يا أَوحد الدَهر في حَزم وَفي حَسبِ

يا أَوحد الدَهر في حَزم وَفي حَسبِ

وَمُفرد العَصر في عَزم وفي نَسَبِ

وَمُفرد العَصر في عَزم وفي نَسَبِ

O peerless one of the age in prudence and ancestral honor,

O unmatched in the age in wisdom and nobility,

and unrivaled in this era in resolve and lineage;

And singular of the time in resolve and lineage,

وَراغِباً في عُموم النَفع لِلوَطن ال

وَراغِباً في عُموم النَفع لِلوَطن ال

مألوف بِالهمة المَمدودة الطنب

مألوف بِالهمة المَمدودة الطنب

and eager to spread benefit throughout the homeland,

Seeking the general good of the nation tirelessly,

beloved, with resolve whose tent-ropes stretch far;

Known for the outstretched ambition and glory,

وَمَن بِتَدبيره للملك سادَ عَلى

وَمَن بِتَدبيره للملك سادَ عَلى

ذَوي المَناصب مِن عُجمٍ وَمِن عرب

ذَوي المَناصب مِن عُجمٍ وَمِن عرب

and he who, by governing the realm, surpassed

By whose governance supremacy was attained

officeholders, non-Arab and Arab;

Over the titled of non-Arabs and Arabs,

وَمَن بِهِ مَصرنا الغَرّاء طالعها

وَمَن بِهِ مَصرنا الغَرّاء طالعها

أَضحى سَعيداً وَفازَت مِنهُ بِالأَرَب

أَضحى سَعيداً وَفازَت مِنهُ بِالأَرَب

and he through whom the star of our radiant Egypt

By whom our radiant Egypt’s rising star

became auspicious, and she gained from him her desire;

Became happy and gained from him the profits,

وَمِن سِياسته أَحيا بها بَلَداً

وَمِن سِياسته أَحيا بها بَلَداً

مَيتاً وَأَنقذه مِن آفة العطب

مَيتاً وَأَنقذه مِن آفة العطب

and he who through his governance revived a land

By whose politics he revived a dead country

once dead, and rescued it from the scourge of ruin;

And saved it from the bane of defects,

وَمِن رياسته سارَت بشهرتها ال

وَمِن رياسته سارَت بشهرتها ال

ركبان سير جِياد الخَيل وَالسُحب

ركبان سير جِياد الخَيل وَالسُحب

and he whose leadership's renown was carried by the

By whose leadership its fame spread

riders, swift as noble steeds and clouds;

Like the course of racing steeds and clouds,

وَمِن مُروءته كَالشَمس قَد طلعت

وَمِن مُروءته كَالشَمس قَد طلعت

لَكنها ما تَوارَت قَط بِالحجب

لَكنها ما تَوارَت قَط بِالحجب

and he whose magnanimity has risen like the sun,

By whose gallantry like the sun it rose

yet it has never once hidden behind veils;

Though it never set behind obstacles,

وَمن إِذا لحظت عبداً عنايتُه

وَمن إِذا لحظت عبداً عنايتُه

أَغنتهُ عَن فضة بَيضا وَعَن ذَهَب

أَغنتهُ عَن فضة بَيضا وَعَن ذَهَب

and he whose care, whenever it regards a servant,

When his care glanced upon a slave

leaves him needing neither white silver nor gold;

It made him needless of silver and gold,

وَمَن مَدائحه في الكَون قَد مُلئت

وَمَن مَدائحه في الكَون قَد مُلئت

بِبعضها سائر الأَسفار وَالكتب

بِبعضها سائر الأَسفار وَالكتب

and he whose praises throughout creation have filled

Whose praises the realms became filled with

all volumes and books with but a portion of them;

Some of which suffused books and chronicles,

وَمَن لكل امرئ في ظل نعمته

وَمَن لكل امرئ في ظل نعمته

أَمنٌ مِن الخَوف وَالفاقات وَالنَوب

أَمنٌ مِن الخَوف وَالفاقات وَالنَوب

and he in the shade of whose favor every person finds

For everyone in the shade of his bounty

safety from fear, poverty, and calamities;

There is safety from fear, poverty, and evil,

وَمَن عَلَيهِ اِعتِمادي بَعدَ خالقه

وَمَن عَلَيهِ اِعتِمادي بَعدَ خالقه

إذ منه لي ذمة مَوصولة السَبَب

إذ منه لي ذمة مَوصولة السَبَب

and he on whom I rely, after his Creator,

After my Creator, my reliance is on him

for I have his protection, its bond unbroken;

