إنْ فَازَ نَجْلُكَ بَيْنَ الْرِّفُقَةِ النُّجُبِ
فَلَيْسَ في فَوْزِهِ الْمَشْهُودِ مِنْ عَجَبِ
If your son proves preeminent among the elite,
His acclaimed success is no cause for wonder.
وَإِنْ أصَابَ امْتِيَازاً قَلَّ مُدْرِكُهُ
لَدَى امْتَحَانٍ فَمَنْ يَجْدُرْ بِهِ يَصِبِ
If he attains rare distinction in an exam—
Who more fitting than he to reap such prowess?
أَبُوهُ جَلَّى قَدِيماً أَيَّ تَجْلِيَةٍ
وَعَادَ فَتَاهُ الْيَوْمَ بِالْقَصَبِ
His father long ago revealed such brilliance.
His branch today bears the very same fruit.
وَرَاعَ فِي شُهُبِ مِنْ جِيلِهِ سَطَعَتْ
فَلْيَغْدِ في جِيلِهِ مِنْ أَرْوَعِ الشُّهبِ
Among the eminent of his generation, he shone.
May he be the most illustrious of his peers!
مَا أَحْسَنَ الْفَرْعَ يَقُفُو الأَصْلَ مُهْتَدِياً
بِهَدْيِهِ في مَضَاءِ الْعَزْمِ وَالدَّأْبِ
How excellent when a branch closely follows the root,
Guided by its guidance with determination and perseverance.
وَمَا أَعَزَّ الْفَتَى تَنْمِيهَ هَمَّتهُ
هَذَا إلى أَنَّه يَنْمِيه خَيْرُ أَبِ
How mighty is a young man nurtured by his ambition—
Especially when nurtured by the best of fathers.
قَدْ كَافَأَ اللهُ باِلحُسْنَى مَضَاعَفَةً
في أَكْرَمِ الوُلدِ قَلْبِ الوَالِدِ الحَدِبِ
God has rewarded goodness manifold,
In the most noble son, the affectionate father's delight.
سُرُورُهُ الْيَوْمَ أَضْعَافُ السُّرُورِ بِمَا
أَوْلاَهُ مِنْ مَنْصِبٍ عَالٍ وَمِنْ حَسَبِ
His joy today surpasses ordinary joy
With the lofty post and lineage conferred on him.
وَحَبَّذَا لِعُلَى مِصْرَ وَعِزَّتِهَا
تَسَلْسُلِ النُّخبِ المُثْلَى مِنَ النُّخبِ
Blessed for Egypt’s glory are the succession of the finest
Among the fine intellectuals.
هَذِي تَحِيَّة وُدٍّ لاَ مِراءَ بِهِ
وَنَفْحَةٌ مِنْ وَلاءٍ غَيْرِ مُؤْتَشِبِ
These words of affection admit no contention;
They are a breath of loyalty, no affectation.
نَظَمْتُهَا حِينَ وَافَانِي الْبَشِيرُ كَمَا
جَاءَتْ وَمَا مَلْهِمٌ لِلْشِّعرِ كَالطَّرَبِ
I composed them when the herald brought me the good news—
Inspiration for poetry comes like a rapture.
حَقُّ الوَزِيرِ كَبِيرٌ وَالشَّفيعُ بِهَا
لَدَى مَعَالِيهِ لُطْفُ الأخْذِ بِالسَّببِ
Great is the minister’s due, and the intercessor hopes
His good grace will acknowledge the cause.
هَوَ الْهَمَامُ الَّذِي يَأْتِي مَحَامِدَهُ
وَحَسْبُهُ مِنْ جَزَاءِ أَجْرِ مُحْتَسَبِ
He is the resolute one whose praises will come to him,
And his reward from the Appraiser is enough.
إِذَا تَحَلَّى عِصَامِيٌّ بِرُتْبَتِهِ
فَهْوَ الْمُحَلَّى بِمَا يُوفَى عَلَى الْرُّتَبِ
When a brilliant one attains his rank,
He is adorned with what befits the rank;
وَأَنْ يُقَلَّدَ وَزِيرُ الْحُكْمِ مَنْصِبَهُ
فَلاَ كَذَاكَ وَزِيرُ الْعِلْمِ وَالأَدَبِ
But for the minister of knowledge and literature to gain his post—
Never so! Knowledge and letters have another standard.
هَيْهَاتَ يَبْلُغُ شِعْرٌ مِنْ مَآثِرِهِ
بَعْضَ الْمُخَلَّدِ في الأَسْفَارِ وَالْكُتُبِ
Alas, no poetry can capture some glories chronicled
In books and scrolls for eternity!
مَنْ أَمَّ سَاحَتَهُ يَحْتَتُّه أَمَلٌ
وَلَوْ عَدَتْهُ عَوَادِي الْدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَخِبِ
He who hopes for his support remains hopeful,
And if the turns of fate opposed him, his hope would not fail.
وَمَنْ تَفَيَأَ ظِلاًّ مِنْ مُروءَتِهِ
أَوَى إلى مَأْمَنٍ مِنْ صَوْلَةِ الْنُّوَبِ
Whoever takes shelter in his chivalry
Has refuge from the slings of misfortune.
سَمِحَ الْفُؤادِ قَوِيُّ الْجَأْشِ رَابِطُهُ
بِحَيْثُ يُعْصَمُ مِنْ جَهْلِ وَمِنْ غَضَبِ
Open-hearted, strong-willed, steadfast—
Where ignorance and rage are barred.
تَزْدَادُ في أَوْجِهَا الضَّاحِي كَرَامَتُهُ
وَلَيْسَ يَنْقُصُهَا غَاشٌ مِنَ الْسُّحبِ
In all aspects his nobility grows,
Undimmed by any clouds.
فَلْيُهْنِيءِ اللهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُرْتَقِياً
في السَّعدِ مِنْ َأَرَبٍ يَقْضِي إلى أَرَبِ
May God allow Ibrahim to ascend, ever rising
In fortunes, from nobility to greater nobility!
