تذكار وَالدة العَزيز بِمصرهِ

تذكار وَالدة العَزيز بِمصرهِ

كَتبٌ بها يَحلو لَدَيهِ خِطابُ

كَتبٌ بها يَحلو لَدَيهِ خِطابُ

A memorial to the mighty ruler’s mother in his Egypt:

A memento for the revered mother in Egypt

Books through which discourse grows sweet to him;

With writings that bring sweet discourse to her

وَصَحائف لِلناظرين بِوجهها

وَصَحائف لِلناظرين بِوجهها

يَبدو عَلى طُول الزَمان صَواب

يَبدو عَلى طُول الزَمان صَواب

And pages—upon their face, to those who gaze,

And pages for onlookers through their countenance

Truth appears throughout the ages;

Appearing right throughout the ages

وَنَفائس يَروى عُقول رواتها

وَنَفائس يَروى عُقول رواتها

في رَوض مَجموع الفُنون سَحاب

في رَوض مَجموع الفُنون سَحاب

And treasures whose narrators’ minds are watered

And treasures that inspire the minds of their reciters

By clouds in the garden of the collected arts;

In a garden where all arts are gathered like clouds

وَبَديع آيات تَلوح وإنها

وَبَديع آيات تَلوح وإنها

في كُل مَعنى لِلعُلوم لُباب

في كُل مَعنى لِلعُلوم لُباب

And wondrous signs shine forth; indeed, they are

And wondrous verses that gleam though they

In every sense the essence of the sciences.

Are for all meanings a kernel of knowledge

هِيَ هَذِهِ الدُرر الَّتي في شَرحِها

هِيَ هَذِهِ الدُرر الَّتي في شَرحِها

يُتلى دُعاء الوالِدات مُجاب

يُتلى دُعاء الوالِدات مُجاب

These are the pearls, in whose exposition

These are the pearls whose interpretation

The mothers’ prayer is recited and answered.

Makes heard the answered prayers of mothers

لا بَل هيَ التُحف الَّتي تاريخها

لا بَل هيَ التُحف الَّتي تاريخها

لَكَ يا خديو صَفا وَطابَ كِتاب

لَكَ يا خديو صَفا وَطابَ كِتاب

No, rather, they are treasures whose chronogram is:

Nay, these are the gifts whose date

“For you, O Khedive, a book has become pure and pleasing.”

For you, Khedive, is purity and pleasant inscription