1. بِمقدمِكَ الحمراءُ قد عَبقت عِطراً

    وتاهت ونالت كلَّ مَرتبةٍ كُبرى

    At your arrival, al-Hamra has become fragrant with perfume,

    and has strutted proudly and attained every lofty rank.

  2. نعم عادَ لِلحمراءِ بعدَ غِيابِه

    فَتيهِي على الأقطارِ يا بَلدةَ الحَمرا

    Yes, he has returned to al-Hamra after his absence;

    so exult over all lands, O city of al-Hamra!

  3. نعم عادَ مَحفوفاً بكلِّ عِنايةٍ

    ولن تعدمَ الحسناءُ تَقليدَها الدُّرَّا

    Yes, he has returned, surrounded by every care,

    and the fair one will not lack pearls adorning her neck.

  4. ألا أيها الباشا التهامىُ ذو العُلى

    ومِن بينِ أربابِ الصُّدورِ غَدا الصَّدرا

    O Pasha al-Tihami, possessor of high honors,

    who, among the holders of high office, has become foremost;

  5. ومَن جودُه يُنسيكَ مَعناً وحاتِماً

    ومَن صيتُه قد جاوزَ البَرَّ والبَحرا

    whose generosity makes you forget Ma'n and Hatim,

    and whose fame has crossed both land and sea.

  6. تَيمَّنتَ بيتَ اللهِ تَقضِي مَناسكاً

    بِلاعجِ شَوقٍ لا تُطيقُ له صَبرا

    You sought blessing at God's House, performing sacred rites,

    with a burning longing you could not bear patiently.

  7. فأرضيتَ ربًّا قد دعَاكَ لبَيتِهِ

    وجَدُّكَ إذ وافيتَه زائراً سُرَّا

    Thus you pleased a Lord who had summoned you to His House,

    and your grandfather was gladdened when you came to visit him.

  8. ولكن تأسَّينا بِشبلٍ تَرَكتَهُ

    فمَثَّلَ منكَ الحَزمَ والعزمَ والنَّصرا

    But we found consolation in the lion cub you left behind,

    who embodied your firmness, determination, and victory.

  9. فلم يَخف عنه من دقيقِ سياسةٍ

    فَيا مُرهُم جَهراً ويرقُبُهم سِراًّ

    No subtle point of statecraft was hidden from him,

    so he commands them openly and watches them in secret.

  10. تَبارَكَ رَبُّ العرشِ واهِبُ حُكمِه

    لِمَن يَصطفِيه من خلائقِه طُرَّا

    Blessed is the Lord of the Throne, who bestows His authority

    upon whomever He chooses from all His creatures.

  11. فما غِبتَ عنَّا حين فينا تركتَهُ

    وما كنتَ إلا الشمسَ خلَّفتِ البَدرا

    You were not absent from us when you left him among us;

    you were but the sun that left the full moon behind.

  12. أشاعرَ مِصرٍ إنَّني منكَ غَائِرٌ

    تُزاحِمُ في مَمدوحِه شاعرَ الحَمرا

    O poet of Egypt, I am jealous of you:

    you rival the poet of al-Hamra over the man he praises.

  13. فُؤادَكَ خُذ واترك فُؤادي فإنَّني

    أزُفُّ إليه كلَّ قافِيةٍ عَذرا

    Take your Fu'ad—your heart—and leave mine, for I

    lead every virgin rhyme to him as a bride.

  14. بلى إنَّ قولَ الشِّعرِ منكَ لواجِبٌ

    لأنَّكَ قد ألفَيتَ للدُّررِ النَّحرا

    Indeed, composing poetry is surely your duty,

    for you have found a neck for the pearls.

  15. هما كَفَّتا الميزانِ فانظُر إليهما

    إذا رجَحت إحداهُما طاشتِ الأُخرى

    They are the two pans of a balance, so look at them:

    when one weighs heavier, the other flies up.

  16. ولا تَستمع قولَ الوشاةِ وإفكَهُم

    وتَشويهَهُم وجهَ الحَقائق بي مَكرا

    And do not heed the slanderers' words or their lies,

    or their disfiguring of truth's face in schemes against me.

  17. فقد خَبُثوا نفسا لها الشَّرُّ حِرفةٌ

    وإن خَبثَت نفسُ الفتى احترفَ الشَّرَّا

    For their souls are foul, and evil is their trade;

    and if a man's soul grows foul, he makes a trade of evil.

  18. فلم أنسَ يا مولاي إنقاذَ مُهجَتي

    وقد نشبوا في مُهجتي النَّابَ والظُّفرا

    I have not forgotten, my lord, your saving of my life,

    when they had sunk fang and claw into my heart.

  19. ولولا جَناحٌ من حِماك يُظِلُّهُم

    سَقيتُهُمُ سُمًّا وأصليتُهم جَمرا

    Were it not for a wing of your protection sheltering them,

    I would have made them drink poison and burn in embers.

  20. ولكن حِمى المَولى عزيزٌ مُقدَّسٌ

    ومَن ذا الذي يَقوى ليَنظُرَهُ شَزرا

    But my lord's protection is inviolable and sacred,

    and who could dare look askance at it?

  21. وأولَيتَني بِراًّ أنَألَهُ حافظٌ

    وحاشا معاذ اللهِ أنسى له ذِكرا

    You have bestowed kindness on me, of which I am a faithful keeper,

    and far be it—God forbid—that I forget to recall it.

  22. فدُم سَنَداً لي إنَّ قُربَك مُنيتي

    وإنكَ لي كنزٌ ثَمينٌ ولا فَخرا

    So remain my support, for your nearness is my wish,

    and you are a precious treasure to me—and this is no boast.

  23. وإنكَ لي مولىً به أنا فاخِرٌ

    وما أنا إلا عَبدكَ الشاعرَ الحًرَّا

    And you are my lord, in whom I take pride,

    while I am but your slave—the free poet.

  24. وقد هجمَ الصَّيفُ المُذيبُ لٍِصحَّتي

    علىَّ فأرجو رُخصةً منكَ لي شَهرا

    And summer, which melts away my health, has launched its assault

    upon me; so I ask you for a month's leave.