لَكَ السَعدُ يَسعى في خِلال المَواكبِ

لَكَ السَعدُ يَسعى في خِلال المَواكبِ

بِنَيل المُنى ما بين ماشٍ وَراكبِ

بِنَيل المُنى ما بين ماشٍ وَراكبِ

For you good fortune hastens amid the processions,

Good fortune strives amid processions

With wishes fulfilled, among walkers and riders.

To grant you wishes, rider and walker alike.

ويُومِي لَكَ الإقبالُ مِنهُ بِرُتبةٍ

ويُومِي لَكَ الإقبالُ مِنهُ بِرُتبةٍ

لنيشانها في الصَدر نُورُ الكَواكب

لنيشانها في الصَدر نُورُ الكَواكب

And good fortune beckons you with a rank from him,

And daily it comes to you in rank

Its insignia upon the breast has the radiance of the stars.

That its ensigns in the chest are stars' lights.

فَأَنتَ عَليُّ القَدر في خَير دَولةٍ

فَأَنتَ عَليُّ القَدر في خَير دَولةٍ

لِتوفيقها في مَصرَ أَعلامُ غالب

لِتوفيقها في مَصرَ أَعلامُ غالب

For you are exalted in rank in the finest realm,

So you are fate's pride in best government

Whose success in Egypt is marked by a victor's banners.

With its success in Egypt's flags victorious.

وَأَنتَ الَّذي مِنكَ المَدارس ضوؤُها

وَأَنتَ الَّذي مِنكَ المَدارس ضوؤُها

يُضيء كَشَمسٍ في سَماء المَكاتب

يُضيء كَشَمسٍ في سَماء المَكاتب

And you are the one from whom the schools draw their light,

And you it is who gives schools their glow,

Which shines like a sun in the sky of the elementary schools.

Lighting like a sun in the sky of offices.

فَكُن بِثَباتٍ لِلمَعارف دائِماً

فَكُن بِثَباتٍ لِلمَعارف دائِماً

نَصيراً عَلى جَهل كَثيف الغَياهب

نَصيراً عَلى جَهل كَثيف الغَياهب

So be ever steadfast on behalf of learning,

So stand firm ever for knowledge

A champion against ignorance's dense darkness.

Helper against deep-dark ignorance.

وَدرّب عَلى التَدريس كُلَّ مَدرّسٍ

وَدرّب عَلى التَدريس كُلَّ مَدرّسٍ

يَقوم لِأَبناء العُلوم بِواجب

يَقوم لِأَبناء العُلوم بِواجب

And train every teacher in teaching,

And train each teacher in teaching

Who fulfills a duty to the sons of the sciences.

To do his duty to science's sons.

فَإِنَّكَ أَدرى بِالعُلوم وَأَهلِها

فَإِنَّكَ أَدرى بِالعُلوم وَأَهلِها

وَمَنفعةِ الأَوطان مِن كُل ناجب

وَمَنفعةِ الأَوطان مِن كُل ناجب

For you are better versed in the sciences and their people,

For you know sciences and their people best,

And the welfare of the homelands, than any distinguished man.

And what profits nations of every duty.

وَإِن الخديوي دامَ في مصر ملكُه

وَإِن الخديوي دامَ في مصر ملكُه

رآك جَديراً بِالعُلا وَالمَناصب

رآك جَديراً بِالعُلا وَالمَناصب

And indeed the Khedive—may his rule in Egypt endure—

And the Khedive, may his rule in Egypt endure,

Deemed you worthy of eminence and offices.

Saw you worthy of high office and rank.

فَأَولاك بِالإِقبال ما أَنتَ أَهلُهُ

فَأَولاك بِالإِقبال ما أَنتَ أَهلُهُ

لِما فيكَ مِن حَزمٍ وَنفع لِطالب

لِما فيكَ مِن حَزمٍ وَنفع لِطالب

So, with favor, he bestowed on you what you deserve,

So those did he grant you as you merit,

For your resolve and the benefit you bring to a student.

For your discretion and benefit to seeker.

فَمنهُ لَكَ الإِسعافُ في كُل ما به

فَمنهُ لَكَ الإِسعافُ في كُل ما به

عَلى الفَور تسهيلٌ لِكُلِّ المَصاعب

عَلى الفَور تسهيلٌ لِكُلِّ المَصاعب

Thus from him you have aid in all that serves

So from him you have aid in all wherein

To ease every difficulty without delay.

Is straightway facilitating each hardship.

وَمِنكَ لهُ الإِخلاص وَالصدق وَالوَفا

وَمِنكَ لهُ الإِخلاص وَالصدق وَالوَفا

بِدولته ذات البَها وَالمَواهب

بِدولته ذات البَها وَالمَواهب

And from you to him come devotion, truthfulness, and loyalty

And from you to him true loyalty and candour

To his realm, endowed with splendor and bounties.

