لاdo not تَحْقِرِdespise الدِّرْهَمَthe dirham مِنْfrom مُسْعِدٍa benefactor
لا تَحْقِرِ الدِّرْهَمَ مِنْ مُسْعِدٍ
سَلْask أُمَمَthe nations الْغَرْبِthe West بِهِabout it تَعْلَمِyou will learn
سَلْ أُمَمَ الْغَرْبِ بِهِ تَعْلَمِ
Do not despise a dirham from a benefactor.
Ask the nations of the West about it, and you will learn.
بَنَىbuilt بِهِwith it إِحْسَانُهُمْtheir charity مَاwhat بَنَىit built
بَنَى بِهِ إِحْسَانُهُمْ مَا بَنَى
مِنْof مَعْهَدٍan institution لِلبِرِّfor charity أَوْor مَعْلَمِa landmark
مِنْ مَعْهَدٍ لِلبِرِّ أَوْ مَعْلَمِ
With it their charity has built all it has built,
whether a charitable institution or a landmark.
يَقُولُsays مَنْwhoever فَكَّرَreflected فِيon أَمْرِهِits workings
يَقُولُ مَنْ فَكَّرَ فِي أَمْرِهِ
أَكُلُّis all هَذَاthis الْخَيْرِgood مِنْfrom دِرْهَمِa dirham
أَكُلُّ هَذَا الْخَيْرِ مِنْ دِرْهَمِ
One who reflects on its workings says:
Has all this good come from a dirham?
هَلْhas قَامَundertaken بِالمُعْظَمِthe greater part فِيin كلall مَاthat
هَلْ قَامَ بِالمُعْظَمِ فِي كل مَا
يَعُمُّextends to all بِالنَّفْعِwith benefit سِوَىexcept المُعْظَمِthe majority
يَعُمُّ بِالنَّفْعِ سِوَى المُعْظَمِ
Has the greater part of all that
benefits everyone been achieved by anyone but the multitude?
مَاis not النِّيلُthe Nile إِلاَّexcept قَطَرَاتٌdrops إِلَىtoward
مَا النِّيلُ إِلاَّ قَطَرَاتٌ إِلَى
وَادِيهِits valley مِنْfrom أَقْصَىthe farthest الرُّبَىthe hills تَرْتَمِيtumble
وَادِيهِ مِنْ أَقْصَى الرُّبَى تَرْتَمِي
The Nile is nothing but drops that into
its valley tumble from the farthest hills.
لَوْif لَمْnot يُؤَلِّفْbring together بَيْنَهَاamong them لَمْnot تَكُنْbe
لَوْ لَمْ يُؤَلِّفْ بَيْنَهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ
جَنَّاتthe gardens مِصْرٍEgypt غَيْرَother than قَفْرٍa wasteland ظَمِيthirsty
جَنَّات مِصْرٍ غَيْرَ قَفْرٍ ظَمِي
Had it not brought them together, there would have been
no gardens in Egypt, only a thirsty waste.
سَرِّّحْlet roam بِهِover it طَرْفَكَyour gaze وَاعْجَبْand marvel لِمَاat what
سَرِّّحْ بِهِ طَرْفَكَ وَاعْجَبْ لِمَا
يَنْجُمُarises عَنْfrom تَصْرِيفِهِits management المُحْكَمِwell-ordered
يَنْجُمُ عَنْ تَصْرِيفِهِ المُحْكَمِ
Let your gaze roam over it, and marvel at what
springs from its well-ordered management.
يَاO أَنْجُماًstars زَانَتْadorned سَمَاءَthe sky الْحِمَىthe homeland
يَا أَنْجُماً زَانَتْ سَمَاءَ الْحِمَى
بُورِكَblessed be فِيamong الْفِتْيَانِthe young men مِنْof أَنْجُمِstars
بُورِكَ فِي الْفِتْيَانِ مِنْ أَنْجُمِ
O stars that have adorned the homeland's sky,
blessed be such stars among the young men!
