لَهْفِي على الإسكندري

ةٍ كيف يَسْكُنها اللئامُ

My yearning for Alexandria

A country whose nobility has vanished

بلد عَدِمتُ بها السرو

ر كما بها عُدِم الكرِام

Just as its generosity has vanished

It was beautiful but its people made it ugly

حَسُنتْ وقُبِّح أهلها

فضِياؤُها بهمُ ظلام

Its splendor is darkness because of them

A people who if you wake them up

قومٌ إذا استيقظتَهم

لمَكارمِ الأخلاقِ ناموا

To the virtues of character, they sleep

A people who if the generous sit

قوم إذا قعد الكرا

م على بساط العز قاموا

On the carpet of honor, they stand

Their permissibility is, because of their stinginess

فحلالُهم من شُحِّهم

في كل مسألةٍ حَرام

Haraam in every issue

A people who if you ask them for food

قوم إذا استطعَمْتَهم

في يومِ عيدِ الفطر صاموا

On Eid Al-Fitr, they fast