بكَ يا رياض الآس زادَ غَرامي

بكَ يا رياض الآس زادَ غَرامي

وَنَما بِمنظرك النَضير هيامي

وَنَما بِمنظرك النَضير هيامي

Through you, O gardens of myrtle, my passion grew,

With you, O garden of al-As, my passion grew,

And at your verdant sight my rapture flourished.

And with your peerless sight, my infatuation thrived,

وَشغفت فيكَ بِكُل غُصن مائس

وَشغفت فيكَ بِكُل غُصن مائس

يُزري لرقته بلينِ قوام

يُزري لرقته بلينِ قوام

And in you I fell in love with every swaying branch

And I was enamored with every soft branch

Whose tenderness puts a supple figure to shame.

That feigns delicacy with the softness of its figure.

وَعَلى بِساط الورد بين جَداول

وَعَلى بِساط الورد بين جَداول

تَحلو مَواردها جعلت مَقامي

تَحلو مَواردها جعلت مَقامي

And on a carpet of roses, among streams

Upon carpets of roses amid streams

Whose waters are sweet, I made my abode.

Your sweet springs made my abode,

وَهُناك نَبهت القريحة لِلثَنا

وَهُناك نَبهت القريحة لِلثَنا

مني بِمصر عَلى العَزيز إمامي

مني بِمصر عَلى العَزيز إمامي

And there I roused my poetic gift to offer praise

And there creativity was awakened to compose poetry

From me, in Egypt, to the mighty one, my sovereign:

In praise of Egypt’s mighty Imam.

اللَيث إِسماعيل مَولاها الَّذي

اللَيث إِسماعيل مَولاها الَّذي

غَمر الوَرى مِنهُ بِغَيثٍ هامي

غَمر الوَرى مِنهُ بِغَيثٍ هامي

The lion Ismail, its lord, who

The lion, Ismail, its patron, who

Flooded humankind with his pouring rain.

Flooded the land with bountiful rain,

وَعَلى الأَقارب وَالأَجانب لَم يَزَل

وَعَلى الأَقارب وَالأَجانب لَم يَزَل

برّاً رحيماً حافظاً لذمام

برّاً رحيماً حافظاً لذمام

And toward kinsmen and strangers he has ever been

Was always righteous, merciful and protective of reputations

Benevolent, merciful, and mindful of obligations,

Toward kinsman and stranger alike.

متكفلاً في عَصره طُول المَدى

متكفلاً في عَصره طُول المَدى

بِأَداء حَق واجبٍ لِكرام

بِأَداء حَق واجبٍ لِكرام

Undertaking, throughout his reign, for all time,

Undertaking throughout his era

To render what is rightfully due to the noble.

To fulfill every due right and duty nobly,

لم لا وَللنسب الرَفيع قَد اِجتَبى

لم لا وَللنسب الرَفيع قَد اِجتَبى

طُسُناً وَتوّجه بِتاج عصام

طُسُناً وَتوّجه بِتاج عصام

Why not? For he chose for exalted kinship

Why not, and for the exalted lineage he was chosen

Tusun, and crowned him with Isam’s crown.

And crowned with the crown of leadership.

وَأَجابه عِندَ السؤال وَخصه

وَأَجابه عِندَ السؤال وَخصه

مِنهُ بِحُسن تَحية وَسَلام

مِنهُ بِحُسن تَحية وَسَلام

And answered him when he asked, and favored him

He answered when asked and honored him

With a gracious greeting and peace from him.

With kind greeting and peace.

وَإلَيهِ زف كَريمة الأَصل الَّتي

وَإلَيهِ زف كَريمة الأَصل الَّتي

أَثنى عَلَيها المَجد قَبل فطام

أَثنى عَلَيها المَجد قَبل فطام

And to him he brought a noble-born bride, whom

And to him was led the noble-born lady

Glory had praised before she was weaned.

Whom glory eulogized before she was weaned.

