أُهْدِي إلَى عَالِي المَقَامِ

بَتَأَدُِبٍ أَزْكَى السَّلامِ

I present to the high-stationed one

With the most refined greeting

وَأَقُولُ حَمْداً لِلأمِي

رِ وَقَلًّ حَمْدٌ عَنْ مَرَامِي

And I say, thanks be to the Prince

Though little is my praise for his great aims

هِيَ نِعْمَةٌ جُمِعَتْ بِهَا

شَتَّى مِنَ النِّعَمِ الجِسَامِ

It is a blessing in which

Various immense blessings are combined

طَوَّقَتْنِي طَوْقَ الْحَمَا

مِ فَلَيْتَ لي سَجْعَ الْحَمَامِ

It crowned me with the crown of protection

Would that I had the chant of gratitude

وَمَنَحَتْنِي شَرفاً أَتِي

هُ بِهِ عَلَى كُلِّ الأَنَامِ

And granted me an honor that I come with

Upon all people

طَالَعْتُ دِيوانَ الأَمِي

رِ بِأَيِّ شَوْقٍ وَاهتِمَامِ

I browsed the Prince’s journal

With what longing and care!

مُتَوَرِّداً سِفْرَيْهِ أُسْ

قى الرَّاحَ فِي جَامٍ فجَامِ

Lurking in its pages, I quenched my soul’s thirst

In a cup, then a cup

وَإذَا مُدَامُ الرُّوحِ أَنْ

شتْنَا فَمَا رُوحُ المُدَامِ

And when the wine of the soul was poured for us

It was not the spirit of wine

مَا كِدْتُ أَقْرأُ مُعْجِزَ الْ

قُرْآنِ فِي ذَاكَ النِّظَامِ

I had barely read the miracle

Of the Quran in that order

حَتَّى تَصَفَّحْتُ السَّمَا

ءَ وَزَهْرُهَا كَلِمٌ أَمَامِي

Until I leafed through the sky

And its blossoms were words before me

عَجَباً لِذَاكَ الدُّرِّ فِي

تِلْكَ الْعُقُودِ مِنَ الْكَلامِ

Wondrous is that pearl in

Those strands of speech

وَلِرَوْعَةٍ فِي مَائِهِ

مُتَوَهِّجاً وَهْجَ الضِّرَامِ

And the splendor in its waters

Kindled like the blaze of embers

دُرٌّ بَدِيعٌ مِنْ جَنَى

بَحْرٍ بِفَيْضِ العِلْمِ طَامِي

A wondrous pearl from the harvest

Of an ocean abundant with the flood of knowledge

أَلشَّرْقُ أَوْدَعَ سِرَّهُ

فِيهِ فَعَزَّ عَلَى السِّوَامِ

Did the East place its secret in it

So it was too hard for the ruffians

وَالْغَرْبُ زَادَ بَصَوْغِهِ

حُسْناً عَلَى الْحُسْنِ الْقُدَامِ

And the West gained by its crafting

Beauty atop existing beauty

يَا مَنْ حَبَا بِفَرِيدِهِ

لُغَةً تُرَدُّ لِغَيْرِ سَامِ

O You who endowed His singular one

With a language that turns away all others

لُغَةَ الْفِرِنْسِيسِ الأُولَى

بَلَغُوا بِهَا حَدَّ التَّمَامِ

The language of the supreme French

They have reached the utmost level with it

وَمِنَ الْبَلاغَةِ وَالْفَصَا

حَةِ أَنْزَلُوهَا فِي السَّنَامِ

And with eloquence and clarity

They brought it down in law

حَتَّى غَدَتْ بِفُنُونِهَا

فِي عِزَّةٍ فَوْقَ المَرَامِ

Until with its arts

It rose in glory above aspirations

أَرْبَتْ مَفَاخِرُهَا بِعَدِّ

كَ فِي مُجِيدِيها الْعِظَامِ

Its glories contended with your number

Among its magnificent bringers

قَاحَمْتَ فِيهَا وَالسَّوَا

بِقُ مِنْ بَنِيهَا فِي الْقِحَامِ

You plunged into it while the predecessors

Among its people were contending

فَغَصَبْتَ جَائِزَةَ المُجَلَّي

وَاللَّوَاحِقُ فِي زِحَامِ

So you seized the prize of the excellent

While the followers were in a crush

وَضَرَبْتَ قَبْلاً فِي مَرَا

مِيها بِمُخْتَلِفِ السِّهَامِ

And you hit your mark beforehand in its

Aims with all sorts of arrows

فَأَصَبْتَ عَنْ ثِقَةٍ وَلَمْ

تَكُ رَمْيَةً مِنْ غَيْرِ رَامِ

You hit with confidence and were not

Once a shot of the random

تِلْكَ الْبَراعَةُ لَمْ تُتَحْ

لَكَ بِالتَّوَاكُلِ وَالجَمَامِ

