سَنحَتْ فرْصَةٌ لِقالَةَ حَقٍ

سَنحَتْ فرْصَةٌ لِقالَةَ حَقٍ

قَالَةُ الْحَقِّ هَلْ بِهَا مِنْ نكِيرِ

قَالَةُ الْحَقِّ هَلْ بِهَا مِنْ نكِيرِ

An opportunity has arisen to utter a word of truth;

An opportunity arose to speak the truth

A word of truth—is there any objection to it?

Is there any denial in telling the truth?

أَفَتَأْبَى على المُحِبِّينَ وَالشا

أَفَتَأْبَى على المُحِبِّينَ وَالشا

عِرُ فِيهِمْ إِبْدَاءَ مَا فِي الضَّميرِ

عِرُ فِيهِمْ إِبْدَاءَ مَا فِي الضَّميرِ

Will you then forbid your admirers—and the poet

Will you refuse the lovers and the poet

among them—to express what lies in their hearts?

To express what is in their conscience?

يَا أَمِيناً عَلى خَزَائِنِ مِصْرٍ

يَا أَمِيناً عَلى خَزَائِنِ مِصْرٍ

وَوَزِيراً أَجْلِلْ بِهِ مِنْ وَزِيرِ

وَوَزِيراً أَجْلِلْ بِهِ مِنْ وَزِيرِ

O trusted keeper of Egypt's treasuries,

O trustee of Egypt’s treasures

and minister—how illustrious a minister you are!

And minister, most venerable of ministers

مِصْرُ تَرْجُوِ مْنَك الْكَثِيرَ وَمَهْمَا

مِصْرُ تَرْجُوِ مْنَك الْكَثِيرَ وَمَهْمَا

تَرْجُهُ مِنْك فهْوَ غيْرُ كَثِير

تَرْجُهُ مِنْك فهْوَ غيْرُ كَثِير

Egypt hopes for much from you, and whatever

Egypt hopes a lot from you

she hopes for from you is not too much.

No matter how much it hopes, it is not much

كلُّ مَاضِيك شَاهِدٌ لك عَدْلٌ

كلُّ مَاضِيك شَاهِدٌ لك عَدْلٌ

بِالَّذِي كُنْتَ فِي جِسَامِ الأُمْورِ

بِالَّذِي كُنْتَ فِي جِسَامِ الأُمْورِ

All your past is an impartial witness in your favor

All your past testifies to your justice

to what you were in momentous affairs:

In important affairs you have been

حَاكِمٌ حَازِمٌ وَلِيٌّ مُطَاعٌ

حَاكِمٌ حَازِمٌ وَلِيٌّ مُطَاعٌ

ثَاقِبُ الْفِكْرِ صَادِقُ التَّقدِيرِ

ثَاقِبُ الْفِكْرِ صَادِقُ التَّقدِيرِ

a resolute ruler, a governor obeyed,

A decisive ruler, an obeyed guardian

penetrating in thought, sound in judgment.

Keen of thought, honest in assessment

يَتَحَاجَى الْحُسَّادُ فِيكَ وَمَا كَا

يَتَحَاجَى الْحُسَّادُ فِيكَ وَمَا كَا

نَ حَسُودٌ لِنِعْمَةٍ بِذَكُورِ

نَ حَسُودٌ لِنِعْمَةٍ بِذَكُورِ

The envious trade riddles about you; yet no

The envious compete regarding you

envier ever remembers a blessing.

No one envies a favor to the virtuous

مَنْ يُسَائِلْ يُفْحِمْهُ بِالرَّدِّ أَبْقى

مَنْ يُسَائِلْ يُفْحِمْهُ بِالرَّدِّ أَبْقى

أَثَرٍ مِنْكَ فِي النَّهى مأْثُورِ

أَثَرٍ مِنْكَ فِي النَّهى مأْثُورِ

Whoever questions is silenced in reply by the most enduring

Whoever asks, you silence with an answer

legacy of yours, preserved in discerning minds.

