أَمسِ اِنقَضى وَاليَومُ مَرقاةُ الغَدِ

أَمسِ اِنقَضى وَاليَومُ مَرقاةُ الغَدِ

إِسكَندَرِيَّةُ آنَ أَن تَتَجَدَّدي

إِسكَندَرِيَّةُ آنَ أَن تَتَجَدَّدي

Yesterday is gone, and today is the stepping-stone to tomorrow.

Yesterday has passed, today ushers in tomorrow

Alexandria, the time has come for you to renew yourself.

Alexandria, it is time for you to be reborn

يا غُرَّةَ الوادي وَسُدَّةَ بابِهِ

يا غُرَّةَ الوادي وَسُدَّةَ بابِهِ

رُدّي مَكانَكَ في البَرِيَّةِ يُردَدِ

رُدّي مَكانَكَ في البَرِيَّةِ يُردَدِ

O radiant brow of the valley and threshold of its gate,

O pearl of the valley, barrier at its gate

Restore your place among humankind, and it will be restored.

Return to your place in the wilderness, echoing

فيضي كَأَمسِ عَلى العُلومِ مِنَ النُهى

فيضي كَأَمسِ عَلى العُلومِ مِنَ النُهى

وَعَلى الفُنونِ مِنَ الجَمالِ السَرمَدي

وَعَلى الفُنونِ مِنَ الجَمالِ السَرمَدي

Pour forth, as yesterday, wisdom upon the sciences,

Pour forth again knowledge and sciences

And upon the arts, everlasting beauty.

And arts with eternal beauty adorned

وَسِمي النَبالَةَ بِالمَلاحِمِ تَتَّسِم

وَسِمي النَبالَةَ بِالمَلاحِمِ تَتَّسِم

وَسِمى الصَبابَةَ بِالعَواطِفِ تَخلُدِ

وَسِمى الصَبابَةَ بِالعَواطِفِ تَخلُدِ

And mark nobility with epics, and it will be distinguished;

Name valor by epics distinguished

And mark ardent longing with emotions, and it will live forever.

Name youth by passions immortalized

وَضَعي رِواياتِ الخَلاعَةِ وَالهَوى

وَضَعي رِواياتِ الخَلاعَةِ وَالهَوى

لِمُمَثِّلينَ مِنَ العُصورِ وَشُهَّدِ

لِمُمَثِّلينَ مِنَ العُصورِ وَشُهَّدِ

And compose dramas of wantonness and passion,

Put aside tales of moral corruption and lust

For actors from the ages, and for spectators.

For actors from generations to emulate

لا تَجعَلي حُبَّ القَديمِ وَذِكرَهُ

لا تَجعَلي حُبَّ القَديمِ وَذِكرَهُ

حَسَراتِ مِضياعٍ وَدَفعَ مُبَدَّدِ

حَسَراتِ مِضياعٍ وَدَفعَ مُبَدَّدِ

Do not make love of the past and remembrance of it

Let not love of the past and its memory

A waster's regrets and squandered expenditure.

Breed only regrets and worthless laments

إِنَّ القَديمَ ذَخيرَةٌ مِن صالِحٍ

إِنَّ القَديمَ ذَخيرَةٌ مِن صالِحٍ

تَبني المُقَصِّرَ أَو تَحُثُّ المُقتَدي

تَبني المُقَصِّرَ أَو تَحُثُّ المُقتَدي

Indeed, the past is a store of what is good,

The olden is a treasure of wholesomeness

That builds up the laggard or spurs on the follower of its example.

That builds up the negligent or guides emulators

لا تَفتِنَنكِ حَضارَةٌ مَجلوبَةٌ

لا تَفتِنَنكِ حَضارَةٌ مَجلوبَةٌ

لَم يُبنَ حائِطُها بِمالِكِ وَاليَدِ

لَم يُبنَ حائِطُها بِمالِكِ وَاليَدِ

Let no imported civilization beguile you,

Be not seduced by an imported civilization

Whose wall was not built with your wealth and hand.

Whose walls were not built by native hands

لَو مالَ عَنكِ شِراعُها وَبُخارُها

لَو مالَ عَنكِ شِراعُها وَبُخارُها

لَم يَبقَ غَيرُ الصَيدِ وَالمُتَصَيِّدِ

لَم يَبقَ غَيرُ الصَيدِ وَالمُتَصَيِّدِ

If its sail and its steam were to turn away from you,

Were its sails and steamers to depart

Nothing would remain but the prey and the hunter.

