1. موقفٌ حانَ فاغتنم

    وتخير من الكلم

    An occasion has come—seize it,

    and choose from among words

  2. كلَّ لفظٍ أرقَّ مِن

    ضحكة الزهر للدِّيم

    every word more delicate than

    the flowers' laughter at the steady rains,

  3. مستَمَدٍّ من الرُّبى

    مُستعارٍ من النّسم

    drawn from the hills,

    borrowed from the breezes.

  4. اجمع الآنَ طاقةً

    غضّةَ النور تبتسم

    Gather now a bouquet,

    fresh-blossomed and smiling;

  5. أُهدِها روحَ شاعرٍ

    خالدٍ بالذي نَظم

    offer it to the spirit of a poet,

    immortal through what he composed.

  6. قلمي ما الذي لدي

    كَ من الخيرِ يا قلم

    My pen, what is there

    of good in you, O pen?

  7. قمفذكّر وناج قو

    مَك واخطُب وقل لهم

    Rise, remind them, and commune with your

    people; address them and tell them:

  8. قل لأهل الغناء في

    كنف المعهد الأشَم

    Tell the singers in

    the shelter of the lofty institute:

  9. ذلك الشاعرُ الذي

    باتَ في خاطر الظُّلم

    that poet who

    has come to dwell in injustice's thoughts

  10. هو منكم وفنُّهُ

    علمَ الله فنكم

    is one of you, and his art—

    God knows—is your art.

  11. كان لحناً فصار ذِك

    راً كما يُذكَرُ الحُلم

    He was a melody, then became a memory,

    as a dream is remembered.

  12. إنما الشعر مزدهرٌ

    قد حكى قصة الأمم

    Poetry is indeed in bloom;

    it has told the story of nations.

  13. وبأوتاره المنى

    تتلاقى وتزدحم

    And on its strings, hopes

    meet and crowd together.

  14. هو نايٌ مُرجِّعٌ

    لشجيٍّ وما كتم

    It is an echoing flute

    for a sorrowful soul and what he has concealed.

  15. هو قيثارةُ الزما

    نِ ونجواه مِن قِدَم

    It is the lyre of time,

    and its whisper from ages past.

  16. هو أنشودة الحيا

    ةِ وفيضٌ من النغم

    It is the song of life,

    and an outpouring of melody.

  17. أيها المعهدُ الذي

    بلغ المجدَ واستتم

    O institute that

    has reached glory in its fullness:

  18. كلُّ لحنٍ مذكرٍ

    أشعل القلب فاضطرم

    every evocative melody

    that lit the heart and set it aflame

  19. نظمته يدُ الأسى

    وقَعته يدُ السقم

    was composed by sorrow's hand,

    given rhythm by sickness's hand.

  20. وأناشيدكم وما

    صاغه الفنُّ من عِظم

    And your anthems, and what

    art has fashioned of grandeur,

  21. هي أنّات أنفسٍ

    بالمقاديرِ ترتطِم

    are the moans of souls

    colliding with the decrees of fate,

  22. وصباباتُ أعينٍ

    يشهد الليل لَم تنم

    and the longings of eyes

    that, night bears witness, have not slept.

  23. وأغانيكُم التي

    هي في قمةِ القمَم

    And your songs, which

    stand on the summit of summits,

  24. هي آهات شاعرٍ

    عرف الحبَّ والألم

    are the sighs of a poet

    who knew love and pain.

  25. ذلك الشاعرُ الذي

    روحه الآن بينكم

    That poet whose

    spirit is now among you—

  26. لكأني أراه حَي

    ياً وألقاهُ عن أمَم

    it is as though I see him alive,

    and meet him close at hand.

  27. وَهو في ذِروة الشبا

    بِ وفي خفةِ القَدَم

    He is at the height of youth,

    and light of foot,

  28. غاشياً كلَّ منتدى

    عاليَ الرأسِ محترم

    frequenting every gathering,

    head held high, respected.

  29. كلما قال شعرَه

    غمر السهلَ والعلم

    Whenever he recited his verse,

    he flooded plain and mountain,

  30. دافقاً ليس ينتهي

    أبداً سيله العرِم

    pouring forth, with no end

    ever to his raging torrent,

  31. باذلا للصديق والأه

    لِ كلّ الذي غنِم

    giving to friend and family

    all that he had gained.

  32. زوجه والبنون هُم

    مجده والرجاء هُم

    His wife and sons were

    his glory; they were his hope.

  33. درجوا في ذرا العلا

    نوَّروا في رُبى النعم

    They grew up on the heights of glory,

    blossomed on the hills of blessings;

  34. نشأوا في حمى العفا

    فِ وجلُّوا عن التُّهم

    they were raised in the sanctuary of virtue,

    and stood above accusations.

  35. حين ظنوا بأنَّ ما

    أمَّلوا في الزمانِ تَم

    When they thought that what

    they had hoped for from time had come true,

  36. إذ شكا الضعفَ سيد ال

    بيت خارت به الهِمم

    then weakness afflicted the master of the

    house; his resolve gave way.

  37. نام في حضنِه الضَّنى

    وعلى صدره جَثم

    Wasting illness slept in his lap,

    and crouched upon his chest.

  38. وإذا بالطيور قد

    دخل الموت وكرهُم

    And behold, the birds—

    death had entered their nest,

  39. شِبهَ لصٍّ مخادعٍ

    غشى البيت فالتهَم

    like a deceitful thief

    that invaded the house and devoured it.

  40. وإذا الفاقةُ الجَري

    ئةُ تَطغَى وتَنتَقِم

    And suddenly, brazen poverty

    runs rampant and takes revenge;

  41. صنعت في رجائهم

    فعلَة الذئبِ بالغنم

    it did to their hopes

    what a wolf does to sheep,

  42. كأتونٍ مسعَّرٍ

    غاضبٍ ينثرُ الحُمَم

    like a stoked furnace,

    raging, scattering embers.

  43. مَن رأى البؤس إن عدا

    مَن رأى الضنك إن هَجَم

    Who has seen misery when it attacks?

    Who has seen hardship when it storms in?

  44. مَن رأى العفةَ العري

    قةَ بالدهر تصطدم

    Who has seen deep-rooted virtue

    collide with time?

  45. أُمتي ليس يُهزَمُ ال

    فنُّ في أُمة الشّمَم

    My nation, art is never defeated

    in a nation of noble pride.

  46. أُمَّتي ليس يخذلُ ال

    جُودُ في أمة الكرَم

    My nation, generosity is never forsaken

    in a nation of munificence.

  47. أُمَّتي أمة العلا

    وأبي الهول والهرَم

    My nation, nation of glory,

    and of the Sphinx and the pyramid.