لَهُمْthey have سَنَاهَاtheir radiance وِبِهِمْand in them مِثْلُthe like of مَاwhat
لَهُمْ سَنَاهَا وِبِهِمْ مِثْلُ مَا
يَجْلوreveals السَّنَىthe radiance مِنْof عَزْمِهَاtheir resolve المُضْرَمِblazing
يَجْلو السَّنَى مِنْ عَزْمِهَا المُضْرَمِ
Theirs is the stars' radiance, and in them is the same
blazing resolve that the radiance reveals.
دَعَوْتمُyou called الشَّعْبَthe people إِلَىtoward غَايَةٍa goal
دَعَوْتمُ الشَّعْبَ إِلَى غَايَةٍ
يَنْشُدُهَاseeks it مِنْthrough نَهْجِهَاits path الأَقْوَمِstraightest
يَنْشُدُهَا مِنْ نَهْجِهَا الأَقْوَمِ
You have called the people toward a goal
they seek along the straightest path to it:
دَارٌa house بِهِthrough it يُحْيِيrevives صِنَاعَاتِهِtheir crafts
دَارٌ بِهِ يُحْيِي صِنَاعَاتِهِ
كَعَهْدِهَاas in their former state فِيin الزَّمَنِthe time الأَقْدَمِmost ancient
كَعَهْدِهَا فِي الزَّمَنِ الأَقْدَمِ
a house where they revive their crafts,
as they were in the most ancient times.
تشَادُis built بِالمَيْسُورِwith what is affordable مِمَّاfrom what بِهِwith which
تشَادُ بِالمَيْسُورِ مِمَّا بِهِ
يَسْخُوgives generously لَهَاto it الْجَيْبُthe pocket وَلَمْand has not يُهْدَمِbeen ruined
يَسْخُو لَهَا الْجَيْبُ وَلَمْ يُهْدَمِ
It is built with the affordable portion of what
the pocket generously gives to it, without itself being ruined.
فَيُسْتَدَرso is drawn forth الخَيْرgoodness ُ أَوْor تُتَّقَىare warded off
فَيُسْتَدَر الخَيْر ُ أَوْ تُتَّقَى
آفَاتُthe scourges بُؤْسٍpoverty مُثْكِلٍbereaving مُؤْتِمِorphaning
آفَاتُ بُؤْسٍ مُثْكِلٍ مُؤْتِمِ
Thus goodness is made to flow, or warded off are
the scourges of poverty that bereaves and orphans.
إِنْif لَمْnot يَكُنْthere is رِزْقٌa livelihood فَلاthen no بِدْعَsurprise فِيin
إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ رِزْقٌ فَلا بِدْعَ فِي
تَحَوُّلِthe turning الْعَافِيthe beggar إِلَىinto مُجْرِمِa criminal
تَحَوُّلِ الْعَافِي إِلَى مُجْرِمِ
If there is no livelihood, there is no wonder in
a beggar's turning into a criminal.
ذَاكَthat لَعَمْرِيby my life مَطْلَبٌan aim قَيِّمworthy
ذَاكَ لَعَمْرِي مَطْلَبٌ قَيِّم
مَاthere is no بَعْدَهُbeyond it مِنْany مَطْلَبٍaim قَيِّمِworthy
مَا بَعْدَهُ مِنْ مَطْلَبٍ قَيِّمِ
That, by my life, is a worthy aim,
beyond which there is no worthy aim.
بِمِثْلِهِby the like of it تُقْشَعُare dispelled عَنْfrom أُمَّةٍa nation
بِمِثْلِهِ تُقْشَعُ عَنْ أُمَّةٍ
غَيَاهِبُdeep darkness المُسْتَقْبَلِthe future المُظْلِمِdark
غَيَاهِبُ المُسْتَقْبَلِ المُظْلِمِ
By such an aim are dispelled from a nation
the deep shadows of the dark future.
حَاجَتُنَاour need الْيَوْمَtoday إِلَيْهِfor it فَمَنْso whoever
حَاجَتُنَا الْيَوْمَ إِلَيْهِ فَمَنْ
لَمْdoes not يَقْضِfulfill مَاwhat تُوجِبُهُit requires it بَأْثَمِin sin
لَمْ يَقْضِ مَا تُوجِبُهُ بَأْثَمِ
Our need today is for it; so whoever
fails to fulfill what that need requires is guilty.
