ما بالُ مصرَ وقد جلتْ عن بأسِها

ما بالُ مصرَ وقد جلتْ عن بأسِها

وافترَّ ثغرُ البشر عن عَبَّاسِها

وافترَّ ثغرُ البشر عن عَبَّاسِها

What ails Egypt, now that her affliction has cleared away,

What has come over Egypt, now that she has emerged from her distress,

and the smiling mouth of gladness has opened to reveal her Abbas?

and the mouth of gladness has smiled, revealing her Abbas?

وروتْ حديثَ الجود عنه مثلما

وروتْ حديثَ الجود عنه مثلما

روتْ ارتفاعَ النيل عن مقياسها

روتْ ارتفاعَ النيل عن مقياسها

She tells of his generosity, just as

And she has recounted the tale of his generosity, just as

her Nilometer tells of the Nile’s rise.

she reported the Nile's rise as measured by her Nilometer.

ما بالها حيث الأماني قد وفتْ

ما بالها حيث الأماني قد وفتْ

بابَ الرجا من بعد شدة يأْسِها

بابَ الرجا من بعد شدة يأْسِها

What ails her, now that she has greeted hopes that have arrived

What has come over her, now that wishes have reached

at hope’s door after her bitter despair?

the gate of hope after the severity of her despair?

ما بالها حيث الحفيدُ يَسُوسُها

ما بالها حيث الحفيدُ يَسُوسُها

ويزيد تشييداً لرفعِ أساسِها

ويزيد تشييداً لرفعِ أساسِها

What ails her, now that the grandson governs her

What has come over her, now that the grandson governs her,

and builds ever higher to raise her foundations—

and builds still more to raise her foundations?

شبلٌ تأسَّدَ حيث ساد كأصله

شبلٌ تأسَّدَ حيث ساد كأصله

هل تترك الآرامُ حِفظ كِناسِها

هل تترك الآرامُ حِفظ كِناسِها

a lion cub who became a lion when he ruled, like his forebear?

A lion cub become a lion, ruling like his forebear;

Would gazelles forsake the company of their lair?

would gazelles abandon guarding their lairs?

إن سار نَحوَ الحج خلَّف وحشةً

إن سار نَحوَ الحج خلَّف وحشةً

أو عاد عادتْ مصر في إيناسها

أو عاد عادتْ مصر في إيناسها

If he journeys toward the pilgrimage, his wild beasts follow behind him;

If he sets out toward the pilgrimage, he leaves loneliness behind;

and if he returns, Egypt returns to her familiar joy.

or if he returns, Egypt returns to her familiar comfort.

فلسانها بالشكر يلهجُ والثنا

فلسانها بالشكر يلهجُ والثنا

والشكر للنعما أجل لباسها

والشكر للنعما أجل لباسها

Her tongue rings out with gratitude and praise,

So her tongue is ever uttering gratitude and praise,

and gratitude for blessings is her noblest attire.

and gratitude for blessings is her noblest attire.

لا غروَ أن دانت له مصر فقد

لا غروَ أن دانت له مصر فقد

أسدى له طُسْنٌ محبةَ ناسها

أسدى له طُسْنٌ محبةَ ناسها

No wonder Egypt submitted to him:

No wonder Egypt has pledged him allegiance, for

her people’s love gave him a mettlesome steed.

Tusun bestowed on him the love of her people.

ربحتْ تجارةُ من خزائن ماله

ربحتْ تجارةُ من خزائن ماله

قلبُ الرعية وهو من حُرَّاسها

قلبُ الرعية وهو من حُرَّاسها

A venture drawing on the treasuries of his wealth has won

Profitable is the trade of one whose wealth's treasuries are

the subjects’ hearts—and he stands among her guardians:

the heart of his subjects, while he is one of their guardians.

صدرٌ وبالإخلاص مفردُ عصره

صدرٌ وبالإخلاص مفردُ عصره

يشفى صدورَ الناس من وسواسها

يشفى صدورَ الناس من وسواسها

Ṣadrī, peerless in his age for devotion,

A leader, unrivaled in his age for sincerity,

healing the people’s hearts of their misgivings.

he heals people's breasts of their misgivings.

لما رقى العلياءَ رقّ لحالها

لما رقى العلياءَ رقّ لحالها

وصفتْ وراقتْ منه خَمرة كأسها

وصفتْ وراقتْ منه خَمرة كأسها

When he ascended the heights, he felt compassion for her plight,

When he ascended the heights, he grew tender toward her plight,

and through him the wine in her cup grew pure and pleasing.

and through him the wine in her cup became clear and pleasing.

