يا ناشِرَ العِلمِ بِهَذي البِلاد

وُفِّقتَ نَشرُ العِلمِ مِثلُ الجِهاد

O spreader of knowledge in this land

May spreading knowledge be like holy war

بانِيَ صَرحِ المَجدِ أَنتَ الَّذي

تَبني بُيوتَ العِلمِ في كُلِّ ناد

You who build edifices of glory

Constructing houses of learning in every club

بِالعِلمِ سادَ الناسُ في عَصرِهِم

وَاِختَرَقوا السَبعَ الطِباقَ الشِداد

With knowledge people excelled in their time

And penetrated the seven solid heavens

أَيَطلُبُ المَجدَ وَيَبغي العُلا

قَومٌ لِسوقِ العِلمِ فيهِم كَساد

Does a people seek glory and highness

While the market of knowledge among them is stagnant?

نَقّادُ أَعمالِكَ مُغلٍ لَها

إِذا غَلا الدُرُّ غَلا الاِنتِقاد

Critics of your work are biased

When pearls are expensive, appraisal is distorted

ما أَصعَبَ الفِعلَ لِمَن رامَهُ

وَأَسهَلَ القَولَ عَلى مَن أَراد

How hard is the deed for one who aspires it

And how easy is empty talk for one who desires it

سَمعاً لِشَكوايَ فَإِن لَم تَجِد

مِنكَ قُبولاً فَالشَكاوى تُعاد

Listen to my complaint, for if not

From you accepted, complaints are repeated

عَدلاً عَلى ما كانَ مِن فَضلِكُم

فَالفَضلُ إِن وُزِّع بِالعَدلِ زاد

Be just over what was your kindness

For if distributed justly, favor increases

أَسمَعُ أَحياناً وَحيناً أَرى

مَدرَسَةً في كُلِّ حَيٍّ تُشاد

I sometimes hear and sometimes see

A school in every neighborhood erected

قَدَّمتَ قَبلي مُدُناً أَو قُرى

كُنتُ أَنا السَيفَ وَكُنَّ النِجاد

You put before me cities or villages

I was the sword, and they the scabbards

أَنا الَّتي كُنتُ سَريراً لِمَن

سادَ كَإِدوَردَ زَماناً وَشاد

I who was once throne for one

Who ruled like Edward in time and prospered

قَد وَحَّدَ الخالِقَ في هَيكَلٍ

مِن قَبلِ سُقراطَ وَمِن قَبلِ عاد

The Creator united in one temple

Socrates of old and Ad of ancient days

وَهَذَّبَ الهِندُ دِياناتِهِم

بِكُلِّ خافٍ مِن رُموزي وَباد

And India refined their religions

With every reverent soul and devotee

وَمِن تَلاميذي موسى الَّذي

أوحِيَ مِن بَعدُ إِلَيهِ فَهاد

Among my students was Moses

To whom guidance was later revealed

وَأُرضِعَ الحِكمَةَ عيسى الهُدى

أَيّامَ تُربي مَهدُهُ وَالوِساد

And Jesus the guide was nurtured

In days when his cradle and pillow were tended

مَدرَسَتي كانَت حِياضَ النُهى

قَرارَةَ العِرفانِ دارَ الرَشاد

My school was an orchard of decency

Abode of mystic knowledge, home of guidance

مَشايِخُ اليونانِ يَأتونَها

يُلقونَ في العِلمِ إِلَيها القِياد

Greek elders came to it

Tossing the lead rope of knowledge toward it

كُنّا نُسَمّيهِم بِصِبيانِهِ

وَصِبيَتي بِالشَيبِ أَهلُ السَداد

We called them our boys

And my lads the wise and righteous

ذَلِكَ أَمسي ما بِهِ ريبَةٌ

وَيَومِيَ القُبَّةُ ذاتُ العِماد

That was my yesterday, no longer doubtful

While my today is the domed edifice

أَصبَحتُ كَالفِردَوسِ في ظِلِّها

مِن مِصرَ لِلخَنكا لِظِلّي اِمتِداد

I became like paradise in its shade

From Egypt to Khanka my shade extends

لَولا جُلّى زَيتونِيَ النَضرِ ما

أَقسَمَ بِالزَيتونِ رَبُّ العِباد

Had not my olive tree's sheen been glossy

The Lord of worshipers had not sworn by the olive

الواحَةُ الزَهراءُ ذاتُ الغِنى

تُربي الَّتي ما مِثلِها في البِلاد

The verdant oasis of plenty

Nurtures those matchless in every land

تُريكَ بِالصُبحِ وَجُنحِ الدُجى

بُدورَ حُسنٍ وَشُموسَ اِتِّقاد

Showing you in dawn and dusk's wings

Circles of beauty and dawning suns

بَنِيَّ يا سَعدُ كَزُغبِ القَطا

لا نَقَّصَ اللَهُ لَهُم مِن عِداد

My sons, O Saad, are like gazelles

May God not diminish their number

إِن فاتَكَ النَسلُ فَأَكرِم بِهِم

وَرُبَّ نَسلٍ بِالنَدى يُستَفاد

If progeny escape you, then honor them

And offspring are often gained from dew

أَخشى عَلَيهِم مِن أَذىً رائِحٍ

يَجمَعُهُم في الفَجرِ وَالعَصرِ غاد

I fear for them from passing harm

That gathers them at dawn and dusk wandering

صَفيرُهُ يَسلُبُني راحَتي

وَيَمنَعُ الجَفنَ لَذيذَ الرُقاد

Its whistling robs me of my peace

And prevents the eyelids' sweet repose

يَعقوبُ مِن ذِئبٍ بَكى مُشفِقاً

فَكَيفَ أَنيابُ الحَديدِ الحِداد

Jacob wept anxiously for a wolf

So how can ripping steel fangs be borne?

فَاِنظُر رَعاكَ اللَهُ في حاجِهِم

فَنَظرَةٌ مِنكَ تُنيلُ المُراد

Look after, may God guard you, their need

For a glance from you grants the wish

قَد بَسَطوا الكَفَّ عَلى أَنَّهُم

في كَرَمِ الراحِ كَصَوبِ العِهاد

They extend palms claiming to be

In bounty's path like racing steeds

إِن طُلِبَ القِسطُ فَما مِنهُمُ

إِلّا جَوادٌ عَن أَبيهِ الجَواد

If justice is sought, there is not one

Save a generous giver like his generous father