هَل شَمسُ حسنٍ تَجلت في مَغانيها

أَم رَوضةٌ أَينَعَت تَدنو مَجانيها

Has the sun of beauty risen in its glories?

Or is it a garden in bloom, drawing near its beauties?

أَم بَدر أُنس بَدَت أَنواره فَجلت

مِن المحاسن ما تَزهو مَعانيها

Is it a friendly full moon whose lights have appeared,

Manifesting the meanings of its perfections?

أَم ذَلِكَ الفلك الأَعلى كَواكبُه

في الأَرض لاحَت وَما في الأُفق ثانيها

Or are those the stars of the highest heaven,

Whose lights shone on earth and fill the horizons?

أَم ذَلِكَ الشَهم شاهين الجُيوش بَنى

داراً بِمصر علت قَدراً بِبانيها

Or is it that valiant king of armies who built

A palace in Egypt, raising its grandeur with its builder?

وَقال مَجدي بِناديها يؤرخها

سِراية صان شاهينٌ مَبانيها

And Majdi proclaimed in his ode recording its date:

"A palace protected by the valiant king in its structures."