سَعيدSa‘id بِالمهنَّدِwith the Indian-steel sword وَاليَراعِand the reed pen
سَعيد بِالمهنَّدِ وَاليَراعِ
لنشرto spread العدلjustice فيin مصرEgypt يُراعيtakes care
لنشر العدل في مصر يُراعي
Sa‘id, with the Indian-steel sword and reed pen,
Takes care to spread justice in Egypt.
بِهِthrough him ياO مَصرEgypt فَاِبتَهجيso rejoice وَتيهيand exult
بِهِ يا مَصر فَاِبتَهجي وَتيهي
عَلىabove كُلall المَمالكthe kingdoms وَالبقاعand lands
عَلى كُل المَمالك وَالبقاع
Through him, O Egypt, rejoice and exult
Above all kingdoms and lands.
وَهزِّيand sway عطفthe flank of عجبكyour pride فيamong البَراياall creation
وَهزِّي عطف عجبك في البَرايا
فجندfor the troops of العزglory حَولكaround you كَالسباعlike beasts of prey
فجند العز حَولك كَالسباع
And sway your flank in pride among all creation,
For glory's troops surround you like beasts of prey.
فَمنهfor among them الزرخthe cuirassiers تحملcharge كَالسَواريlike masts
فَمنه الزرخ تحمل كَالسَواري
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle قامَarises للهَيجاءto battle داعِa caller
إِذا ما قامَ للهَيجاء داعِ
For among them the cuirassiers charge like masts,
Whenever a call to battle rises.
وَمِنهُand among them الزنجthe Zanj (Black Africans) كَالآسادlike lions تَسطوstrike fiercely
وَمِنهُ الزنج كَالآساد تَسطو
وَتهجمand charge بِالأَسنةwith spearpoints للقراعinto combat
وَتهجم بِالأَسنة للقراع
And among them the Zanj strike like lions,
And charge with spearpoints into the fray.
وَمِنهُand among them الأوجيانthe chasseurs (light infantry) بِكُلin every وادvalley
وَمِنهُ الأوجيان بِكُل واد
تَهيمroam وَتقتَفيand follow أَثرthe tracks of الشجاعthe valiant
تَهيم وَتقتَفي أَثر الشجاع
And among them the chasseurs, in every valley,
Roam and follow the valiant man's tracks.
وَللطوبجيّand the gunner has دَمدمةٌa rumbling وَرعدٌand thunder
وَللطوبجيّ دَمدمةٌ وَرعدٌ
وَإِقدامand daring يَدوسhe tramples بِهِwith it الأَفاعيthe vipers
وَإِقدام يَدوس بِهِ الأَفاعي
And the gunner has rumbling and thunder,
And daring with which he tramples vipers.
وَللبيّادةand the infantry have الأَنجابthe gallant بَطشٌstriking force
وَللبيّادة الأَنجاب بَطشٌ
شَديدfierce لاnot يُقاومcan be withstood بِالدِفاعby defense
شَديد لا يُقاوم بِالدِفاع
And the gallant infantry wield a force
So fierce that no defense can withstand it.
وَللكوبريand the bridge has عَلىabove النيلthe Nile انتصابan upright stance
وَللكوبري عَلى النيل انتصاب
كَطودlike a mountain شامخlofty فيin الارتفاعheight
كَطود شامخ في الارتفاع
And the bridge stands above the Nile,
Like a mountain soaring high.
وَهَلand can ...? تُنسىbe forgotten سَفائنُهhis ships إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
وَهَل تُنسى سَفائنُه إِذا ما
جَرَتthey course فيon يَومa day of ريحwind بِالشِراعunder sail
جَرَت في يَوم ريح بِالشِراع
And can his ships be forgotten when
They course under sail on a windy day?
وِللشهمand the gallant man has المُهندسthe engineer كُلُّevery بَحثstudy
وِللشهم المُهندس كُلُّ بَحث
يَعودredounds عَلىto العَساكرthe troops بِانتِفاعwith benefit
يَعود عَلى العَساكر بِانتِفاع
And the gallant engineer's every study
Brings benefit to the troops.
وَبَينَهُمُand among them العَزيزthe exalted ruler عَلىon أَغرّa white-blazed steed
وَبَينَهُمُ العَزيز عَلى أَغرّ
يَمرّpasses بِهِupon it كَبَرقlike lightning ذيpossessing التِماعbrilliance
يَمرّ بِهِ كَبَرق ذي التِماع
And among them the exalted ruler, on a white-blazed steed,
Passes upon it like a flashing bolt of lightning.
وَيَرميand strikes كُلَّevery جَبارٍtyrant عَنيدٍobstinate
وَيَرمي كُلَّ جَبارٍ عَنيدٍ
بفرقةwith the dispersal of جَيشهhis army بَعدَafter اِجتِماعassembly
بفرقة جَيشه بَعدَ اِجتِماع
And strikes every stubborn tyrant
By scattering his army after it has assembled.
وَيَنشُرand spreads فيacross رُباthe hills of مَصرٍEgypt عُلوماًsciences
وَيَنشُر في رُبا مَصرٍ عُلوماً
طَوَتهاأَيديthe hands had folded them away الضَياعoblivion
طَوَتهاأَيدي الضَياع
And spreads across Egypt's hills the sciences
That the hands of oblivion had folded away.
