صَفا الزَمان وَوالى سَيد الأُمَرا

صَفا الزَمان وَوالى سَيد الأُمَرا

وَجاءَ مِما جَنى بِالأَمس مُعتَذرا

وَجاءَ مِما جَنى بِالأَمس مُعتَذرا

Time grew fair and befriended the lord of princes,

Time has treated the master of authority with kindness

and came apologizing for the wrong it had done yesterday.

And he has come apologizing for what he reaped yesterday

وَقالَ يا أَيُّها الصَدر الهمام وَمَن

وَقالَ يا أَيُّها الصَدر الهمام وَمَن

أَضحى بِهِ العَدل في الآفاق مُنتَشِرا

أَضحى بِهِ العَدل في الآفاق مُنتَشِرا

And it said: O valiant chief minister, O you through whom

He said: O courageous man whose justice has spread

justice has spread across the horizons,

Through horizons, you are not one we would reproach

ما أَنتَ مِمَن نَهنيه بِمرتبة

ما أَنتَ مِمَن نَهنيه بِمرتبة

بِها يهنِّي أَخو فَضل لَهُ نَظرا

بِها يهنِّي أَخو فَضل لَهُ نَظرا

you are not one we congratulate upon a rank

With a rank that makes a peer look up to you in admiration

for which a man of merit offers congratulations out of regard for its holder.

Rather you are one in the universe who cannot be compared

بَل أَنتَ في الكَون مِمَّن لا يُقاس بِهِ

بَل أَنتَ في الكَون مِمَّن لا يُقاس بِهِ

مِن الوَرى كُل مَن في عَصره اِشتَهَرا

مِن الوَرى كُل مَن في عَصره اِشتَهَرا

Rather, in this world you are one whom none can equal—

To anyone famed in his time

none among mankind who gained renown in his age.

How could it not be so when just rulings have been pronounced

وَكَيفَ لا وَبِكَ الأحكام قَد صَدرت

وَكَيفَ لا وَبِكَ الأحكام قَد صَدرت

مِن المَحاكم وَالمَظلوم قَد نُصرا

مِن المَحاكم وَالمَظلوم قَد نُصرا

And how could it be otherwise? Through you, judgments have issued

By the courts and the wronged were given victory

from the courts, and the wronged have been vindicated.

Seeking justice, the oppressed attained what they desired

وَنالَ ما رامَ بِالإِنصاف مُلتجئٌ

وَنالَ ما رامَ بِالإِنصاف مُلتجئٌ

مَحوت للجور عَن أَمثاله أَثَرا

مَحوت للجور عَن أَمثاله أَثَرا

And through fair dealing, a suppliant gained what he sought;

You erased the traces of injustice from the likes of them

you effaced oppression’s trace from others like him.

As for the armies you led, they were victorious

أَما الجُنود الَّتي قَد كُنت قائدها

أَما الجُنود الَّتي قَد كُنت قائدها

فَإِنَّها ظَفرت وَالخَصم قَد كُسِرا

فَإِنَّها ظَفرت وَالخَصم قَد كُسِرا

As for the troops whose commander you were,

While the opponent was crushed and defeated

they triumphed, and the foe was shattered.

The schools gained excellent attention from you

وَلِلمَدارس مِن حُسن التَفاتك ما

وَلِلمَدارس مِن حُسن التَفاتك ما

فيهِ المَنافعُ للعُميان وَالبُصَرا

فيهِ المَنافعُ للعُميان وَالبُصَرا

And through your gracious attention, the schools have that

Benefiting the blind and the keen of sight

which brings benefit to the blind and the sighted.

The Interior has gleaned from your management

وَالداخلية مِن تَدبيرك اِقتبست

وَالداخلية مِن تَدبيرك اِقتبست

نُوراً بَدا في مُحيّاها لَنا قَمَرا

نُوراً بَدا في مُحيّاها لَنا قَمَرا

And the Interior Ministry drew from your governance

A light that shone like a moon in its happy face

a light that appeared to us as a moon upon its countenance.

And Foreign Affairs, with its judicious opinion

وَالخارجية بِالرَأي السَديد غَدا

وَالخارجية بِالرَأي السَديد غَدا

يُثني عَلَيك بِها في سَيرك السُفَرا

يُثني عَلَيك بِها في سَيرك السُفَرا

And in Foreign Affairs, through sound judgment, it has come to pass

Made ambassadors praise your travels

that ambassadors praise you there for your conduct.

And every cause you took up spread

وَكُل مَصلحة باشَرتَها نَشَرَت

وَكُل مَصلحة باشَرتَها نَشَرَت

أَعلامَها في نَجاح لِلنُهى بَهرا

أَعلامَها في نَجاح لِلنُهى بَهرا

And every department you administered unfurled

The banners of its success in an amazing deliverance

its banners in a success that dazzled minds.

Representing the Ruler in his absence

وَلِلنيابة عَن رَب الحُكومة في

وَلِلنيابة عَن رَب الحُكومة في

غِيابه كُنت يا لَيث الشَرى عمرا

غِيابه كُنت يا لَيث الشَرى عمرا

And as deputy for the head of government, during

You were, O lion of grandeur, a pillar

his absence you were, O lion of al-Shara, an Umar.

May your distinction last as long as existence lasts

دامَ اِمتِيازُك ما دامَ الوُجود وَما

دامَ اِمتِيازُك ما دامَ الوُجود وَما

عَلَيكَ في مَدحه مَجدي قَد اِقتَصَرا

عَلَيكَ في مَدحه مَجدي قَد اِقتَصَرا

May your distinction last as long as existence lasts, and as long as

For in praising you my glory is sufficient

Magdi confines his praise of it to you,

Or because the Exalted chronicled you

أَو ما لكَ اِنقادَت العَليا مُؤرّخةً

أَو ما لكَ اِنقادَت العَليا مُؤرّخةً

شَريف مَصر حَسيب أَمجَد الوُزَرا

شَريف مَصر حَسيب أَمجَد الوُزَرا

or as long as exalted rank bows to you, proclaiming this chronogram:

The noble descendant of Egypt, the most glorious minister

“Egypt’s Sharif, noble-born, most glorious of ministers.”