أَعْظِمْ بِهِ إِذْ تَوَلَّى الأَمْرَ أَجْمَعُهُ

وَرَأْيُهُ فِيهِ مَاضٍ مَا بِهِ ثُلَمُ

He accomplished it with excellence when he took on the matter wholly,

And his view on it was decisive, containing no defects.

وَيَوْمَ رُدَّتْ عَلَى الدُّسُتُورِ هَيْبَتُهُ

بِفَضْلِهِ وَاسْتَعَادَتْ شَأْنَهَا النُّظُمُ

And the day the constitution regained its prestige through him,

Order was restored to its proper place.

دَعَاهُ دَاعِيهِ بِالشَّيْخِ الْجَلِيلِ وَمَا

وَاللهِ أَدْرَكَهُ فِي الْهِمَّةِ الْهَرَمُ

They called him the esteemed Sheikh, and by God,

Old age did not hinder his determination.

أَغْلَى النيَابَةَ سَعُدُ أنَ يَرْأَسُهَا

وَشَرَّفَ الْحُكْمَ سَعْدٌ حِينَ يَحْتَكِمُ

Saad esteemed leading the council,

And Saad honored governance when he was entrusted.

بَيْنَا بِهِ سَقَمٌ يوهِي عَزِيمَتَهُ

إِذَا العَزِيمَةُ صَحَّتْ وانْتَفَى السَّقَمُ

While he was ill, weakness overcame his resolve,

But when his health returned, the weakness left.

فَيَنْبَرِي وَإِذَا الرَّهْلُ المُسِنُّ فَتًى

يُطِيقُ مَا لا يُطِيقُ الفِتْيَةُ الْهُضُمُ

So he rose up, and though the aged man seemed bent over,

He accomplished what the young men could not.

قَدْ يَخْدُرُ اللَّيْثُ حَتَّى لا يُخَالُ بِهِ

بَأْسٌ وَيَحْفِزُهُ جَرْسٌ فَيَقْتَحِمُ

The lion may become sluggish, no longer thought fierce,

But the clanging of a bell stirs him to charge ahead.