ما تَبتَغينَ لَدى العَلياءِ مِن أَرَبِ

ما تَبتَغينَ لَدى العَلياءِ مِن أَرَبِ

وَقَد بَلَغتِ المُنى يا أُمة العَرَبِ

وَقَد بَلَغتِ المُنى يا أُمة العَرَبِ

What goal do you seek in the heights of glory,

What more could I seek from the exalted ones,

When you have attained your wishes, O nation of the Arabs?

When you, O nation of Arabs, have attained your wishes!

أَحياكِ مَولاكِ إِسماعيلُ فَاِبتَهِجي

أَحياكِ مَولاكِ إِسماعيلُ فَاِبتَهِجي

وَأَهدي لَهُ كَلِماتِ الشُكر عَن كَثَبِ

وَأَهدي لَهُ كَلِماتِ الشُكر عَن كَثَبِ

Your lord Ismail has revived you, so rejoice,

Your master Isma’il revived you, so rejoice

And offer him words of thanks from close at hand.

And offer him words of gratitude abundantly.

هنئتمُ يا أَهالي مَصر إِنَّ لَكُم

هنئتمُ يا أَهالي مَصر إِنَّ لَكُم

في ظل دَولَتِهِ عُمرٌ مِن الذَهَبِ

في ظل دَولَتِهِ عُمرٌ مِن الذَهَبِ

Congratulations, O people of Egypt, for yours is

Congratulations, O people of Egypt! For you will have

A life of gold in the shade of his rule.

Under his rule, an age of gold.

مَولىً بِقَلب أَبٍ يَرعاكُم وَلَهُ

مَولىً بِقَلب أَبٍ يَرعاكُم وَلَهُ

دَيناً خَضَعتُم بِطَوع ابنٍ لِخَير اِبِ

دَيناً خَضَعتُم بِطَوع ابنٍ لِخَير اِبِ

A lord with a father's heart tends you, and to him

A master with a father’s heart who cares for you,

You submitted in obedience, like a willing son to the best of fathers.

Whose religion you have willingly obeyed for the good.

رقيَّ البِلاد إِلى أَوج العَلاءِ كَما

رقيَّ البِلاد إِلى أَوج العَلاءِ كَما

أَحيي العِبادَ بِفَضلٍ غَير مُحتَجِبِ

أَحيي العِبادَ بِفَضلٍ غَير مُحتَجِبِ

He raised the land to the pinnacle of glory, just as

He raised the country to the height of glory,

He revived the people with bounty never withheld.

Reviving his subjects with unlimited, unstinting favor.

فَأَصبَحَت في بُحور الرَغدِ سابِحَةً

فَأَصبَحَت في بُحور الرَغدِ سابِحَةً

أَقطارُكُم وَهِيَ تَعلو أَرفَع الرُتَبِ

أَقطارُكُم وَهِيَ تَعلو أَرفَع الرُتَبِ

So they now swim in seas of plenty—

Thus your lands float in seas of prosperity,

Your lands—as they climb to the highest ranks.

Rising to the highest of ranks.

لا ظُلمَ لا غَدرَ لا اِستعبادَ يَشمَلَكُم

لا ظُلمَ لا غَدرَ لا اِستعبادَ يَشمَلَكُم

لا زَيغَ لا طَيش لا قَصرٌ عَن الأَرَبِ

لا زَيغَ لا طَيش لا قَصرٌ عَن الأَرَبِ

No oppression, no treachery, no enslavement encompasses you;

No injustice, deceit, or subjugation touches you,

No deviation, no recklessness, no falling short of the goal.

No deviance, recklessness, or falling short of right.

قولوا إِلى الهَرَمِ الأَعلى وَما جَمَعَت

قولوا إِلى الهَرَمِ الأَعلى وَما جَمَعَت

قرناقُ مِن أَثَرٍ زاهٍ وَمِن عَجَبِ

قرناقُ مِن أَثَرٍ زاهٍ وَمِن عَجَبِ

Say to the loftiest pyramid and to all that

Say to the highest pyramid and all that Cheops

Karnak has gathered of splendid relics and wonders,

Assembled of awe-inspiring traces and wonders,

وَما بِلُقصُرَ مِن نَقشٍ وَمِن عُمدٍ

وَما بِلُقصُرَ مِن نَقشٍ وَمِن عُمدٍ

وَما بِثيبةَ مِن مُستصنِعٍ صَعبِ

وَما بِثيبةَ مِن مُستصنِعٍ صَعبِ

And to what Luxor holds of carvings and columns,

Say to Luxor’s inscriptions and columns

And to the painstakingly crafted works at Thebes:

And to Thebes with its formidable, complex monuments,

عَلى حجارتكم أَقوامَكُم نَقَشوا

عَلى حجارتكم أَقوامَكُم نَقَشوا

أَسماءَ ساداتهم في مَجدِها الكذبِ

أَسماءَ ساداتهم في مَجدِها الكذبِ

Upon your stones, your peoples engraved

On your stones your forebears carved

Their masters' names, in their false glory.

The names of their masters in false glory.

لَكنَّ أَعمال مَولانا العَزيز عَلى

لَكنَّ أَعمال مَولانا العَزيز عَلى

قُلوبِنا اِنتَقَشَت فَضلاً عَن الكُتُبِ

قُلوبِنا اِنتَقَشَت فَضلاً عَن الكُتُبِ

But the deeds of our honored lord, upon

But the deeds of our beloved master

Our hearts, are engraved, as well as in books.

Are engraved on our hearts, not books.

كانَت قَبائِلُكُم بِالجَهل خابِطَةً

كانَت قَبائِلُكُم بِالجَهل خابِطَةً

تَلقى العَنا تَحتَ نير الجور وَالكَربِ

تَلقى العَنا تَحتَ نير الجور وَالكَربِ

Your tribes once groped in ignorance,

Your tribes once groped in ignorance,

Suffering hardship beneath the yoke of oppression and anguish.

Enduring woe and sorrow under oppressive rule.

وَنَحنُ كَالأُمَراءِ اليَوم في سِعَةٍ

وَنَحنُ كَالأُمَراءِ اليَوم في سِعَةٍ

يَسعى الزَمانُ لَما نَبغى مِن الطَلَبِ

يَسعى الزَمانُ لَما نَبغى مِن الطَلَبِ

And today we are like princes, living in ease;

But we are like princes today in an age

Time labors to fulfill whatever we seek.

That strives to achieve all we desire.

لا تذهل العَين مِن آثار صَنَعتهم

لا تذهل العَين مِن آثار صَنَعتهم

فَلا نَراها سِوى ضَربٍ مِن اللَعبِ

فَلا نَراها سِوى ضَربٍ مِن اللَعبِ

The eye is not dazzled by the relics of their craft,

Do not be stunned by the works your ancestors made,

For we see them as nothing but a form of play.

For we see them only as a kind of game.

لَكن صَنائِعنا أَسرارَها عَظمت

لَكن صَنائِعنا أَسرارَها عَظمت

فَنجتني الآن مِنها كُل مُرتَغِبِ

فَنجتني الآن مِنها كُل مُرتَغِبِ

But the secrets of our crafts have grown mighty,

But the secrets of our works are deeply rooted,

So now we reap from them everything desired.

And their full meaning eludes the coveter’s grasp.

تَذري بِحكمتهم في عَصر سَيدِنا

تَذري بِحكمتهم في عَصر سَيدِنا

إِذ قَد أَفاضَ ضِياءَ العلم وَالأَدَبِ

إِذ قَد أَفاضَ ضِياءَ العلم وَالأَدَبِ

They put their wisdom to shame in our master's age,

Their wisdom was scattered in our master’s time

For he has poured forth the radiance of knowledge and literature.

When knowledge and literature overflowed.

أَلقى لَنا مُعجِزات العَصر تَخدُمُنا

أَلقى لَنا مُعجِزات العَصر تَخدُمُنا

أَسرارَها بِاجتِهاد غَير مُنغَلِبِ

أَسرارَها بِاجتِهاد غَير مُنغَلِبِ

He brought us the marvels of the age; serving us are

He revealed to us the miracles of the age, serving us

Their secrets, with unflagging diligence.

With their secrets through tireless, undefeated effort.

فاضَت ذراعتنا في ظلِّهِ وَزَهَت

فاضَت ذراعتنا في ظلِّهِ وَزَهَت

بِحِلَةِ الخَصب لا تَلوي عَلى السُحُبِ

بِحِلَةِ الخَصب لا تَلوي عَلى السُحُبِ

Our agriculture abounded in his shade and shone

Thus, in his shade, our arms flourished

In a robe of fertility, without looking to the clouds.

