سل الوطن المألوف عن فضل راغب — Salah Magdy

سَل الوَطَن المَألوف عَن فَضل راغبِ

وَعمَّا له بَينَ الوَرى من رَواغبِ

Ask the familiar homeland about Raghib's excellence,

And about the desirable qualities he has among humankind;

وَعَن همة مِن دُونِها كُل همة

وَرَأيٍ سَديد واضح النَص صائب

And about a resolve beneath which every other resolve falls,

And a sound judgment, clear in wording and correct;

وَعَن حُسن تَرتيب لإيراد دَولة

خَزائنُها مَملوءة بِالمَواهب

And about the fine ordering of a state's revenue,

Whose treasuries are filled with bounties;

وَعَن نَظم دِيوان الجِهادية الَّذي

تحلَّى بِهِ في مصر جيد الكَتائب

And about the organization of the military bureau, which

Adorned the neck of the battalions in Egypt;

وَعَما بِتَفتيش الأَقاليم قَد بَدَت

لَعَليائه في حكمه مِن مَناقب

And about what inspection of the provinces has revealed

Of virtues in his rule, to his exalted credit;

وَعَن وَضع قانونٍ سَنيٍّ مُوافقٍ

لَما قَرّروه في جَميع المَذاهب

And about the enactment of a noble law, in accord

With what they have established in all schools of law;

وَعَن فكرة يَسمو بِها في حُكومة

يؤيدها مِنهُ بِتدبير ناجب

And about an idea through which he excels in government,

Which he supports with able planning of his own;

وَعَن فطنة لَو حازَ مَعشار عشرها

سواه لأَضحى في السَنا كَالكَواكب

And about an acumen, were a tenth of its tenth possessed

By another, he would be like the stars in radiance;

وَعَن شَرَف مِن دُونه في ضِيائه

شُموسُ المَعالي في سَماء المَراتب

And about an honor surpassing in its radiance

The suns of eminence in the sky of ranks;

وَعَن حكمة ما شابَها في قَضائه

مِن الشَك وَالتَرديد أَدنى شَوائب

And about a wisdom untainted in his judgment

By the slightest blemishes of doubt or hesitation;

وَعَن كُل ما فيهِ قوام سياسة

وَتَمييزها في شَرقِها وَالمَغارب

And about all that sustains governance

And gives it distinction in its east and the western lands;

وَعَما له مِن صَولةٍ حيدرية

وَتَأمين مَغلوب وَتَرهيب غالب

And about the Haydar-like might he possesses,

And his granting safety to the defeated and striking fear into the victor;

وَعَما حَواه مِن مروءته الَّتي

يَقصّر عَن إِدراكها كُل طالب

And about the chivalry he possesses, which

Every seeker falls short of attaining;

تَجدهُ جَديراً بِالرِياسة وَالعُلا

وَبِالسَبق عَن أَعجامها وَالأَعارب

You will find him worthy of leadership and high station,

And of precedence over its non-Arabs and Arabs.

فَيا صادق الوَعد الَّذي في يَمينه

يسارٌ عَلى طُول الزَمان لِطالب

So, O you true to your promise, in whose right hand lies

Abundance for a seeker throughout all time:

تَهنأ بإِقبال وَعز وَسودد

وَمجد به يَزدان خاص المَناصب

May you enjoy good fortune, honor, and eminence,

And glory with which the choicest offices are adorned;

وَعاون عَلى ما فيهِ نَفع مَصالح

وَدَفع مَضرّات وَنَيل مآرب

And help in whatever serves interests,

And wards off harms and attains desired ends;

فَأَنتَ الَّذي تُرجى لِهَذا وَيَنجلي

بِنُورك ما في عَصرنا مِن غَياهب

For you are the one looked to for this, and dispelled

By your light is the deep darkness of our age;

وَأَنتَ الَّذي فاضَت بِحار نَواله

عَلى حاضر مِن أَهل مَصر وَغائب

And you are he whose seas of bounty have overflowed

Over Egypt's people, present and absent alike;

وَها أَنت قَد عَززت مَدحي بِثالث

لِيَزداد تَشريفي وَيَعتز جانبي

And behold, you have strengthened my praise with a third,

So that my honor may increase and my standing grow strong;

فَكُن لي مجيزاً بِالقبول وَبالرضا

فَذَلِكَ مِن جَدواك أَقصى مَطالبي

So reward me with acceptance and approval,

For that is the utmost I ask of your bounty.

وَعش ظافِراً ما قُلت فيك مُؤرّخاً

بجدّ وودّ زادَ جاهٌ لِراغب

And live victorious as long as I recite this chronogram of you:

Through diligence and affection, Raghib's prestige has grown.