حُصونfortresses السَعيدSa‘id (the fortunate) الشَهمthe gallant خَيرِthe finest إِمامِleader
حُصون السَعيد الشَهم خَيرِ إِمامِ
تَباهَتgloried بِإِحكامٍin sturdy construction بَديعwondrous نِظامِdesign
تَباهَت بِإِحكامٍ بَديع نِظامِ
The fortresses of gallant Sa‘id, the finest leader,
The fortresses of the valorous, magnanimous leader are the best sanctuaries,
Gloried in sturdy construction and wondrous design.
Adorned with the perfection of a wondrous system.
وَبالحفظand with protection وَالتَأييدand support قامَتstood لمصرهfor his Egypt
وَبالحفظ وَالتَأييد قامَت لمصره
مدافعُهاtheir cannons فيهاwithin them أَتمَّmost complete قِيامreadiness
مدافعُها فيها أَتمَّ قِيام
For the protection and support of his Egypt stood
They stood for Egypt with protection and support,
Their cannons within them, fully at the ready.
Their cannons within performed their duty completely.
وَقَدand indeed نشرتunfurled للنصرfor victory أَعلامbanners بَهجةjoy
وَقَد نشرت للنصر أَعلام بَهجة
عَلىat كُلevery بابgate للصواعقof thunderbolts راميa hurler
عَلى كُل باب للصواعق رامي
And they unfurled joyful banners for victory;
They raised the flags of victory in joy,
At every gate stood a hurler of thunderbolts.
Above each lightning-striking door.
وَدوراتهاand their rounds دارَتturned عَلىupon كلevery شانئٍfoe
وَدوراتها دارَت عَلى كل شانئٍ
ففرّso he fled وَلَمand did not يظفرsucceed بنيلin attaining مَرامan aim
ففرّ وَلَم يظفر بنيل مَرام
And their rounds of fire turned upon every foe,
Their battalions turned against every enemy,
So he fled, failing to attain his aim.
So they fled, failing to achieve their hopes.
وَمِنهاand from them خُطوطlines النارof fire شبّflared up ضرامهاtheir blaze
وَمِنها خُطوط النار شبّ ضرامها
وَأَودىand brought death بِطاغupon a tyrant مِنfrom بَعيدdistant مراميranges
وَأَودى بِطاغ مِن بَعيد مرامي
And from them came lines of fire, whose blaze flared up
From them, lines of fire ignited their flames,
And brought death upon a tyrant from distant ranges.
Destroying the ambitions of a distant tyrant.
وَأَغصانand branches أَدواحof mighty trees الحَماسةof valor لَمnot يَزَلceases
وَأَغصان أَدواح الحَماسة لَم يَزَل
يحرّكstirs مِنهاamong them الريحُthe wind كُلَّevery قوامupright stem
يحرّك مِنها الريحُ كُلَّ قوام
And the branches of valor's mighty trees: unceasingly,
The branches of their fervor's banners continued
The wind stirs every upright stem among them.
To be stirred by the winds at every pillar.
وَبرداتُهاand their curtain walls وَالبستيوناتُand the bastions أُحكِمتwere made secure
وَبرداتُها وَالبستيوناتُ أُحكِمت
فَهابso feared الوَغىbattle مِنهاbecause of them لَديدstubborn خصامcontention
فَهاب الوَغى مِنها لَديد خصام
And their curtain walls and bastions were made secure,
Their parapets and bastions were made firm,
So a stubborn adversary feared battle with them.
So strife was awed by their severe conflict.
وَفاضَتand overflowed مياهٌwaters مِنfrom خنادقهاtheir moats طغتsurged
وَفاضَت مياهٌ مِن خنادقها طغت
عَلىover شوّslope صَحْراof the desert تَحتَbeneath جنحِthe wing of ظَلامdarkness
عَلى شوّ صَحْرا تَحتَ جنحِ ظَلام
And waters overflowed from their moats, surging
Waters flowed from their moats, flooding
Across the desert slope, beneath the wing of darkness.