Only hunting and hunted would remain

وُجِدَت وَكانَ لِغَيرِ أَهلِكِ أَرضُها

وُجِدَت وَكانَ لِغَيرِ أَهلِكِ أَرضُها

وَسَماؤُها وَكَأَنَّها لَم توجَدِ

وَسَماؤُها وَكَأَنَّها لَم توجَدِ

It came into being, yet its land belonged to others, not your people,

It was found yet its land and sky

And its sky too—as though it had never existed.

Were for others, as though it never existed

جاري النَزيلَ وَسابِقيهِ إِلى الغِنى

جاري النَزيلَ وَسابِقيهِ إِلى الغِنى

وَإِلى الحِجا وَإِلى العُلا وَالسُؤدُدِ

وَإِلى الحِجا وَإِلى العُلا وَالسُؤدُدِ

Keep pace with the newcomer, and race him toward wealth,

Pursuing the guest and predecessors to wealth

And toward wisdom, and toward eminence and distinction.

To pilgrimage, glory and high office

وَاِبني كَما يَبنى المَعاهِدَ وَاِشرِعي

وَاِبني كَما يَبنى المَعاهِدَ وَاِشرِعي

لِشَبابِكِ العِرفانَ عَذبَ المَورِدِ

لِشَبابِكِ العِرفانَ عَذبَ المَورِدِ

And build institutions as he builds, and open

And build as institutions are built and embark

To your youth the sweet spring of knowledge.

For your youth the sweet water of knowledge

إِنّي حَذِرتُ عَلَيكَ مِن أُمِّيَّةٍ

إِنّي حَذِرتُ عَلَيكَ مِن أُمِّيَّةٍ

رَبَضَت كَجُنحِ الغَيهَبِ المُتَلَبِّدِ

رَبَضَت كَجُنحِ الغَيهَبِ المُتَلَبِّدِ

Indeed, I feared for you because of illiteracy

I fear for you an encroaching darkness

That crouched like the wing of gathering gloom.

Like wings of hovering vultures spread

أَخِزانَةَ الوادي عَلَيكِ تَحِيَّةٌ

أَخِزانَةَ الوادي عَلَيكِ تَحِيَّةٌ

وَعَلى النَدِيِّ وَكُلِّ أَبلَجَ في النَدي

وَعَلى النَدِيِّ وَكُلِّ أَبلَجَ في النَدي

O treasury of the valley, salutations to you,

Storehouse of the valley, greetings to you

And to the assembly, and every bright-faced man within it.

And the stream and all who linger by it

ما أَنتِ إِلّا مِن خَزائِنِ يوسُفٍ

ما أَنتِ إِلّا مِن خَزائِنِ يوسُفٍ

بِالقَصدِ موحِيَةٌ لِمَن لَم يَقصِدِ

بِالقَصدِ موحِيَةٌ لِمَن لَم يَقصِدِ

You are but one of Joseph's storehouses,

You are but one of Joseph's storehouses

Inspiring thrift in those who have not been thrifty.

Signifying unmeant to the unpercipient

قُلِّدتِ مِن مالِ البِلادِ أَمانَةً

قُلِّدتِ مِن مالِ البِلادِ أَمانَةً

يا طالَما اِفتَقَرَت إِلى المُتَقَلِّدِ

يا طالَما اِفتَقَرَت إِلى المُتَقَلِّدِ

You were charged with a trust from the country's wealth,

Entrusted with the nation's wealth

Ah, how long it had needed someone to bear it!

Long starved of an able trustee

وَبَلَغتِ مِن إيمانِها وَرَجائِها

وَبَلَغتِ مِن إيمانِها وَرَجائِها

ما يَبلُغُ المِحرابُ مِن مُتَعَبِّدِ

ما يَبلُغُ المِحرابُ مِن مُتَعَبِّدِ

And in its faith and hope you have attained

And attained through its faith and hopes

The standing a prayer-niche holds for a worshipper.

What the prayer niche means to the devout

فَلَوَ اَنَّ أَستارَ الجَلالِ سَعَت إِلى

فَلَوَ اَنَّ أَستارَ الجَلالِ سَعَت إِلى

غَيرِ العَتيقِ لَبِستِ مِمّا يَرتَدي

غَيرِ العَتيقِ لَبِستِ مِمّا يَرتَدي

So, if the veils of majesty were to come to

Had the veils of majesty billowed

Any but the Ancient House, you would wear some of what it wears.

