يا ليل أبدعت نظام الحلى

يا ليل أبدعت نظام الحلى

وشاقنا نثرك فاسترسل

وشاقنا نثرك فاسترسل

O night, you have masterfully strung the jewels,

O night, you created the most beautiful adornment

and your scattering has charmed us; so carry on.

And we were captivated by your flowing prose

كم آيةٌ في نقطها ينجلي

كم آيةٌ في نقطها ينجلي

نجمك والأحرف لا تنجلي

نجمك والأحرف لا تنجلي

How many a verse has dots in which shines

How many signs are illuminated in her dotting

your star, while the letters remain unseen!

Your star, though letters do not illuminate

لو أدرك المحبوب من نقطها

لو أدرك المحبوب من نقطها

لم يختلف في المعجز المنزل

لم يختلف في المعجز المنزل

Had the beloved been discerned from its dots,

If the beloved realized from her dotting

there would have been no dispute over the miracle sent down.

The revealed miracle would not differ

لم يكفك اليوم الرواء الذي

لم يكفك اليوم الرواء الذي

يألفه في حسنك المجتلي

يألفه في حسنك المجتلي

Today you were not content with the splendor that

Your coolness today that it finds

the beholder is used to in your beauty;

In your beauty, was not enough for the admirer

فزدته ما شئت من زينةٍ

فزدته ما شئت من زينةٍ

بمثلها الأعين لم تكحل

بمثلها الأعين لم تكحل

so you added to it whatever adornment you wished,

So you added whatever adornment you wished

the like of which no eyes had ever worn as kohl.

That eyes have not lined with kohl like it

جودت ما جودت تنسيقها

جودت ما جودت تنسيقها

على المثال الأبهج الأجمل

على المثال الأبهج الأجمل

You perfected its arrangement to the utmost,

You have given, however much you have given, its arrangement

after the most splendid, most beautiful pattern;

Upon the most splendid and beautiful example

على مثالٍ لا توافي به

على مثالٍ لا توافي به

إلا سعود الزمن المقبل

إلا سعود الزمن المقبل

after a pattern that none can bring

Upon an example that does not meet with it

save the good fortunes of the coming age.

Except the felicity of the coming time

يا بشر هذا المنزل المزدهي

يا بشر هذا المنزل المزدهي

بالشمس تلقى البدر في منزل

بالشمس تلقى البدر في منزل

O joy of this home, resplendent

O people, this adorned dwelling

with the sun that meets the full moon in one dwelling!

With the sun meets the moon in its dwelling

نبتٌ جلا فرع الندى والبهى

نبتٌ جلا فرع الندى والبهى

طاهرة الموضع والمحمل

طاهرة الموضع والمحمل

A shoot revealing the bough of generosity and beauty,

A plant whose dew and splendor branch arose

pure in station and in bearing;

Pure of place and carrier

سليلة المرء الكبير الحمى

سليلة المرء الكبير الحمى

كريمة العلامة الأفضل

كريمة العلامة الأفضل

a daughter of the man whose domain is vast,

Descendant of the great protector

the noble daughter of the most excellent scholar,

Noble, of the most superior sign

الثاقب الرأي الذي نوره

الثاقب الرأي الذي نوره

فاز بفانوس على المشعل

فاز بفانوس على المشعل

penetrating in judgment, whose light

The perceptive one whose light

outshone the torch with a lantern;

Won with a lantern over the flame

المعتلي عن دهره قدره

المعتلي عن دهره قدره

وفكره عن قدره معتل

وفكره عن قدره معتل

whose stature rises above his age,

Transcending his time is his worth

and whose thought rises above his stature.

And his thought beyond his worth transcends

زفت إلى فهمي ونعم الفتى

زفت إلى فهمي ونعم الفتى

أن يعقد المر وأن يحلل

أن يعقد المر وأن يحلل

She was wed to Fahmi—how fine a young man

She came to my understanding and what a fine lad

at tying a matter's knot and at untying it!

To knot the affair and disentangle

ذاك الذي يرقى به عزمه

ذاك الذي يرقى به عزمه

من معقلٍ عالٍ إلى معقل

من معقلٍ عالٍ إلى معقل

He whose resolve raises him

He whom his determination raises

from one lofty stronghold to another;

From a high fortress to a fortress

ذاك الذي يلبس آدابه

ذاك الذي يلبس آدابه

من الطراز المعلم الأول

من الطراز المعلم الأول

he who clothes his manners

He who wears his manners

in the finest embroidered fabric;

Of excellent and skilled making

ذاك الذي تعذب أخلاقه

ذاك الذي تعذب أخلاقه

حتى لقد تغنى عن المنهل

حتى لقد تغنى عن المنهل

he whose character is so sweet

He whose morals are refined

that it truly makes the watering place needless;

To the point that he had no need for a watering hole

من عمد البيت الرفيع الذي

من عمد البيت الرفيع الذي

يصاعد الشهب ولا يأتلي

يصاعد الشهب ولا يأتلي

one of the pillars of the lofty house that

From the pillar of the lofty house

rises alongside the bright stars and never slackens;

That climbs upwards and does not decline

بيت كما شاء الهدى شاده

بيت كما شاء الهدى شاده

يأوي الندى منه إلى موئل

يأوي الندى منه إلى موئل

a house he raised as guidance willed,

A house as guidance desired he built it

in which generosity finds a haven.

Where dew takes refuge in its harbor

يهنيك يا فهمي قران به

يهنيك يا فهمي قران به

تقاطرت مصر إلى محفل

تقاطرت مصر إلى محفل

May this union gladden you, O Fahmi; for it

It congratulates you, my understanding, for pairing with it

Egypt has flocked to a gathering.

Egypt spilled into its ceremony

بحريها خف لقبليها

بحريها خف لقبليها

وخف ماضيها لمستقبل

وخف ماضيها لمستقبل

Its north hastened to its south,

Its Nile humbled by its face

and its past hastened toward the future.

And its past humbled for its future

فرعون من تاريخه رامقٌ

فرعون من تاريخه رامقٌ

آيات عصرٍ بعده مذهل

آيات عصرٍ بعده مذهل

Pharaoh gazes out from his history

A Pharaoh from his history expires

at the wonders of an astonishing age after his own—

Signs of an era after him amazing

من كل ما لم ير شبهاً له

من كل ما لم ير شبهاً له

في داره قدماً ولم يأمل

في داره قدماً ولم يأمل

among all the things whose like he never saw

From all that he did not see the like of

in his realm of old, nor ever hoped for.

In his land, neither ancient nor hoped for

فاليوم في بيتك مصر وما

فاليوم في بيتك مصر وما

مصر سوى العهدين أن تجمل

مصر سوى العهدين أن تجمل

So today Egypt is in your home; and what

So today in your house is Egypt and what

is Egypt but the two ages, in sum?

Is Egypt but to adorn both eras?

وأنت بالحق جديرٌ بما

وأنت بالحق جديرٌ بما

أدركته من جاهك الأكمل

أدركته من جاهك الأكمل

And you are truly worthy of what

And you rightfully deserve what

you have attained—your eminence at its fullest;

You attained of your most perfect glory

أنت جيردٌ بالذي نلته

أنت جيردٌ بالذي نلته

من الهناء الأوفر الأجزل

من الهناء الأوفر الأجزل

you are worthy of what you have gained

You, Gerard, for what you obtained

of the most abundant, most bountiful happiness.

Of abundant, copious prosperity