تهلل وجه الشرع وافتر ثغره

تهلل وجه الشرع وافتر ثغره

وأشرق في برج السعادة بدره

وأشرق في برج السعادة بدره

The face of sacred law beamed, and its mouth broke into a smile;

Sacred law's face beamed, and its mouth broke into a smile.

And in the constellation of happiness, its full moon shone.

And its full moon shone in the constellation of good fortune.

وتم له الفتح المبين مع الصفا

وتم له الفتح المبين مع الصفا

وجاء بحمد الله للدين نصره

وجاء بحمد الله للدين نصره

Its manifest victory was fulfilled, attended by serenity,

And its clear victory was complete, with serenity.

And, praise be to God, triumph came to the faith.

And, praise be to God, victory came to the faith.

وأصبح روض العلم يزهو بهاؤه

وأصبح روض العلم يزهو بهاؤه

فماس بعطفيه وأينع زهره

فماس بعطفيه وأينع زهره

The meadow of learning now glowed in splendor,

And the garden of knowledge now shines in its splendor.

Swaying proudly on either side as its flowers ripened.

So it swayed proudly from side to side, and its blossoms ripened.

فقل لمريدي الخير آن أوانكم

فقل لمريدي الخير آن أوانكم

وقل لمريدي العلم ذلك عصره

وقل لمريدي العلم ذلك عصره

Tell the seekers of goodness: your time has come;

So tell the seekers of good: "Your time has come."

And tell the seekers of knowledge: this is its age.

And tell the seekers of knowledge: "That is its age."

أتى زمن الإصلاح إذ جاء ربه

أتى زمن الإصلاح إذ جاء ربه

إلى مسند الإفتاء فالأمر أمره

إلى مسند الإفتاء فالأمر أمره

The age of reform arrived when its master came

The age of reform came when its master arrived

To the seat of fatwa—for now the command is his.

at the seat of the muftiate—so the command is his.

محمد قسطاس الفضائل والنهى

محمد قسطاس الفضائل والنهى

وركن قوام الشرع بل هو صدره

وركن قوام الشرع بل هو صدره

Muhammad, the balance of virtues and sound judgment,

Muhammad, the balance of virtues and reason,

The pillar upholding sacred law—indeed, its foremost chief.

and the pillar upholding sacred law—nay, its foremost leader.

تربى بمهد الفضل فالفضل دأبه

تربى بمهد الفضل فالفضل دأبه

لذا حمده في كل ناد وشكره

لذا حمده في كل ناد وشكره

Reared in the cradle of merit, merit is his constant way;

He was reared in virtue's cradle, so virtue is his habit.

Thus in every gathering he is praised and thanked.

Hence he is praised and thanked in every gathering.

له الهمم العلياء في كل مركز

له الهمم العلياء في كل مركز

فباهت به كل البرية مصره

فباهت به كل البرية مصره

His aspirations are lofty in every station,

His are lofty aspirations in every station,

And Egypt boasts of him before all humankind.

so his Egypt boasted of him before all humankind.

فكم كان في طى الخفا من معارف

فكم كان في طى الخفا من معارف

فأظهرها كالشمس تسطع فكره

فأظهرها كالشمس تسطع فكره

How much knowledge had lain folded away in concealment,

And how much knowledge lay in the folds of concealment!

Until his thought revealed it, radiant as the sun.

Then his thoughts revealed it, shining like the sun.

أمولاي إن المسلمين تيمنوا

أمولاي إن المسلمين تيمنوا

وقالوا بك الإسلام يرفع قدره

وقالوا بك الإسلام يرفع قدره

O my lord, the Muslims have taken you as a blessed omen,

O my lord, the Muslims have seen a good omen,

And said: through you, Islam’s standing shall be raised.

and said: "Through you, Islam's standing is raised."

وأصبحت الإفتاء تزهو وتزدهى

وأصبحت الإفتاء تزهو وتزدهى

بشهم همام طار بالفكر ذكره

بشهم همام طار بالفكر ذكره

The office of fatwa has come to glow and exult

And the muftiate now shines and takes pride

Through a noble, resolute man whose intellectual fame has flown afar.

in a noble, high-spirited man whose intellect has made his fame soar.

