يا خَير صَدرٍ بِالعِباد رَحيمِ

يا خَير صَدرٍ بِالعِباد رَحيمِ

أَنتَ المَلاذ لِراحلٍ وَمُقيمِ

أَنتَ المَلاذ لِراحلٍ وَمُقيمِ

O finest chief, merciful toward the people.

O best of bosoms, merciful to Thy servants,

You are the refuge of traveler and resident.

Thou art the refuge of travelers and settlers.

أَنتَ الَّذي وَرد الكِتاب مُبَشِراً

أَنتَ الَّذي وَرد الكِتاب مُبَشِراً

بِكَ بِالتَهاني

بِكَ بِالتَهاني

You are the one—the letter arrived bringing glad tidings

Thou art the one to whom the Book was revealed bearing glad tidings,

of you, with congratulations.

With greetings to thee.

وَالكل في صحف الأَوائل قَد تَلا

وَالكل في صحف الأَوائل قَد تَلا

لَكَ ما تَحقق لِلوَرى بِرَقيم

لَكَ ما تَحقق لِلوَرى بِرَقيم

And everyone has recited from the scrolls of the ancients

And all, in the pages of old, have recited

to you what was established for humankind in a written record.

What was fulfilled for people through thee as destiny.

وَلَأَنتَ أَولىبِمسند

وَلَأَنتَ أَولىبِمسند

أَبداً عَلى غَير الهمام جَسيم

أَبداً عَلى غَير الهمام جَسيم

And you are surely more entitled to a seat of authority,

And thou art most deserving of the position

ever weighty for anyone but the valiant man.

Forever over others lofty and mighty.

هُوَ مسندٌ يَحتاج في تَأييده

هُوَ مسندٌ يَحتاج في تَأييده

لِعِناية مِن حازم وَفَهيم

لِعِناية مِن حازم وَفَهيم

It is a seat of authority that needs, for its support,

It is a position requiring, for its support,

the care of one resolute and discerning.

The care of one who is resolute and wise.

وَمحمد مَأمون مَصر هُوَ الَّذي

وَمحمد مَأمون مَصر هُوَ الَّذي

عَنها يصدّ الآن كُل غَريم

عَنها يصدّ الآن كُل غَريم

And Muhammad, Egypt's trusted one, is he

And Muhammad Tawfiq of Egypt is he

who now wards every adversary away from her.

Who now defends it from every foe.

فَاِنهَض إِلى أَخذ الزِمام بِهمة

فَاِنهَض إِلى أَخذ الزِمام بِهمة

تُحيي بِها آثار كُل رَميم

تُحيي بِها آثار كُل رَميم

So rise to take the reins with resolve,

So rise to take the reins with a resolve

with which you revive the remnants of all that has crumbled.

That revives thereby all traces of the decayed.

وَبعدلك المَنشور صن وَجه المَلا

وَبعدلك المَنشور صن وَجه المَلا

الجَناب

الجَناب

And with your proclaimed justice, safeguard the people's countenance,

And by thy justice that is circulated, fortify the aspect of the kingdom,

the honored presence.

For the nations have long awaited from thee

فَلَطالما الأَوطان مِنكَ ترقَّبت

فَلَطالما الأَوطان مِنكَ ترقَّبت

إنقاذها مِن

إنقاذها مِن

For long have the homelands awaited from you

Their deliverance from woes.

their deliverance from ...

And they have implored God, Most High is His Majesty,

وَتضرّعت لِلّه جلّ جَلاله

وَتضرّعت لِلّه جلّ جَلاله

بِبلوغك الآمال زَعيم

بِبلوغك الآمال زَعيم

and implored God—exalted be His majesty—

To grant that thou attain hopes as chief.

for your attainment of the hopes ... a leader.

Until their prayer was answered and they were honored

حَتّى اِستَجيب دُعاؤُها وَتشرّفت

حَتّى اِستَجيب دُعاؤُها وَتشرّفت

بِكَ في سَرير المُلك دُون قَسيم

بِكَ في سَرير المُلك دُون قَسيم

until their prayer was answered and they were honored

By thee upon the throne of kingship without rival.

by you on the throne of sovereignty, without a co-ruler.