فَمنهاfor among them ماthat which بِهِthrough it الآدابliterature تَزهوflourishes
فَمنها ما بِهِ الآداب تَزهو
عَلىover طُولthe span of الزَمانtime بِلاwithout اِنقِطاعinterruption
عَلى طُول الزَمان بِلا اِنقِطاع
For among them are those through which literature flourishes
Throughout all time, without interruption.
وَمِنهاand among them ماthat which يهذِّبrefines حينَwhen يُروَىit is recited
وَمِنها ما يهذِّب حينَ يُروَى
برقَّةِthrough the delicacy of لَفظِهِits wording شرسَthe rough of الطِباعtemperament
برقَّةِ لَفظِهِ شرسَ الطِباع
And some, when recited, refine
With their gentle wording, the rough of temper.
وَمِنهاand among them ماthat which بِهِthrough it الأَحكامthe laws تَسموrise high
وَمِنها ما بِهِ الأَحكام تَسمو
وَتنجحand succeed فيin المَقاصدthe purposes وَالمَساعيand endeavors
وَتنجح في المَقاصد وَالمَساعي
And through some, the laws rise high
And succeed in purposes and endeavors.
وَمِنهاand among them للعساكرfor the troops كُلevery فنّart
وَمِنها للعساكر كُل فنّ
بِهِthrough it تَحظىis favored المَعارفknowledge بِاتِساعwith expansion
بِهِ تَحظى المَعارف بِاتِساع
And among them is every art for the troops,
Through which knowledge gains breadth.
وَتقتحمand they plunge into العَجاجthe battle-dust فَلاso not تُباليcare
وَتقتحم العَجاج فَلا تُبالي
بِمَنabout whomever تَلقاهthey meet him مِنamong أَهلthe people of الخِداعdeceit
بِمَن تَلقاه مِن أَهل الخِداع
And they plunge into the battle-dust, heedless
Of whom they meet among the men of guile.
وَمِنهاand among them وَهوَand it is أَنفعهاthe most useful of them فُنونٌarts
وَمِنها وَهوَ أَنفعها فُنونٌ
أَبانrevealed جَمالَهاtheir beauty كَشفُthe lifting of القِناعthe veil
أَبان جَمالَها كَشفُ القِناع
And among them, most useful of all, are arts
Whose beauty the lifting of the veil revealed.
فُنونٌarts أَصبَحhas become اِستحكامthe fortification of مَصرٍEgypt
فُنونٌ أَصبَح اِستحكام مَصرٍ
بِهاthrough them نيرانهits fires ذاتpossessing اِندِفاعsurging force
بِها نيرانه ذات اِندِفاع
Arts that have made Egypt's fortifications
Send their fire surging forth,
وَيصدعand shatters بِالمَدافعwith cannons كُلevery طاغtyrant
وَيصدع بِالمَدافع كُل طاغ
مَهينbase لَيسَdoes not ينجوescape بامتِناعthrough resistance
مَهين لَيسَ ينجو بامتِناع
And shatter with cannon every tyrant,
Base, finding no escape through resistance.
وَتِلكَand that رِسالَتيmy treatise مِنهاfrom them تَحلّتhas adorned itself
وَتِلكَ رِسالَتي مِنها تَحلّت
بدرّwith pearls زانهadorned them عَذبُthe sweetness of اِبتِداعinvention
بدرّ زانه عَذبُ اِبتِداع
And that treatise of mine takes its adornment from them:
Pearls graced by sweet invention.
وَبِالأَمرand by the command الكَريمnoble أَضاءَshone مِنهاfrom it
وَبِالأَمر الكَريم أَضاءَ مِنها
جَبينa brow قَدindeed زَهاgrew splendid بِالانطباعthrough being printed
جَبين قَد زَها بِالانطباع
And by the noble command, from it shone
A brow made splendid by appearing in print.
وَكلهمُand all of them مَعwith الإخلاصsincerity أَثنَواgave praise
وَكلهمُ مَع الإخلاص أَثنَوا
عَلىto مَولاهمُtheir lord الصَدرthe leader المُطاعwho is obeyed
عَلى مَولاهمُ الصَدر المُطاع
And all of them, with sincerity, gave praise
To their lord, the leader whom they obey.
وَلَماand when مثلتit appeared طَبعاًin print وَتَمَّتand was completed
وَلَما مثلت طَبعاً وَتَمَّت
بِمَصرin Egypt قلتI said فيwith حسنfine اِختِراعinvention
بِمَصر قلت في حسن اِختِراع
And when it appeared in print and was completed
In Egypt, I said with fine invention:
لَقَدindeed أَرّختI gave a chronogram سَيفthe sword of اليُمنgood fortune أَنشاbuilt
لَقَد أَرّخت سَيف اليُمن أَنشا
مَيادينthe fields of الحصونfortresses مَعtogether with القِلاعcitadels
مَيادين الحصون مَع القِلاع
Indeed, I gave this chronogram: 'The sword of good fortune built
The fields of fortresses, together with citadels.'
Sol 6.1