بُلَّغْتَ أعْلَى مَنْصبٍ تَوْثِيقَاً

فَسَمَوْتَ لاَ عَفْواً وَلاَ تَوْفِيقَا

You attained the highest position with merit

You excelled not out of pardon or enablement

شَرَفاً عَمِيدَ الطِّب لَمْ تَلِ مَنْصِباً

إِلاَّ بِأَسْنَى مِنْهُ كُنْتَ حَقِيقَا

Glory to the dean of medicine, you did not take a position

Except with the best of it, you were the most genuine

آيَاتُ عِلْمكَ وَابْتِكَارِكَ سُدِّدَتْ

نَظَرِيَّة وَتَمَحِّصتْ تَطْبِيقَا

The signs of your knowledge and innovation were directed

Theoretically and examined through application

عَرَفَ النَّوَابِغُ بِالشَّوَاهِدِ فَضْلَهَا

فَأَتَتْ شَهَادَتُهُمْ لَهَا تَصْدِيقَا

The geniuses knew its superiority through evidence

So their testimonies to it came as confirmation

لاَ بِدْعَ وَالْوَطَنَانِ مُخْتَلِفَانِ أَنْ

رَعَيَا النَّبوغَ وَأَنْ دَعَوْكَ رَفِيقَا

Without heresy, though differing in nationality, they

Cherished genius and called you a colleague

فَإِذَا مَقَامُ الْعِلْمِ أَرْفَعُ رَايَةً

وَإِذَا فَرِيقُهُمْ أَعَزُّ فَرِيقَا

So if the position of knowledge is the highest flag

And their party is the most honourable group

جَدَّدْتَ مَأْثُرَةً لِمِصْرَ عَتِيقَةً

فَجَلَوْتَ وَجْهاً لِلْفَخارِ عَتِيقَا

You renewed an ancient glory for Egypt

So you purified a face for venerable pride

وَوَصَلْتَ فِي الطِّب الفُرُوعَ بِأَصْلِهَا

فزَهَا الْفُوُرعُ بِأَصْلِهِنَّ عَرِيقا

And you connected medicine’s branches to its origin

So the branches blossomed with their rooted origin

أَلطِّب مِنْ إِبْدَاءِ مِصْرَ فَيَا لَهُ

فَتْحاً أَفَاضَ عَلَى الْغُرُوبِ شُرُوقَا

Oh medicine, from the innovation of Egypt, for it

An opening that overflowed over the sunset as sunrise

لاَ بِدْعَ وَالْحُفَدَاءُ سِرُّ جُدُودِهِمْ

أَنْ تَسْتَعِيدَ مَقَامَهَا وَتَفُوقَا

Without heresy, and the grandchildren are the secret of their ancestors

To regain its position and excel

قَدْ أَلَّهَتْ آمِنْحَتِيبَ وَإِنَّما

هِيَ مَجَّدَتْ فِي الْخَالِقِ المَخْلُوقَا

It deified Amenhotep, but rather

It glorified the Creator through the created

عِلْمٌ إِذَا اسْتَقْرَيْتَ مِنْهُ جَلِيلَهُ

أَمْعَنْتَ فِيهِ فَمَا تَرَكْتَ دَقِيقَا

A knowledge which if you examine its greatness

You delve into it and leave no subtlety

وَقَتَلْتَهُ خُبْراً لإِحْيَاءٍ بِهِ

وَسَبَرْتَ أَبْعَدَ غَوْرِهِ تَحْقِيقَا

And you killed it with news to revive through it

And you probed its furthest depth in verification

فَبَدَتْ لَكَ الآرَاءُ فِيهِ جَدِيدَةً

مِنْ كُلِّ بَابٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَطْرُوقَا

So new perspectives appeared in it to you

From every door not previously knocked on

وَتُنُوقِلَتْ فِيهِ مَبَاحِثُكَ الَّتِي

قَدْ قَرَّبَتْ مَا كَانَ مِنْهُ سَحِيقَا

And your discussions which brought close

What was of it far, were transformed in it

كَمْ مُدْنَفٍ أَبْرَأْتَهُ مِنْ سُقْمِهِ

فَكَفَيْتَهُ التَّعذِيبَ وَالتَّأرِيقَا

How many ill you cured of their sickness

So you spared them torture and moistening

وَشَفَيْتَ قَبْلَ الجِسْمِ عِلَّةَ رُوحِهِ

بِاللَّفْظِ عَذْباً وَالعِلاَجِ رَفِيقَا

And you cured the spiritual illness before the body

With gentle speech and gentle treatment

تَصِفُ الدَّوَاءَ لَهُ عَلَى قَدَرٍ فَلاَ

تَخْلِيطَ فِي صِفَةٍ وَلاَ تَلْفِيقا

You describe the medicine to him in the right amount so no

