يا أَوحد الدَهر في ملكٍ وفي حسبِ

يا أَوحد الدَهر في ملكٍ وفي حسبِ

وَمفرد العَصر بَين العَجم وَالعَرَبِ

وَمفرد العَصر بَين العَجم وَالعَرَبِ

O peerless one of the age in kingship and nobility,

O unique of the age in sovereignty and lineage

And matchless one of the era among non-Arabs and Arabs,

And singular of the time between non-Arabs and Arabs

وَمَن بِهِ مصرُهُ الغرّاء طالعُها

وَمَن بِهِ مصرُهُ الغرّاء طالعُها

أَضحى سَعيداً وَفازَت مِنهُ بِالأَرَب

أَضحى سَعيداً وَفازَت مِنهُ بِالأَرَب

And you, through whom the ascendant of your radiant Egypt

And he whose star ascends, Egypt flourishes through him

Has grown auspicious, and she has gained from you her desire.

Has become fortunate and gained from it great profit

لا أَرتجيك لإنجاز الَّذي وَعدت

لا أَرتجيك لإنجاز الَّذي وَعدت

بِهِ مَعاليك مِن بَذلٍ وَمِن رُتب

بِهِ مَعاليك مِن بَذلٍ وَمِن رُتب

I do not look to you for fulfillment of what was promised

I do not hope from you to fulfill what

By Your Excellency in largesse and ranks.

Your excellencies have promised of generosity and ranks

فَأَنتَ غَيثٌ وَإِن الغَيثَ عادته

فَأَنتَ غَيثٌ وَإِن الغَيثَ عادته

يَأتي فَيَروي بَلا وَعد وَلا طَلَب

يَأتي فَيَروي بَلا وَعد وَلا طَلَب

For you are rain, and rain's custom is

For you are a rain, and it is the rain's habit

To come and quench thirst without promise or request.

To come and irrigate without promise or request

وَإِن طائِفة المعمار بي ظَفَرَت

وَإِن طائِفة المعمار بي ظَفَرَت

مِن بَعد يَأس وَأَودَت بي إِلى الوَصَب

مِن بَعد يَأس وَأَودَت بي إِلى الوَصَب

And indeed the company of builders got the better of me,

And though the band of architects has gained

After despairing, and brought me to suffering.

Victory over me after despair and wanted me for rubble

وَكُنتُ مِن كَيدِها في راحةٍ وَغِنى

وَكُنتُ مِن كَيدِها في راحةٍ وَغِنى

عَن مَنزل هدّ في مَبناه مكتسبي

عَن مَنزل هدّ في مَبناه مكتسبي

And I had been at ease, free of their schemes, with no need

And I was safe and content from their plots

Of a house whose construction depleted my earnings.

Without a gifted residence built with my earnings

وَكانَ مَع ضَيقه بدء البِناء بِهِ

وَكانَ مَع ضَيقه بدء البِناء بِهِ

في شَهر مَولدك السامي عَلى رَجَب

في شَهر مَولدك السامي عَلى رَجَب

And, despite its cramped size, its construction began

And though its construction's beginning with it

In the month of your birth, loftier than Rajab.

Was in the month of your noble birthday, Rajab

وَلَيتَها مُذ رَأتني قلّ ما بيدي

وَلَيتَها مُذ رَأتني قلّ ما بيدي

خلت سَبيليَ في ذا المَنزل الخَرب

خلت سَبيليَ في ذا المَنزل الخَرب

And if only, when they saw how little I had in hand,

If only since it saw me, destitute,

They had left me be in this ruined house.

It had left me alone in this ruined residence

بَل أَقسَمت أَنَّها فَوراً تتمِّمُه

بَل أَقسَمت أَنَّها فَوراً تتمِّمُه

وَلو بلا أُجرة هَذا مِن العَجَب

وَلو بلا أُجرة هَذا مِن العَجَب

Instead, they swore they would finish it at once,

But it swore that immediately it would complete it

Even without wages—this is astonishing!

Even without pay, this is wondrous

فَلم أَزَل أَقترض حَتّى رُميت بِما

فَلم أَزَل أَقترض حَتّى رُميت بِما

قَد كاد لولاك يُفضي بي إِلى العَطب

قَد كاد لولاك يُفضي بي إِلى العَطب

So I kept borrowing until I was struck by what

So I did not cease borrowing until I was thrown into what

Had nearly brought me to ruin, but for you.

Had nearly, were it not for you, led me to ruin

وَلم تَكُن مِنكَ عَينُ العَدل نائِمةً

وَلم تَكُن مِنكَ عَينُ العَدل نائِمةً

عَني وإَِن أَدرَكتني حرفةُ الأَدب

عَني وإَِن أَدرَكتني حرفةُ الأَدب

And your eye of justice was not asleep

And your eye of justice was not sleeping from me

To my plight, though the ill fortune of letters overtook me.

Even though the profession of literature reached me

وَحاصرتني دُيونٌ لَيسَ يَدفعها

وَحاصرتني دُيونٌ لَيسَ يَدفعها

عَني سِوى الفضة البَيضاء وَالذَهَب

عَني سِوى الفضة البَيضاء وَالذَهَب

And debts besieged me, which nothing can repel

And debts besieged me that nothing could deflect

From me save white silver and gold.

Save white silver and gold

وَأَينَ لي بِهما إِلّا إِذا صَدَرَت

وَأَينَ لي بِهما إِلّا إِذا صَدَرَت

إرادة نُورُها يَجلو دُجى الكرَب

إرادة نُورُها يَجلو دُجى الكرَب

And where am I to find them both, unless there comes

And where could I get them except if

A decree whose light dispels the darkness of distress?

The light of your will which dispels the gloom of worries poured forth

لا زِلت تجبر كَسر العالمين عَلى

لا زِلت تجبر كَسر العالمين عَلى

طُول الزَمان بِما تُوليه مِن نشب

طُول الزَمان بِما تُوليه مِن نشب

May you ever mend the brokenness of humankind throughout

You have not ceased to mend the brokenness of the two worlds across

All time, with the wealth you bestow,

The ages with what you grant of prosperity

ما اِزداد تَشريف مَدح فيكَ قَد ملِئَت

ما اِزداد تَشريف مَدح فيكَ قَد ملِئَت

بِهِ سِجلات ما يُتلى مِن الكُتُب

بِهِ سِجلات ما يُتلى مِن الكُتُب

As long as praise of you grows in honor—praise that has already filled

The panegyrics' ennoblement of you did not increase, for you have

The registers of the books that are recited.

Filled the scrolls of what is recited from books