Over a desolate plain beneath the wings of darkness.
فَلمso did not يَنجُescape مِنهاfrom them طامعٌone hoping فيfor سَلامةsafety
فَلم يَنجُ مِنها طامعٌ في سَلامة
وَلاnor عادَreturned فيto أَوطانهhis native lands بِسَلامin peace
وَلا عادَ في أَوطانه بِسَلام
No one hoping for safety escaped them,
No ambitious invader escaped unharmed,
Nor returned in peace to his native lands.
Nor returned to his homelands in peace.
فَأَماas for مَيادينthe grounds القِلاعof the citadels فَإِنَّهاindeed they
فَأَما مَيادين القِلاع فَإِنَّها
بِهاwithin them كُلُّevery ليثٍlion فيin النِزالcombat همامvaliant
بِها كُلُّ ليثٍ في النِزال همام
As for the grounds of the citadels, indeed,
As for their arenas of fortresses, they
Every lion within them is valiant in combat.
Harbor every ferocious lion in battle.
فياso O سَعدgood fortune مَنwhoever والىallied with جيوشarmies مَليكهاtheir king
فيا سَعد مَن والى جيوش مَليكها
وَفازَand won بِوَعدa promise أَوor بِأَخذby securing ذمامa pledge of protection
وَفازَ بِوَعد أَو بِأَخذ ذمام
Oh, the good fortune of whoever allies with their king's armies,
Happy is he who commands their king's armies
And wins a promise or secures a pledge of protection!
And gains a promise or seizes the reins.
وَياand O وَيلwoe مَنwhoever عاداهopposed him عِندَduring نِضالهhis combat
وَيا وَيل مَن عاداه عِندَ نِضاله
سيصلىhe will burn سَعيراًa blazing fire مِنof هوانِabasement حِمامdeath
سيصلى سَعيراً مِن هوانِ حِمام
And woe to whoever opposes him in combat:
Woe to he who opposes them in their fight-
He will burn in a blaze of ignominious death.
He will suffer disgrace like a doveling dove.
أَلمdid he not يَدرknow أَنthat الأُسدَthe lions حرّاسُguards of قلعةٍa fortress
أَلم يَدر أَن الأُسدَ حرّاسُ قلعةٍ
مَدافعُهاits cannons فيin الحَربwar ذاتُpossessing ضرامblazing fire
مَدافعُها في الحَرب ذاتُ ضرام
Did he not know that lions guard a fortress
Does he not know the lion guards a castle?
Whose cannons are ablaze in war,
Its cannons are fierce in war.
وَأَنهمُand that they سادواgained mastery بِبَأسٍthrough valor وَقوّةand strength
وَأَنهمُ سادوا بِبَأسٍ وَقوّة
وَنَفسand a spirit بِهاby it تَأتمّtakes its example نَفسُthe spirit of عصام‘Isam
وَنَفس بِها تَأتمّ نَفسُ عصام
And that they gained mastery through valor and strength,
They prevailed with might and strength
And a spirit that ‘Isam's own spirit takes as its guide?
And a soul that matches the soul of resolute men.
وَكَيفَand how وَقَدwhen indeed ربّاهمُhe raised them ذوone possessing شَهامةgallantry
وَكَيفَ وَقَد ربّاهمُ ذو شَهامة
بِهاfor which تُضرَبare coined الأَمثالproverbs يَومon the day of زحامthe crush of battle
بِها تُضرَب الأَمثال يَوم زحام
And how could they not, when they were raised by a gallant man,
How could it be otherwise, when they were raised
Whose gallantry is proverbial in the crush of battle?
By one whose nobility is proverbial in times of strife?