Adulterating in attributes or patching up

أَوْ تُدْرِكُ الدَّاءَ الدَّوِيَّ بِنَصْلَةٍ

تَنْضُو الْحِجَابَ وَلاَ تَضِلُّ طَرِيقَا

Or you detect the chronic illness with insight

That removes the veil and does not stray from the path

تَنْدَى وَتَسْطَعُ فِي يَدَيْكَ مَهَارَةً

كَالمَاءِ لِيناً وَالرَّجَاءِ بَريقَا

A skill flows and shines in your hands

Like water, gentle, and hope, shining

وَتُطِيعُ فِكْراً صَارِماً كَشَبَاتهَا

وَتُطِيعُ قَلْباً كَالنَّسيمِ رَقِيقَا

And it obeys a stringent mind like its firmness

And obeys a heart gentle like a breeze

عَزْمٌ بِهِ تَنْهَى الصُّرَوفُ فَتَنْتَهِي

وَلَرُبَّما عُقْتَ الحِمَامَ فَعِيقَا

Resolve with which calamities end when they end

And sometimes you harness the pigeons when they coo

دَعْ فَضْلَ ذَاكَ الْعَبْقَرِيَّ وَعِلْمَهُ

وَذَكَاءَهُ وَلِسَانَهُ المِنْطِيقَا

Leave the excellence of that genius, his knowledge

His intelligence and his eloquent tongue

وَاذْكُرْ لَهُ فَوْقَ الحَصَافَةِ وَالحِجَى

خُلُقاً بِأَسْنَى التَّكرِمَاتِ خَلِيقَا

And mention to him above wisdom and dignity

A mannerism with the finest nobilities befitting

خَبَرَ الزَّمَانَ بَنُوا الزَّمَانِ فَعَزَّ أَنْ

يَرَوُا الصَّدِيقَ كَمَا رَأَوْهُ صَدِيقَا

The people of the time experienced time’s sons, so it was difficult

For them to see the friend as his friend saw him

وَلَوِ الْوَفَاءُ بَدَا مِثَالاً لَمْ يَكُنْ

أَحَدٌ سِوَاهُ مِثَالَهُ المَصْدُوقَا

And if loyalty appeared as an example, there would be

No one but him whose example is believed

وَدٌّ صَفَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَائِبَةٍ فَلاَ

تَكْدِيرَ فِي حَالٍ وَلاَ تَرْنِيقَا

A love pure of any blemish, so no

Turbidity in a situation or affectation

أَدَبٌ تُقَيِّدُهُ سَجِيَّتهُ بِهِ

وَيُرِيكَهُ البِشْرُ الطَّليقُ طَلِيقَا

Manners that restrain him with their ways

And you see him cheerful and at ease

ذَوقٌ سَلِيمٌ فِي الطَّرَائِفِ وَالْحِلَى

يَهْوَى الْفُنُونَ وَيُنْكِرُ التَّزْوِيقَا

A sound taste in wit and sweetness

He loves the arts and rejects ornamentation

يَخْتَصُّ مِنْهَا بِالْعُيُونِ فَمَا تَرَى

إِلاَّ جَمِيلاً حَوْلَهُ وَأَنِيقَا

He takes from them the best, so you do not see

Except beautiful all around him and elegant

يَا فَخْرَ أُمَّتهِ وَبَاعِثَ مَجْدِهَا

جَلَّتْ مَسَاعِيكَ الْجِسَامُ حُقُوقَا

Oh pride of his nation and reviver of its glory

Your great efforts have obliged you your rights

أَيَفِي بِمَا افْتَرَضَتْ عَلَى أُدَبَائِهَا

أَنْ يُحْسِنُوا المَكْتُوبَ وَالمَنْطُوقَا

Can it fulfill what it obligated upon its literati

To commend the written and spoken?

هَيْهَاتَ تُخْفِي بِالتَّوَاضُعِ جُهْدَ

مَا بَالَغْتَ فِيهِ مَكَانَكَ المَرْمُوقَا

Far from it! You conceal with modesty the effort

Of what you reached in your lofty position

يَتَقَاصَرُ الأَنْدَادُ عَنْكَ وَمَا بِهِم

مِنْ سَابِقٍ إِلاَّ غَدَا مَسْبُوقَا

The peers fall short of you, and none of them

Were preceding except they became preceded

أَرْضَاهُمُ فِي الْحَقّ أَنَّك لَمْ تَكُنْ

أَدْنَاهُمُ جُهْداً وأَعْلَى فُوقَا

It satisfied them in truth that you were not

The lowest of them in effort and highest in ascent

عَدْلٌ حُلُولُكَ فِي القُلُوبِ جَمِيعِهَا

ذَاكَ المَحَلَّ مُبَجَّلاً مَوْمُوقَا

Justice, your residing in all hearts

That position revered and entrusted