مولايَ يا ذا المنظرِ الزاهرِ

والمنطقِ المنتظمِ الباهرِ

My master, O you with the radiant appearance

and the eloquent, well-organized speech

يا حاكماً شاهدُهُ عاملٌ

على العُلى نفديكَ بالناظرِ

O you ruler whose deeds we witness

We sacrifice our sight for your sublime self

أبدعت نثراً قلتُ لَما بدا

كم تركَ الأولُ للآخرِ

You have created such excellent prose that I said

How much the first left for the next!

وقلتَ شعراً محكماً مثلُهُ

في الدهر لم يخطرْ على خاطِرِ

And you have composed firm poetry the likes of which

Has never occurred in the minds of others in history

فيا سريعَ النظمِ لا زلتَ في

خيرٍ مديدٍ كاملٍ وافرِ

O you quick to compose poetry, you still enjoy

Enduring, complete, abundant goodness

جَمَّلْتَ مصراً أنتَ مِنْ أهلِهِ

وسُدْتَ في البادي وفي الحاضرِ

You have beautified Egypt, you who are one of its people

And you have excelled among nomads and city dwellers alike

فأنتَ نورُ الدينِ عدلاً ومَنْ

يُسْمى به غيرُكَ كالجائرِ

For you are the light of religion and justice and none

Other than you deserves to be named as such without injustice

وإنما كلفتني خطةً

تُوهي قوى المستأسدِ الخادِرِ

You have burdened me with a plan

That will distract the powers of the roaring lion

قلتَ أجزني وأنا قطرةٌ

واحدةٌ من بحرِكَ الزاخرِ

You said "Permit me" and I am but a single drop

From your abundant, streaming sea

يوسفُ أعرِضْ ما الذي تبتغي

مِنْ عمرَ المعدولِ مِنْ عامِرِ

Turn away, O Yusuf! What is it you seek

From a life short of years and bereft of prosperity?

أمرتني ما أنتَ أولى به

فشرِّف المأمورُ بالآمرِ

You have commanded me what you are more worthy of

Thus the commanded one is ennobled by the commander

فإن أُخالفْ لم يلقَ بي وإنْ

أطعتُ أخشى هزأةَ الناظرِ

If I were to disobey, none would blame me, yet if

I obeyed, I would fear people's ridicule

وطاعتي أمرَكَ ألفيْتُها

أولى وإن شقَّتْ على خاطري

But obeying your command I have found

Best, even if it weighs heavily on my mind

أجزتُ مولايَ كما جوّزوا

صرفَ سوى المصروفِ للشاعرِ

So I have permitted, my lord, as others permit

Diverting money away from where the poet intends it

ضرورةً إذ لست أهلاً لما

ظننتَ يا طائلُ بالقاصرِ

Out of necessity, since I do not deserve what

You supposed, O you whose expectations exceed my capacity

إجازةً لو أنني منصف

سألتُها من فضلِكَ الغامرِ

A permission which, had I been equitable,

I would have sought from your abundant grace

مثلُكَ لا يُجهلُ مقدارُهُ

ولا سجايا بيتكِ الطاهرِ

One like you, his worth is not ignored

Nor the agreeable qualities of your pure home

حكمتَ في الشهباءِ فرعاً عن ال

شرعِ وعن طَشْتمرَ الناصري

You have ruled regarding al-Shahba diverting from

Religious and secular law, like al-Nasiri in Tishtimur

فما رأينا منكَ إلاّ الذي

يَسرُّ في الباطنِ والظاهرِ

We have seen none from you but that

Which pleases openly and secretly

حكْمٌ عفيفٌ نَزِهٌ محسنٌ

بَرٌّ مقيلٌ عثرةَ العاثرِ

A discreet, clean, beautiful, righteous judgment

Removing stumbling blocks from the stumbler's path

مسدَّد الأحكامِ حتى غدا

حكمُكَ مثلَ المثلِ السائر

With rulings made firm such that your judgment

Has become proverbial

فاللهُ لا يجعلُهُ آخرَ ال

عهدِ لنا من وجهكَ الناضرِ

So may God never make this the last

We see of your radiant face

ودمتَ في عزٍّ وفي رفعةٍ

يا قدوةَ الناظمِ والناثرِ

And may you remain in glory and loftiness

O exemplar of poet and prose writer alike!