In the raiment of fertility beyond all measure.

سوزستريس لِمَصرٍ قَد أُعيدَ بِهِ

سوزستريس لِمَصرٍ قَد أُعيدَ بِهِ

بِالفهم وَالحلم لا بِالجَهل وَالغَضَبِ

بِالفهم وَالحلم لا بِالجَهل وَالغَضَبِ

Sesostris has been restored to Egypt through him,

He rebuilt Egypt through understanding and wisdom,

Through understanding and forbearance, not ignorance and anger.

Not ignorance and rage.

رَد البَطالس في علم وَفي عَمَلٍ

رَد البَطالس في علم وَفي عَمَلٍ

بِالأَمن وَالسلم لا بِالحَرب وَالحَربِ

بِالأَمن وَالسلم لا بِالحَرب وَالحَربِ

He brought back the Ptolemies in knowledge and action,

He restored the Ptolemies in knowledge and deed

Through security and peace, not war and plunder.

With security and peace, not war and strife.

وَقامَ فيهِ صَلاح الدين مُنتَصِباً

وَقامَ فيهِ صَلاح الدين مُنتَصِباً

بِالرفق وَاللُطف لا بِالفَتك وَالعَطبِ

بِالرفق وَاللُطف لا بِالفَتك وَالعَطبِ

And in him Salah al-Din arose, standing upright,

And in it arose a Saladin, standing firm

Through gentleness and kindness, not slaughter and destruction.

With gentleness and kindness, not violence and force.

يا أَيُّها السَيد العالي الَّذي لَمَعَت

يا أَيُّها السَيد العالي الَّذي لَمَعَت

صِفاتَهُ في جَبين العَصرِ كَالشُهُبِ

صِفاتَهُ في جَبين العَصرِ كَالشُهُبِ

O exalted lord, whose

O exalted lord, whose attributes

Qualities have shone on the age's brow like shooting stars,

Gleam on the brow of the age like gray hair,

البَسَتني فَوقَ قَدري حِلَّةً عَظمت

البَسَتني فَوقَ قَدري حِلَّةً عَظمت

في كُلِ عَينٍ عَلى ضَعفي فَيا طَرَبي

في كُلِ عَينٍ عَلى ضَعفي فَيا طَرَبي

You clothed me beyond my worth in a robe esteemed

You have clothed me above my worth in a splendid garment,

In every eye, despite my weakness—oh, my delight!

To the joy of every eye, despite my weakness.

إِني سَأَرحَل عَن علياك مُصطَحِباً

إِني سَأَرحَل عَن علياك مُصطَحِباً

بِالسَعد وَالفَخر مُمتازاً عَلى صَحُبي

بِالسَعد وَالفَخر مُمتازاً عَلى صَحُبي

Indeed, I shall depart from your exalted presence, accompanied

I will leave your lofty abode,

By good fortune and pride, distinguished above my companions.

Bearing happiness and pride, excelling my companions.

سَأَركَبُ البَحرَ حَولي مثللَ لجَتِهِ

سَأَركَبُ البَحرَ حَولي مثللَ لجَتِهِ

بَحرٌ عَليَّ طَما مِن جودكَ العَذبِ

بَحرٌ عَليَّ طَما مِن جودكَ العَذبِ

I shall sail the sea; around me, like its deep waters,

I will board the ship girdled by its sail,

A sea of your sweet bounty has surged over me.

A sea of your sweet generosity poured out upon me.

وَلي لِسانٌ مُذيعٌ مثل ضَجَتِهِ

وَلي لِسانٌ مُذيعٌ مثل ضَجَتِهِ

يَشدو بِشُكرِكَ مَنشوراً مَدى الحَقبِ

يَشدو بِشُكرِكَ مَنشوراً مَدى الحَقبِ

And I have a proclaiming tongue, like its roar,

And I have a tongue, broadcasting, like its clamor,

Singing thanks to you, spread abroad through the ages.

Songs of gratitude for you, far and wide.

وَظلكَ الباسط المَمدود يَشمَلَني

وَظلكَ الباسط المَمدود يَشمَلَني

أَين اِتَجهتُ وَيَحميني مِن النَكبِ

أَين اِتَجهتُ وَيَحميني مِن النَكبِ

And your spreading, outstretched shade enfolds me

Your sheltering shade stretches over me

Wherever I turn, and shields me from calamities.

Wherever I go, protecting me from mishap.