إِلَيكُنَّ يُهدي النيلُ أَلفَ تَحِيَّةٍ

إِلَيكُنَّ يُهدي النيلُ أَلفَ تَحِيَّةٍ

مُعَطَّرَةٍ في أَسطُرٍ عَطِراتِ

مُعَطَّرَةٍ في أَسطُرٍ عَطِراتِ

To you the Nile offers a thousand greetings,

The Nile sends you a thousand fragrant greetings

Perfumed, in fragrant lines.

In lines of perfume

وَيُثني عَلى أَعمالِكُنَّ مُوَكِّلي

وَيُثني عَلى أَعمالِكُنَّ مُوَكِّلي

بِإِطراءِ أَهلِ البِرِّ وَالحَسَناتِ

بِإِطراءِ أَهلِ البِرِّ وَالحَسَناتِ

And he who commissioned me praises your deeds

And commends your deeds through the praise

With praise for people of charity and good works.

Of the virtuous and the righteous

أَقَمتُنَّ بِالأَمسِ الأَساسَ مُبارَكاً

أَقَمتُنَّ بِالأَمسِ الأَساسَ مُبارَكاً

وَجِئتُنَّ يَومَ الفَتحِ مُغتَبِطاتِ

وَجِئتُنَّ يَومَ الفَتحِ مُغتَبِطاتِ

Yesterday you laid a blessed foundation,

Yesterday you laid a blessed foundation

And came rejoicing on opening day.

And today you come rejoicing

صَنَعتُنَّ ما يُعيي الرِجالَ صَنيعُهُ

صَنَعتُنَّ ما يُعيي الرِجالَ صَنيعُهُ

فَزِدتُنَّ في الخَيراتِ وَالبَرَكاتِ

فَزِدتُنَّ في الخَيراتِ وَالبَرَكاتِ

You accomplished what men are hard-pressed to accomplish,

You have done what exhausts men

And so you added to good works and blessings.

Increasing goodness and blessings

يَقولونَ نِصفُ الناسِ في الشَرقِ عاطِلٌ

يَقولونَ نِصفُ الناسِ في الشَرقِ عاطِلٌ

نِساءٌ قَضَينَ العُمرَ في الحُجُراتِ

نِساءٌ قَضَينَ العُمرَ في الحُجُراتِ

They say: half the people in the East are idle—

They say half the people in the East are idle

Women who have spent their lives in chambers.

Women who spent their lives secluded

وَهَذي بَناتُ النيلِ يَعمَلنَ لِلنُهى

وَهَذي بَناتُ النيلِ يَعمَلنَ لِلنُهى

وَيَغرِسنَ غَرساً دانِيَ الثَمَراتِ

وَيَغرِسنَ غَرساً دانِيَ الثَمَراتِ

And these daughters of the Nile labor for wisdom,

Yet here are the Nile’s daughters working diligently

And plant a crop whose fruits are close at hand.

Planting seeds of abundant harvest

وَفي السَنَّةِ السَوداءِ كُنتُنَّ قُدوَةً

وَفي السَنَّةِ السَوداءِ كُنتُنَّ قُدوَةً

لَنا حينَ سالَ المَوتُ بِالمُهُجاتِ

لَنا حينَ سالَ المَوتُ بِالمُهُجاتِ

And in the black year you were an example

In the black year you were exemplars

To us, when death streamed with lifeblood.

When death flowed with invaders

وَقَفتُنَّ في وَجهِ الخَميسِ مُدَجَّجاً

وَقَفتُنَّ في وَجهِ الخَميسِ مُدَجَّجاً

وَكُنتُنَّ بِالإيمانِ مُعتَصِماتِ

وَكُنتُنَّ بِالإيمانِ مُعتَصِماتِ

You stood in the face of the fully armed army,

You stood against the armed Thursday

And you sought refuge in faith.