For through him I have a connected covenant,

وَمَن جَوائزه لِلوافدين عَلى

وَمَن جَوائزه لِلوافدين عَلى

عَلياه جَلت عن الإحصا بِلا رَيب

عَلياه جَلت عن الإحصا بِلا رَيب

and he whose gifts to those who approach

His gifts to visitors at his lofty abode

his eminence are beyond reckoning, without doubt:

Are too many to be counted, without doubt,

لا أَرتجيك لإنجازِ الَّذي وَعدت

لا أَرتجيك لإنجازِ الَّذي وَعدت

بِهِ مَعاليك مِن بَذلٍ وَمِن رُتب

بِهِ مَعاليك مِن بَذلٍ وَمِن رُتب

I do not beseech you to fulfill what was promised

I do not beg you to fulfill what

by Your Excellency—gifts and ranks;

Your excellencies promised in rank and office,

فَأَنتَ غَيث وَإِن الغَيث عادته

فَأَنتَ غَيث وَإِن الغَيث عادته

يَأتي فَيَروي بَلا وَعد وَلا طَلَب

يَأتي فَيَروي بَلا وَعد وَلا طَلَب

for you are rain, and rain's habit is

For you are rain, and rain’s way is

to come and slake thirst, without promise or request.

To come and irrigate without promise or request,

وَلَم تَكُن مِنكَ عَين العَدل نائِمة

وَلَم تَكُن مِنكَ عَين العَدل نائِمة

عَني وَإِن أَدرَكتني حرفة الأَدب

عَني وَإِن أَدرَكتني حرفة الأَدب

Nor has your eye of justice been asleep

The eye of justice was not closed to me from you

toward me, though the ill fortune of letters has overtaken me;

Though the trade of literature befell me,

فَإِنَّها حرفة ما أَدرَكت أَحَداً

فَإِنَّها حرفة ما أَدرَكت أَحَداً

إِلّا رُمي بِالشَقا وَالضرّ وَالنصب

إِلّا رُمي بِالشَقا وَالضرّ وَالنصب

for that ill fortune has overtaken no one

A trade that befell none but cast them

without his being struck by misery, harm, and toil.

Into misery, harm, and ordeals,

فَاِسمَح بِما أَنتَ يا ذخر الأَنام لَهُ

فَاِسمَح بِما أَنتَ يا ذخر الأَنام لَهُ

أَهلٌ وَعَنيَ نَفّس بِالسَخا كربي

أَهلٌ وَعَنيَ نَفّس بِالسَخا كربي

So give generously what you, O treasure of mankind, are

So forgive, O treasure of mankind, what you

fit to bestow, and through generosity ease my anguish.

Are worthy of, and relieve my weary soul,

وَجد برفعة راج في الثَنا نُشِرت

وَجد برفعة راج في الثَنا نُشِرت

رَاياتُه لَكَ في نظم وَفي خُطب

رَاياتُه لَكَ في نظم وَفي خُطب

And bestow advancement on a hopeful man: in praise were unfurled

Jaad found bliss in praising your ascent—

his banners for you, in verse and in speeches;

His standards raised for you in verse and speech—

كَيما يقال فلان حازَ جائِزة

كَيما يقال فلان حازَ جائِزة

في عُمره أَذهبت ما كانَ مِن وَصب

في عُمره أَذهبت ما كانَ مِن وَصب

so that it may be said, 'So-and-so received a reward

That it be said: So-and-so won a prize

in his lifetime that banished all his suffering.'

In his life that did away with his troubles,

وَيَستقيم بِها حالي وَيَنظر لي

وَيَستقيم بِها حالي وَيَنظر لي

دَهري بِعَين الرضا مِن بَعد ذا الغَضَب

دَهري بِعَين الرضا مِن بَعد ذا الغَضَب

And through it may my lot improve, and may I be regarded

That my state be upright and my days

by my fate with an eye of favor, after this anger.

Look upon me kindly after that anger,

وَلا تكلني إِلى قَولي لعلّ وَلَو

وَلا تكلني إِلى قَولي لعلّ وَلَو

وَلَيتَ حَيث شَبابي ضاعَ في تَعَب

وَلَيتَ حَيث شَبابي ضاعَ في تَعَب

And do not leave me to saying 'perhaps' and 'if only'

Do not leave me to my “perhaps” and “if only”—

and 'would that,' for my youth was lost in toil.

