العيد أقبل والهناء بشير

فرواء وجه الكون منه بشير

The feast has come, and happiness is its herald.

So the splendor of the world's face bears glad tidings from it.

يئنى على عز العزيز ومجده

ويقول اني بالحبور أحور

It extols the might and glory of al-Aziz,

And says, "I return with rejoicing."

ما دام في الدنيا بهاء جماله

لم يغش الباب الورى تكدير

As long as the radiance of his beauty remains in the world,

No gloom clouds the minds of humankind.

عيد به يأتي إلى أعتابه

للتهنئات مؤمر وأمير

A feast at which there come to his thresholds,

To offer congratulations, a commander and a prince,

من كل أروع إن تبوأ ناديا

يرتد عنه الطرف وهو حسير

Among every imposing man who, when he takes his place in an assembly,

Makes the gaze recoil from him, weary.

كالمسك نكهته إذا شهر الهوى

ولنشر نجواه يفوح عبير

His breath is like musk when he declares his love,

And perfume wafts as his intimate words are spread.

يصبيهم تصهال خليهم اذا

اصبى سواهم قينة وخمور

The neighing of their horses enthralls them when

A singing girl and wines enthrall others.

اسد اذا كروا على جيش فقل

هي كرة ما بعدها تكرير

Lions, when they charge against an army—say:

"This is a charge that needs no repetition."

ودعاوهم لله سابق حشدهم

وثناؤهم كلوائه منشور

Their prayer to God precedes their mustering,

And their praise is unfurled like his banner.

مهما تكاثر حمد حامد فضله

فعلى قياس علائه مكثور

However much a praiser multiplies praise of his bounty,

It is outstripped when measured against his eminence.

اسفا على معنى بديع ضاع في

غير المديح له فذلك زور

Alas for a wondrous thought wasted on

Anything but his praise—that is falsehood.

ربحت تجارة من لخدمته انتمى

وجنى الغناء ودون ذلك بور

The trade of one who enters his service prospers,

And he reaps wealth; anything short of that is ruin.

والاخسرون هم الذين تقاعسوا

عنها فعقبى امرهم تحسير

The greatest losers are those who hold back

From it; the outcome of their affairs is regret.

الله ناصره فما يقصد ينل

ومن استعان بربه منصور

God is his helper; whatever he seeks, he attains.

Whoever seeks his Lord's aid is victorious.

والسعد رائده فليس عليه من

صعب فحيث يسير فهو يسير

Good fortune is his guide, so nothing for him is

Difficult; wherever he travels, all is easy.

للملك منه مؤيد ومعزز

والدين منه معزر وظهير

Sovereignty finds in him a supporter and a champion,

And religion finds in him an upholder and a helper.

ذاك العزيز باصله وبفعله

الفان بينهما الثناء يدور

That is al-Aziz, in his lineage and his deeds—

Two intimates between whom praise revolves.

من بشره يوم النوال بشير

وعبوسه يوم النزال نذير

His cheerful face on the day of giving heralds good news,

And his scowl on the day of battle is a warning.

يا امة الاسلام قرى اعينا

هذا مجيرك ان عداك مجير

O nation of Islam, let your eyes be comforted:

This is your protector if another protector has passed you by.

هذا الذي احيى علومك بعدان

كادت الى رمم الرفات تصير

This is he who revived your sciences after they

Had nearly become the crumbling remnants of bones.

هذا الذي من عدله وامانه

مدت عليك سرادق وستور

This is he from whose justice and protection

A canopy and curtains have been spread over you.

هذا ابن ابراهيم قهار العدى

من لم يجر من باسه ديجور

This is Ibrahim's son, the subduer of foes,

From whose might no pitch-black night offers refuge.

هذا الذي يرضى المهيمن فعله

ومن الملائك والورى مشكور

This is he whose deeds please the Guardian,

And who is thanked by angels and humankind.

هذا الذي ضمن المثاني ذكره

مثنى عليه واجره مسطور

This is he whose mention is contained in the oft-repeated verses,

Praised therein, his reward inscribed.

اذ كان محيى نفس عبد مثل من

يحيى العباد وما لذاك نكير

For one who gives life to a servant's soul is like one who

Gives life to all the servants, and this is not disputed.

العمر ما انفقته في مدحه

فاذا اجتباك اجابك المقدور

Life is what you spend in his praise;

If he chooses you, destiny answers you.

ان يسع ساع وهو ندب لم يفز

ما لم بيسره له التقدير

If a man strives, capable though he is, he does not succeed

Unless destiny makes it easy for him.

والمدح ما يهدى إليه لا الى

من ظن ان غناك منه نقير

Praise is what is offered to him, not to

One who thinks a date-stone's speck from him can enrich you,

ويخال انك سائل ارضاؤه

رد السلام عليه وهو كثير

And imagines you a beggar whose satisfaction is

His returning your greeting—and even that is much.

والشعر ما جلته منه خلائق

غراء لا ما سودته شعور

Poetry is what his qualities polish—

Radiant qualities, not what locks of hair have blackened.

قل فيه شعرا كيف شئت ودع لها

تجبيره ان فاتك التجير

Speak poetry about him however you wish, and leave to them

Its mending, if that craft eludes you.

فهي التي منها شؤون خلائق

تزكو ويزكو معهم الشعور

For they are the source from which people's affairs

Flourish, and awareness flourishes with them.

والعدل ما يقضيه ابلج حكمه

لا ما اقتضاه الاصفر المصرور

Justice is what one whose judgment is clear decrees,

Not what yellow gold tied in a purse dictates.