بُشرَى الأهالي إذْ وفاها سَعدُها

بُشرَى الأهالي إذْ وفاها سَعدُها

في فَرطِ يقظتها وفقدِ نعاسها

في فَرطِ يقظتها وفقدِ نعاسها

Glad tidings to the people, now that her good fortune has come fully to her,

Glad tidings to the people, as her good fortune reached her,

amid her utter wakefulness and banishment of sleep.

amid her intense wakefulness and the loss of her drowsiness.

قد كان يوم فدائه شبانها

قد كان يوم فدائه شبانها

تاريخ طرد مرائها ومراسها

تاريخ طرد مرائها ومراسها

The day of his deliverance—her Sha‘ban—became

Indeed, the day he ransomed her young men was

the date when her dissemblers and her strife were expelled.

a date marking the banishment of her disputes and struggles.

جادت به مصر وحازتْ سُؤْددا

جادت به مصر وحازتْ سُؤْددا

تبدو به إذ كان نتجُ غِراسها

تبدو به إذ كان نتجُ غِراسها

Egypt bestowed him and thereby attained eminence,

Egypt brought him forth and gained nobility;

manifest in him, for he was the fruit of her planting.

she stands forth through him, for he was the fruit of her planting.

هو من بينها حيث والى برها

هو من بينها حيث والى برها

فلدى الولاية لا تقل له واسها

فلدى الولاية لا تقل له واسها

He is one of her sons, constant in his filial devotion to her;

He is from her midst, for he has continually shown her kindness;

at his accession, no need to tell him, “Console her.”

so, in office, do not tell him, 'Comfort her.'

فبجِده يحيى مآثرَ جَدّه

فبجِده يحيى مآثرَ جَدّه

ويمدُّ بالتأييد قوةَ باسها

ويمدُّ بالتأييد قوةَ باسها

With his earnestness he revives his grandfather’s glories

For through his diligence he revives his grandfather's noble deeds,

and, with divine support, strengthens the power of her might.

and with support augments the strength of her might.

بالألمعية لا يَسامُ ذكاؤه

بالألمعية لا يَسامُ ذكاؤه

إن شئتَ قِسهُ بقسّها وإياسها

إن شئتَ قِسهُ بقسّها وإياسها

In brilliance, his intelligence has no rival;

In keen perception, his intelligence never tires;

if you wish, compare him with her Quss and her Iyas.

if you wish, compare it with her Quss and her Iyas.

وسلالةٌ علويةٌ هو دوحها

وسلالةٌ علويةٌ هو دوحها

وبيانُ معناها بديعُ جناسها

وبيانُ معناها بديعُ جناسها

Of the lofty Muhammad Ali dynasty, he is its great tree,

And a lineage of Ali—he is its spreading tree,

and his fingertips embody its meaning—in marvelous wordplay.

and the expression of its meaning, the marvel of its wordplay.

وفصاحةٌ عربيةٌ هو ربها

وفصاحةٌ عربيةٌ هو ربها

وبراعةٌ منتهى نبراسها

وبراعةٌ منتهى نبراسها

And Arabic eloquence—he is its master;

And Arabic eloquence—he is its master,

and in ingenuity, his utmost reach is its beacon.

and excellence—he is the utmost reach of its beacon.

وعقيدةٌ مما يشينُ سليمةَ

وعقيدةٌ مما يشينُ سليمةَ

تأبى طموحَ النفس في أهجاسها

تأبى طموحَ النفس في أهجاسها

His creed is sound, free of anything disgraceful,

And a creed unblemished by whatever disgraces,

rejecting the soul’s vaulting ambition even in its whispers.

rejecting the soul's ambition in its inner stirrings.

هو جسمُ مصر وفردُ جوهر رُوحِها

هو جسمُ مصر وفردُ جوهر رُوحِها

فاعجبْ لفردٍ وهو جمعُ حواسها

فاعجبْ لفردٍ وهو جمعُ حواسها

He is Egypt’s body and the unique jewel of her spirit;

He is Egypt's body and the single essence of her soul;

marvel at one man who gathers all her senses.

so marvel at one man who is the sum of her senses.

تزهو به مصرُ كيانع جَنةٍ

تزهو به مصرُ كيانع جَنةٍ

تزهو بروض شقيقها أو آسها

تزهو بروض شقيقها أو آسها

Egypt flourishes through him like the ripe fruit of a garden,

Egypt glories in him, like a garden in bloom,

glorying in a meadow of its anemones or myrtle.

glorying in its meadows of anemones or myrtle.