وصارت بحمد الله في حرز مثلها

وصارت بحمد الله في حرز مثلها

لأنك حصن الشرع بل أنت فخره

لأنك حصن الشرع بل أنت فخره

And, praise be to God, it now rests in a protection befitting it,

And, praise be to God, it now rests in protection worthy of it,

For you are the fortress of sacred law—indeed, you are its pride.

for you are sacred law's fortress—nay, you are its pride.

لك الجد والإصلاح دأب وديدن

لك الجد والإصلاح دأب وديدن

وعدل تسامى في المحاكم نشره

وعدل تسامى في المحاكم نشره

Earnest labor and reform are your practice and constant habit,

Earnest striving and reform are your constant practice and habit,

And yours is a justice whose fame has risen through the courts.

and yours is justice, whose spread through the courts has risen high.

لك النجح خدن والسعادة رائد

لك النجح خدن والسعادة رائد

وحسن قبول لاح بالسعد فجره

وحسن قبول لاح بالسعد فجره

Success is your close companion, and happiness your guide;

Success is your companion, and good fortune your guide.

Gracious acceptance appeared, with felicity as its dawn.

And the dawn of gracious acceptance has shone with good fortune.

وفي كل قرن يبعث الله فاضلا

وفي كل قرن يبعث الله فاضلا

يجدد أمر الدين إن مال سيره

يجدد أمر الدين إن مال سيره

In every century God raises up a virtuous man

And in every century, God sends a virtuous man

To renew the faith’s affairs whenever its course begins to swerve.

who renews the affairs of the faith if its course strays.

وإنك ياذا الحبر فاضل وقتنا

وإنك ياذا الحبر فاضل وقتنا

فأصلح فإن الكل قد قل صبره

فأصلح فإن الكل قد قل صبره

And you, O learned scholar, are the virtuous man of our time;

And you, O learned scholar, are the virtuous man of our time.

So set things right, for everyone’s patience has worn thin.

So bring reform, for everyone's patience has waned.

وقوم بحزم ما تأود وانجنى

وقوم بحزم ما تأود وانجنى

وشيد بعزم ما تقوضّ سوره

وشيد بعزم ما تقوضّ سوره

Straighten with resolve whatever has bent and bowed,

And straighten firmly what has bent and bowed,

And firmly rebuild whatever walls have fallen.

and rebuild with resolve that whose rampart has collapsed.

فإنك مأمول لكل مهمة

فإنك مأمول لكل مهمة

وإنك غوث الشرع بل أنت ذخره

وإنك غوث الشرع بل أنت ذخره

For you are the one hoped for in every grave undertaking,

For you are looked to for every weighty task,

And you are the succor of sacred law—indeed, its treasure.

and you are sacred law's rescuer—nay, you are its treasured reserve.

بك الشرع يسمو في الأنام ويعتلى

بك الشرع يسمو في الأنام ويعتلى

بك الدين يقوى ثم يظهر سره

بك الدين يقوى ثم يظهر سره

Through you sacred law rises among humankind and ascends;

Through you, sacred law soars among humankind and rises high.

Through you the faith grows strong, and then its inner truth appears.

Through you, the faith grows strong; then its secret becomes manifest.

إليك التهاني والمديح أزفه

إليك التهاني والمديح أزفه

وحسن قبول من جنابك مهره

وحسن قبول من جنابك مهره

To you I offer congratulations and praise,

To you I bring congratulations and praise as a bride,

Whose bridal gift is gracious acceptance from your Eminence.

and gracious acceptance from your honored self is its bridal gift.

فلا زلت للدين الحنيف معضدا

فلا زلت للدين الحنيف معضدا

ولا زال منك العلم يزخر بحره

ولا زال منك العلم يزخر بحره

May you never cease supporting the upright faith,

So may you ever remain a supporter of the upright faith,

And may the sea of learning ever overflow from you.

and may knowledge's sea never cease to surge from you.

ولا زلت ترقى للعلا والكمال ما

ولا زلت ترقى للعلا والكمال ما

تهلّل وجه الشرع وافترّ ثغره

تهلّل وجه الشرع وافترّ ثغره

May you never cease ascending toward sublimity and perfection

And may you ever ascend toward eminence and perfection, as long as

So long as the face of sacred law beams and its mouth breaks into a smile.

sacred law's face beams and its mouth breaks into a smile.