إِذَا السُّحبُ طَمَّت وَادْلَهَمَّت فَقَدْ يُرَى

إِذَا السُّحبُ طَمَّت وَادْلَهَمَّت فَقَدْ يُرَى

مَكَانٌ تَقِيهِ فُرْجَةٌ وَتُنِيرُ

مَكَانٌ تَقِيهِ فُرْجَةٌ وَتُنِيرُ

When clouds pile high and darken, there may be seen

When clouds cluster and thunder,

A place that a break in them shelters and lights.

A place may appear, lit up and brightened.

فَيَضْحَكُ وَالآفَاقُ تَبْكِي حِيَالَهُ

فَيَضْحَكُ وَالآفَاقُ تَبْكِي حِيَالَهُ

وَفِي غَيْرِهِ بُؤْسٌ وَفِيهِ حُبُورُ

وَفِي غَيْرِهِ بُؤْسٌ وَفِيهِ حُبُورُ

So it laughs while the horizons weep before it,

So it smiles while horizons weep around it,

With misery elsewhere, and joy within it.

Miserable elsewhere, but cheerful here.

عَفَا الْخَطْبُ عَنْ مِصْرٍ فَمِنْ لُطْفِ شُغْلِهَا

عَفَا الْخَطْبُ عَنْ مِصْرٍ فَمِنْ لُطْفِ شُغْلِهَا

صَنَاعٌ يُوَفِّي حَمْدَهَا وَخَبِيرُ

صَنَاعٌ يُوَفِّي حَمْدَهَا وَخَبِيرُ

Calamity has spared Egypt; through the grace of her work,

Preoccupations have distracted Egypt from speeches,

A craftsman and an expert give her praise its due.

Skills will fulfill its praise and expertise.

وَمِمَّا بِهِ تَقْضِي سَوَابِقُ عَهْدِنَا

وَمِمَّا بِهِ تَقْضِي سَوَابِقُ عَهْدِنَا

بِهَا أََْن يُرَى قَلْبٌ لِمِصْرَ شَكُورُ

بِهَا أََْن يُرَى قَلْبٌ لِمِصْرَ شَكُورُ

And among the things decreed by our past acquaintance

And of what validates precedents of our past,

With her is that a heart be found grateful to Egypt.

Is that a heart loyal to Egypt be seen.

فَبَيْنَا غُزَاةِ الْحَرْبِ شَرْقاً وَمَغْرِباً

فَبَيْنَا غُزَاةِ الْحَرْبِ شَرْقاً وَمَغْرِباً

يَغَارُ عَلَيْهَا تَارَةً وَتُغِيرُ

يَغَارُ عَلَيْهَا تَارَةً وَتُغِيرُ

So while war's raiders, in the east and west,

While warriors of war in east and west

Are raided at times and themselves raid;

Sometimes jealous of it, upset and hostile,

وَبَيْنَا السُّيُوفُ الْبِيضُ تَسْفِكُ فِي الثَّرَى

وَبَيْنَا السُّيُوفُ الْبِيضُ تَسْفِكُ فِي الثَّرَى

دِمَاءً فَيَذْوِي نَبْتُهُ وَيَبُور

دِمَاءً فَيَذْوِي نَبْتُهُ وَيَبُور

And while the bright swords spill upon the soil

While bright swords shed blood in the soil,

Blood, so that its vegetation withers and perishes;

Its vegetation withers and dries,

وَبَيْنَا الرِّمَاحُ السُّمْرُ تَقْضِي قَضَاءَهَا

وَبَيْنَا الرِّمَاحُ السُّمْرُ تَقْضِي قَضَاءَهَا

فَيَمْضِي قَوِيماً وَالصِّعادُ تَجُورُ

فَيَمْضِي قَوِيماً وَالصِّعادُ تَجُورُ

And while the brown lances pronounce their judgment,

While brown spears fulfill their judgment,

So their judgment runs straight, while the spear-shafts stray;

Moving straight while the ground shakes,

وَبَيْنَا مُبِيداتُ المَعَاقِلِ وَالْقُرَى

وَبَيْنَا مُبِيداتُ المَعَاقِلِ وَالْقُرَى

تُهَاجُ بِزَنْدٍ نَابِضٍ فَتَثُورُ

تُهَاجُ بِزَنْدٍ نَابِضٍ فَتَثُورُ

And while the destroyers of fortresses and villages

While strongholds and homes are devastated

Are roused by a throbbing forearm and erupt;

By fiery bombardment bursting forth,

وَبَيْنَا عُيُونُ الْبَحْرِ تَرْمِي بِلَحْظِهَا

وَبَيْنَا عُيُونُ الْبَحْرِ تَرْمِي بِلَحْظِهَا

جِبَالاً رَسَتْ فِي مَتْنِهِ فَتَغُورُ

جِبَالاً رَسَتْ فِي مَتْنِهِ فَتَغُورُ

And while the eyes of the sea strike with their glances

While sea eyes hurl with their gaze

Mountains anchored on its back, which then sink;

Mountains that sank in its depth and drowned,

وَبَيْنَا مَطايَا الجَوِّ فِي خَطَراتِها

وَبَيْنَا مَطايَا الجَوِّ فِي خَطَراتِها

تُرامي العِدَى بالشَّهبِ حَيْثُ تَطيرُ

تُرامي العِدَى بالشَّهبِ حَيْثُ تَطيرُ

And while the steeds of the air, in their darting flights,

While warplanes darting in their danger

Pelt the foes with meteors wherever they fly;