You would wear nothing but the time-honored

إِنّا نُعَظِّمُ فيكِ أَلوِيَةً عَلى

إِنّا نُعَظِّمُ فيكِ أَلوِيَةً عَلى

جَنَباتِها حَشدٌ يَروحُ وَيَغتَدي

جَنَباتِها حَشدٌ يَروحُ وَيَغتَدي

Indeed, we honor in you banners along

We esteem in you banners under which throngs

Whose flanks a throng goes forth, evening and morning.

Go and come and wander freely

وَإِذا طَعِمتَ مِنَ الخَلِيَّةِ شَهدَها

وَإِذا طَعِمتَ مِنَ الخَلِيَّةِ شَهدَها

فَاِشهَد لِقائِدِها وَلِلمُتَجَنِّدِ

فَاِشهَد لِقائِدِها وَلِلمُتَجَنِّدِ

And when you taste the honeycomb from the hive,

And if you taste the honeycomb

Then give credit to its commander and to the soldier.

Bear witness to its leader and volunteers

لا تَمنَحِ المَحبوبَ شُكرَكَ كُلَّهُ

لا تَمنَحِ المَحبوبَ شُكرَكَ كُلَّهُ

وَاِقرِن بِهِ شُكرَ الأَجيرِ المُجهَدِ

وَاِقرِن بِهِ شُكرَ الأَجيرِ المُجهَدِ

Do not give the beloved all your gratitude,

Give not all thanks to the beloved

And join to it thanks for the exhausted hired worker.

But mix with it the worker's weary gratitude

إِسكَندَرِيَّةُ شُرِّفَت بِعِصابَةٍ

إِسكَندَرِيَّةُ شُرِّفَت بِعِصابَةٍ

بيضِ الأَسِرَّةِ وَالصَحيفَةِ وَاليَدِ

بيضِ الأَسِرَّةِ وَالصَحيفَةِ وَاليَدِ

Alexandria has been honored by a band

Alexandria you were honored by a band

White of brow, of record, and of hand.

Of white turbans, loincloths and hands

خَدَموا حِمى الوَطَنِ العَزيزِ فَبورِكوا

خَدَموا حِمى الوَطَنِ العَزيزِ فَبورِكوا

خَدَماً وَبورِكَ في الحِمى مِن سَيِّدِ

خَدَماً وَبورِكَ في الحِمى مِن سَيِّدِ

They served the cherished homeland's sanctuary; blessed be they

Who served the precious homeland and were blessed

As servants, and blessed be the master in that sanctuary.

Blessed are those who serve in the protected sanctum

ما بالُ ذاكَ الكوخِ صَرَّحَ وَاِنجَلى

ما بالُ ذاكَ الكوخِ صَرَّحَ وَاِنجَلى

عَن حائِطَي صَرحٍ أَشَمَّ مُمَرَّدِ

عَن حائِطَي صَرحٍ أَشَمَّ مُمَرَّدِ

What has become of that hut? It rose into a palace, revealing

Why has that hut become a towering mansion

The two walls of a lofty, polished edifice.

Rising above the walls of a palace?

مِن كَسرِ بَيتٍ أَو جِدارِ سَقيفَةٍ

مِن كَسرِ بَيتٍ أَو جِدارِ سَقيفَةٍ

رَفَعَ الثَباتُ بِنايَةً كَالفَرقَدِ

رَفَعَ الثَباتُ بِنايَةً كَالفَرقَدِ

From a fragment of a house, or the wall of a shed,

From fragments of a house or lean-to roof

Perseverance raised a building like the star Farqad.

Steadfastness built up a structure like a watchtower

فَإِذا طَلَعتَ عَلى جَلالَةِ رُكنِها

فَإِذا طَلَعتَ عَلى جَلالَةِ رُكنِها

قُل تِلكَ إِحدى مُعجِزاتِ مُحَمَّدِ

قُل تِلكَ إِحدى مُعجِزاتِ مُحَمَّدِ

So when you behold the majesty of its pillar,

When you look upon the grandeur of its pillar

Say: 'That is one of Muhammad's miracles.'

Say "This is one of Muhammad's miracles"