Your traces in guidance are most told

أَنَا أَدْرِي إِنْ كَانَ غيْرِيَ لَم يَدْ

أَنَا أَدْرِي إِنْ كَانَ غيْرِيَ لَم يَدْ

رِ وَهَلْ مِنْ مُنَبِّيءٍ كَخَبِيرِ

رِ وَهَلْ مِنْ مُنَبِّيءٍ كَخَبِيرِ

I know, even if another does not

I know even if others don’t know

know—and can any informant equal an expert?

Is there an informer like the expert?

أَنَا أَدْرِي مَنِ الْفَتَى حِينَ يَدْعُو

أَنَا أَدْرِي مَنِ الْفَتَى حِينَ يَدْعُو

صَارِخُ الْحَقِّ فِي المَقَامِ الْخَطِيرِ

صَارِخُ الْحَقِّ فِي المَقَامِ الْخَطِيرِ

I know who the man is when the call comes

I know who is the young man when he calls

from truth's crier at the crucial moment.

The truth’s advocate in the critical stance

أَنا أَدْرِي مَا مُصْطَفَى مَا مَزَايا

أَنا أَدْرِي مَا مُصْطَفَى مَا مَزَايا

ذلِك العَالِمِ الْحَصِيفِ الْقَدِيرِ

ذلِك العَالِمِ الْحَصِيفِ الْقَدِيرِ

I know Mustafa's worth, and the virtues

I know what Mustafa’s traits are

of that discerning, capable scholar:

That wise, careful, able scholar

مَا بِهِ مِنْ نَبالةٍ وَأَناةٍ

مَا بِهِ مِنْ نَبالةٍ وَأَناةٍ

وَمَضَاءٍ فِي الرَّأْيِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ

وَمَضَاءٍ فِي الرَّأْيِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ

the nobility and patience he possesses,

His nobility, composure

and his resolve in judgment and administration;

Resolve, opinion and management

مَا بِهِ مِنْ نَزَاهَةٍ وَصَفَاءٍ

مَا بِهِ مِنْ نَزَاهَةٍ وَصَفَاءٍ

وَوَفَاءٍ وَمِنْ سَمَاحٍ وَخيْرِ

وَوَفَاءٍ وَمِنْ سَمَاحٍ وَخيْرِ

the integrity and purity he possesses,

His integrity, clarity

and his loyalty, generosity, and goodness.

Loyalty, generosity and good

أَيُّهَا السادَةُ الأُولى اجْتَمَعُوا الْيَوْ

أَيُّهَا السادَةُ الأُولى اجْتَمَعُوا الْيَوْ

مَ لِمَعْنىً أَوْحَاهُ سَامِي الشُّعورِ

مَ لِمَعْنىً أَوْحَاهُ سَامِي الشُّعورِ

O gentlemen who have gathered

O masters, gathered today

today for a purpose inspired by lofty feeling:

For a meaning inspired by lofty feelings

هَلْ رَأَيْتُمْ مَجْداً كَإِقْرَارِ أَحْرَا

هَلْ رَأَيْتُمْ مَجْداً كَإِقْرَارِ أَحْرَا

رٍ كِبَارٍ بِفضْلِ حُرٍ كَبِيرِ

رٍ كِبَارٍ بِفضْلِ حُرٍ كَبِيرِ

Have you seen glory like the acknowledgment

Have you seen glory like acknowledging

by great free men of a great free man's merit?

The nobility of a free, great man?

مَنْ يَكُونُ الرَّئِيسَ وَالْقَوْمُ أَنْتمْ

مَنْ يَكُونُ الرَّئِيسَ وَالْقَوْمُ أَنْتمْ

حَسْبُهُ أَنْ يَكونَ صَدْرَ الصُّدُورِ

حَسْبُهُ أَنْ يَكونَ صَدْرَ الصُّدُورِ

Whoever is chief, with you as the company,

Who can be president when you are the nation

has honor enough in being chief among chiefs.

It’s enough that he be the best of all

غايَةُ الْجاهِ فِي مَكَانَتَهِ مِنْكُمْ

غايَةُ الْجاهِ فِي مَكَانَتَهِ مِنْكُمْ

وَأَنْتُمْ ذُؤابَةُ الْجُمْهُورِ

وَأَنْتُمْ ذُؤابَةُ الْجُمْهُورِ

The height of prestige lies in his standing among you,

The pinnacle of prestige is his position among you

and you are the crown of the people.

While you are the elite of the masses