And time greeted their well-being through thy nearness

وَالدَهر سالمها بِقربك في الهَنا

وَالدَهر سالمها بِقربك في الهَنا

مِنهُ بِقَلب في الوداد سَليم

مِنهُ بِقَلب في الوداد سَليم

And time made peace with them through your nearness, in joy,

With a heart sincere in affection.

from it, with a heart untainted in affection.

And their days were characterized, in thy rule,

وَصفت بِها أَيامُها في دَولة

وَصفت بِها أَيامُها في دَولة

عَنها اِنجَلى بِضياكغَيم

عَنها اِنجَلى بِضياكغَيم

And their days grew serene therein, under a reign

By clouds dispersing to reveal joy.

from which a cloud was dispelled by your radiance.

And to thee from the caliph’s throne there flowed

وَإِلَيك مِن تَخت الخِلافة قَد سَرى

وَإِلَيك مِن تَخت الخِلافة قَد سَرى

فَرمانُها سَريانَ طيبِ نَسيم

فَرمانُها سَريانَ طيبِ نَسيم

And to you, from the throne of the caliphate, has traveled

Its authority’s diffusion like the wafting of sweet breeze.

its firman, spreading like a breeze's fragrance.

And there came giving glad tidings with certainty of that

وَأَتى يُبشر عَن يَقين بِالَّذي

وَأَتى يُبشر عَن يَقين بِالَّذي

لَكَ رامَهُ مِن قَبل كُلُّ خَديم

لَكَ رامَهُ مِن قَبل كُلُّ خَديم

And it came bringing certain glad tidings of what

Which every servant did for thy sake before.

every servant had wished for you before.

So judge as thou wouldst please among us and arbitrate

فَاحكُم بِما تَرضاه فينا وَاحتكم

فَاحكُم بِما تَرضاه فينا وَاحتكم

في أَمر الجَناح

في أَمر الجَناح

So rule among us as you see fit, and exercise authority

In the matter of pardon,

in the matter of the wing.

For it is he who prospered and grew wealthy,

فَهُوَ الَّذيأَثرى وَاِغتَنى

فَهُوَ الَّذيأَثرى وَاِغتَنى

وَغَدابِمصر

وَغَدابِمصر

For he is the one who grew rich and wealthy,

Becoming in Egypt of great influence.

and became, in Egypt ...

And if he meets privately, remembering the slanderers,

وَإِذا خَلا وَهُوَبِنَفسه

وَإِذا خَلا وَهُوَبِنَفسه

ذكر الطعان وَصاد كُل ظَليم

ذكر الطعان وَصاد كُل ظَليم

And when he was alone, by himself,

He foils every oppressor and stays each wrongdoer.

he recalled spear-fighting and hunted every male ostrich.

And he breaks the ropes of whoever betrayed treasonably,

وَاِنقُض حبالَ مَن اِرتَدى بِخيانة

وَاِنقُض حبالَ مَن اِرتَدى بِخيانة

تَقضي بِبعدِ مقرّبٍ وَنَديم

تَقضي بِبعدِ مقرّبٍ وَنَديم

And undo the bonds of whoever clothed himself in treachery

Seeking distance after intimacy and favor.

that requires the banishment of a favored courtier and a boon companion.

And hopes for justice instead of clemency

ورجا مِنعَدل وَلا

ورجا مِنعَدل وَلا

تَنظر إِلى مَن عَهد حميم

تَنظر إِلى مَن عَهد حميم

and hoped, from justice ... and do not

From one whose covenant was intimate.

look toward one who knew a close friend.

And casts him into the pit of unemployment after

وَاطرحه في جب البَطالة بَعدَما

وَاطرحه في جب البَطالة بَعدَما

يَلقى مِن التَعذيب كُل أَليم

يَلقى مِن التَعذيب كُل أَليم

And cast him into the pit of idleness, after

He suffers every excruciating torment.

he undergoes every painful form of torture.

