أَكُلُّ مُتَوَّجٍ يَحمي البِلادا

وَيَسلُكُ في سِياسَتِها السَدادا

Every crowned ruler protects the country

And follows moderation in its politics

يَنامُ الحادِثُ المُعتَسُّ عَنها

وَيَأَبى طَرفُهُ إِلّا سُهادا

Calamities sleep being reassured about it

And his sight refuses anything but to make it prosper

فَما تَشقى رَعَيَّتُهُ بِخَطبٍ

وَلا تَشكو اِضطراباً أَو فَسادا

So his subjects do not suffer from worries

Nor complain of turmoil or corruption

تَدينُ لِتاجِهِ التِّيجانُ طُرّاً

وتسأله الرعايةَ والذيادا

Crowns bow down to his crown repeatedly

And ask him for care and increase

وتفديه النفوسُ على اعتقادٍ

بِأَنَّ حَياتَهُ تُحيي العِبادا

And souls redeem him on the belief

That his life gives life to the servants

أَحَبُّ المالِكينَ إِلى الرَعايا

مَليكٌ لَيسَ يَألوها اِفتِقادا

The most beloved of kings to the subjects

Is a king who does not neglect to visit them

تَغَلغَلَ في مَكانِ الحِسِّ مِنها

فَكانَ السَمع فيها وَالفُؤادا

He penetrated to the position of senses from them

So the hearing in it and the heart became his

أَضَرُّ الناسِ ذو تاجٍ تَوَلّى

فَما نَفَعَ البِلادَ وَلا أَفادا

The most harmful of people is someone with a crown who assumed rule

But did not benefit the country nor brought any advantage

وَكانَ عَلى الرَعِيَّةِ شَرَّ راعٍ

وَأَشأَمَ مالِكٍ في الدَهرِ سادا

And he was the worst guardian for the subjects

And the most sinister owner in time who dominated

تَبيتُ لَهُ الأَرائِكُ في عَناءٍ

تُمارِسُ مِنهُ أَهوالاً شِدادا

Thrones spend the night suffering from him

Experiencing horrors from him that are severe

وَيُمسي مُلكُهُ في زِيِّ ثَكلى

كَساها فقدُ واحدِها الحِدادا

And his rule wears in the evening the clothes of a bereaved woman

Whom the loss of her only one made her dress in black

كَأَنَّ المُلكُ في عَينَيهِ حُلمٌ

يَلُذُّ بِهِ فَما يَألو رُقادا

It is as if the rule in his eyes is a dream

He enjoys with it so he does not refrain from sleeping

يُنادي صارِخُ الحَدَثانِ مِنهُ

فَتىً يَزدادُ وَقراً إِذ يُنادى

The shouter of events calls upon him

A young man who increases in dignity when called

وَتَدعوهُ الرَعِيَّةُ وَهوَ لاهٍ

فَتَصدَعُ دونَ مَسمَعِهِ الجَمادا

And the subjects call him while he is inattentive

So the rocks crack before his hearing

فَلا هُوَ يُرتَجى يَوماً لِنَفعٍ

يَعَزُّ بِهِ الرَعِيَّةَ وَالبِلادا

He cannot be hoped for a day to bring benefit

By which he makes the subjects and the country mighty

وَلا هُوَ مالِكٌ كَشَفاً لِضُرٍّ

إِذا ما كائِدُ الحَدَثانِ كادا

Nor is he an owner who can relieve harm

When the plotter of events schemes

حَياةٌ توسِعُ الأَحياءَ عاراً

وَذِكرٌ يَملَأُ الدُنيا سَوادا

A life that enlarges the living with shame

And a mention that fills the whole world with darkness

وَهَل عَزَّ المَليكُ بِغَيرِ عَزمٍ

يُقيمُ بِهِ مِنَ المُلكِ العِمادا

Can a king become mighty without resolve?

