قُل لِلمشير وَزير التُركِ وَالعَرَبِ

قُل لِلمشير وَزير التُركِ وَالعَرَبِ

صَديق دَولة إسماعيل خَير أَبِ

صَديق دَولة إسماعيل خَير أَبِ

Say to the field marshal, minister of the Turks and Arabs,

Say to the counselor, minister of Turks and Arabs

Friend of Ismail’s state, best of fathers:

Friend of the state of Ismail, best of fathers

يا اِبن النَبيّ وَمَن في عَصرِهِ بَلَغَت

يا اِبن النَبيّ وَمَن في عَصرِهِ بَلَغَت

بِحَزمه مَصرُ ما تَرجو مِن الأَرَب

بِحَزمه مَصرُ ما تَرجو مِن الأَرَب

O son of the Prophet, and you in whose time

O son of the prophet, and the one who in his time made

Egypt, through your resolve, attained her hoped-for aims:

Egypt attain, with his wisdom, what he hopes from the Arabs

لا أَرتجيك لإنجاز الَّذي وَعدت

لا أَرتجيك لإنجاز الَّذي وَعدت

بِهِ مَعاليك مِن بَذلٍ وَمِن رُتب

بِهِ مَعاليك مِن بَذلٍ وَمِن رُتب

I do not entreat you to fulfill what you promised,

I do not expect you to fulfill what you promised

Your Excellency, in gifts and ranks;

With your excellency of generosity and ranks

فَأَنتَ غَيثٌ وَإِن الغَيث عادته

فَأَنتَ غَيثٌ وَإِن الغَيث عادته

يَأتي فَيَروي بَلا وَعد وَلا طَلَب

يَأتي فَيَروي بَلا وَعد وَلا طَلَب

For you are rain, and rain’s custom is

For you are a downpour, and it is the habit of downpours

To come and quench thirst, without promise or request.

To come and water without promise or request

وَلَم تَكُن مِنكَ عَين العَدل نائِمَةً

وَلَم تَكُن مِنكَ عَين العَدل نائِمَةً

عَني وَإِن أَدرَكتني حرفةُ الأَدب

عَني وَإِن أَدرَكتني حرفةُ الأَدب

And your eye of justice has not slumbered

The eye of justice has not been sleeping from you

Where I am concerned, though literature’s ill fortune has overtaken me.

Even though the profession of literature has reached me