حَسب العِمارة وَالبَنا تَشريفا

حَسب العِمارة وَالبَنا تَشريفا

بِكَ يا حسين فَلا بَرحت شَريفا

بِكَ يا حسين فَلا بَرحت شَريفا

It is honor enough for architecture and building

According to the architecture and construction as an honor

to have you, O Hussein; may you ever remain noble.

Through you, O Hussein, you have always remained noble

سل مَنصب المعمار هَل قَد زانَهُ

سل مَنصب المعمار هَل قَد زانَهُ

أَحد سِواك وَزادَهُ تَلطيفا

أَحد سِواك وَزادَهُ تَلطيفا

Ask the architect's office: has it been graced

Ask the architect, has anyone but you adorned

by anyone but you, and made more refined?

His position and made it more refined?

ينبيك يا كنز المَعارف أَنَّهُ

ينبيك يا كنز المَعارف أَنَّهُ

أَضحى بِفهمك سامياً وَظَريفا

أَضحى بِفهمك سامياً وَظَريفا

It tells you, O treasury of knowledge, that it

O treasure of knowledge, you should know

has become lofty and elegant through your understanding.

That with your understanding, you have become sublime and genteel

نَظر الزَمان لَهُ بِعَين عِناية

نَظر الزَمان لَهُ بِعَين عِناية

وَبِهِ غَدا قَلب الوَزير رَؤوفا

وَبِهِ غَدا قَلب الوَزير رَؤوفا

Time looked upon it with a caring eye,

The times looked upon you with care

and the minister's heart grew compassionate toward it.

And through you the minister's heart became kind

فَأَغاثه لَما اِستَجار بِعَدله

فَأَغاثه لَما اِستَجار بِعَدله

بِكَ حَيث كُنت مُدَبِّراً يعروفا

بِكَ حَيث كُنت مُدَبِّراً يعروفا

So he aided it when it sought refuge in his justice,

When he sought refuge in your justice

through you, for you were a discerning administrator.

You aided him, wherever you were, graciously

هامَت بِحبك يا أَمير مَراتبٌ

هامَت بِحبك يا أَمير مَراتبٌ

شرّفتها بِمَعارف تَشريفا

شرّفتها بِمَعارف تَشريفا

Ranks were enraptured with love for you, O emir—

High offices have yearned for your love, O prince

you richly honored them through learning.

You have honored them with noble knowledge

ما لِلفُنون يَسوسها في مصرنا

ما لِلفُنون يَسوسها في مصرنا

إِلّا جَنابك إِذ خُلقت عَفيفا

إِلّا جَنابك إِذ خُلقت عَفيفا

No one governs the arts in our Egypt

None but you leads the arts in our land

but your honored self, for you were created upright.

Since you were created virtuous and chaste

يا اِبن المَكارم وَالسِيادة إِنَّني

يا اِبن المَكارم وَالسِيادة إِنَّني

بِجَميل شُكرك لَم أَزَل مَشغوفا

بِجَميل شُكرك لَم أَزَل مَشغوفا

O son of noble virtues and eminence, I

O son of generosity and rule, indeed I

have always been devoted to offering you gracious thanks.

Have always been enamored with thanking your kindness

بَلغت بهمتك المَباني شَأوَها

بَلغت بهمتك المَباني شَأوَها

لَما رَثيت لَها وَصُرت حَليفا

لَما رَثيت لَها وَصُرت حَليفا

The buildings reached their peak through your resolve,

You have raised the buildings to their glory

when you took pity on them and became their ally.

When you elegized them and became their ally

كَم نالَها مِن رفعة وَجَمالة

كَم نالَها مِن رفعة وَجَمالة

وَبَديع إِتقان غَدا مَوصوفا

وَبَديع إِتقان غَدا مَوصوفا

How much loftiness and beauty came to them,

How much loftiness and beauty it attained

and wondrous craftsmanship, now spoken of!

