عَندلَيب السُرور في مصر غرَّدْ

عَندلَيب السُرور في مصر غرَّدْ

فَوقَ غُصن بِرَوضة الأُنس أَملَدْ

فَوقَ غُصن بِرَوضة الأُنس أَملَدْ

The nightingale of joy sang in Egypt,

The nightingale of joy in Egypt sang

Upon a supple bough in the garden of delight.

Above a branch in the garden of companionship outstretched

وَأَدار النَديمُ صافي سلافٍ

وَأَدار النَديمُ صافي سلافٍ

مِن خديد عَلى الدَوام مورّدْ

مِن خديد عَلى الدَوام مورّدْ

And the boon companion passed around pure, choice wine,

And the gentle breeze turned a clear drink

From a little cheek forever rose-tinted.

Of dew always flowing from the vine

وَسَقاها مَمزوجة برضاب

وَسَقاها مَمزوجة برضاب

سكريّ مِنهُ أَخو النسك عَربد

سكريّ مِنهُ أَخو النسك عَربد

And he served it mixed with the nectar of lips,

And gave it mixed with pleasure

Sugar-sweet—on it even an ascetic caroused.

Intoxicating drink from which the abstainer became inebriated

وَالرَقيب الَغبيّ عَنا تَولَّى

وَالرَقيب الَغبيّ عَنا تَولَّى

وَالحَبيب الأَبيّ بِالوَصل أَسعَد

وَالحَبيب الأَبيّ بِالوَصل أَسعَد

And the foolish watcher withdrew from us,

And the foolish sentinel about us was preoccupied

And the proud beloved brought happiness through union.

While the beloved friend rejoiced in the union

وَعكَفنا على الخَلاعة لَكن

وَعكَفنا على الخَلاعة لَكن

بوقار لَهُ الصِيانة تَشهَد

بوقار لَهُ الصِيانة تَشهَد

And we devoted ourselves to revelry, yet

And we indulged in merriment but

With a dignity to which propriety bore witness.

With dignity its modesty bore witness

وَاِنتَهَزنا مِن الزَمان المواسي

وَاِنتَهَزنا مِن الزَمان المواسي

فُرصة مِنهُ في المَسَرة تُحمد

فُرصة مِنهُ في المَسَرة تُحمد

And from time, our comforter, we seized

And we seized enjoyable times

A praiseworthy chance it offered for rejoicing.

From it an opportunity for joy to be praised

وَنَشَرنا في القُرب أَعلام وَصل

وَنَشَرنا في القُرب أَعلام وَصل

وَلِواء الأَفراح فينا مؤيد

وَلِواء الأَفراح فينا مؤيد

And in closeness we unfurled the banners of union,

And we spread in nearness flags of union

And the banner of joys was upheld among us.

With the banners of joy in us supported

وَرَكَضنا بِخَيلِنا في مَجال

وَرَكَضنا بِخَيلِنا في مَجال

سَبقُنا فيهِ لِلتَهاني مؤكَّد

سَبقُنا فيهِ لِلتَهاني مؤكَّد

And we raced our horses on a course

And our horses raced in an arena

Where our lead in offering congratulations was assured.

Our leading in it for congratulations confirmed

وَنَهضنا إِلى وَليمة شَمس

وَنَهضنا إِلى وَليمة شَمس

في المَعالي لَها بِناء مشيد

في المَعالي لَها بِناء مشيد

And we rose to attend the wedding feast of a sun,

And we rose to a banquet of a sun

Whose edifice stands lofty in the heights of honor.

In the heights for it a lofty edifice built

يا لَها مِن كَريمة لمليك

يا لَها مِن كَريمة لمليك

هُوَ بَين المُلوك في الكَون مُفرَد

هُوَ بَين المُلوك في الكَون مُفرَد

What a noble daughter of a sovereign she is—

Oh what a generous one for a king

He stands peerless among the kings of the world.

He among kings in existence unequaled

وَهوَ للمكرمات بحر خضمٌّ

وَهوَ للمكرمات بحر خضمٌّ

عَذبُ نَهلٍ في مَصر لا زالَ يُورد

عَذبُ نَهلٍ في مَصر لا زالَ يُورد

And he is a vast sea of noble deeds,

And he is for favors an vast ocean

Sweet to drink from in Egypt—may he never cease to bring others to water.

Of sweet water in Egypt still pouring

قَد أَنام الأَنام في ظل أَمن

قَد أَنام الأَنام في ظل أَمن

في جَميع البِقاع بِالعَدل مُمتد

في جَميع البِقاع بِالعَدل مُمتد

He has lulled the people to sleep in the shade of safety,

The people slept in the shade of security

Spread by justice throughout every land.

In all regions in justice far‐reaching

وَكَساهم مِن الرَفاهة بُرداً

وَكَساهم مِن الرَفاهة بُرداً

كُل يَوم في عَصره يَتجدّد

كُل يَوم في عَصره يَتجدّد

And clothed them in a mantle of prosperity,

And he cloaked them in prosperity with a garment

Renewed each day throughout his reign.

Each day in his time made anew

وَمُلوك الكَلام أَثنوا عَلَيهِ

وَمُلوك الكَلام أَثنوا عَلَيهِ

بِحَديث إِلى المَكارم يُسند

بِحَديث إِلى المَكارم يُسند

And the kings of eloquence praised him,

And the kings of speech praised him

With an account traced back to noble deeds,

With talk leaning on virtues

بِحَديث معنعن عن ثِقات

بِحَديث معنعن عن ثِقات

نَقلوا عَن أَبيه ثُمَ عن الجَدّ

نَقلوا عَن أَبيه ثُمَ عن الجَدّ

An account passed down through trustworthy narrators,

Talk refined from trusted sources

Who transmitted it from his father, then from his grandfather:

Transmitted from his father and grandfather

وَهوَ أَن العفاة مِن غَير سؤلٍ

وَهوَ أَن العفاة مِن غَير سؤلٍ

مِنهُ فازوا بِوابلٍ لَيسَ ينفد

مِنهُ فازوا بِوابلٍ لَيسَ ينفد

Namely, that seekers of bounty, without asking,

That the destitute without asking

Received from him a downpour that never runs dry.

From him won a downpour inexhaustible

يا نَسيم الأَفراح بِاللَه روّح

يا نَسيم الأَفراح بِاللَه روّح

أَنتَ أَرواحنا وَفينا تردّد

أَنتَ أَرواحنا وَفينا تردّد

O breeze of joys, by God, refresh

Oh breeze of joy for God's sake enliven

Our souls yourself, and keep wafting through us.

You are our spirit in us echoing

فَبِسَعد المَنصور صَهرِ الخديوي

فَبِسَعد المَنصور صَهرِ الخديوي

في لَياليه بُلبلُ الأُنس غرّد

في لَياليه بُلبلُ الأُنس غرّد

For through the good fortune of al-Mansur, the Khedive's son-in-law,

For with Saeed the Victorious son‐in‐law of the Khedive

The nightingale of delight sang throughout his nights.

In his nights the bulbul of companionship sang

وَلإِفراحه فَديتك أَرّخ

وَلإِفراحه فَديتك أَرّخ

شَمس عز زفت إِلى بَدر سؤدَد

شَمس عز زفت إِلى بَدر سؤدَد

And to gladden him—may I be your ransom—compose a chronogram:

And for his joy I sacrifice myself for you record

A sun of glory was led as a bride to a full moon of nobility.

The sun of glory marched to the full moon