هاتِ اِسقِني مِن رائِقِ الصَهباءِ

وَاِنهَب فَدَوَيتُكَ غَفلَةَ الرَقباءِ

Bring me a drink from the pure saffron wine

And I will ransom you from the negligence of the watchmen

وَاِمزُج خُلاصَتَها بِمَحلولِ الهَنا

وَاِجعَل رَحيقَ الأُنسِ لِلنَدماءِ

And I will mix its essence with dissolved sugarcane

And I will make the fragrance of intimacy for the regretful

وَاِقلَع أَزارَكَ يا نَديمَ وَغَنِّني

وَاِخلَع عِذارَكَ في مَدى الأَهواءِ

Take off your loincloth, my friend, and sing to me

And cast off your excuse amidst the expanse of passions

فَالحَظُّ قامَ مَعَ المَسَرَّةِ راقِصاً

وَالصَفوُ دارَ لِخِدمَةِ الجُلَساءِ

For fortune stood dancing with pleasure

And the sword rotated in service of the seated

في صالَةٍ ظَهَرَت بِأَحسَنِ رَونَقِ

وَتَجَمَّلَت أَرجاؤُها بِمَراءِ

In a hall that appeared in the best condition

And its corners were adorned with mirrors

ما بَينَ غاداتٍ يَتَّهِنُ تَدَلُّلاً

بِمَلاحَةٍ تَسبي وَحُسنَ رِواءِ

What’s between the beauties coquettishly fluttering

With charm that captivates and excellent composure

مِن كُلِّ خَودٌ بِالجَمالِ تَبَرَّجَت

وَبِظَرفِها اِستَغنَت عَنِ الأَزياءِ

From every cheek, beauty itself showed off

And with its elegance, made clothing unnecessary

الوَجهُ نافَسَ زَهرَةً في ضَوئِها

وَالصَدرُ ناهِدُ كَوكَبُ الجَوزاءِ

The face competed with a blossom in its glow

And the bosom a prominent star of Gemini

وَالرَدفُ دارَ بِجُرمِهِ في مُحورِ

خَطُّ اِستِواهُ يَمُرُّ بِالأَحشاءِ

And the hips circled in their heaviness on the axis

Of the equator line that passes through the viscera

وَالشُهبُ مِن تِلكَ اللِحاظِ تَتابَعَت

يا وَيحَ مَن رَجَمتَهُ بِالإيماءِ

And grey hairs from those glances followed in succession

Oh woe to him who was stoned by a mere glance

وَالشِعرُ في أَنواعِهِ ما بَينَ مَع

قوصٍ وَمَرسولِ حِذاءِ حِذاءِ

And the hair in its varieties between bunched

And braided, line after line

مِسكٌ تَمَسَّكَ بَعضُهُ في بَعضِهِ

وَالبَعضُ سالَ فَفاحَ في الأَرجاءِ

Musk some of it clung to each other

And some of it flowed spreading fragrance in the atmosphere

وَالمِشطُ فيهِ مَغرِزٌ كَأَنامِلٍ

بِخَواتِمٍ مِن لُؤلُؤِ لَألَآءِ

And in it a comb stuck like nails

With rings made of pure pearls

فَكَأَنَّ نادَينا وَهُن رَواقِصٌ

وَجَوالِسٌ بِتَجَلَّةٍ وَسَناءِ

So it was as if we had called and they are dancers

And sitters in splendor and loftiness

كَونَ وَهنِ كَواكِبَ سَيّارَةٍ

وَثَوابِتٌ تَزهو بِكُلِّ ضِياءِ

As if they were orbiting stars

And fixed stars shining with all brilliance

وَكَأَنَّما البوفيه مَرصوفاً بِهِ

ما يَشتهي وَتَلَذُّ عَينُ الرائي

And as if the fruit platter is laid out with

Whatever the onlooker desires and delights his eye

وَالكاعِباتِ بِهِ غُدُوّاً روحاً

وَالغيدُ تَرفُلُ في حُلى وَنَهاءِ

And the musicians with it awoke the spirit at dawn

While the rhythm sways in trinkets and ease

جَناتِ عَدنٍ لِلنَعيمِ تَهَيَّأَت

بِالحورِ وَالوِلدانِ وَالنُعماءِ

Gardens of Eden prepared for bliss

With houris, boys, and pleasures

لَكِنَّني وَالشَيبُ صالٍ بِمَفرَقي

وَالدَهرُ مالَ بِصَبوَتي وَصَبائي

But I have become estranged from these beauties

While grey hair is reconciled on my temples

أَصبَحتُ عَن هَذي المَحاسِنُ نائِياً

لاحِظ لي في ظُبى أَو هَيفاءِ

And time has inclined towards my youth and adolescence

Do I have a share in gazelles or white deer?

