نُراوِحُ بِالحَوادِثِ أَو نُغادى

وَنُنكِرُها وَنُعطيها القِيادا

We are swayed by events or we coexist

And we deny them and give them the lead

وَنَحمِدُها وَما رَعَتِ الضَحايا

وَلا جَزَتِ المَواقِفَ وَالجِهادا

And we praise them though they didn't graze the victims

Nor rewarded the stands and the jihad

لَحاها اللَهُ باعَتنا خَيالاً

مِنَ الأَحلامِ وَاِشتَرَتِ اِتِّحادا

Allah has blinded it with our minds illusorily

Of dreams and bought unity

مَشَينا أَمسِ نَلقاها جَميعاً

وَنَحنُ اليَومَ نَلقاها فُرادى

We walked yesterday, we all met them

And today we meet them one by one

أَظَلَّتنا عَنِ الإِصلاحِ حَتّى

عَجَزنا أَن نُناقِشها الفَسادا

It has shaded us from reform until

We were unable to discuss the corruption

تُلاقينا فَلا نَجِدُ الصَياصي

وَنَلقاها فَلا نَجِدُ العَتادا

We meet but we do not find the means

And we find them but we do not find the supplies

وَمَن لَقِيَ السِباعَ بِغَيرِ ظَفرٍ

وَلا نابٍ تَمَزَّقَ أَو تَفادى

And whoever met the beasts without gaining

Nor fang, was torn apart or avoided

خَفَضنا مِن عُلُوِّ الحَقِّ حَتّى

تَوَهَّمنا السِيادَةَ أَن نُسادا

We lowered from the height of truth until

We imagined sovereignty that we master

وَلَمّا لَم نَنل لِلسَيفِ رَدّاً

تَنازَعنا الحَمائِلَ وَالنِجادا

And when we did not find a response to the sword

We disputed the litters and the carpets

وَأَقبَلنا عَلى أَقوالِ زورٍ

تَجيءُ الغَيَّ تَقلِبُهُ رَشادا

And we indulged in false words

Delusion comes to turn it to guidance

وَلَو عُدنا إِلَيها بَعدَ قَرنٍ

رَحَمنا الطِرسَ مِنها وَالمِدادا

And if we returned to it after a century

We would have mercy on the lineage and the ink

وَكَم سِحرٍ سَمِعنا مُنذُ حينٍ

تَضاءَلَ بَينَ أَعيُنِنا وَنادى

And how much sorcery we have heard recently

Faded between our eyes and called

هَنيئاً لِلعَدُوِّ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ

إِذا هُوَ حَلَّ في بَلَدٍ تَعادى

Good fortune to every enemy

If he settled in a hostile country

وَبُعداً لِلسِيادَةِ وَالمَعالي

إِذا قَطَعَ القَرابَةَ وَالوِدادا

And away with sovereignty and dignities

If it severs kinship and amity

وَرُبَّ حَقيقَةٍ لا بُدَّ مِنها

خَدَعنا النَشءَ عَنها وَالسَوادا

And many a truth is inevitable

The youth and the commons have been deceived about it

وَلَو طَلَعوا عَلَيها عالَجوها

بِهِمَّةِ أَنفُسٍ عَظُمَت مُرادا

And if they realized it, they would treat it

With the resolve of great souls they intended

تُعِدُّ لِحادِثِ الأَيّامِ صَبراً

وَآوِنَةً تُعِدُّ لَهُ عِنادا

It prepares for the events of days, patience

And a shelter that prepares for it obstinacy

وَتُخلِفُ بِالنَهيِ البيضَ المَواضي

وَبِالخُلقِ المُثَقَّفَةِ الصِعادا

And it leaves with prohibition the pure terrains

And with refined manners the mounts

لَمَحنا الحَظَّ ناحِيَةً فَلَمّا

بَلَغناها أَحَسَّ بِنا فَحادا

We glimpsed fortune inclined so when

We reached it, it sensed us and deviated

وَلَيسَ الحَظُّ إِلّا عَبقَرِيّاً

يُحِبُّ الأَريَحِيَّةَ وَالسَدادا

And fortune is nothing but ingenious

Loving leisureliness and integrity

وَنَحنُ بَنو زَمانٍ حُوَّلِيٍّ

تَنَقَّلَ تاجِراً وَمَشى وَرادا

And we are the sons of a fickle time

That has moved as a merchant and walked aimlessly

إِذا قَعَدَ العِبادُ لَهُ بِسوقٍ

شَرى في السوقِ أَو باعَ العِبادا

If the slaves sat down for it in a market

It bought in the market or sold the slaves

وَتُعجِبُهُ العَواطِفُ في كِتابٍ

وَفي دَمعِ المُشَخِّصِ ما أَجادا

And it admires emotions in a book

And in the tear of the weeping, however composed

يُؤَمِّنُنا عَلى الدُستورِ أَنّا

نَرى مِن خَلفِ حَوزَتِهِ فُؤادا

It reassures us about the constitution that

We see behind its school a heart

أَبو الفاروقِ نَرجوهُ لِفَضلٍ

وَلا نَخشى لِما وَهَبَ اِرتِدادا

Abu Al-Farouq we hope for his grace

And we do not fear the regression he granted

مَلَأنا بِاِسمِهِ الأَفواهَ فَخراً

وَلَقَّبناهُ بِالأَمسِ المَكادا

We filled our mouths with his name pride

And we labeled him yesterday the intended