يرمى العفاةَ بطارفٍ وبتالدٍ

يرمى العفاةَ بطارفٍ وبتالدٍ

رمى الكماةِ السهمَ عن أقواسها

رمى الكماةِ السهمَ عن أقواسها

He showers petitioners with wealth both newly won and inherited,

He showers supplicants with newly gained and inherited wealth,

as warriors shoot arrows from their bows.

as warriors shoot an arrow from their bows.

إن أحَبستْ وقفاً عليه حبَّها

إن أحَبستْ وقفاً عليه حبَّها

فالخيرُ كل الخير في إحباسها

فالخيرُ كل الخير في إحباسها

If she makes her love an endowment dedicated to him,

If she dedicates her love to him as an endowment,

then all goodness lies in that endowment.

then good—all good—lies in her endowment.

يوم الولاية كان يومَ مسرةٍ

يوم الولاية كان يومَ مسرةٍ

فرحتْ به أممٌ على أجناسها

فرحتْ به أممٌ على أجناسها

The day of accession was a day of delight;

The day of his accession was a day of joy;

nations of every race rejoiced in him.

peoples of every kind rejoiced in it.

فشريعةُ الإسلام زاد فخارها

فشريعةُ الإسلام زاد فخارها

وتشيدت بالعز بعدَ دراسها

وتشيدت بالعز بعدَ دراسها

The law of Islam gained still greater glory

So the law of Islam grew in glory,

and rose in honor after its traces had faded.

and was built up in honor after its decay.

أولو العهدِ به تقوّى جأشها

أولو العهدِ به تقوّى جأشها

أمناً وقد شِدْتَ عُرى استئناسها

أمناً وقد شِدْتَ عُرى استئناسها

They entrusted him with the reign, and her courage grew strong;

The people of the covenant gained courage through him,

she felt secure, having tightened the bonds of her fellowship.

in safety, for you have built up the bonds of their reassurance.

ماذا مديحي وهو بدرٌ طالعٌ

ماذا مديحي وهو بدرٌ طالعٌ

يرقى من الجوزاء ذروةَ راسها

يرقى من الجوزاء ذروةَ راسها

What can my praise add, when he is a rising full moon

What is my praise worth, when he is a rising full moon,

climbing from Gemini to the very crown of its head?

climbing from al-Jawza to the summit of its head?

وإذا المروءةُ قابلتْهُ بأصلها

وإذا المروءةُ قابلتْهُ بأصلها

وفتْ النتيجةُ طبق شكل قياسِها

وفتْ النتيجةُ طبق شكل قياسِها

And when manly virtue met him in its primal essence,

And when nobility of character compares him with its premise,

the conclusion came true, exactly matching the form of its syllogism.

the conclusion holds true to the figure of its syllogism.

وسيرتقي في الفخر أقصى شأوه

وسيرتقي في الفخر أقصى شأوه

إن تُضرب الأخماسُ في أسداسها

إن تُضرب الأخماسُ في أسداسها

He will rise in glory to the utmost reach of his course,

And he will rise in glory to his furthest reach,

if you weigh the matter deeply in every way.

even if fifths are multiplied by their sixths.

ما جل قصدي في قصيدي كثرة

ما جل قصدي في قصيدي كثرة

بل زينةُ الأبيات سبكُ جناسها

بل زينةُ الأبيات سبكُ جناسها

No mere profusion was the lofty aim of my ode;

My chief aim in my verse is not quantity;

rather, the verses’ adornment lies in forging their wordplay.

rather, the verses' adornment is the crafting of their wordplay.

حسبي القبولَ إجازةً لقَصِيدةٍ

حسبي القبولَ إجازةً لقَصِيدةٍ

أرجُ القبول يفوحُ من أنفاسها

أرجُ القبول يفوحُ من أنفاسها

Acceptance alone suffices me as the reward for my ode;

Acceptance suffices me as a reward for a poem;

I hope acceptance wafts fragrantly from its breaths.

the fragrance of acceptance wafts from its breaths.

هي بنتُ هذا الفكر عباسيّةٌ

هي بنتُ هذا الفكر عباسيّةٌ

نورُ الخِلافَةِ لاحَ في قرطاسها

نورُ الخِلافَةِ لاحَ في قرطاسها

She is the daughter of this thought, an Abbasian poem;

She is this thought's daughter, belonging to Abbas;

the light of the caliphate gleams upon her pages.

the light of the caliphate has shone upon her page.