وَتَوالَت الأَفراح في وَطن سَما

وَتَوالَت الأَفراح في وَطن سَما

بِتقدُّمٍ في كُل أَمر نامي

بِتقدُّمٍ في كُل أَمر نامي

And joys followed one another in a homeland that rose

Then followed successive joys in the land of high heavens

Through progress in every flourishing endeavor.

With progress in every growing affair,

وَتبسمت فيهِ ثُغور مَسَرةٍ

وَتبسمت فيهِ ثُغور مَسَرةٍ

عَن لُؤلؤ رَطبٍ بَديع نِظام

عَن لُؤلؤ رَطبٍ بَديع نِظام

And there the mouths of gladness smiled,

And in it smiled the cheeks of joy

Revealing moist pearls, wondrously arranged.

With charming, subtle pearl-like order.

فَلَكَ الهَنا يا اِبن السَعيد برتبة ال

فَلَكَ الهَنا يا اِبن السَعيد برتبة ال

شَهم المُشير وَنَيل كُل مرام

شَهم المُشير وَنَيل كُل مرام

So congratulations, son of Sa‘id, on the rank of the

So congratulations to you, son of Sa’eed, of rank

Gallant marshal, and on attaining every aim,

Of the valiant counselor, and attainment of every hope,

وَتَأهُّلٍ فيهِ تُسَرُّ بفتية

وَتَأهُّلٍ فيهِ تُسَرُّ بفتية

نجباء مِن ذات المَقام السامي

نجباء مِن ذات المَقام السامي

And on a marriage that gladdens you with youths

And suitability whereby you rejoice over noble

Of noble stock, from a lady of exalted station,

Youth of the sublime station.

وَدَوام تَأييد لَهُ أُسدُ الشَرى

وَدَوام تَأييد لَهُ أُسدُ الشَرى

تَنقاد طائعة بِغَير زمام

تَنقاد طائعة بِغَير زمام

And lasting support, to which the lions of Shara

And lasting support for you from the lion of dignitaries

Submit obediently, without a rein,

Bowing obediently without bridle,

وَمَكانة عليا بِدَولة سؤددٍ

وَمَكانة عليا بِدَولة سؤددٍ

فيها الخديو لمصر أَعظَم حامي

فيها الخديو لمصر أَعظَم حامي

And a lofty station in a realm of glory,

And supreme status in the state of Saud

Where the Khedive is Egypt’s greatest protector,

Where the Khedive is Egypt’s greatest protector,

وَتَمتُّعٍ في ظلِّها بِمَناصب

وَتَمتُّعٍ في ظلِّها بِمَناصب

وَمَراتب تَزهو برفع مَقام

وَمَراتب تَزهو برفع مَقام

And enjoyment, in its shade, of offices

And enjoyment under its shade of positions

And ranks resplendent with exalted station,

And ranks flowering with raising of status,

وَتنعُّمٍ برياسةٍ أَبدية

وَتنعُّمٍ برياسةٍ أَبدية

وَرَفاهة في يَقظة وَمَنام

وَرَفاهة في يَقظة وَمَنام

And delight in everlasting leadership

And luxury of eternal presidency

And comfort in waking and sleep,

And prosperity while awake and asleep,

ما لاحَ في أُفق المَعالي كَوكَبٌ

ما لاحَ في أُفق المَعالي كَوكَبٌ

أَو فاحَ في التَأهيل مسك خِتام

أَو فاحَ في التَأهيل مسك خِتام

As long as a star shines on the horizon of eminence,

What shone on the horizon of glories like a star

Or the musk of the final seal wafts at a wedding,

Or diffused as sealed musk in refinement,

أَو قالَ مَجدي في التَهاني أَرخوا

أَو قالَ مَجدي في التَهاني أَرخوا

طوسون لِأَوج الشَمس بَدر تَمام

طوسون لِأَوج الشَمس بَدر تَمام

Or Magdi says in congratulations, “Record the date:

Said my glory in congratulations: bestow

Tusun is a full moon at the sun’s zenith.”

A feather-adorned hat of the full moon to the summit of the sun.