نُناجيهِ فَنَستَرعي حَكيماً

وَنَسأَلُهُ فَنَستَجدي جَوادا

We whisper to him so we summon a sage

And we ask him so we implore a generous one

وَلَم يَزَلِ المُحَبَّبَ وَالمُفَدّى

وَمَرهَمَ كُلِّ جُرحٍ وَالضِمادا

And he has not ceased to be the beloved and the proxy

And a balm for every wound and bandage

تَدَفَّقَ مَصرِفُ الوادي فَرَوّى

وَصابَ غَمامُهُ فَسقى وَجادا

The outflow of the valley streamed and irrigated

And its clouds poured and gave generously

دَعا فَتَنافَسَت فيهِ نُفوسٌ

بِمِصرَ لِكُلِّ صالِحَةٍ تُنادى

He invoked so souls competed in him

In Egypt for every good that is called

تُقَدِّمُ عَونَها ثِقَةً وَمالاً

وَأَحياناً تُقَدِّمُهُ اِجتِهادا

It offers its support confidently and money

And sometimes it offers it striving

وَأَقبَلَ مِن شَبابِ القَومِ جَمعٌ

كَما بَنَتِ الكُهولُ بَنى وَشادا

And a group of the people's youth came

As the elders built, built and elevated

كَأَنَّ جَوانِبَ الدارِ الخَلايا

وَهُم كَالنَحلِ في الدارِ اِحتِشادا

As if the sides of the house were beehives

And they were like bees swarming in the house

فَيا داراً مِن الهِمَمِ العَوالي

سُقيتِ التِبرَ لا أَرضى العِهادا

So O house of the most lofty resolve

You were watered with goodness, I do not accept weariness

تَأَنّى حينَ أَسَّسَكِ اِبنُ حَربٍ

وَحينَ بَنى دَعائِمَكِ الشِدادا

It took its time when the son of Harb founded you

And when the firm built your pillars

وَلا تُرجى المَتانَةُ في بِناءٍ

إِذا البَنّاءُ لَم يُعطَ اِتِّئادا

And durability is not hoped for in a building

If the builder was not given support

بَنى الدارَ الَّتي كُنّا نَراها

أَمانِيَّ المُخَيَّلِ أَو رُقادا

He built the house we used to see

As the fanciful's wishes or slumber

وَلَم يَبعُد عَلى نَفسٍ مَرامٌ

إِذا رَكِبَت لَهُ الهِمَمُ البِعادا

And the intended is not far for a soul

If the resolves rode to it from afar

وَلَم أَرَ بَعدَ قُدرَتِهِ تَعالى

كَمَقدِرَةِ اِبنِ آدَمَ إِن أَرادا

And I have not seen after His power, praise be to Him,

Like the power of the son of Adam if he intended

جَرى وَالناسُ في رَيبٍ وَشَكٍّ

يَرومُ السَبقَ فَاِختَرَقَ الجِيادا

He flowed while the people were in doubt and suspicion

Aiming for precedence so he penetrated the steeds

وَعودِيَ دونَها حَتّى بَناها

وَمِن شَأنِ المُجَدِّدِ أَن يُعادى

And go back to it until you build it

And it is the renewer's way to be opposed

يَهونُ الكَيدُ مِن أَعدى عَدُوٍّ

عَلَيكَ إِذا الوَلِيُّ سَعى وَكادا

The plot of the fiercest enemy is easier

Upon you if the guardian strove and intended

فَجاءَت كَالنَهارِ إِذا تَجَلى

عُلُوّاً في المَشارِقِ وَاِنطِيادا

So it came like the day when it manifests

Elevated in the horizons and rallying

نَصونُ كَرائِمَ الأَموالِ فيها

وَنُنزِلُها الخَزائِنَ وَالنِضادا

We protect the dignities of money in it

And we store it in the treasuries and pantries

وَنُخرِجُها فَتَكسِبُ ثُمَّ تَأوي

رُجوعَ النَحلِ قَد حُمِّلنَ زادا

And we take it out so it earns, then returns

Like the return of bees loaded with provision

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَها أَرضاً أَغَلَّت

وَما سُقِيَت وَلا طَعَمَت سَمادا

And I have not seen a land that produced more

And was not watered or fertilized with manure

وَلا مُستَودَعاً مالاً لِقَومٍ

إِذا رَجَعوا لَهُ أَدّى وَزادا

Nor a repository of money for people

Who when they returned to it, it paid and increased

وَمِن عَجَبٍ نُثَبِّتُها أُصولاً

وَتِلكَ فُروعُها تَغَشى البِلادا

And from wonder we establish it principles

While those are its branches covering the countries

كَأَنَّ القُطرَ مِن شَوقٍ إِلَيها

سَما قَبلَ الأَساسِ بِها عِمادا

As if the drops from longing to it

Ascended before the foundation with its pillars

وَلَو مَلَكَت كُنوزَ الأَرضِ كَفّي

جَعَلتُ أَساسَها ماساً وَرادا

And if I owned the earth's treasures, it suffices me

I would make its foundation solid and flowing

وَلَو أَنَّ النُجومَ عَنَت لِحُكمي

فَرَشتُ النَيِّراتِ لَها مِهادا

And if the stars consented to my rule

I would carpet the rivers as its bedding