And excellent workmanship, now well-described

مُزجت مَحاسنُها بِلطفك وَالذَكا

مُزجت مَحاسنُها بِلطفك وَالذَكا

فَزَهَت وَأَصبَحَ قَدرُها مَعروفا

فَزَهَت وَأَصبَحَ قَدرُها مَعروفا

Their beauties were mingled with your refinement and intelligence,

You mixed its beauty with your kindness and wisdom

so they shone, and their worth became known.

So it shone, and its value became well-known

عاهَدتها بَعد الجَفا بمودّة

عاهَدتها بَعد الجَفا بمودّة

فَدَفعت عَنها بِالوَفاء صُروفا

فَدَفعت عَنها بِالوَفاء صُروفا

You made a pact of affection with them after neglect,

You vowed to it loyalty after neglect

so through fidelity you warded misfortunes away from them.

And warded off its difficulties with faithfulness

ما ضَرّها مِن قَبل غَير وُقوعها

ما ضَرّها مِن قَبل غَير وُقوعها

في أَسر عَبد جاءَها مَلهوفا

في أَسر عَبد جاءَها مَلهوفا

Nothing had harmed them before but their falling

No harm came to it before except its falling

into the captivity of a slave who came to them desperate.

Into the grip of a slave who came to it fervently

أَكل القَليل مَع الكَثير وَلَم يَخَف

أَكل القَليل مَع الكَثير وَلَم يَخَف

مِن جَهله بَينَ الأَنام كُسوفا

مِن جَهله بَينَ الأَنام كُسوفا

He devoured the little along with the much, and did not fear,

He ate the little with the much and did not fear

in his ignorance, disgrace among humankind.

Among the people his ignorance being exposed

ركب الخُطوب مَع الذُنوب وَلَم يَكُن

ركب الخُطوب مَع الذُنوب وَلَم يَكُن

لِضلاله في رَأيه مَألوفا

لِضلاله في رَأيه مَألوفا

He plunged into calamities along with sins, and was not

He mounted problems with sins and was not

well liked, for his judgment had gone astray.

Accustomed in his mind to corruption

بِكَ يا عَزيز قَد اِستَظَلَّ لِذاته

بِكَ يا عَزيز قَد اِستَظَلَّ لِذاته

فَعَفوت مِن كَرَم وَآمن خوفا

فَعَفوت مِن كَرَم وَآمن خوفا

With you, O noble one, he found shade for himself,

Through you, dear one, he sought shade for himself

so you pardoned him out of generosity, and he was freed from fear.

So you forgave with generosity and he felt no fear

أَمّا وَفاك لَهُ فَكانَ سَماحةً

أَمّا وَفاك لَهُ فَكانَ سَماحةً

مِن حسن أَصل لا يَزال مُنيفا

مِن حسن أَصل لا يَزال مُنيفا

As for your fidelity to him, it was magnanimity

As for your loyalty to him, it was generosity

from noble stock that ever remains exalted.

From good stock that does not cease to be refined

شَيّدتُ أَبياتي بِمدحك وَالثَنا

شَيّدتُ أَبياتي بِمدحك وَالثَنا

فَاقبل بحلمك وَاترك التَكليفا

فَاقبل بحلمك وَاترك التَكليفا

I built my verses with praise of you and commendation;

I constructed my verses in praising you and applauding

so accept them with your forbearance, and set formality aside.

So accept with your forbearance and avoid imposition

يا سَعدَها إِن نالَها مِنكَ الرضا

يا سَعدَها إِن نالَها مِنكَ الرضا

فَبِهِ أَصولُ وَلا أَهاب أُلوفا

فَبِهِ أَصولُ وَلا أَهاب أُلوفا

How fortunate they are if your approval reaches them!

Oh its joy if it attains your satisfaction from you

For with it I charge, and fear not thousands.

For through it my principles endure and I fear no thousands