قِفا بينَ الثَنّيةِ والمُصَلَّى

على جَبَلٍ دَنا حتَّى تَدَلَّى

Stop between the two slopes and the mosque

On a mountain, come closer until it hangs

وإن أبصَرتُما ناراً فَقُولا

تُرَى أيُّ القُلوبِ عليكِ يُصلَى

And if you both see fire, then say

We wonder for whom are the hearts praying on you

منَ العَرَبِ الكِرامِ كُماةُ حَربٍ

تُناظِرُهُم كرَائِمُ لَسْنَ غُزْلا

Of the generous Arabs, grim-faced in wars

Facing them are red lipped ones, spinning yarn

إذا ما أرهَفوا نَصلاً لِقتلٍ

فهُنَّ أشَدُّ بالأجفانِ قَتْلا

When they sharpen a blade for killing

They are more intense with their eyelids than killing

رجالٌ يَنحَرونَ البُزْلَ جُوداً

وغِيدٌ تَنحَرُ العُشَّاقَ بُخْلا

Men who sacrifice generosity’s bond

And love that sacrifices the lovers stingily

تَرى نارَ القِرَى في الحيِّ تَعلُو

ونِيرانُ الهَوَى أعلَى وأغلَى

You see the fires of settlements rise high in community

And the fires of passion—higher and more expensive still

على ذاكَ الكَثيبِ لنا سَلامٌ

يُكاثِرُ في الكَثيِبِ الفَرْدِ رَمْلا

On that hill we have peace

Abundant in the lone hill, sand

كَثِيبٌ قامَ فيهِ رَشِيقُ عِطْفٍ

نُشبِّهُهُ بِغُصنِ البانِ جَهْلا

A hill in which stood, lithe of figure

We liken him to a myrrh’s branch, ignorance

رَشاً في الحيِّ تَغزلُ مُقلَتاهُ

تُرَى مَنْ علَّمَ الغِزلانَ غَزْلا

Flowing freely in community his ringlets

We wonder who taught the gazelles to spin soft yarn

إذا أتْحَفتَ عَينيهِ بِكُحلٍ

يقولُ أراكَ تُهدي الكُحْلَ كُحْلا

When you adorn his eyes with kohl

He says I see you giving kohl to kohl

رُويدَكَ أيُّها الجاني بطَرْفٍ

فكم جَنَتِ الليالي السُودُ قبلا

Go slowly, O offender, with a glance

So many dark nights have committed crimes before

أدُورُ على رِضاكَ ولا أراهُ

كأنِّي طالبٌ لِسعِيدَ مِثْلا

I wonder after your approval but do not see it

As if I am seeking happiness’ equal

عزيزٌ قد تَوَلَّى تختَ مصرٍ

فعَزَّ بمجدِ وَطْأتِهِ وجَلاّ

A dear one who assumed Egypt’s throne

So he became eminent in his glory and supreme

تُشِيدُ بحمدِهِ مِصرٌ ويدعو

لهُ مَنْ صامَ في مِصرٍ وصَلَّى

Egypt celebrates his praise

And whoever fasts in Egypt prays for him

فَتىً لو كانَ ماءُ النيلِ مالاً

لَفرَّقَهُ على السُؤَّالِ بَذْلا

A young man, if the Nile’s water were money

He would distribute it to beggars, freely

ولو كانَ المُقطَّمُ مِنْ عِداهُ

لشاهدتَ المُقطَّمَ صارَ سَهْلا

And if the cataract were his enemy’s soldiers

You would see the cataract become smooth

لقد جَمَعتْ بهِ النيلَينِ مِصرٌ

ولكنْ أشرَفُ النيلَينِ أحلَى

Egypt brought together the two Niles

But the most noble of the two Niles is sweeter

هُما النيلانِ من ذَهبٍ وماءٍ

قَدِ اجتَمعَا فَلْيسَ تَخافُ مَحْلا

They are the two Niles of gold and water

Brought together—so no fear of decline

يمينٌ تَملأُ الآفاقَ جُوداً

وقَلبٌ يَملأُ الأقطارَ عَدْلا

A right hand that fills horizons with generosity

And a heart that fills realms with justice

وحِلمٌ مَدَّ فوقَ الرِّيفِ رِيفاً

وحَزْمٌ قامَ فوقَ النَخلِ نَخلا

And forbearance that spreads above the countryside

And wisdom that stood atop the date palms

سليمٌ مُخلِصٌ سِرّاً وجَهراً

كريمٌ مُحسِنٌ قَوْلاً وفِعْلا

Loyal in private and public

Generous in words and actions

يَرَى من صالحِ الأعمالِ فَرْضاً

عليهِ ما تَراهُ النَّاسُ نَفْلا

He sees righteous deeds as an obligation

Upon him which people see as extra

إذا صَلَدت زنادُ الرأيِ أورى

وإن عقدتْ أيادي الدَّهر حلّا

When the flints of opinion go awry

And the hands of fate gather

يلاقي ما يفرُّ الليث منه

ويحمل ما يدكُّ الطَّود ثِقلا

He meets what makes the lion flee

And carries what buckles the mountain, heavy

نرى خيرَ الكِرامِ أباً وأُمّاً

تَولَّى عَهدَ خيرِ النَّاسِ نَجْلا

We see the best of nobles as father and mother

Assumed leadership of the best people, progeny

أتَتْ مِصرَ الخِلافةُ ذاتَ خِدرٍ

فكانتْ لا تُرِيدُ سِواهُ بَعْلا

The caliphate came to Egypt, with a bearer

So she would not accept other than him for husband

أعزُّ بني العُلَى أصلاً وفَرْعاً

وأكرَمُ رَهْطِها وَضعْاً وحَمْلا

Most honored of the family, ancestry and descendants

And most generous of her ilk in birth and carrying

نُجِلُّ أباهُ أنْ نَدعُوهُ لَيثاً

وأنْ يُدعَى لِذاكَ اللَّيْثِ شِبْلا

We refuse but to call his father a lion

And for that lion be called cub

لَعَمرُكُ إنَّ خيرَ الناسِ طُرَّاً

على خَيرِ المَمالكِ قد تَولَّى

By your life, indeed the best of people leads

The best of kingdoms, verily

دَعَوناها الكِنانةَ إذْ رَأينا

لهُ في أكْبُدِ الحُسَّادِ نَبْلا

We called him "one belonging to the spear" when we saw

For him spears in enviers' livers

كريمٌ ليسَ يَرضَى الفَضلَ حَتَّى

يكُون الفضلُ بينَ الفضلِ فضلا

Generous one, not satisfied with merit

Until merit amongst merit is merit

إذا مَلأتْ يَداهُ سِجالَ رِفْدٍ

نَراها بالغِنَى كَتَبتْ سِجِّلا

When his hands fill registers of plenty

We see it in wealth write a long register

قدِ اشتَمَلَتْ مَكَارِمُهُ فَمنْ لم

يصادفْ وابِلاً منها فطلاّ

His ethics encompassed, so who does not

Encounter a downpour from it, (is) deprived

فلا ثَلَّتْ لهُ الأقدارُ عَرْشاً

ولا نَسَخَتْ لهُ الأيَّامُ ظِلاّ

Its destinies did not erect him a throne

Nor its days draft him shade