That skill was not yours

Through resignation and stillness

لَكِنْ بِكَدٍّ فِيهِ تُحْ

يي اللَّيْلَ مِنْ قَتْلِ المَنَامِ

But with toil in which you deny

Sleep the killing of sleep

كَمْ وَالمَدَامِعُ فِي انْهِمَا

لٍ وَالْجَوَانِحُ فِي احْتِدَامِ

How often, while the tears were pouring

And the sides were kindling,

أَخْرَجْتَ رَوْضاً مِنْ نَبَا

تِ الْعَبْقَرِيَّةِ لا الرَّغَامِ

Did you bring out a meadow from the growth

Of genius, not weeds

أَزْهَارُهُ تَسْبِي النُّهَى

بَيْنَ انْفِرَادٍ وَانْضِمَامِ

Its flowers vie in charm

Between separation and union

وَ وُرُودُهُ بِعقائقٍ

سَالَ الْفِدَاءُ بِهَا دَوَامِي

And its roses with carnations

For which my redemption flowed eternally

يَشْتَمُّ فِي نَسَماتِهِ

رُوَّادُهُ عَبْقَ الْخَزَامِ

Its visitors scent the aroma of meadows in its breeze

And its narcissi are like the vision

وَكَأَنَّ نَرْجِسَهُ بِمَرْ

أى مِنْهُمُ نَادٍ ونامِ

Of a caller in its sleep

Poetry is nothing but your honest description

مَا الشِّعْرُ إلاَّ صِدْقُ وَص

فِكَ بَيْنَ رَسْمٍ وَارْتِسَامِ

Between depicting and being depicted

Or that imaginary creative world

أَوْ ذلِكَ الخَلْقُ الْخَيَا

لِيُّ الْحَقِيقِيُّ الْقِوَامِ

The true ever upright

Or that harmony in the measure

أَوْ ذلِكَ التَّوْفِيقُ فِي

قَدْرِ المَقَالِ عَلَى المَقَامِ

Of speech for the situation

Or that delicate phrasing

أَوْ ذلِكَ اللَّفْظُ الرَّقِي

قُ مَعَ الْجَلاَءِ وَالاِنْسِجَامِ

With clarity and coherence

Or each original draft whose qualities

أَوْ كُلُّ بِكْرٍ تُجْتَلَى

قَسَمَاتُهَا فِي غَيْرِ ذَامِ

Are unleashed without blemish

From the presented chances of genius

مِنْ سَانِحَاتِ الْعَبْقَرِيَّ

ةِ فِي حِجَى قَيْلٍ هُمَامِ

In an arena of protective zeal

It raids the slaves with an inclination and

تَغْزُو الْعِبَادَ هَوىً وَيَلْ

قَاهَا الْغُزَاةُ هَامِ

Its raiders meet it with passion

A poetry that has the most delicious trembling in the souls and bones

شِعْرٌ لَهُ أَشْهَى التَّغَلْ

غُلِ فِي الجَوَانِحِ وَالْعِظَامِ

Unbound thought in which

No meter confines it by commitment

أَلْفِكْرُ طَلْقٌ لا تُقَيِّ

دُهُ عَرُوضٌ بِالتِزَامِ

And words that are clothed in imaginings

From the rainbow's cloak

وَاللَّفْظُ تَكْسُوهُ مَبَا

هِجُ مِنْ حُلَى قَوْسِ الْغَمَامِ

And feeling that senses the unseen

From behind the veils of darkness

وَالحِسُّ لُطْفٌ يَسْتَشِفُّ

الْغَيْبَ مِنْ حُجُبِ الظَّلامِ

In solid structures of rhymes

With consonance, possessing adjustment

فِي مُحْكَمَاتٍ مِنْ قَوَا

فٍ بِالنُّهَى ذَاتِ احْتِكَامِ

With these the revelation throws

Resolutely to the farthest hopes

يَرْمِي بِهِنَّ الْوَحْيُ عَنْ

كَثَبٍ إِلَى أَقْصَى المَرَامِي

These are the sufficient from a pact

These are the healing from afflictions

هُنَّ الْكَوَافِي مِنْ طَوىً

هُنَّ الشَّوَافِي مِنَّ أُوَامِ

These are the grasps for advancement

The truth of lawful and unlawful

هُنَّ الأَوَاخِذُ لِلرُّقى

حَقَّ الْحَلالِ مِنَ الْحَرَامِ

In everything it contains

Of wisdom or passion

فِي كُلِّ مَا ضُمِّنَّهُ

مِنْ حِكْمَةٍ أَوْ مِنْ غَرَامِ

Or craving for the Prince

With every mighty sought thing

أوْ مِنْ وُلُوعٍ لِلأَمِي

رِ بِكُلِّ مطْلُوبٍ جُسَامِ

The Prince’s concern with his status

And passion above passions

هَمُّ الأَمِيرِ بِقَدْرِهِ