Steadfast in faith

وَما هالَكُنَّ الرُمحُ وَالسَيفُ مُصلَتاً

وَما هالَكُنَّ الرُمحُ وَالسَيفُ مُصلَتاً

وَلا المِدفَعُ الرَشّاشُ في الطُرُقاتِ

وَلا المِدفَعُ الرَشّاشُ في الطُرُقاتِ

Neither the spear nor the drawn sword daunted you,

Neither spears nor swords wavered you in prayer

Nor the machine gun in the streets.

Nor machine guns in the streets

تَعَلَّمَ مِنكُنَّ الرِجالُ فَأَصبَحوا

تَعَلَّمَ مِنكُنَّ الرِجالُ فَأَصبَحوا

عَلى غَمَراتِ المَوتِ أَهلَ ثَباتِ

عَلى غَمَراتِ المَوتِ أَهلَ ثَباتِ

Men learned from you, and so became

Men learned from you and so became

Steadfast amid the throes of death.

Masters over the tide of death

صَفِيَّةُ قادَتكُنَّ لِلمَجدِ وَالعُلا

صَفِيَّةُ قادَتكُنَّ لِلمَجدِ وَالعُلا

كَما كانَ سَعدٌ قائِدَ السَرَواتِ

كَما كانَ سَعدٌ قائِدَ السَرَواتِ

Safiyya led you to glory and eminence,

Safiyya led you to glory and supremacy

Just as Saad was the leader of the notables.

As Saad led the elite vanguard

عَرَفنا لَها في مَجدِ سَعدٍ نَصيبَها

عَرَفنا لَها في مَجدِ سَعدٍ نَصيبَها

مِنَ الحَزمِ وَالإِقدامِ في الأَزَماتِ

مِنَ الحَزمِ وَالإِقدامِ في الأَزَماتِ

We recognized her share in Saad's glory—

We know her share in Saad’s glory

Of resolve and boldness in times of crisis.

Of wisdom and courage in crises

تُهَوِّنُ لِلشَيخِ الجَليلِ هُجومَهُ

تُهَوِّنُ لِلشَيخِ الجَليلِ هُجومَهُ

عَلى الهَولِ بِالتَشجيعِ وَالبَسَماتِ

عَلى الهَولِ بِالتَشجيعِ وَالبَسَماتِ

She eases the venerable elder's charge

She makes light of the venerable elder’s attack

Against terror, with encouragement and smiles.

With encouragement and smiles

وَتَدفَعُهُ لِلمَوتِ وَالثَغرُ باسِمٌ

وَتَدفَعُهُ لِلمَوتِ وَالثَغرُ باسِمٌ

وَفي صَدرِها نَوءٌ مِنَ الزَفَراتِ

وَفي صَدرِها نَوءٌ مِنَ الزَفَراتِ

And urges him toward death, her lips smiling,

And drives him to death though the breach is afire

While in her breast is a storm of sighs.

With sighs bursting from her chest

كَذا فَليَكُن صُنعُ الكَريمِ وَصَبرُهُ

كَذا فَليَكُن صُنعُ الكَريمِ وَصَبرُهُ

عَلى دَهرِهِ وَالدَهرُ غَيرُ مُواتي

عَلى دَهرِهِ وَالدَهرُ غَيرُ مُواتي

Such should be the noble one's conduct and patience

So let the generous act and endure

With his times, though time is unkind.

His fate though it does not oblige

لِتَحيَ الغَواني في ظِلالِ مَليكَةٍ

لِتَحيَ الغَواني في ظِلالِ مَليكَةٍ

سَمَت في مَعاليها عَلى المَلِكاتِ

سَمَت في مَعاليها عَلى المَلِكاتِ

May the fair women live in the shade of a queen

To revive chivalry in the shade of a queen

Who in her eminence has risen above queens.

Who excelled all queens

وَظَلَّ فُؤادٌ مَفخَرَ الشَرقِ كُلِّهِ

وَظَلَّ فُؤادٌ مَفخَرَ الشَرقِ كُلِّهِ

كَثيرَ الأَيادي صادِقَ العَزَماتِ

كَثيرَ الأَيادي صادِقَ العَزَماتِ

And may Fuad remain the pride of the whole East,

And remained the proud East’s joyous heart

Abundant in benefactions, true in his resolves.

Open-handed, true to its intents