حسن اِختَراعي في جَنابك أَظرَفُ

حسن اِختَراعي في جَنابك أَظرَفُ

وَلَأَنتَ بي في مَدح ذاتك أَعرفُ

وَلَأَنتَ بي في مَدح ذاتك أَعرفُ

My fine invention in your honor is most graceful,

My ingenuity in praising you is most eloquent

And surely you know me best as I praise your person.

And you know me best in eulogizing your essence

يا أَيُّها البَطَل المُجاهد في الوَغى

يا أَيُّها البَطَل المُجاهد في الوَغى

بِكَ لِلثَبات تَأنُّسٌ وَتَألُّف

بِكَ لِلثَبات تَأنُّسٌ وَتَألُّف

O hero who strives in battle,

O hero, veteran of battles and strife

Through you, steadfastness finds companionship and concord.

With you, steadfastness and harmony prevail

وَالجَيش تَحتَ لِواك أَين سَعى لَهُ

وَالجَيش تَحتَ لِواك أَين سَعى لَهُ

في كُل واد نصرةٌ بِكَ تُعرَف

في كُل واد نصرةٌ بِكَ تُعرَف

And the army beneath your banner, wherever it marched, had

The army under your banner, wherever it went

In every valley a victory credited to you.

Victory through you in every valley is known

فَإِذا حَملت عَلى الخُصوم أَصابَهُم

فَإِذا حَملت عَلى الخُصوم أَصابَهُم

مِن عَضبك المَصقول ما لا يُوصف

مِن عَضبك المَصقول ما لا يُوصف

So when you charge against your foes, they suffer

When you charge the enemies, they are struck

From your polished sword what cannot be described.

By your sharpened wrath, beyond description

وَاللَيث يَستر بَعضه مِن رَوعه

وَاللَيث يَستر بَعضه مِن رَوعه

وَيَلوح مِنهُ الودّ وَهوَ تكلُّف

وَيَلوح مِنهُ الودّ وَهوَ تكلُّف

And the lion hides part of himself out of fear,

The lion hides some of his ferocity

And friendliness appears in him, though it is feigned.

Feigning affection, though it is pretense

وَبحزم رَأيك في الهُجوم وَفي اللقا

وَبحزم رَأيك في الهُجوم وَفي اللقا

أَمِنَ العَساكرُ وَالعِداة تَخوّفوا

أَمِنَ العَساكرُ وَالعِداة تَخوّفوا

And through your resolute judgment in attack and combat,

With your wise strategy in offense and battle

The soldiers were secure, while the enemies grew afraid.

The troops are safe, and the enemies cower in fear

وَالوَيل ثُمَ الوَيل مِنكَ لِمَن بَغوا

وَالوَيل ثُمَ الوَيل مِنكَ لِمَن بَغوا

وَعَن الصِراط المُستَقيم تَحرّفوا

وَعَن الصِراط المُستَقيم تَحرّفوا

And woe, then woe from you, to those who transgressed

Woe, then woe, to those who transgressed

And turned aside from the straight path.

And deviated from the straight path

فَلَهُم عَذاب الهون إِن ثَبَتوا وَإِن

فَلَهُم عَذاب الهون إِن ثَبَتوا وَإِن

هزموا فخلفهمُ كماةٌ تَزحف

هزموا فخلفهمُ كماةٌ تَزحف

For them is humiliating torment if they stand firm; and if

For them is disgrace if they stand fast, and if

They are routed, armored warriors advance behind them.

They flee, ruin creeps up behind them

وَكَريدٌ اِفتَخرت بِأَكرَم مَولد

وَكَريدٌ اِفتَخرت بِأَكرَم مَولد

بِسَمائه نجم السَعادة مُشرف

بِسَمائه نجم السَعادة مُشرف

And Crete took pride in a most noble birth,

Cairo prides itself on the noblest birth

In its sky the star of good fortune stands aloft.

Under its sky the star of fortune shines

وَلمصر حَظ وافر بخدامة

وَلمصر حَظ وافر بخدامة

مِنكَ اِستَنار بِها ظَلام مرجف

مِنكَ اِستَنار بِها ظَلام مرجف

And Egypt enjoys abundant good fortune through service

And Egypt's share is bountiful in your service

From you, by which an alarm-monger's darkness grew bright.

By which its darkness is illuminated

وَلجندها بِكَ وَهوَ صاحب سَطوة

وَلجندها بِكَ وَهوَ صاحب سَطوة

فَتح وَنَصر دائم وَتصرُّف

فَتح وَنَصر دائم وَتصرُّف

And its army, through you, wielding might, enjoys

And for its troops, with you, the mighty one

Conquest, lasting victory, and command.

Victory and triumph are constant and assured

وَلِمَن تجرّد بِالنِزال مَنية

وَلِمَن تجرّد بِالنِزال مَنية

تَأتي وَحدّ المشرفية مُرهف

تَأتي وَحدّ المشرفية مُرهف

And for whoever readies himself for combat, there is death

While for those who bare steel in battle, death comes

That comes while the Mashrafi sword's edge is keen.