And if one promoted comes forward, do not neglect

وَعَنوَلَو تقدّم لا تَسل

وَعَنوَلَو تقدّم لا تَسل

وَضَع الزَعامة في يَمين حَكيم

وَضَع الزَعامة في يَمين حَكيم

And about ... and even if he advanced, do not ask.

To place the leadership into the hands of one who is wise.

And place leadership in a wise man's right hand.

For leaving it in him is the squandering of what he owns

فَبقاؤُها فيهِ ضَياع ماله

فَبقاؤُها فيهِ ضَياع ماله

مِن كاشف بَعد الخَفا لَرَديم

مِن كاشف بَعد الخَفا لَرَديم

For its remaining with him is the wasting of his wealth,

Of one who exposes the hidden after being secretive.

from a revealer, after concealment, of something buried.

Alas! One cannot succeed whose leader

هَيهات يُفلح مَن يَكُون إِمامه

هَيهات يُفلح مَن يَكُون إِمامه

سوء تَزدَري بِفَخيم

سوء تَزدَري بِفَخيم

Far from success is one whose leader is

Is evil he scorns with loathing.

evil ... you disdain an eminent man.

They did not attain wealth

هم ما نمقوا

هم ما نمقوا

في كل رق لِلنُقود بسيم

في كل رق لِلنُقود بسيم

They ... what they embellished

Except by every improper means for money.

on every parchment, smiling at the coins.

And if a complainant one day suffers injustice from them,

وَإِذا اِشتَكى يَوماً لَهُ متظلمٌ

وَإِذا اِشتَكى يَوماً لَهُ متظلمٌ

مِنهُم رَمى مِن شرّهم بِأَجيم

مِنهُم رَمى مِن شرّهم بِأَجيم

And if one day a wronged complainant complained to him

He responds by shooting arrows of their evil at him.

against them, he hurled, from their malice, an ajīm [unclear].

And separate from every hypocrite

وَافصل عَن كُل مُنافقٍ

وَافصل عَن كُل مُنافقٍ

مُتملِّقٍ يصلى بِنار جَحيم

مُتملِّقٍ يصلى بِنار جَحيم

And separate yourself from every hypocrite,

Flatterer who prays with hellfire.

a flatterer who burns in the fire of Hell.

And extract him from the desire

وَاِنزَعهُ مِنرَغبة

وَاِنزَعهُ مِنرَغبة

عَنهُ إِلى أَبناء رُكن حَطيم

عَنهُ إِلى أَبناء رُكن حَطيم

And remove him, from desire

To return him to the sons of the crumbled pillar.

away from him toward the sons of a shattered pillar.

For ancestry is a touchstone by the text of reports

فَالعرق دَساسٌ بِنَص رِوايةٍ

فَالعرق دَساسٌ بِنَص رِوايةٍ

عَن كُل ثَبت بِالحَديث عَليم

عَن كُل ثَبت بِالحَديث عَليم

For ancestry works unseen, as a transmitted report explicitly states,

From every scholar learned in hadith.

from every trustworthy authority learned in hadith.

Evidence stands against equivalents whose number

قامَ الدَليل عَلى مَساوٍ حَصرُها

قامَ الدَليل عَلى مَساوٍ حَصرُها

أَعيا لكثرتها لِسانَ كَليم

أَعيا لكثرتها لِسانَ كَليم

Proof has been established of faults whose enumeration

Perplexed the tongue of one most eloquent to count.

has exhausted a speaker's tongue through their abundance.

Why not when he who dissolved

لم لا وَهَذا حلل في

لم لا وَهَذا حلل في

أَكل الحَرام وَما رَثى لِيَتيم

أَكل الحَرام وَما رَثى لِيَتيم

Why not, when this one made things lawful in

Into eating forbidden wealth and did not mourn the orphan?

eating the forbidden, and showed no pity to an orphan?

And he ran with the current so his partner was

وَمَعجَرى فَكانَ شَريكه

وَمَعجَرى فَكانَ شَريكه

في سَلب أَموال وَنَهب

في سَلب أَموال وَنَهب

And with ... he proceeded, becoming his partner

In plundering money and pillage.

in seizing wealth and plundering.