For his state of splendour and talents.

وَأَنتَ على تِلكَ الصِفات جَميعها

وَأَنتَ على تِلكَ الصِفات جَميعها

جُبلتَ بِنَص عَن عدوّ وَصاحب

جُبلتَ بِنَص عَن عدوّ وَصاحب

And you, with every one of those qualities,

And with those qualities entire were you moulded,

Were endowed by nature, as foe and friend expressly attest.

Text against foe and comrade alike.

وَكَيفَ وَفيها حسبما أَنتَ عالم

وَكَيفَ وَفيها حسبما أَنتَ عالم

بِها لِمعانيها جَميع المَكاسب

بِها لِمعانيها جَميع المَكاسب

And how could it be otherwise? In them, as you know,

And how not, when in them, as you know,

Lie all gains, by virtue of their meanings.

Are all gains, in their meanings entire?

وَفيها رضا الرحَمن عَن كُل آمر

وَفيها رضا الرحَمن عَن كُل آمر

تَنزه في أَوصافه عَن مَثالب

تَنزه في أَوصافه عَن مَثالب

And in them lies the Most Merciful's favor toward every ruler

And in them God's approval of all command

Who has kept his qualities free from faults.

Free in its traits from all defects.

فَلا زِلت فينا لِلمَعارف ناظِراً

فَلا زِلت فينا لِلمَعارف ناظِراً

بِعَين خَبيرٍ عارفٍ بِالعَواقب

بِعَين خَبيرٍ عارفٍ بِالعَواقب

So may you ever remain among us, overseeing learning,

So you remained for knowledge our overseer,

With the eye of an expert who knows the outcomes.

With expert eye, knower of consequences.

وَلا زِلت في أَوطاننا لعزيزنا

وَلا زِلت في أَوطاننا لعزيزنا

وَزيراً سَديد الرَأي جَمّ المَناقب

وَزيراً سَديد الرَأي جَمّ المَناقب

And may you ever remain in our lands, for our sovereign,

And you remained in our lands, for our dear one,

A minister sound in judgment, rich in virtues.

Minister, sound in thought, perfect in honours.

وَلا بَرحت تُهدَى إِليك مَدائحٌ

وَلا بَرحت تُهدَى إِليك مَدائحٌ

عَلى الناس تُتلى باتفاق المَذاهب

عَلى الناس تُتلى باتفاق المَذاهب

And may praises never cease to be offered to you,

And eulogies guided to you never ceased,

Recited to the people, with all schools of thought in accord.

Among all people, by concord of creeds.

يُنمِّقُها مِن كُلِّ ما راقَ مُخلصٌ

يُنمِّقُها مِن كُلِّ ما راقَ مُخلصٌ

وَيَنشرها في شَرقِها وَالمَغارب

وَيَنشرها في شَرقِها وَالمَغارب

A devoted man adorns them with everything pleasing,

Each sincere one embellishing them

And spreads them through the East and the western lands.

With all that pleased, spreading them east and west,

لَعَلك تَلقاها بمحض بَشاشة

لَعَلك تَلقاها بمحض بَشاشة

إِذا أَقبَلت مِن نَفسِها في كَتائب

إِذا أَقبَلت مِن نَفسِها في كَتائب

Perhaps you will greet them with unalloyed good cheer,

That you might meet them with sheer affability

When they advance of their own accord in battalions.

When they came in battalions from the soul.

وَتمنحها مِنكَ القَبول فَإِنَّهُ

وَتمنحها مِنكَ القَبول فَإِنَّهُ

هُوَ المنهل المَورود عَذب المَشارب

هُوَ المنهل المَورود عَذب المَشارب

And grant them your acceptance, for it

And grant them acceptance, for it is

Is the frequented wellspring, sweet to drink from.

The fresh-sweet well, the place of drinking.

وَذاكَ كَثيرٌ مِن أَمير بِفضله

وَذاكَ كَثيرٌ مِن أَمير بِفضله

سمت دَولةُ العرفان بَينَ الأَجانب

سمت دَولةُ العرفان بَينَ الأَجانب

And that is a great favor from a prince by whose merit

And that is much for an Amir whose bounty

The realm of knowledge has risen among foreign peoples.

Made the state of knowledge supreme among foreigners.

وَأَنشده مَجدى يَقول مُؤرخاً

وَأَنشده مَجدى يَقول مُؤرخاً

عَليّ تحلَّى مِن وليّ مَراتب

عَليّ تحلَّى مِن وليّ مَراتب

And Majdi recited to him, saying to mark the date:

And Majdi recited it chronicling

Ali was adorned with ranks by a ruler.

‘Ali graced with ranks from guardian.’