سِفْرٌa book خَطَطْتَyou penned فُصُولَهُits chapters
سِفْرٌ خَطَطْتَ فُصُولَهُ
بِبَرَاعَةِwith the skill of اللَّبِقِthe deft one الْقَديرِthe capable one
بِبَرَاعَةِ اللَّبِقِ الْقَديرِ
A book whose chapters you penned
You planned a journey,
with the skill of one deft and able.
Crafting its seasons with skilled elegance.
وَجَلَوْتَand you unveiled آيَاتِsigns النَّجَاحِsuccess
وَجَلَوْتَ آيَاتِ النَّجَاحِ
كَأَنهَاas though they were آيَاتُverses نُورِlight
كَأَنهَا آيَاتُ نُورِ
And you unveiled the signs of success,
You illuminated verses of success
as though they were verses of light.
As if they were verses of light.
مَاذَاwhat جَمَعْتَyou gathered مِنof البَدَاthe wonders (first part)
مَاذَا جَمَعْتَ مِن البَدَا
ئِعِcompletion of 'wonders' وَالرَّوَائِعِand marvels فِيin سُطُورِlines
ئِعِ وَالرَّوَائِعِ فِي سُطُورِ
What wonders you have gathered,
What wonders and marvels did you gather
and marvels, into lines,
In lines describing our recent agricultural exhibit?
فِيin وَصْفِdescribing مَعْرِضِناour exhibition الزِّراagricultural (first part)
فِي وَصْفِ مَعْرِضِنا الزِّرا
عِيcompletion of 'agricultural' الصِّناعِيِّindustrial الأَخِيرِthe latest
عِي الصِّناعِيِّ الأَخِيرِ
in describing our exhibition, agricultural
You portrayed the economic renaissance of Egypt
and industrial—our latest!
With the depiction of an expert.
صَوَّرْتَyou portrayed نَهْضَةthe revival of الاِقْتِصاthe economy (first part)
صَوَّرْتَ نَهْضَة الاِقْتِصا
دِcompletion of 'economy' بِمِصْرَin Egypt تَصْوِيرَthe portrayal of الْخَبِيرِthe expert
دِ بِمِصْرَ تَصْوِيرَ الْخَبِيرِ
You portrayed the revival of the economy
You built up what lofty goals were achieved
in Egypt, as an expert would.
In such a brief period of time.
وَأَبَنْتَand you made clear مَاwhat بَلَغَتْit attained مِنَof الْthe
وَأَبَنْتَ مَا بَلَغَتْ مِنَ الْ
غَايَاتِgoals فِيin زَمَنٍa time قَصِيرِshort
غَايَاتِ فِي زَمَنٍ قَصِيرِ
And you showed what it had attained
You mentioned the institute's names,
of its goals in a short time.
Its founder, builder, and supporter.
وَذَكَرْتَand you mentioned أسْمَاءَnames الْمُؤَسِthe founder (first part)
وَذَكَرْتَ أسْمَاءَ الْمُؤَسِ
سِcompletion of 'founder' وَالمُشَيِّدand the builder وَالنَّصِيرِand the supporter
سِ وَالمُشَيِّد وَالنَّصِيرِ
And you recorded the names of the founder,
You were not excessive in praising the great,
the builder, and the supporter.
Nor did you diminish the effort of the small.
لَمْdid not تَغْلُyou go to excess فِيin مَدْحِpraising الْعَظِيمِthe great one
لَمْ تَغْلُ فِي مَدْحِ الْعَظِيمِ
وَلَمْand did not تُضِعْyou let go to waste جَهْدَthe effort of الصَّغِيرِthe lesser one
وَلَمْ تُضِعْ جَهْدَ الصَّغِيرِ
You did not overpraise the great,
You elevated the status of a group
nor overlook the humble person's effort.
That is the source of abundant merit.
وَرَفَعْتَand you raised شَأْنَthe standing of جَمَاعَةٍa group
وَرَفَعْتَ شَأْنَ جَمَاعَةٍ
هِيَit مَرْجِعُthe source of الْفَضْلِcredit الْكَبِيرِgreat
هِيَ مَرْجِعُ الْفَضْلِ الْكَبِيرِ
And you raised the standing of a group
With the sublime leadership of its president,
to which great credit is due,
Who cannot be compared to any leader.
بِسُمُوِّthrough the eminence of الأَمِيرِthe prince رَئِيسِهَاits president
بِسُمُوِّ الأَمِيرِ رَئِيسِهَا
عَنْbeyond أَنto يُقَاسَbe compared إِلىwith أَمِيرِa prince
عَنْ أَن يُقَاسَ إِلى أَمِيرِ
through the eminence of the prince, its president,
And its intrepid director, who
beyond comparison with any prince,
Epitomizes the quality of director.
وَمُديرِهَاand its director الشَّهْمِthe noble-hearted الَّذيwho
وَمُديرِهَا الشَّهْمِ الَّذي
كَمُلَتْreached perfection بِهin him صِفَةُthe quality of المُديرِthe director
كَمُلَتْ بِه صِفَةُ المُديرِ
and of its noble director, in whom
You were fair to each with praise
a director's qualities reached perfection.
And were not miserly towards the deserving.
أَنْصَفْتَyou treated fairly كُلاًّeach one بِالثَّنَاءِwith praise
أَنْصَفْتَ كُلاًّ بِالثَّنَاءِ
وَمَاand did not ضَنَنْتَyou begrudged عَلىtoward جَديرِone deserving
وَمَا ضَنَنْتَ عَلى جَديرِ
You did each one justice with praise,
Whoever called you steadfast, called you rightly,
and did not stint anyone deserving.
Naming you with the name of the discerning.
مَنْwhoever قَالَsaid ثَابِتَThabit ثَابِتٌsteadfast
مَنْ قَالَ ثَابِتَ ثَابِتٌ
سَمَّاكَnamed you تَسْمِيَةَthe naming of الْبَصِيرِthe discerning one
سَمَّاكَ تَسْمِيَةَ الْبَصِيرِ
Whoever called you Thabit—'steadfast'—
You are the ideal for every person
named you with a discerning eye.
Of resolve and weighty determination.
أَنْتَyou المِثَالُthe model لِكُلِّfor every ذِيone possessing
أَنْتَ المِثَالُ لِكُلِّ ذِي
حَزْمٍfirmness وَذِيand one possessing عَزْمٍdetermination خَطِيرِgreat
حَزْمٍ وَذِي عَزْمٍ خَطِيرِ
You are the model for all who possess
Merchants build for what passes,
firmness and mighty determination.
While you build for the ages.
يَبْنِيbuild التُّجَارُthe merchants لِمَاfor what يَدُولُpasses away
يَبْنِي التُّجَارُ لِمَا يَدُولُ
وَأَنْتَand you تَبْنِيyou build لِلدُّهُورِfor the ages
وَأَنْتَ تَبْنِي لِلدُّهُورِ
Merchants build for what passes away,
and you build for the ages.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.