وَهُيَامِهِ فَوْقَ الْهُيَامِ

A concern with wings that

The galaxies court while he is towering

هَمٌّ بِأَجْنِحَةٍ تُرَا

وِدُهُ المَجَرَّةُ وَهْوَ ظَامِ

So his is the flight of an eagle, he does not

Swerve at anything while high

فَلَهُ انْطِلاقُ النَّسْرِ لا

يَلْوِي بِشَيءٍ وَهْوَ سَامِي

Not to mention the peaks of

Nobility, merit, and determination

نَاهِيكَ بِالْغَايَاتِ مِنْ

نُبْلٍ وَفَضْلٍ وَاعْتِزامِ

To which the lion calls, rousing

Those sleeping

يَدْعُو إلَيْهَا اللَّيْثُ إِي

قَاظاً لأَقْوَامٍ نِيَامِ

And the lion’s roar would be more beloved

Than the howl of beasts

وَلَزَأْرُ لَيُثٍ يَكُو

نُ أحَبَّ وَقْعاً مِنْ بُغَامِ

Praise be to God for a prince

Whose manners are above blame

للهِ حَيْدَرُ مِنْ فَتَىً

أَخْلاقُهُ فَوقَ المَلامِ

He is the adornment of Egypt’s youths and the cub

Of its honorable kings

هُوَ زَيْنُ فِتْيَةِ مِصْرَ وَابْ

نُ مُلوكِهَا الصِّيْدُ الكِرَامِ

He elevated leadership through magnanimity

Above leadership through the sword

أَعْلَى الإِمَارَةَ بِالْيَرَا

عِ عَلَى الإِمَارَةِ بِالحُسَامِ

He gave dignity its due right

More faithful with kindness and reverence

أَعْطَى الْكَرَامَةَ حَقَّهَا ال

أَوْفَى بِلُطفٍ وَاحْتِشَامِ

Free in noble traits, not

Bitter and not vengeful

حُرُّ الشَّمَائِلِ غَيْرُ مَنَّا

نٍ وَلَيْسَ بِذِي انْتِقَامِ

Goodness is his whole purpose

In the war of time and in peace

أَلْخَيْرُ كُلُّ مُنَاهُ فِي

حَرْبِ الزَّمَانِ وَفِي السَّلاَمِ

And through him there is salvation for the weak

And aid for the oppressed

وَبِهِ غِيَاثٌ لِلَّهِي

فِ وَنَجْدَةٌ لِلْمُسْتَضَامِ

O poet, the language of hearts

Has cast its reins to you

يَا شَاعِراً لُغَةُ الْقُلُو

بِ إِلَيْهِ أَلْقَتْ بِالزِّمَامِ

Who can enable me

To fulfill what is owed you in my charge

مَنْ لِي بِمَقْدِرَةٍ عَلَى

إِيفَاءِ مَا لَكَ فِي ذِمَامِي

That I may take on the burden

You have loaded me with some undertaking

فَأَقُومَ بِالْعَبْءِ الَّذِي

حَمَّلْتَنِي بَعْضَ الْقِيَامِ

Thanks for what you have granted me

Of that tremendous pride

شُكْراً لِمَا أَوْلَيْتَنِي

مِنْ ذلِكَ الْفَخْرِ الْعُظَامِ

In a eulogy marked by the traits

Of the most honorable eulogizer of sublime features

فِي مِدْحَةٍ بِسِمَاتِ أَشْ

رَفَ مَادِحٍ ذَاتِ اتَّسَامِ

Its verses are strung like

The pearls of splendor, what stringing!

أَبْيَاتُهَا انْتُظِمَتْ أَفَا

نِينَ الحُلَى أيَّ انْتِظَامِ

They shine like lights between the tears

Of overwhelming pride

تَفْتَرُّ كَالأَنْوَارِ بَيْ

نَ مَدَامِعِ الْفَخْرِ السِّجَامِ

In each verse is a marvel

Adorned with twin merit

فِي كُلِّ بَيْتٍ رَوْعَةٌ

تَزْدَانُ بِالْفَضْلِ التُّؤامِ

Beauty and benevolence inscribe it

The most splendid division

أَلَحُسْنِ وَالإِحْسَانُ يَقْ

تَسِمَانِهَا أَبْهَى اقْتِسَامِ

That eulogy is my garb

On the day of boasting or my medal

تِلْكَ الْقَصِيدَةُ رُتْبَتِي

يَوْمَ التَّبَاهِي أَوْ وِسَامِي

It guaranteed for me fame that will be

Repeated by narrators forever

ضَمِنَتْ لِيَ الِّكْرَى يُرَدِّ

دُهَا الرُّوَاةُ عَلَى الدَّوَامِ

And it revealed to my eyes

Descendants who smile to me

وَجَلَتْ لِعَيْنِيَّ الْخُلُو

دَ إِليَّ يَرْنُو بِابْتِسَامِ

I will make its text my imam

Until I fulfill it

فَلأَجْعَلَنَّ كِتَابَهَا

حَتَّى أُحَقِّقَهُ إِمَامِي