آن للشاعر إطلاق العنانْ
ليوفِّي حق هذا المهرجانْ
The time has come to give the poet free rein,
The time has come for the poet to loosen the reins,
that he may render this celebration its due.
to pay this festival its due.
وأغالي في امتداحي ملكاً
ليَ في دولته خير مكان
Let me go to excess in praising a king
And I go to extremes in praising a king
in whose realm I hold the finest station.
in whose realm I have the finest place.
ألهمتني كل معنى باهر
فيه أخلاقٌ وأوصافٌ حسان
His realm inspired in me every splendid thought:
They have inspired me with every dazzling thought—
in him are virtues and qualities most fair.
the virtues and beautiful qualities within him.
أنكر القوم اعتقادي أنه
قادر في قبضتيه المشرقان
The people disavowed my belief that he
The people denied my belief that he
could hold both Easts within his grasp.
is mighty, holding the two Easts in his fists.
أنا لا أضمر سوءاً وكفى
أن شعري لفؤادي ترجمان
I harbor no ill intent; it is enough
I harbor no ill will, and it is enough
that my poetry interprets my heart.
that my poetry interprets my heart.
هل أراه عاجزاً عن نيل ما
لم ينله أبواه السابقان
Could I deem him unable to attain what
Do I deem him incapable of attaining what
his two forebears before him never attained?
his two forefathers before him did not attain?
وهو عون الدين والمولى الذي
نصر السلطان في هذا الزمان
He is the faith’s defender, the lord who
And he is the faith's support, and the lord who
has championed the Sultan in this age.
aided the Sultan in this age.
وأطاعته البرايا وبدا
حكمه العادل فيهم واستبان
All creation obeyed him, and
And humankind obeyed him, and there appeared
his just rule appeared among them and stood manifest.
his just rule among them, plainly revealed.
قام بالأمر فما كان سوى
ما ابتغته في الأعادي الدولتان
He assumed command, and it was nothing other than
He took charge of the affair, and all that came to pass was
what the two states had sought against their enemies.
what the two states had sought against their enemies.
وأجار الملك من غاصبه
وكفى الأوطان شر الحدثان
He delivered the kingdom from its usurper
And he protected the realm from its usurper
and spared the homelands the evil of calamity.
and spared the homelands the ravages of time.
ثاقب الرأي حكيم حاذق
يظهر الشدة حيناً والليان
Keen in judgment, wise and skillful,
Keen in judgment, wise and adept,
he shows severity at times, and gentleness.
he shows sternness at times, and gentleness.
وله في كل يوم همة
وندى تثنى عليه الأُمَّتان
Each day he has a noble purpose
And each day he shows resolve
and a generosity praised by the two nations.
and generosity, for which the two nations praise him.
يا شباب الملك يا بهجته
دمت للملك رجاء وأمان
O youth of the kingdom, O its delight,
O youth of the realm, O its joy,
may you remain the kingdom’s hope and safeguard.
may you remain the realm's hope and security.
إن عرشاً تتجلى فوقه
لَمقامٌ يشتهيه النيِّران
Indeed, a throne upon which you shine
Indeed, a throne upon which you shine
is a station coveted by the sun and moon;
is a station coveted by the sun and moon.
وحساماً تنتضيه غازياً
لَنذيرٌ يتقيه الثقلان
and a sword you draw as a warrior
And a sharp sword you unsheathe on campaign
is a warning dreaded by humankind and jinn;
is a warning that humankind and jinn fear.
ومناراً تبتنيه عالياً
لِهُدى الناسِ لَباقٍ غير فان
and a beacon you build aloft
And a beacon you build on high
to guide the people shall endure, never fading.
to guide the people will surely endure, never passing away.
إن مصراً لعروسٌ زفَّها
وحلاها عيدك الأسنى وزان
Egypt is indeed a bride, escorted forth
Indeed, Egypt is a bride, led in wedding procession
and adorned and beautified by your radiant feast.
and adorned and graced by your most radiant festival.
فهي في حليتها باهرة
تملأ الأنفس أنساً وافتتان
Resplendent in her ornaments,
So she is dazzling in her finery,
she fills every soul with joy and enchantment.
filling souls with delight and enchantment.
لك ماضيها وآتيها كما
لك غالي تاجها والصولجان
Yours are her past and her future, just as
Her past and her future are yours, just as
yours are her precious crown and scepter.
her precious crown and scepter are yours.
ولك النيلان ينسابان بال
خير في قطرين صارا كالجنان
For you the two Niles flow with—
And yours are the two Niles, flowing with
goodness through two lands now made like gardens;
bounty in two lands that have become like gardens.
وحصون وجيوش عودت
مصر أن تنصر في الحرب العوان
and fortresses and armies have accustomed
And yours are fortresses and armies that have accustomed
Egypt to triumph in the fiercest war;
Egypt to victory in recurring warfare,
ولواء تنشر الأمن به
وارف الظل شديد الخفقان
and a banner with which you spread peace,
and a banner through which you spread security,
broad in shade and beating mightily.
ample in shade and vigorous in its fluttering.
يا ابن توفيق أجب دعوة من
لم يروا غيرك مولى مستعان
O son of Tawfiq, answer the plea of those
O son of Tawfiq, answer the call of those
who see no lord but you to whom they may turn for aid.
who have seen no lord but you to turn to for aid.
ولما تنويه في الأرض انتهز
هذه الفرصة إن الوقت حان
For what you intend upon the earth, seize
And for what you intend on earth, seize
this opportunity: the time has come.
this opportunity; indeed, the time has come.
وانصر الشرق على أعدائه
فلقد دان بنوه منذ دان
Give the East victory over its enemies,
And aid the East against its enemies,
for its sons have long been brought low, ever since they bowed.
for its sons have submitted ever since it submitted.
فهو لا يرضى مليكاً آمراً
غير من يحمى حماه أن يهان
It will accept no sovereign commanding it
For it accepts no king to command it
save one who guards its sanctuary from humiliation.
except one who guards its domain from humiliation.
واملأ الواديَ بشراً ورضاً
لوفود الشكر من قاص ودان
Fill the Valley with gladness and contentment
And fill the valley with joy and contentment
for delegations of thanks from far and near.
for delegations bearing thanks from far and near.
وارع شعباً طائعاً مستسلماً
حبه فيك تجلى للعيان
Tend a people obedient and yielding,
And tend a people obedient and submissive,
whose love for you stands plain to see.
whose love for you has become plain to see.
ومن الصدق مغالاتيَ في
مدحك المعجز أبطال البيان
Part of my sincerity is my excess in
And sincere is my extravagance in
praising you—a praise that confounds the masters of eloquence.
praising you, which baffles the champions of eloquence.
ومحال أن تراني غافلاً
عنك يوماً أو يقول القوم خان
It is impossible that you should find me heedless
And it is impossible that you should find me heedless
of you one day, or that the people should say, “He betrayed.”
of you for a day, or that the people should say, 'He was disloyal.'
فتحكم في زمان خاضع
لك بالعيدين نادى بشريان
So rule in an age submissive
So rule in an age that bows
to you—an age that proclaimed two glad tidings at the two feasts.
to you; at the two festivals, two glad tidings have rung out.
Sol 6.1