And wealth is that which leads him into Hellfire and

وَالمال مال بِهِ إِلى سقرٍ وَلَم

وَالمال مال بِهِ إِلى سقرٍ وَلَم

تَنفعه نسبة

تَنفعه نسبة

And wealth swayed him toward Saqar; nor

Lineage does not benefit him.

did lineage benefit him.

And a group emulated him in bribery

وَبِهِ اِقتَدى في الارتشاء جَماعةٌ

وَبِهِ اِقتَدى في الارتشاء جَماعةٌ

عَلى نضار حزيم

عَلى نضار حزيم

And a group followed his example in taking bribes,

At the blossoms of youth.

over pure gold ... resolute.

There the breasts are relieved and the banners of rebellion

فَهُناك تَنشرح الصُدور وَتَنطَوي

فَهُناك تَنشرح الصُدور وَتَنطَوي

أَعلام بَغي في البِلاد وَخيم

أَعلام بَغي في البِلاد وَخيم

Then breasts will expand with relief, and furled will be

In the land fold up and disappear.

the banners of grievous oppression in the land.

And the luster that was theirs returns to the nations

وَيَعود لِلأَوطان رَونَقُها الَّذي

وَيَعود لِلأَوطان رَونَقُها الَّذي

كانَت بِهِ في منعة وَنَعيم

كانَت بِهِ في منعة وَنَعيم

And the homelands will regain their splendor, through which

When they were in security and bliss.

they lived in strength and bliss.

And your kingdom lasts, for you are its lord,

وَيَدوم ملك أَنتَ صاحبُه بِها

وَيَدوم ملك أَنتَ صاحبُه بِها

ما دامَ رَضوى في جِوار كَريم

ما دامَ رَضوى في جِوار كَريم

And a kingdom whose ruler you are will endure there,

As long as the All-Merciful is near, Generous.

as long as Radwa remains near a noble one.

O object of desire, that poem

يا بغية الطلاب تِلكَ عَزيزةٌ

يا بغية الطلاب تِلكَ عَزيزةٌ

مِن نَظم مقروح الفُؤاد كَليم

مِن نَظم مقروح الفُؤاد كَليم

O seekers' desire, that is a precious one,

Is precious in the composition of my wounded heart.

from the verse of one wounded in heart and sorely hurt.

It is the outpouring of my breast which poured it

هِيَ نَفثة المَصدور مِنهُ بَثَّها

هِيَ نَفثة المَصدور مِنهُ بَثَّها

كَعقود درّ في النَحور نَظيم

كَعقود درّ في النَحور نَظيم

It is a chest-stricken man's outbreath, which he sent forth from himself,

Like necklaces of pearls, well-arranged.

like necklaces of pearls, strung upon throats.

And I prepared it, after congratulations with wishes,

وَأَعدّها بَعد التَهاني بِالمُنى

وَأَعدّها بَعد التَهاني بِالمُنى

لا يَرتجي في المَهر غَير قبولها

لا يَرتجي في المَهر غَير قبولها

And he prepared it after congratulations on hopes fulfilled,

Not hoping for any reward for it but its acceptance,

seeking no dowry except its acceptance,

That it might thereby accomplish the healing of one who is sick.

كَيما يَتمّ بِها شِفاء سَقيم

كَيما يَتمّ بِها شِفاء سَقيم

لا زلت في حلل العِناية رافِلاً

لا زلت في حلل العِناية رافِلاً

so that through it a sick person's healing may be complete.

I have not ceased to be clothed in the garment of care,

May you never cease walking proudly in robes of providence,

However much praise was expressed in grand eulogy,

ما طابَ مَدح في ثَناء عَظيم

ما طابَ مَدح في ثَناء عَظيم

أَو قالَ مَجدي في السُرور مؤرخاً

أَو قالَ مَجدي في السُرور مؤرخاً

as long as praise is sweet in lofty acclaim,

Or one saying my glory recorded it, dating

or Majdi says in joy, recording the date:

The command of thy success purely.

فرمان تَوفيق صَفا بِقَويم

فرمان تَوفيق صَفا بِقَويم

Tawfiq's firman became clear through an upright one.