّامِ عَوْنُ بلادِكم
إن أَزمعتْ أحداثُها طُغْيانا
Excellent is your elder as caliph in politics,
If its ambiguities confuse minds.
رُدُّوا على مِصرَ القَرارَ وأَمْسِكُوا
بِيَدِ التَّجلُّدِ دَمْعَها الهتَّانا
He is the one who taught us in this matter his status,
Blessings upon a sheikh, and bless his status.
نِعمَ الخليفةُ في السّياسةِ شَيْخُكُم
إن ضَلَّلتْ شُبهاتُها الأَذْهانا
هُوَ مَنْ عَلِمنا في القضيّةِ شَأنَهُ
بُوركتَ من شيخٍ وبُوركَ شانا