وَلَقَد نَبَذتُ اللَهوَ لا أَرجو سِوى

في أَحمَدَ خَيري وَنِعمَ رَجائي

And indeed I have cast off amusements, hoping for nothing

Except for my good in Ahmad and the blessings of my hopes

هُوَ ذَلِكَ الشَهمُ الَّذي ما فاتَني

دونَ المَلا في الثَورَةِ الشَنعاءِ

He is the magnanimous one who did not deny me

Support during the dreadful sedition

لَم تَثنِهِ الصِدقُ الَّذي أَعطى الصَدا

قَةَ حَقَّها في شِدَّةٍ وَرَخاءِ

Loyalty that gave sincerity its right

In hardship and comfort did not discourage him

فَبِطولِهِ وَبِفَضلِهِ لا غَروَ أَن

وَحَّدَت فيهِ مَوَدَّتي وَإِخائي

So by his length and his favor it is no wonder

That my affection and brotherhood were limited to him

أَمّا المَحامِدُ وَالمَآثِرُ وَالحَجى

حَدِّث بِلا حَرَجٍ وَلا اِستِثناءِ

As for praise, feats, and presentations

Speak without hesitation or exceptions

هَذي المَحاكِمُ يا لَهُم مِن ذِكرَةٍ

فيها بِحُسنِ رَوِيِّهِ وَقَضاءِ

These tribunals, oh what a lesson in them

In good narration and judgment

فَبِدِقَّةِ التَحقيقِ أَصبَحَ مُرشِداً

لِلطالِبينَ وَقُدوَةَ الزُمَلاءِ

So by precision in investigation he has become

A guide for seekers and model for colleagues

وَإِلَيكَ بِنُها كَم جُنَّت مِن غَرسِهِ

إِثمارَ خَيرٍ في مُنى وَصَفاءِ

And towards you, how many plants have yielded

The fruits of good in purpose and clarity

وَكَفاهُ ما أَجرى بِأَعلى هِمَّةٍ

لِمَدينَةِ المَنِيّا مِنَ الأَعلاءِ

And it suffices what he accomplished with the highest resolve

For the city of Minya from the lofty

فَلَكُم طَريقٌ قَد عَنى بِسُلوكِها

فيها وَأَوصَلَها لِكُلِّ فَناءِ

So you have a path that he was concerned to tread

In it and connected it to every courtyard

وَجَميلٌ مُنَزَّهٌ تَوَلّى نُظمُهُ

حَتّى غَدا كَالرَوَةِ الفَيحاءِ

And beautiful, purified poetry whose composition

Became like an aromatic meadow

وَالأَمنُ هَذا لا سَبيلَ لِوَصفِهِ

فَالأَسَدُ وَالأَنعامُ في الأَفناءِ

And this security the likes of which cannot be described

For the lion and cattle are in the yards

هَذي مَآثِرٌ لَم تَنَلها قَبلَهُ

بِاِبنِ الخَطيبِ وَجُلَّةَ الخُلَفاءِ

These are feats none before him attained

Not the son of the preacher or all the caliphs

حَتّى الحُكومَةُ شُكرُهُ قَد أَعلَنَت

وَتَرَنَّمَت بِفِعالِهِ الحَسناءِ

Until the government declared its thanks

And crooned at his good deeds

وَتَأَمَّلتُ مِنهُ البُحَيرَةً أَن تَكو

نَ كَهَذِهِ في الأَمنِ وَالأَثراءِ

And I hoped the lake would become

Like this in security and prosperity

وَلَسَوفَ يَحلو بِها لِذَوي الصَدى

وَتَروقُ في صَرفٍ وَفي أَرواءِ

And it will be sweet for men of integrity

And flow gently and in irrigation

فَتَرى بِأَحسَنَ حالَةٍ لَم تُؤتِها