رَعىmay protect اللَهGod هَذاthis الداوريَّthe sovereign فَإِنَّهُfor indeed he
رَعى اللَه هَذا الداوريَّ فَإِنَّهُ
لَناfor us مِنfrom ملمّاتgrave calamities الحَوادثof events حاميa protector
لَنا مِن ملمّات الحَوادث حامي
May God protect this sovereign, for he
May God protect this counselor, for he
Is our protector against the calamities that befall us.
Is our shield against the blows of events.
وَأَيّدهand may He aid him بِالفَتحwith conquest وَالنَصرand victory ماas long as بَداappears
وَأَيّده بِالفَتح وَالنَصر ما بَدا
هِلالٌa crescent وَماand as long as قَدindeed لاحَshines بَدرa full moon تَمامperfection
هِلالٌ وَما قَد لاحَ بَدر تَمام
And may He aid him with conquest and victory as long as there appears
May He grant him victory and triumph whenever
A crescent, and as long as the perfect full moon shines.
A new moon appears or the full moon is completed.
فَلاso may not زالَcease يُنشيbuild كُلevery حصنfort وَقَلعةand citadel
فَلا زالَ يُنشي كُل حصن وَقَلعة
لعزfor the honor of كِرامٍnoble people أَوor لذلfor the abasement of لئامbase people
لعز كِرامٍ أَو لذل لئام
May he never cease building every fort and citadel,
He continues to establish each fortress and citadel
For the honor of the noble or the abasement of the base,
For the glory of dignity or the disgrace of villains.
إِلىuntil أَنthat يَرىhe sees كُلَّall البِلادthe lands مُطيعةًobedient
إِلى أَن يَرى كُلَّ البِلاد مُطيعةً
لمصرto Egypt بَرأيٍthrough judgment بِالإِصابةby its soundness ساميexalted
لمصر بَرأيٍ بِالإِصابة سامي
Until he sees every land obedient
Until he sees all the lands obedient
To Egypt, through judgment exalted by its soundness.
To Egypt, with sound opinion and noble ideals.
وَلاand may not برحcease to be التَأييدsupport عَبداًa servant لدولةto a state
وَلا برح التَأييد عَبداً لدولة
بِهاwithin it الغَيثrain مِنfrom أُفقthe horizon of المَكارمnoble deeds هاميpouring
بِها الغَيث مِن أُفق المَكارم هامي
And may support ever remain a servant to a state
And support continues for a state
Where rain pours from the horizon of noble deeds.
Where the rain of glories is flooding from the horizon.
وَلاand may not اِنفكَّcease مَملوكُthe bondservant العِنايةof favor يَنتَقيselect
وَلا اِنفكَّ مَملوكُ العِناية يَنتَقي
لَهاfor it مِنfrom نَفيسprecious النَظمverse درَّpearls of كَلامspeech
لَها مِن نَفيس النَظم درَّ كَلام
And may the bondservant of favor ever keep choosing
Nor has the protected one of Providence ceased
For it, from precious verse, pearls of speech,
To pick for it the finest compositions and words.
وَيَركضُand gallop فيin مضمارthe racecourse of بَثِّspreading ثَنائهاits praise
وَيَركضُ في مضمار بَثِّ ثَنائها
بِسابقwith fleet فكرٍthought فيin المَدائحpanegyrics ناميflourishing
بِسابق فكرٍ في المَدائح نامي
And galloping in the racecourse of spreading its praise,
He runs in the racecourse of spreading its praise
With fleet thought, flourishing in songs of praise.
With an early rising thought in eulogies.
وَإِقبالُهand his good fortune الأَسنىthe brightest يَقولsays مؤرِّخاًgiving a chronogram
وَإِقبالُه الأَسنى يَقول مؤرِّخاً
حُصونيmy fortresses تَحلَّىis adorned عقدهاtheir necklace بِتَمامwith completeness
حُصوني تَحلَّى عقدها بِتَمام
And his brightest good fortune speaks in a chronogram:
His good fortune says, recording it in history:
“The necklace of my fortresses is adorned to perfection.”
"My fortresses have adorned their necklaces with perfection."
Sol 6.1