يَدُ الأَمِيرِ وَقَدْ أَوْلاَكَ نِعْمَتَهُ

عِنْدَ الفَضَائِلِ وَالأَخْلاَقِ وَالأَدَبِ

The hand of the prince has bestowed upon you his favor

Among virtues, morals, and refinement

زَكَّى لَدَى الْخَافِقَيْنِ العَارِفَيْنِ بِهِ

مَكَانَ فَضْلِكَ بَيْنَ الْجِلَّةِ النُّخَبِ

Has purified, in the eyes of the enlightened and knowing hearts

The place of your merit among the elite of the elite

وَكَانَ َأجْمَلَ مِصْدَاقٍ لِحَمْدِهَما

إِيَّاكَ مَا نِلْتَ مِنْ مُمْتَازَةِ الرُّتَبِ

And it was the most beautiful fulfillment of their praise of you

For what you have attained in the excellence of ranks

يَا سَاهِرَ اللَّيْلِ وَالْمِشْكَاةُ في يَدِهِ

مُسْتَطْلِعاً مَا انْطَوَى في ظُلْمَةِ الْحِقَبِ

O vigilant by night, lamp in hand

Seeking to uncover what is concealed in the darkness of eras

يَظَلُّ يَرْجِعُ َأدْرَاجَ العُصُورِ إلى أَقْ

صَى الدُّهُورِ وَيُنْضِي مُسْبَلَ الْحُجُبِ

He continues turning back the steps of time to the farthest

Horizons of times, unveiling the curtains of mystery

يَجْلُو لَنَا مَا تَوَارَى مِنْ مَفَاخِرِنَا

ويَجْمَعُ المَجْدَ أَشْتَاتَاً مِنَ الكُتُبِ

Making clear to us the glories of our past concealed

And gathering scattered fragments of glory from books

فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ لَهُ بَحْثٌ يُجَدِّدُهُ

مُقَوَّماً في قِوَامٍ غَيْرِ مُضْطَرِبِ

Each year he renews with a research of his own

Set right, in a balance not chaotic or confused

يُعِيدُ عَهْداً قَدِيماً مَنْ تَصَفَّحَهُ

رَأَى الْبَعِيدَ مِنَ الأَحْدَاثِ عَنْ كَثَبِ

He renews an ancient covenant, he who peruses it

Sees the distant events up close

وَيُوشِكُ المَرْءُ إِذْ يَتْلُو صَحَائِفَهُ

أَنْ يُبْصِرَ الْغَيْبَ حَيّاً غَيْرَ مُنْتَقِبِ

And one is about to, reciting his pages

See the unseen alive, without searching

ويَعْرِفُ الْحَالَ مِمَّا قَبلَهُ فَيَرَى

لِكُلِّ طَارِئَةٍ عُوْداً إلى سَبَبِ

And know the present from the past, thus seeing

For each incident, a return to its cause

أَحْسَنْتَ أَحْسَنْتَ يَا أُسْتَاذَ كُلِّ فُتىً

عَفِّ السُّهَادِ شَرِيفَ الْهَمِّ وَالطَّلَبِ

You have done well, O teacher of every youth

Noble of ambition and purpose

عَلَّمْتَنَا كَيْفَ تَكْفِي المَرْءَ هَمَّتُهُ

لِيَبْلُغَ الْغَايَةَ الْعُلْيَا مِنَ الأَدَبِ

You have taught us how a man's resolve can suffice him

To attain the highest point of refinement

جَدَّدْتَ قِسْماً مِنَ التَّارِيخَ دَارِسَةً

آثَارُهُ في بِنَاءِ جَامِعٍ عَجَبِ

You have renewed a portion of history, studying

Its traces in building a wondrous mosque

مُتَمَّمٍ يَمْلأُ الأَلْبَابَ رَوْنَقُه

ثَبْتِ الأَسَاسِ لَهُ تَاجٌ مِنَ الشُّهُبِ

Complete, its beauty filling minds

Its firm foundation crowned with gray hairs

وَافِي الْجَلاَلَةِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَرَى هَنَةً

فِي بَعْضِ أَجْزَائِهِ تَعْنِيتُ مُرْتَقِبِ

Meeting fully glory, unless one sees negligence

In some parts, expected anxiety

لاً حُسْنَ يَسْلَمُ مِنْ نَقْصٍ وَأَحْسَبَهُ

إِنْ فَاتَهُ النَّقْصَ لَمْ يَجْمُلْ وَلَمْ يَطِبِ

No beauty is free of flaws, and I reckon

If free of flaws, it would not be beautiful

هَلْ بَعْدَ رَائِعَةِ الأَهْرَامِ رَائِعَةٌ

فَمَنْ يَعِبْهَا لِبَعْضِ الشَّيْءِ فَلْيَعِبِ

After the wonders of the pyramids, is there a wonder?

So whoever finds fault in some part, let him find fault

هَذَا الَّذِي لَمْ يَجِئْهُ سَابِقُوكَ فَكُنْ

رَغْمَ الزَّمَانِ أَبَا التَّارِيخِ في الْعَرَبِ

This which your predecessors did not achieve, so be

Despite time, father of history among the Arabs