تُهَنّا بِصورٍ أَم نُهَنِّئُها بِكَ

وَقَلَّ الَّذي صورٌ وَأَنتَ لَهُ لَكا

Should we congratulate you on the images, or should we congratulate the images on you?

Shall you be congratulated on Tyre, or do we congratulate it on you? For Tyre is but a trifle when it belongs to you.

He who created the images is little, while you are everything to him.

Neither the Jordan nor the coast you were granted seemed small, save when measured against the vastness of your worth.

وَما صَغُرَ الأُردُنُّ وَالساحِلُ الَّذي

حُبيتَ بِهِ إِلّا إِلى جَنبِ قَدرِكا

How small is Jordan and its coast, which you loved, compared to your grandeur!

The lands grew so envious that, had they possessed souls, the very East and West would have marched towards you.

The countries were envious, and if they had souls, East and West would yearn for you.

And Egypt, seeing you are not its prince, would surely weep had it an eye to shed a tear or a mouth to wail.

تَحاسَدَتِ البُلدانُ حَتّى لَوَ أَنَّها

نُفوسٌ لَسارَ الشَرقُ وَالغَربُ نَحوَكا

Egypt could have no prince, though he be great and his mouth lament.

وَأَصبَحَ مِصرٌ لا تَكونُ أَميرَهُ

وَلَو أَنَّهُ ذو مُقلَةٍ وَفَمٍ بَكى