وَتَعُد أَوَّلَ رَبوَةٍ خَضراءِ

So you see it in the best condition it has never been given

And it counts as the first green oasis

زَهراءُ لِلزِراعِ تَعجَبُ لا تَرى

مَن تَأَلَّفَ فيها وَلا جَدباءِ

Green for agriculture, wondrous, not seeing

Any inhabited in it or barren

فَالِلَهِ عودُهُ الجَميلُ وَخَصَّهُ

بِصَنيعَةِ التَوفيقِ دونَ رِياءِ

So to God belongs his beautiful return and distinguished him

With the craft of success apart from ostentation

وَأَعانَهُ في كُلِّ مَشروعٍ لَهُ

وَأَعاذَهُ مِن خُلَّةِ الأَعياءِ

And aided him in every project of his

And protected him from the disgrace of fatigue

مَتَّعتُ أَحمَدَ بِالرَفاهَةِ وَالهَنا

وَبَلَغتُ أَعظَمَ رُتبَةٍ عَلياءِ

Grant Ahmad prosperity and bliss

And let me reach the highest noble position

وَبَقيتُ في الدُنيا بِأَكمَلِ صِحَّةٍ

وَبِزينَةِ الأَموالِ وَالأَبناءِ

And remain in life in perfect health

And with wealth of money and children

ما سارَ نَجمٌ بِالسُعودِ وَما بَدا

نَجمٌ بِرَوضَةِ بِهجَةِ غِناءِ

No star has journeyed with good fortune nor appeared

A star in the meadow of delightful singing

رَمَضانُ هَذا قَد أَتاكَ مُبارَكاً

وَمُبارِكاً لِسَعادَةٍ وَبَقاءِ

This Ramadan has come to you blessed

And blessed for happiness and remaining

مُثُنِّ عَلانِيَةً بِما قَدَّمَتهُ

قَبلاً لَهُ مِن مِنَّةٍ بَيضاءِ

Praising publicly what it has presented before

As a white favor for it

مُتَوَسِّلاً يَبغي الرِضا مُتَوَسِّماً

فيكَ الوَفا لِجَماعَةِ الفُقَراءِ

Beseeching, wanting satisfaction, harboring

Loyalty to you for the community of the poor

أَنعِم عَلَيهِ بِما بِهِ عَودَتُهُ

لِيَعودَ شاكِرَ نِعمَةِ الإيفاءِ

Bestow upon it what you have accustomed it with

That it may return grateful for the favor of loyalty

أَو ما سَمِعتُ ذا الَّذي قيلَ في

هَذي البِقاعُ وَسائِرُ الأَنحاءِ

Or have I not heard what was said about

These lands and all the regions

قالوا أَتى يَختالُ في تاريخِهِ

شَهرُ الصِيامِ لِأَحمَدَ بِثَناءِ

They said the month of fasting walked proudly in its date

For Ahmad with praise

وَكَفى بِها مِن ذِكرَةٍ وَإِشارَةِ

يا أَحمَدَ الأَفعالِ وَالأَسماءِ

And it suffices as a reminder and indication

Oh Ahmad of deeds and names

هَذا ثَنا عَبدُ اللَطيفِ يَبُثُّهُ

بِالحَمدِ مَشفوعاً وَحُسنُ دُعاءِ

This is the praise of Abdul Latif extending it

With thanks accompanied by excellent prayer

وافاكَ يَرفُلُ في ثِيابِ صَداقَةٍ

قَد زَرَرَت بِجَواهِرٍ لِصَفاءِ

It comes to you fluttering in robes of friendship

That have sprouted with gems of sincerity

فَعَساهُ يَحظى بِالقُبولِ تَسامُحاً

وَيَفوزُ مِنكَ بِنِعمَةِ الإِصغاءِ

May it have the fortune of acceptance magnanimously

And attain from you the blessing of listening