قَلَّ فِي جَنْبِ فَضْلِكَ المَوْفُورِ
مَا تَرَى مِنْ تَجِلَّةٍ وَشُكُورِ
Little light is shed by your abundant grace,
On what splendor and gratitude you see.
وَكَفَى مِصْرَ مِنْ أَيَادِيكَ فِيهَا
أَنَّ عَهْدَ الْفُنُونِ عَهْدُ نُشُورِ
Egypt has had enough from your hands,
That the age of arts is an age of awakening.
حَبَّذَا هَذِهِ الْحَفَاوَةُ مِنْ
خِيرَةِ فِتْيَانِهَا بِخَيْرِ نَصِيرِ
How excellent is this care from the elite
Of its youth by the best ally.
طَلَعُوا كَالكَوَاكِبِ الزُّهْرِ لَمْ
يَحْجُبْ سَنَاهَا جِوَارُ أَزْهَى الْبُدُورِ
They rose like stars of flowers that never
Had their radiance veiled by brilliant moons.
أَي مَجْدٍ فِي أُفْقِهِمْ وَسِعَتْهُ
دَارَةٌ وهْوَ مَالِيءُ المَعْمُورِ
What glory within their horizons contained
Capacious dwelling, while filled prosperously!
وَدَّ أَهْلُ النُّهى لَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنْ
كُلِّ حَدْبٍ لِبَثِّ مَا فِي الصُّدُورِ
The people of chivalry, if gathered
From every dune to reveal what’s inside hearts,
كَتَلاقِي الْحَجِيجِ فِي رَحَبَاتِ
الْبَيْتِ بيْنَ التَّهلِيلِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ
Like pilgrims meeting in the vast courtyards
Of the House amid praises and proclaiming God’s greatness.
يُوسُفَ النُّبلِ طَارِفاً وَتَلِيداً
شَرَفاً يَا أَمِيرُ يَا ابْنَ الأَمِيرِ
O noble Joseph, gentle and refined,
Glory to you my prince descendant of a prince.
جَدُّكَ الجَدُّ لاحَ فِي أُفْقِ مِصْرٍ
فَأَدَالَ السَّنى مِنَ الدَّيْجُورِ
Your ancestor shone in Egypt’s horizon,
So time passed by trivially.
هَكَذَا يَنْبُغُ الْحَفِيدُ كَبِيراً
يَتَمَشَّى فِي إِثْرِ جَدٍّ كَبِيرِ
Thus the grandson ought to walk
In the steps of a great grandfather.
وَأَبٌ كَانَ مَعْقِلاً يَلْجَأُ الحُرُّ
إِلَيْهِ وَمَوْئِلاً لِلفَقِيرِ
A father who was a fortress for the freeman
To seek refuge, and shelter for the poor.
كُلُّ أَمْرٍ وُلِّيتَهُ أَنْجَحَتْهُ
هِمَمٌ صُرِّفَتْ بِعَزْمٍ الأُمُورِ
Every matter you took charge of, you accomplished,
With determined resolves managing affairs.
وَعَظِيمُ النَّجاحِ يَصْدُرُ عَنْ رَأْ
سٍ حَكِيمٍ وَعَنْ فُؤادٍ غَيُورِ
And great success comes from a wise head
And a zealous heart.
لَكَ فِي نَهْضَةِ الشَّبابِ أَيَاد
سَجَّلتْهَا الْعَلى بِأَحْرُفِ نُورِ
For the youth awakening you have hands,
That the Most High recorded in letters of light.
وَبِسَاحَاتِ جُوِدكَ اتَّحدَتْ غَا
يَاتُهُمْ فِي طِلابِ أَسْمَى مَصِيرِ
And by your generosity their aspirations united
In seeking the highest destiny.
لَمْ تُعَلِّمْهُمُ المَسَاعِيَ إِلاَّ
وَمَدَى الْعَزْمِ لَيْسَ بِالمَحْصُورِ
You taught them nothing but perseverance,
And the extent of determination knows no bounds.
تَطْرُدُ الْوَحْشَ فِي بَعِيدِ المَوَامِي
لا تُبَالِي لِقَاءَ لَيْثٍ هَصُورِ
You banish fear in the distant wilds,
Not fearing the meeting of a hissing lion.
أَيُّ عَيْشٍ فَانٍ يَطِيبُ لِذِي قَدْ
رٍ خَطِيرٍ بِغَيْرِ مَعْنىً خَطِيرِ
What transient life tastes good enough
For one with great competence without great meaning?
بِكَ رُدَّتْ إِلى الْفُنُونِ حَيَاةٌ
فارَقَتْهَا فِي مِصْرَ مُنْذُ عُصُورِ
By you, life returned to the arts,
After leaving Egypt for ages.
فَأَعَادَتْ يَدَاكَ فَخْراً تَوَلَّتْ
بِبَقَايَاهُ سَالِفَاتُ الدُّهُورِ
Thus your hands restored a pride that
Previous eras had ruined remnants of.
لَكَ نَظْمٌ فِي المَكْرُمَاتِ بَدِيعٌ
شِعْرُهُ نَمَّ عَنْ أَرَقِّ الشُّعورِ
You have a beautiful system in giving generously
Its poetry grew from the most sublime emotions.
تَتَحَلَّى فِيهِ المَعَانِيَ بِأَمْثَا
لِ عُقُودِ الْفَرِيدِ حَوْلَ النُّحورِ
In it, meanings are adorned with examples,
Like unique necklaces around necks.
كُلَّ يَوْمٍ تَجِدُّ فِيهِ لِقَوْمٍ
آيَةٌ مِنْ صَنِيعِكَ المَبْرُورِ
Every day for some people you find
A sign of your blessed work.
فَتُرَى كُلَّما اسْتَجَارَ لَهِيفٌ
مُسْتَجِيباً لِدَعْوَةِ المُسْتَجِيرِ
You are thus seen, whenever a wretch seeks help,
Responding to the plea of one pleading.
وَتُرَى بَانِياً لِبَيْتٍ تَدَاعَى
أَوْ تُرَى جابِراً لِقَلْبٍ كَسِيرِ
And you are seen building a home fallen apart
Or mending a broken heart.
لَسْتُ أَنْسَى يَداً عَمرْتَ بِهَا فِي الشَّا
مِ مَا قَوَّضَتْ يَدُ التَّدْمِيرِ
I do not forget the hand you used to rebuild
What the hand of destruction had corroded.
بَرَدَى حَوْلَهُ نُفُوسٌ حِرَارٌ
لَيْسَ تُرْوَى بِالسَّلسَبِيلِ النَّميرِ
Around it souls of warmth that cannot be cooled
By easy water were recovered.
جَاءَهَا مِنْ نَدَاكَ أَشْفَى مِنَ
الْبَلْسَمِ لِلْجُرْحِ وَالنَّدَى لِلسَّعيرِ
From your help, more healing than balm
For a wound, and dew for inflammation came to them.
كَرَمٌ زَادَهُ التَّلطُّف حَتَّى
لَقَلِيلُ الْعَطَاءِ فَوْق الْكَثِيرِ
Generosity, increased by graciousness, until
The little given is more than plenty.
عِشْ لِمِصْرٍ بَلْ كُلِّ مِصْرٍ وَلِلشَّرْ
قِ جَمِيعاً فِي غِبْطَةٍ وَحُبُورِ
Live for Egypt and every Egypt and the East
Altogether in joy and bliss.
مُتْبِعاً فِي الْعَلْيَاءِ كُلَّ قَدِيمٍ
بِجَدِيدٍ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ المَشْكُور
Following in supreme matters each elder
With something new of your thanked grace.