By which he straightens the pillars of the rule

وَحَزمٍ تَنثَني عَنهُ العَوادي

وَيُلقي عِندَهُ الدَهرُ القِيادا

And wisdom before which calamities withdraw

And time surrenders the leads

عَزيزَ النيلِ وَالآمالُ حيرى

تُسائِلُكَ الهِدايَةَ وَالرَشادا

Dear mighty Nile, hopes are confused

Asking you for guidance and integrity

أَضِئ قَصدَ السَبيلِ لَها وَأَلِّف

أَوابدَها فَتوشِكُ أَن تُعادى

Light the road of righteousness for them and reconcile

Its lonely travelers so they are about to be hostile

وَقُدها قَودَ مَأمونٍ عَلَيها

يُصاديها بِأَحسَنِ ما تُصادى

And lead it with the leadership of al-Ma’mun which is safe for it

He competes with it for the best it competes for

فَإيهٍ يا عَزيزَ النيلِ إيهٍ

أَم تَرضى لِمُلكِكَ أَن يُشادا

Woe to you, O mighty Nile, woe

Do you accept that your rule be demolished

وَلِلشَعبِ المُصَفَّدِ أَن تَراهُ

وَقَد نَزَعَ الأَداهِمَ وَالصِفادا

And for the enchained people to see it

After he took off the handcuffs and shackles

أَلَستَ تَرى البِلادَ وَكَيفَ أَودى

بِها المَقدورُ أَو كادَت وَكادا

Do you not see the country and how

Destiny destroyed it or it almost was destroyed

عَناها ما تُكافِحُ مِن خُطوبٍ

تَزيدُ عَلى هَوادَتِها عِنادا

It suffers from worries it fights

Whose stubbornness increases over its calmness

أَلَستَ تَرى بَنيها في شِقاقٍ

فَما يَرجونَ ما عاشوا اِتِّحادا

Do you not see its sons in conflict

They never hoped during their lives for unity

أَتَترُكُهُم يَهُبُّ الشَرُّ فيهِم

وَنارُ الخَطبِ تَتَّقِدُ اِتِّقادا

Do you leave the evil blowing within them?

And the fire of worries blazing with flames

أَتُسلِمُهُم إِلى صَمّاءَ تَثني

فُؤادَ الدَهرِ يَرتَعِدُ اِرتِعادا

Do you hand them over to pitfalls that bend

The heart of time that trembles with tremors

أَتَقذِفُهُم إِلى لَهَواتِ ضارٍ

مَلِيٍّ أَن يَغولَهُمُ اِزدِرادا

Do you hurl them into the false pleasures

Of an amusement that mockingly diminishes them

لَقَد طَلَبَت عَلى يَدِكَ الرَّعايا

طَريفَ الخَيرِ وَالشَرَفَ التِلادا

The subjects asked through your hand

Good life and noble legacy

فَخُذها في قَويمٍ مِن حَياةٍ

تَكونُ لَها قِواماً أَو عَتادا

Take them to integrity in a life

That can support them or prepare means

وَحِصناً تَرتَمي نُوَبُ اللَيالي

هَوالِكَ عَن ذُراهُ أَو تفادى

And a fortress for which the nights’ calamities

Throw from its harm or keep away

أَقِم مِنآدَها وَاِشدُد قُواها

وَجاهِد في سِياسَتِها جِهادا

Build its pillars and strengthen its powers

And strive in its politics in struggle

وإما رامَ جاهلُها فساداً

وزَيغاً عن سبيلك وابتعادا

And if one of its ignorant aspired for corruption

Or deviance from your path and remoteness

فأرجِعه إليك فإنَّ أسمى

خِلالِكَ أن تكون لنا معادا

Then bring him back to you for indeed the most sublime

Of your manners if for you to be an opponent for us

وعَوِّدنا خلالَ الخير إنّي

رأيتُ الخيرَ والشرّ اعتيادا

And train us to the manners of goodness indeed I

Saw goodness and evil by habit

وما شُغِفَ المَسودُ بِمِثلِ خُلقٍ

يَكونُ لَدى المُسَوَّدُ مُستَجادا

The blackened one did not desire a manner

That exists with the blackened admired

وَلِلأَخلاقِ بِالأُمَمِ اِنتِقالٌ

تَدانى الحينُ مِنها أَم تَمادى

Morals move to nations

Some countries of it currently approach or continue

فَهَذي في مَجاهِلِها تَرَدّى

وَهَذي في مَعالِمِها تَهادى

So this one in its ignorances fell

And that in its flags proceeded

تُسايِرُها الأَماني وَالمَنايا

فَما تَنساقُ في قَومٍ فرادى

Wishes and ends accompany them

They do not flow in isolated people