Hurl enemies with meteors where they fly,

وَبَيْنَا الْحُدُودُ الثَّابِتَاتُ لأَحْقُبٍ

وَبَيْنَا الْحُدُودُ الثَّابِتَاتُ لأَحْقُبٍ

يُسَيِّرُهَا شُوسُ الْوَغَى فَتَسِيرُ

يُسَيِّرُهَا شُوسُ الْوَغَى فَتَسِيرُ

And while the boundaries fixed for ages

While fixed borders for eras

Are moved by fierce warriors of battle, and move;

Are pushed by spears of turmoil to move,

كَفَى آمِناً فِي مِصْرَ أَنَّ ظُنُونَهُ

كَفَى آمِناً فِي مِصْرَ أَنَّ ظُنُونَهُ

تَرَى دُونَهُ الأَقْدَارَ كَيْفَ تَدُورُ

تَرَى دُونَهُ الأَقْدَارَ كَيْفَ تَدُورُ

It is enough for one safe in Egypt that his conjectures

It’s enough to feel safe in Egypt that its perceptions

See how the fates turn without reaching him,

See fates spinning around it,

وَأَنَّ رُمُوزاً فِي الرِّقَاعِ يَخطُّها

وَأَنَّ رُمُوزاً فِي الرِّقَاعِ يَخطُّها

تُقِرُّ مَكَانَ الفَتْحِ حَيْثُ يُشيرُ

تُقِرُّ مَكَانَ الفَتْحِ حَيْثُ يُشيرُ

And that symbols he traces on sheets of paper

And that symbols traced on the horizons

Fix victory's place wherever he points.

Point to where openings come, foretelling victory.

أَلَيْسَ يَسَارُ الْحَالِ قَيَّض مَجْمَعاً

أَلَيْسَ يَسَارُ الْحَالِ قَيَّض مَجْمَعاً

كَهَذَا بِرَغْمِ الدَّهْرِ وَهُوَ عَسِيرُ

كَهَذَا بِرَغْمِ الدَّهْرِ وَهُوَ عَسِيرُ

Has not prosperity made possible a gathering

Has not fortune enabled such a gathering

Like this, despite the times, hard as they are?

Despite these hard times, against all odds?

أَفَاضَ عَلَيْهِ طالِعُ السَّعدِ نُورَهُ

أَفَاضَ عَلَيْهِ طالِعُ السَّعدِ نُورَهُ

وَضَمَّ بِهِ رَهْطَ الكِرَامِ سُرُورُ

وَضَمَّ بِهِ رَهْطَ الكِرَامِ سُرُورُ

The rising star of good fortune has poured its light upon it,

The star of bliss has poured its light upon it

And joy has gathered within it a company of noble men.

And gathered with it the cheerful nobles.

أُقِيمَ لِيُجْزَى فِيهِ بِالخَيْرِ عَامِلٌ

أُقِيمَ لِيُجْزَى فِيهِ بِالخَيْرِ عَامِلٌ

نَشِيطٌ كَمَا يَهْوَى النُّبوغَ قَدِيرُ

نَشِيطٌ كَمَا يَهْوَى النُّبوغَ قَدِيرُ

It was held so that a worker might be well rewarded there,

It was established to reward with good

Energetic, as capable as he is devoted to brilliance;

An active, aspiring, capable worker,

نَجِيبٌ جَدِيرٌ بِالنَّجاحِ لِعَزْمِهِ

نَجِيبٌ جَدِيرٌ بِالنَّجاحِ لِعَزْمِهِ

وَكُلُّ هُمَامٍ بِالنَّجاحِ جَدِيرُ

وَكُلُّ هُمَامٍ بِالنَّجاحِ جَدِيرُ

Gifted, worthy of success for his resolve,

A decent man worthy of success for his resolve,

And every man of high resolve is worthy of success.

And every man of resolve is worthy of success.

لَئِنْ خُصَّ حَظٌّ مِنْ جَنَاهُ بِرِزْقِهِ

لَئِنْ خُصَّ حَظٌّ مِنْ جَنَاهُ بِرِزْقِهِ

فَلِلْعِلم حَظٌّ مِنْ جَنَاهُ كَبِيرُ

فَلِلْعِلم حَظٌّ مِنْ جَنَاهُ كَبِيرُ

Though a share of his harvest is reserved for his livelihood,

If part of his share was distinguished by income,

Knowledge has a large share of his harvest.

Then science has ample share of his distinction.

وَإِنْ يَجْهَلِ الأَحَادُ مَا قَدْرُ جُهْدِهِ

وَإِنْ يَجْهَلِ الأَحَادُ مَا قَدْرُ جُهْدِهِ

وَمَا فَضْلُهُ فَالْعَارِفُونَ كَثِيرُ

وَمَا فَضْلُهُ فَالْعَارِفُونَ كَثِيرُ

And if a few do not know the worth of his effort

Though the unaware know not his effort’s worth,

And what his merit is, those who know are many.

Nor his excellence, the knowing are many,

بِقُدْوَتِهِ لِلْمُقْتَدِينَ هِدَايَةٌ

بِقُدْوَتِهِ لِلْمُقْتَدِينَ هِدَايَةٌ

إِذَا الْتَمَسُوا وَجْهَ الصَّوَابِ وَنُورُ

إِذَا الْتَمَسُوا وَجْهَ الصَّوَابِ وَنُورُ

His example gives guidance to those who follow,

By following his example there is guidance

When they seek the right course—and gives them light.

When the seekers of truth and light are asked.