لم يختلف قولان في اطرائه

سيان فيه شاكر وكفور

No two opinions have differed in extolling him;

The grateful and the ungrateful are alike concerning him.

كل يقر بانه في عصره

فرد عزيز ما حكاه نظير

Everyone acknowledges that in his age

He is unique and mighty, matched by no peer.

لا تنكروا من في المكارم قد اتى

متقدما ولعصره التاخير

Do not disown one who in noble deeds has come

Before all others, though his age comes late.

ان الاصيل من الزمان مؤخر

وهو المعلل من اعل هجير

The late afternoon comes late in the day,

Yet it comforts those whom midday heat has made ill.

قد جاء اسماعيل في عصر به

حلك فجلاه فها هو نور

Isma'il has come in an age in which

There was darkness; he dispelled it, and behold, it is light.

وسعت عطاياه المنى فعن الثنا

علثيه ضاق من القريض بحور

His gifts have encompassed all wishes; yet, for praise

Of him, the seas of verse have proved too narrow.

كم في الممالك من يلوذ بظله

ورجاهم برجائه معمور

How many in the kingdoms seek refuge in his shade,

Their hopes flourishing through hope in him.

قد امرعت ارض الاماني منهم

لما سقاها من نداه نمير

The land of their hopes has grown lush

When pure water from his bounty watered it.

كم في دجى رمضان من داع له

وله فطور رفده وسحور

How many pray for him in Ramadan's darkness,

And have from his bounty both a fast-breaking and a predawn meal.

كم في المساجد والزوايا نعمة

منه وكم بنيت عليها دور

How many blessings in mosques and devotional lodges

Come from him, and how many houses have been built upon them.

من منه في كل عين قرة

وبكل قلب من مناه سرور

Bounty from him brings comfort to every eye,

And joy fills every heart he has given hope.

ان قيل قد جبر الفقير عطاؤه

قل ليس الاجبره اكسير

If it is said that his giving has restored the poor man,

Say, "Nothing but an elixir has restored him."

فطرت على حب العزيز قلوبنا

وعلى المحامد طبعه مفطور

Our hearts were fashioned to love al-Aziz,

And his nature is fashioned for praiseworthy deeds.

انا لفي زمن يقول البر في

ترك الاذى لا ان يغاث مضير

We live in an age that says goodness lies in

Refraining from harm, not in rescuing a sufferer.

فلذاك كل يطلب الدنيا له

وله بخيبة من سواه حبور

Thus everyone seeks the world for himself,

And takes delight in the disappointment of others.

لو لم نشاهد من اعاد شبابه

انفا لقلنا انه انه مهتور

Had we not seen one who restored its youth

Just now, we would have said that it—that it—was senile.

يا ارض مصر نعمت حالا فاشهدي

ان كل فعل صالح مبرور

O land of Egypt, blessed in your condition, bear witness

That every righteous deed wins approval,

وبان من افراد هذا الخلق من

يسطيع ما لا يفعل الجمهور

And that among individual members of this creation are those

Who can do what the multitude does not.

الله اقدره عليه لانه

رضوانه لعباده التيسير

God has enabled him to do it, because

His pleasure lies in making things easy for His servants.

والعدل والاحسان في قرآنه

فرض على كل امرء مامور

Justice and beneficence in His Qur'an

Are obligations upon every person under command,

لا سيما من ساس قوما محصت

منهم له فيما يشاء صدور

Especially one who governs a people whose

Hearts are sincerely devoted to whatever he wills.

بالعدل تعمير البلاد وعزها

وبضده التتبير والتدمير

Justice brings the land prosperity and glory;

Its opposite brings annihilation and destruction.

ان لم يكن للمصر سور شامخ

فالعدل في ارجائه هو سور

If the city has no towering wall,

Justice within its bounds is a wall,

وكتائب ومقانب ومضارب

وحدائق وجواسق وقصور

And armies, cavalry squadrons, and encampments,

And gardens, pavilions, and palaces.

ان كنت تطلب شاهداً فانظر إلى

عمران مصر وحسبك التذكير

If you seek a witness, look upon

Egypt's prosperity; this reminder is enough for you.

انا نهنى ذا المليك بما حوى

ويدور عيد يمند ماثور

We congratulate this sovereign on what he possesses,

And a feast returns, its good fortune renowned.

ندعو له المولى بطول بقائه

فبقأوه للعالمين جبور

We pray to the Lord for his long life,

For his continued life brings comfort to all the worlds,

وبقاء من ولدته اشرف من لها

حمد على انجابها مذكور

And for the continued life of her who bore him, the noblest of those whose

Praise for bearing worthy offspring is remembered.

دامت مهنأة به فهي التي

للناس من تعميرها تعمير

May she ever be congratulated on him, for she is the one

Whose long life brings prosperity to the people,

بفروق من احسانها ما قله

مستكثر واقله مشهور

Through varied forms of her kindness, whose smallest portion

Is counted abundant, and whose least is renowned.

هذي العيال تظل داعية لها

حتى كأن دعاءهم تكبير

These dependents keep praying for her,

Until their prayer seems a proclamation of God's greatness.

ما بشر الاسلام قط بمثلها

فاتاه منها امة ونصير

Never has Islam been gladdened by anyone like her;

From her it received a nation and a champion.

وبقاء انجال له ما لاح في

افق السماء اهلة وبدور

And long life to his children, so long as there shine in

The horizon of the sky crescents and full moons.