سبحان من خلق الشريف شريفا

سبحان من خلق الشريف شريفا

وحبا الوجود بجوده تشريفا

وحبا الوجود بجوده تشريفا

Glory to Him who created al-Sharif noble,

Glorious is He who made the noble man noble,

and graced existence with honor through his generosity.

And adorned existence with his generosity and honor,

وبراه كالسيف السنين إذا سطا

وبراه كالسيف السنين إذا سطا

ألفيته سيفاً يسل سيوفا

ألفيته سيفاً يسل سيوفا

And fashioned him like a keen-edged sword: when he strikes,

And made him sharp like a sword through the years,

you find him a sword that unsheathes swords.

So I found him a sword that unleashes swords,

يقضي ويمضي وهو فذٌّ مفردٌ

يقضي ويمضي وهو فذٌّ مفردٌ

لكنه فذٌّ يسود ألوفا

لكنه فذٌّ يسود ألوفا

He passes judgment and presses on, peerless and alone,

He rules and passes judgments, unique and peerless,

yet this peerless man rules thousands.

Yet he is peerless, lording over thousands,

كاد الخيانة والخنا ودحاهما

كاد الخيانة والخنا ودحاهما

عن مصره ومحا العنا والحيفا

عن مصره ومحا العنا والحيفا

He outwitted treachery and indecency and drove them both

Betrayal and betrayal almost conquered him,

from his Egypt, wiping out hardship and injustice.

And diverted him from his purpose, but he erased injustice and wrongdoing,

ما زال يحفظ دسته بأمانةٍ

ما زال يحفظ دسته بأمانةٍ

ما بات قط بغيرها مشغوفا

ما بات قط بغيرها مشغوفا

He always guarded his office with integrity;

He still keeps his religion faithfully,

never did he spend a night enamored of anything else.

Never obsessed with anything else,

حتى إذا نظر الدفاع عن الحمى

حتى إذا نظر الدفاع عن الحمى

أضحى بغير المشرفي ضعيفا

أضحى بغير المشرفي ضعيفا

Until, when he saw that the homeland's defense

Until when he saw the need to defend the protected,

had grown weak without the Mashrafi sword,

He readily sacrificed the undeserving and weak,

والحال تطلبه لأقبح طاعةٍ

والحال تطلبه لأقبح طاعةٍ

عمياء تثلم صيتَه المعروفا

عمياء تثلم صيتَه المعروفا

while circumstances demanded the vilest obedience of him—

And the situation demanded the ugliest obedience,

blind obedience that would mar his well-known reputation—

A blind obedience that blemishes his famous name,

ترك الوزارة واستقال ولم يرد

ترك الوزارة واستقال ولم يرد

بعد التقدم أن يظل رديفا

بعد التقدم أن يظل رديفا

he left the ministry and resigned, and did not wish,

He left the ministry and resigned, no longer wanting,

after taking the lead, to remain a follower.

After promotion, to remain subordinate,

واللَه ما العجب العجاب فراره

واللَه ما العجب العجاب فراره

عما يشين كماله الموصوفا

عما يشين كماله الموصوفا

By God, the wonder of wonders is not his flight

By God, his escape is not strange,

from what would blemish his celebrated perfection;

From what stains his perfected character,

بل كيف تحتمل النظارة بعده

بل كيف تحتمل النظارة بعده

وتعيش يوماً أو تطيق وقوفا

وتعيش يوماً أو تطيق وقوفا

rather, how can the cabinet endure after him,

But how can oversight tolerate life after him,

live a day, or bear to stand?

Or endure standing a day or being present?

سيعيدها واللَهُ عند ظنوننا ال

سيعيدها واللَهُ عند ظنوننا ال

حسنى بعودتك الفخيمة ريفا

حسنى بعودتك الفخيمة ريفا

He will make it once more—and God is true to our

God will return him, we feel certain,

good hopes—a land of plenty through your august return,

With your glorious return good fortune will thrive,

ويريك يا مولاي سطوة قادرٍ

ويريك يا مولاي سطوة قادرٍ

تخزي الظلوم وتنقذ الملهوفا

تخزي الظلوم وتنقذ الملهوفا

and show you, my lord, the might of One who has power,

And make you witness, my Lord, the power of the Able One,

that shames the oppressor and rescues the distressed.

Who will humiliate the unjust and save the anguished.