لا غَرْوَ أَنْ صَغُرَتْ عَن قَدْرِكَ الرُّتَبُ

لا غَرْوَ أَنْ صَغُرَتْ عَن قَدْرِكَ الرُّتَبُ

وَقَبْلَها قَصرَتْ عَن شَأْوِكَ الشُّهُبُ

وَقَبْلَها قَصرَتْ عَن شَأْوِكَ الشُّهُبُ

No wonder ranks fell below your worth;

No wonder the ranks fell short of your worth,

And before them, the shooting stars fell short of your reach.

And before them the stars failed to match your stature,

مَافَاتَكَ الدَّهْرَ شَيْءٌ فَاتَ ذَا أَمَلٍ

مَافَاتَكَ الدَّهْرَ شَيْءٌ فَاتَ ذَا أَمَلٍ

أَدْرَكْتَ والقَومُ قَدْ أعْياهُمُ الطَّلَبُ

أَدْرَكْتَ والقَومُ قَدْ أعْياهُمُ الطَّلَبُ

Nothing that eluded an aspirant ever eluded you;

Nothing of time escaped you that one with hope could attain,

You attained it while the others were already exhausted by the pursuit.

You reached heights while people grew weary of pursuit,

كَمْ عَظَّمتْكَ مُلُوكُ الأرضِ واعتَرَفَتْ

كَمْ عَظَّمتْكَ مُلُوكُ الأرضِ واعتَرَفَتْ

بِأنَّها قَصَّرَتْ مِن بَعْضِ مَا يَجِبُ

بِأنَّها قَصَّرَتْ مِن بَعْضِ مَا يَجِبُ

How often the kings of the earth exalted you and acknowledged

How the kings of earth exalted you and confessed

That they had fallen short of part of what was due.

That they fell short of some of what was due,

وَكانَ ذاكَ لأَسبابٍ يَمُتُّ بها

وَكانَ ذاكَ لأَسبابٍ يَمُتُّ بها

لا خَيْرَ في رَفْعِ قَدْرٍ مَالَهُ سَبَبُ

لا خَيْرَ في رَفْعِ قَدْرٍ مَالَهُ سَبَبُ

And that was for reasons to which it is tied;

And that was for reasons that pass away,

There is no good in raising a rank without grounds.

No good in raising a status that has no cause,

أَلبَستَ مِصْراً جَمالاً كانَ قَدْ سُلِبَتْ

أَلبَستَ مِصْراً جَمالاً كانَ قَدْ سُلِبَتْ

قِدْماً وَمَا يَتَسَاوَى اللِّبْسُ والسَّلَبُ

قِدْماً وَمَا يَتَسَاوَى اللِّبْسُ والسَّلَبُ

You clothed Egypt in beauty of which she had been stripped

You adorned Egypt with a beauty that was stripped from it,

Long ago; being clothed and being stripped are not alike.

And wearing is not equal to stripping,

فَما تَراقَصَ هذا النِّيلُ عَن عَبَثٍ

فَما تَراقَصَ هذا النِّيلُ عَن عَبَثٍ

وإنَّما خَفَّ مَسْروراً بهِ الطَّرَبُ

وإنَّما خَفَّ مَسْروراً بهِ الطَّرَبُ

So this Nile did not dance out of idle whim;

So this Nile did not dance randomly,

Rather, rapture alone buoyed it with joy.

But flowed gently, thrilled with joy,

قَدْ ضَمَّ حِلْمُكَ بَرَّيْهَا فَلا عَجَبٌ

قَدْ ضَمَّ حِلْمُكَ بَرَّيْهَا فَلا عَجَبٌ

هَبْ أَنَّ ذا جِلِّقٌ أوْ أَنّ ذا حَلَبُ

هَبْ أَنَّ ذا جِلِّقٌ أوْ أَنّ ذا حَلَبُ

Your forbearance has embraced both its banks, so no wonder:

Your patience has forgone blame, so no surprise

Suppose this is Jilliq, or this is Aleppo.

Whether a babbler or milker of sheep,

أَحْيَيْتَ ذِكْرَ مُلُوكٍ كانَ فَخرُهُمُ

أَحْيَيْتَ ذِكْرَ مُلُوكٍ كانَ فَخرُهُمُ

أَنْ خَلّفُوكَ فَهُمْ بَاقُون مَا ذَهَبُوا

أَنْ خَلّفُوكَ فَهُمْ بَاقُون مَا ذَهَبُوا

You revived the memory of kings whose pride was

You revived the memory of kings whose pride

That they left you behind; so they endure and have not departed.

Was to succeed you, but they are gone and you remain,