1. يا خَليلي ما لوم ذي الوَجد يُجدي

    في هَوى أَغيد رشَيق القَدّ

    O my friend, reproaching one consumed by longing is of no avail,

    In love with a supple beauty of graceful stature.

  2. لا تَلمني فَالقَلب أَضحى مَعنَّىً

    بِهَواه وَلَو تَصدّى لِصدّي

    Do not blame me: my heart has become tormented

    By love for him, even though he sets himself to rebuff me.

  3. كَيفَ أَسلو وَكلما طالَ هَجري

    وَصُدودي وَلَوعَتي زادَ وَجدي

    How can I find solace? The longer my separation

    And my rejection and anguish last, the greater my longing grows.

  4. وَعَجيب أَكلِّف النَفس طَبعاً

    طابَ لي دُونه المَقام بلحدي

    And how strange to force my soul into a disposition

    To which I would prefer dwelling in my grave.

  5. مَع أَني عَبرت بَحر غَرام

    ماتَ صَدّاً ببَرِّه المتصدي

    Though I have crossed a sea of passion,

    Its challenger died of rejection upon its shore.

  6. وَلعمري ما قُلت إِن طالَ هَجرٌ

    يا ملاحاً أذهبتمو صدق ودّي

    And by my life, I never said, however long estrangement lasted,

    'O beauties, you have banished the sincerity of my affection.'

  7. فَاعتزلني فَإِنَّني أَنا راض

    مِنهُ بِالجور وَالجَفا وَالتَعدي

    So leave me alone, for I myself am content

    With injustice, coldness, and transgression from him.

  8. علّه بِالوصال يَسمَح يَوماً

    لِعَزيز أَذلَّه طُول بُعد

    Perhaps one day he will grant union

    To a proud man humbled by long separation.

  9. وَسَقاة الهَنا تَدور بِكاس

    مِن رَحيق شَبيهة بِالخَد

    And the cupbearers of joy pass round a cup

    Of pure wine, resembling a cheek:

  10. قرقفٍ يَنهبُ العُقولَ وَيُمسي

    مِنهُ رَبُّ الحجا عَديمَ الرُشد

    A heady wine that plunders minds, and

    Through it, the master of intellect becomes bereft of judgment.

  11. مثل سَيف الخديو مولي الوَرى في

    نَهب أَعمار كُلِّ خَصمٍ أَلدّ

    Like the sword of the Khedive, lord of humankind, in

    Plundering the lives of every implacable foe.

  12. يا لَهُ مالكاً أَنام الرَعايا

    في أَمان مِن عَدله المُمتد

    What a ruler he is, who lets his subjects sleep

    In safety through his far-reaching justice!

  13. فَتَرى أَضعَف الشِياه بِمَصر

    لَيسَ يَخشى في دَهره بَطش أُسد

    So you see the weakest sheep in Egypt

    Fear no onslaught of lions in his time.

  14. وَحَذا حَذوه النَجيب أَبو النَص

    ر سَميّ الخَليل في قَمع ضد

    And the noble Abu al-Nasr followed his example,

    Namesake of al-Khalil, in subduing an opponent.

  15. فَأَذاق الدروز كَأس حتوفٍ

    وَمَحا عضبُه البغاةَ بِنَجد

    So he made the Druze taste a cup of death,

    And his keen sword wiped out the rebels in Najd.

  16. وَعَسيرٌ عَلَيهِ كانَ يَسيراً

    فَتحُها عُنوةً بسعد وَجَد

    And Asir—it was easy for him

    To conquer it by force, with good fortune and resolve.

  17. وَمَزاياه ما لَها قَط حصرٌ

    جَل قَدراً عَن حَصرِها وَالعد

    And his merits have never had any limit;

    His stature is too lofty for them to be encompassed or counted.

  18. وَلعباس الحَفيد اِنتِقاد

    لِلقَضايا بِغَير جُهد وَكَد

    And Abbas, the grandson, has critical discernment

    In cases, without effort or toil.

  19. وَسَعيد غَدا فَريداً بِبَرٍّ

    وَببحرٍ فَلا يُقاس بند

    And Sa'id became peerless on land

    And at sea; he cannot be compared with any rival.

  20. وَحسين مِن المَعارف يَجني

    مَع عَبد الحَليم أَبهَج وَرد

    And Husayn gathers from learning,

    With Abd al-Halim, the most delightful roses.

  21. وَلِهَذا الأَخير أَوفر حَظ

    بِذَكاء بَدا وَأَعظَم نَقد

    And this latter has the fullest share

    In manifest intelligence and the greatest discernment.

  22. وَأَخوهم محمد خَير نجل

    لِأَبيهم عَليّ فهم وَسَعد

    And their brother Muhammad is the finest son

    For their father, lofty in understanding and good fortune.

  23. أَيد اللَه مَصره بِعلاهم

    حَيث فيها غَدوا خَرائد عقد

    May God strengthen his Egypt through their eminence,

    Where they have become the choice pearls of a necklace.