نادَى حِمى المُلكِ حَسْبي عَزَّةً وكَفَى
إلى مَتَى وبماذا أطلُبُ الشَرَفا
The zeal of kingship sufficed me with honor and was enough
For how long and for what should I seek glory?
عبدُ العزيزِ تَولاّني فكنُتُ بهِ
كصاعِدٍ دَرَجاً لمَّا انتَهَى وقَفا
Abdul Aziz took care of me, so through him
I was like one climbing a ladder till I stopped when I reached the top
قُلْ للذي يشتكي غَدْرَ الزَّمانِ بنا
مَهلاً ألسْتَ تَرَى كيفَ الزَّمانُ وَفَى
Say to him who complains of the betrayal of time regarding us
Gently! Do you not see how time has been faithful?
أفادَنا فوقَ ما ترجوهُ أنفُسُنا
حتى أقامَ علينا أفضلَ الخُلفَا
It gave us more than what our souls hoped for
Until it established over us the best of successors
هل مِثلُ عبدِ العزيزِ اليومَ من مَلِكٍ
كلاّ ولا كانَ في الدَّهرِ الذي سَلفَا
Is there anyone today like Abd al-Aziz among kings?
No, nor was there anyone like him in time past
شخصُ الكَمالِ كأنَّ اللهَ صَوَّرَهُ
من مَعدِنِ اللُّطفِ لا طِيناً ولا خَزَفا
The embodiment of perfection as if God shaped him
From the essence of grace, not clay or pottery
أحيا الصَحابةَ عَدْلاً عَصرُ دَولتِهِ
كأنَّما فيهِ صُورُ البَعثِ قد هَتَفا
In his time of rule he revived the justice of the companions
As if in him the images of resurrection cried out
لو أمكَنَ البحرَ أنْ يُهدِيهِ جَوهَرهُ
لم يُبقِ في جَوفِهِ دُرّاً ولا صَدَفا
If the sea could gift him its essence
It would not leave in its depths a pearl or shell
هذا الخليفةُ ظِلُّ اللهِ مُنبَسِطاً
في أرضِهِ لِعبادِ اللهِ مُكتَنِفا
This caliph is God's shade outstretched
Over His land, encompassing God's servants
عِنايةُ اللهِ ترعى مَجْدَ دولتِهِ
والسَّعدُ في بابِهِ المرفوعِ قد عَكَفا
God's care protects the glory of his state
And good fortune stands vigil at his lofty court
الواسعُ المُلكِ قد عَمَّتْهُ رَحمتُهُ
فلم تَفُتْ وَسَطاً منهُ ولا طَرَفا
The vastness of his rule, his mercy enveloped
Not missing a middle or an edge
والثاقِبُ الفِكرِ لو كانت إنارتُهُ
في البدرِ ما مَسَّهُ نَقصٌ ولا خُسِفَا
And the piercing of his thought, if its illumination
Were the full moon, it would suffer no loss or eclipse
في كَفِّهِ سيفُ عَدلٍ طالَ قائِمُهُ
في غِمْدِ حلمٍ بخَلْقِ اللهِ قد لَطفَا
In his hand is the sword of justice, its blade raised
In the sheath of clemency with God's creation, gentle
فحيثما وَجَبَ الفَتْكُ الرَّهيبُ سَطا
وحيثما احتُمِلَ الصَّفحُ الجميلُ عَفا
So wherever terrible slaughter was warranted, it struck
And wherever pardon could be allowed, it forgave
يا من بهِ تُضرَبُ الأمثالُ في زَمَنٍ
قد طابَ فيهِ لنا كأسُ الهَنا وصَفا
O you by whom examples are given in an age
In which the cup of delight was made sweet for us to sip
لقد تَقدَّمتَ ما بينَ المُلوكِ كما
تُقَدِّمُ النَّاسُ بينَ الأحرُفِ الأَلِفَا
You have advanced among kings as people advance
The first letter among letters, the alphabet's start
نَرُومُ وَصفَكَ في ما أنتَ حائزُهُ
فتغلِبُ الوَصفَ منّا والذي وَصَفا
We aim to describe you in what you possess
But description falls short of you, who described
فلا تَزَلْ غالباً باللهِ مُنتَصِراً
تُولِي الجميلَ وتَستولي الثَّنا خَلَفا
So may you remain, with God, victorious forever
Turning to good and gaining praise, successor after successor
