1. أَيُّها العُمّالُ أَفنوا ال

    عُمرَ كَدّاً وَاِكتِسابا

    O workers, spend

    your lives in toil and earning.

  2. وَاِعمُروا الأَرضَ فَلَولا

    سَعيُكُم أَمسَت يَبابا

    And cultivate the earth; but for

    your efforts, it would lie waste.

  3. إِنَّ لي نُصحاً إِلَيكُم

    إِن أَذِنتُم وَعِتابا

    I have counsel for you,

    if you permit, and reproach,

  4. في زَمانٍ غَبِيَ النا

    صِحُ فيهِ أَو تَغابى

    in an age when the adviser is ignorant

    or feigns ignorance.

  5. أَينَ أَنتُم مِن جُدودٍ

    خَلَّدوا هَذا التُرابا

    Where do you stand beside forefathers

    who immortalized this soil?

  6. قَلَّدوهُ الأَثَرَ المُع

    جِزَ وَالفَنَّ العُجابا

    They adorned it with wondrous monuments

    and marvelous art,

  7. وَكَسَوهُ أَبَدَ الدَه

    رِ مِنَ الفَخرِ ثِيابا

    and clothed it, for all time,

    in garments of glory.

  8. أَتقَنوا الصَنعَةَ حَتّى

    أَخَذوا الخُلدَ اِغتِصابا

    They perfected their craft until

    they seized immortality by force.

  9. إِنَّ لِلمُتقِنِ عِندَ

    اللَهِ وَالناسِ ثَوابا

    Indeed, those who perfect their work find

    reward with God and humankind.

  10. أَتقِنوا يُحبِبكُمُ اللَ

    هُ وَيَرفَعكُم جَنابا

    Perfect your work: God will love you

    and raise your standing.

  11. أَرَضيتُم أَن تُرى مِص

    رُ مِنَ الفَنِّ خَرابا

    Are you content to see Egypt

    a wasteland devoid of art,

  12. بَعدَ ما كانَت سَماءً

    لِلصِناعاتِ وَغابا

    after it was a heaven

    for crafts, and a forest of them?

  13. أَيُّها الجَمعُ لَقَد صِر

    تَ مِنَ المَجلِسِ قابا

    O assembly, you have come

    within a bow's length of the council.

  14. فَكُنِ الحُرَّ اِختِياراً

    وَكُنِ الحُرَّ اِنتِخابا

    So be free in your choice,

    and free in your vote.

  15. إِنَّ لِلقَومِ لَعَيناً

    لَيسَ تَألوكَ اِرتِقابا

    The people have a watchful eye

    that never slackens in watching you.

  16. فَتَوَقَّع أَن يَقولوا

    مَن عَنِ العُمّالِ نابا

    So expect them to ask,

    "Who represented the workers?"

  17. لَيسَ بِالأَمرِ جَديراً

    كُلُّ مَن أَلقى خِطابا

    Not everyone is fit for the task

    merely because he gave a speech,

  18. أَو سَخا بِالمالِ أَو قَد

    دَمَ جاهاً وَاِنتِسابا

    or was generous with money, or put forward

    his prestige and lineage,

  19. أَو رَأى أُمِّيَّةً فَاِخ

    تَلَب الجَهلَ اِختِلابا

    or saw illiteracy and beguiled

    ignorance with deception.

  20. فَتَخَيَّر كُلَّ مَن شَب

    بَ عَلى الصِدقِ وَشابا

    So choose everyone who grew up

    in truthfulness and grew gray in it.

  21. وَاِذكُرِ الأَنصارَ بِالأَم

    سِ وَلا تَنسَ الصِحابا

    And remember yesterday's supporters,

    and do not forget your companions.

  22. أَيُّها الغادونَ كَالنَح

    لِ اِرتِياداً وَطِلابا

    O you who set forth like bees,

    seeking and searching,

  23. في بُكورِ الطَيرِ لِلرِز

    قِ مَجيئاً وَذَهابا

    at the birds' early hour, seeking sustenance,

    coming and going,

  24. اِطلُبوا الحَقَّ بِرِفقٍ

    وَاِجعَلوا الواجِبَ دابا

    seek your rights gently,

    and make duty your constant practice.

  25. وَاِستَقيموا يَفتَحِ اللَ

    هُ لَكُم باباً فَبابا

    And be upright: God will open

    for you one door after another.

  26. اِهجُروا الخَمرَ تُطيعوا ال

    لَهَ أَو تُرضوا الكِتابا

    Forsake wine, and you will obey

    God, or satisfy Scripture.

  27. إِنَّها رِجسٌ فَطوبى

    لِاِمرِئٍ كَفَّ وَتابا

    It is an abomination; blessed is

    anyone who abstains and repents.

  28. تُرعِشُ الأَيدي وَمَن يُر

    عِش مِنَ الصُنّاعِ خابا

    It makes hands tremble; and whoever

    trembles among craftsmen fails.

  29. إِنَّما العاقِلُ مَن يَج

    عَلُ لِلدَهرِ حِسابا

    Only he is wise who

    reckons with the passage of time.

  30. فَاِذكُروا يَومَ مَشيبٍ

    فيهِ تَبكونَ الشَبابا

    So remember the day of gray hairs,

    when you will weep for youth.

  31. إِنَّ لِلسِنِّ لَهَمّاً

    حينَ تَعلو وَعَذابا

    Indeed, age has its cares

    as it advances, and its suffering.

  32. فَاِجعَلوا مِن مالِكُم

    لِلشَيبِ وَالضَعفِ نِصابا

    So set aside from your wealth

    a share for old age and weakness.

  33. وَاِذكُروا في الصَحَّةِ الدا

    ءَ إِذا ما السُقمُ نابا

    And in health, remember illness,

    when sickness befalls you.

  34. وَاِجمَعوا المالَ لِيَومٍ

    فيهِ تَلقَونَ اِغتِصابا

    And save money for a day

    when you face forcible dispossession.

  35. قَد دَعاكُم ذَنبَ الهَي

    ئَةِ داعٍ فَأَصابا

    Someone has called you the tail

    of the body, and he was right.

  36. هِيَ طاووسٌ وَهَل أَح

    سَنُهُ إِلّا الذُنابى

    It is a peacock; is its fairest part

    anything but the tail?