إِيهاًcome on مُحِبِّيlovers of مِصْرَEgypt هَاتُواbring forth عَلَىfor
إِيهاً مُحِبِّي مِصْرَ هَاتُوا عَلَى
دَعْوَىa claim هَوَاهَاlove for her حُجَّةَthe proof المُفْحِمِone who silences opponents
دَعْوَى هَوَاهَا حُجَّةَ المُفْحِمِ
Come, lovers of Egypt, furnish for
your claim to love her an unanswerable proof.
أَيْنَwhere سَخَاءُgenerosity الْيَدِthe hand تُغْنُونَهَاyou spare her
أَيْنَ سَخَاءُ الْيَدِ تُغْنُونَهَا
بِهِthrough it قَلِيلاًa little مِنْof سَخَاءِgenerosity الْفَمِthe mouth
بِهِ قَلِيلاً مِنْ سَخَاءِ الْفَمِ
Where is the hand's generosity, that you may spare her
through it a little of the mouth's generosity?
تَدَفَّقُواpour forth بِالصَّدَقَاتِwith alms الَّتِيthat
تَدَفَّقُوا بِالصَّدَقَاتِ الَّتِي
تَصْونُهَاprotect her مِنْfrom صَوْلَةِthe onslaught المُعْدِمِthe destitute
تَصْونُهَا مِنْ صَوْلَةِ المُعْدِمِ
Pour forth the alms that
protect her from the onslaught of the destitute.
مَاذَاwhat عَلَىupon السَّامِحِthe generous giver مِنْfrom كَسْبِهِhis earnings
مَاذَا عَلَى السَّامِحِ مِنْ كَسْبِهِ
مُحْتَسِباًseeking reward بِالْقِرْشِwith a piaster فِيat مَوْسِمِa festival
مُحْتَسِباً بِالْقِرْشِ فِي مَوْسِمِ
What harm is there for one who gives from his earnings,
seeking reward with a piaster at a festival?
يُعْطِيهِgives it لاnot غُرْماًas a loss وَلَكِنْbut لَهُfor him
يُعْطِيهِ لا غُرْماً وَلَكِنْ لَهُ
أَضْعَافُmultiples مَاwhat يُعْطِيهِhe gives it فِيin المَغْنَمِthe gain
أَضْعَافُ مَا يُعْطِيهِ فِي المَغْنَمِ
He gives it not at a loss; rather, his
gain is many times what he gives.
إِنَّاwe indeed أَهَبْنَاhave appealed بِكِرَامٍto noble people لَهُمْwho have
إِنَّا أَهَبْنَا بِكِرَامٍ لَهُمْ
سَمَاحَةٌgenerosity بِالْحِرْصِby greed لَمْhas not تُثْلَمِbeen marred
سَمَاحَةٌ بِالْحِرْصِ لَمْ تُثْلَمِ
We have called upon noble people whose
generosity has not been marred by greed.
هَذَاthis وَلاand not نُلْزِمُwe impose مِنْthrough نُصْحِنَاour counsel
هَذَا وَلا نُلْزِمُ مِنْ نُصْحِنَا
مَاwhat لَيْسَis not اِلنَّاصِحِthe adviser بِالمُلْزِمِone who compels
مَا لَيْسَ اِلنَّاصِحِ بِالمُلْزِمِ
This we say, and through our counsel we do not impose
what an adviser cannot make binding.
فَلْيُسْعِدِso let it aid الجَيْبُthe pocket ببَذْلِby giving إِذَاwhen
فَلْيُسْعِدِ الجَيْبُ ببَذْلِ إِذَا
قَلَّis slight غَنَاءُusefulness الْبَذْلِgiving بِالْمِرْقَمِwith the pen
قَلَّ غَنَاءُ الْبَذْلِ بِالْمِرْقَمِ
So let the pocket offer aid through giving, when
giving with the pen is of little avail.
Sol 6.1