And the cavalry's onslaught is piercing and swift

وَلِمَن عَرفت مِن الأَنام وقاية

وَلِمَن عَرفت مِن الأَنام وقاية

مِن كُل شَر ساقَه متعسف

مِن كُل شَر ساقَه متعسف

And whoever you know among humankind has protection

And for those whom you shielded from all harm

From every evil brought by an oppressor.

Though an unjust fate befell them

وَلِمَن أَجرت مِن الخطوب حِماية

وَلِمَن أَجرت مِن الخطوب حِماية

وَالقَتل فيهِ أَخو البَسالة مسرف

وَالقَتل فيهِ أَخو البَسالة مسرف

And whoever you shelter has protection from calamities,

And those whom you saved from calamities

While the man of valor is prodigal in killing.

Wherein heroes rush to glorious death

وَلَكَم مَيادين عَلى أُسدِ الشَرى

وَلَكَم مَيادين عَلى أُسدِ الشَرى

ضاقَت وَمنكَ عَلَيهِ طالَ المَوقف

ضاقَت وَمنكَ عَلَيهِ طالَ المَوقف

And how many battlefields, for the lions of al-Shara,

How many arenas, too narrow for the lion of battle

Grew cramped, while your stand against him grew long!

Were you in for long, standing your ground

وَلَكَم رَمى بِشهاب بَأسك غادرٌ

وَلَكَم رَمى بِشهاب بَأسك غادرٌ

لِلوَعد في كُل المَعاهد مخلف

لِلوَعد في كُل المَعاهد مخلف

And how many a traitor was struck by the meteor of your might,

And how many treacherous cowards, struck by the flames of your might

False to his promise in every covenant.

Broke every pledge and covenant

وَلَكم كَميّ باسل ذي نَجدة

وَلَكم كَميّ باسل ذي نَجدة

ما ردّ بطشَك عَنهُ خلٌّ مسعف

ما ردّ بطشَك عَنهُ خلٌّ مسعف

And how many a valiant armored warrior, possessed of courage,

And how many valiant heroes, when gripped

Had no helpful friend to ward off your onslaught from him!

By your might, remained unyielding and steadfast

وَلَكم أَسير قال حينَ مَلكته

وَلَكم أَسير قال حينَ مَلكته

وَسَمحت بِالإِطلاق هَذا منصف

وَسَمحت بِالإِطلاق هَذا منصف

And how many a captive said, when you held him in your power

And how many captives, when you had seized them

And granted his release, "This man is just."

Then released, said "he is just"

وَرضيت بَعدَ الانتصار عَلى العِدا

وَرضيت بَعدَ الانتصار عَلى العِدا

وَعَن العيال عَفَوت وَهوَ تعفف

وَعَن العيال عَفَوت وَهوَ تعفف

And you were content after victory over your enemies,

And after defeating the enemies, you pardoned

And spared the dependents—that is self-restraint.

Their families, being generous and noble

وَالمَدح فيكَ حَقيقة وَطَبيعة

وَالمَدح فيكَ حَقيقة وَطَبيعة

وَلَدى سِواك تَصنُّعٌ وَتكلف

وَلَدى سِواك تَصنُّعٌ وَتكلف

And praise of you is genuine and natural,

Praising you is truth and nature

While with others it is artifice and affectation.

While with others it is pretense and hypocrisy

فَاقبل يَتيمة فكرة نطقت بِها

فَاقبل يَتيمة فكرة نطقت بِها

لَكَ في الثَناء مِن الضَمير الأَحرف

لَكَ في الثَناء مِن الضَمير الأَحرف

So accept a peerless gem of thought, voiced

So accept this orphaned thought I have uttered

For you in praise by letters from the heart.

To you, from my heart, though inadequate

وَأَجز فتاك عَلى المَديح قبوله

وَأَجز فتاك عَلى المَديح قبوله

فَهُوَ المرام وَعَنهُ لا أَتخلف

فَهُوَ المرام وَعَنهُ لا أَتخلف

And reward your young man for his praise by accepting it;

And permit your servant to accept praise

For it is my aim, and I will not draw back from it.

For it is my wish, and I shall not refrain

وَبرتبة بِكَ يا فَريق تَشرفت

وَبرتبة بِكَ يا فَريق تَشرفت

وَسَمَت تَهنأ فَالحَسود معنف

وَسَمَت تَهنأ فَالحَسود معنف

And in a rank ennobled by you, O lieutenant-general,

With your rank, O eminent one, I have been honored

And raised high, may you rejoice; the envious man is rebuked.

And taken to the heights, while enviers are enraged

ما أَشرقت شَمس المَناصب بامرئٍ

ما أَشرقت شَمس المَناصب بامرئٍ

مِن دُونه في الحلم يذكر أَحنف

مِن دُونه في الحلم يذكر أَحنف

As long as the sun of high office shines through a man

Never did the sun of high office shine on one

Below whom Ahnaf is ranked in forbearance;

As wise and forbearing as you, it is said

أَو ما غَدا مَجدي يَقول مؤرّخاً

أَو ما غَدا مَجدي يَقول مؤرّخاً

ما مصطفى إِلا فَريق أَشرَف

ما مصطفى إِلا فَريق أَشرَف

Or as long as Majdi goes on saying in a chronogram:

Nor did the annals of glory speak of any

"Mustafa is none other than a most noble lieutenant-general."

Other than Mustafa, most noble commander