Would that my youth had not been wasted in toil!

وَامنُن برفعة مِقدارٍ وَأَفدنةٍ

وَامنُن برفعة مِقدارٍ وَأَفدنةٍ

يؤول مَحصولُها بَعدي إِلى عقبي

يؤول مَحصولُها بَعدي إِلى عقبي

And grant me higher standing and feddans of land,

Bestow on Jaad a raised status and usefulness

whose yield will pass to my descendants after me.

Whose outcome will pass onto my descendants,

وَلي استجب دَعوة للَه قَد رُفِعت

وَلي استجب دَعوة للَه قَد رُفِعت

بِها يَدي لَيلةَ المِعراج في رجب

بِها يَدي لَيلةَ المِعراج في رجب

And answer for me a prayer to God, for which was raised

And answer my prayer to God raised up

my hand on the night of the Ascension, in Rajab.

The night of ascension in the month of Rajab,

فَقَد جَعلت عَلى علياك أَمدحتي

فَقَد جَعلت عَلى علياك أَمدحتي

وَقفاً لغيرك لَم يَصلح وَلم يَجب

وَقفاً لغيرك لَم يَصلح وَلم يَجب

For I have made my praises of your eminence

For I made my praise of your eminence

an endowment that neither befits nor is due to anyone else.

A endowment—no other deserves or is proper,

وَهاك مني عَلى صدق المَقال يَدي

وَهاك مني عَلى صدق المَقال يَدي

فيما عَهدت بِلا مينٍ وَلا كذب

فيما عَهدت بِلا مينٍ وَلا كذب

And take from me my hand, pledged to the truth of my words,

And here is my hand in truthful speech

in what I pledged, without falsehood or lies.

Without bending or lies in what I vowed,

وَحَسبي الآن أَني قَد قَصَدت حمى

وَحَسبي الآن أَني قَد قَصَدت حمى

مَن أَمَّهُ راجياً جَدواك لَم يَخب

مَن أَمَّهُ راجياً جَدواك لَم يَخب

And now it is enough for me that I have sought the sanctuary

It suffices me now that I approached the sanctuary

of one whom no seeker of your bounty approaches in vain.

Of one whose petitioner hoping for your munificence will not be disappointed,

لا زلت مع نَجلك المَحمود مبتهجاً

لا زلت مع نَجلك المَحمود مبتهجاً

بِطول عمر وإقبال مَدى الحقب

بِطول عمر وإقبال مَدى الحقب

May you ever rejoice with your praiseworthy son,

I still rejoice with your praiseworthy son

in long life and good fortune through the ages;

In long life and favorable days to come,

وَلا برحت بِهذا الشبل محتفلاً

وَلا برحت بِهذا الشبل محتفلاً

مؤيداً بِذَكاء مِنكَ مكتسب

مؤيداً بِذَكاء مِنكَ مكتسب

and may you always cherish this lion cub,

And persist in supporting this cub

strengthened by intelligence acquired from you,

With the intelligence gained from you,

حَتّى يَكون مشيراً عَن يَمينك في

حَتّى يَكون مشيراً عَن يَمينك في

كُل الأُمور وَيَأتي مِنهُ بِالعجب

كُل الأُمور وَيَأتي مِنهُ بِالعجب

until he becomes a counselor at your right hand in

Until he becomes your counselor on the right

all affairs, and wonders come from him;

In all affairs, impressing wonderfully,

وَيَقتدي بِكَ في سبق إلى شرف

وَيَقتدي بِكَ في سبق إلى شرف

بِحسن رَأيٍ لَهُ أَمضى مِن الشُهب

بِحسن رَأيٍ لَهُ أَمضى مِن الشُهب

and follows your example in hastening toward honor,

And follows your lead in preceding to the honor

with his sound judgment, more piercing than shooting stars—

Of sounder judgment than flaming meteors,

ما قُلت في مَطلَعي بِالمَدح مُبتَدئِاً

ما قُلت في مَطلَعي بِالمَدح مُبتَدئِاً

يا أَوحد الدَهر في حزم وَفي حَسَب

يا أَوحد الدَهر في حزم وَفي حَسَب

as long as I say in my opening, beginning with praise:

What I said in my praise at the start

'O peerless one of the age in prudence and ancestral honor!'

O unmatched in the age in wisdom and nobility,