صَرحٌ عَلى الوادي المُبارَكِ ضاحي
مُتَظاهِرُ الأَعلامِ وَالأَوضاحِ
A palace on the blessed valley gleaming
Displaying flags and banners beaming
ضافي الجَلالَةِ كَالعَتيقِ مُفضَلٌ
ساحاتِ فَضلٍ في رِحابِ سَماحِ
Exuding majesty like ancient treasure
With generosity in the expanse of magnanimity
وَكَأَنَّ رَفرَفَهُ رِواقٌ مِن ضُحىً
وَكَأَنَّ حائِطَهُ عَمودُ صَباحِ
As though its fluttering were a portico of dawn
As though its wall were a pillar of morning light
الحَقُّ خَلفَ جَناحٍ اِستَذرى بِهِ
وَمَراشِدُ السُلطانِ خَلفَ جَناحِ
Truth behind a wing it took as a refuge
And the sultan's guides behind a wing
هُوَ هَيكَلُ الحُرِيَّةِ القاني لَهُ
ما لِلهَياكِلِ مِن فِدىً وَأَضاحِ
It is the temple of freedom erecting
Temples need no ransom or sacrifice
يَبني كَما تُبنى الخَنادِقُ في الوَغى
تَحتَ النِبالِ وَصَوبِها السَحّاحِ
It builds like trenches in times of strife
Under arrows and their hissing swish
يَنهارُ الاِستِبدادُ حَولَ عِراصِهِ
مِثلَ اِنهِيارِ الشِركِ حَولَ صَلاحِ
Tyranny collapses around its foundations
Like the collapse of idolatry around virtue
وَيُكَبُّ طاغوتُ الأُمورِ لِوَجهِهِ
مُتَحَطِّمَ الأَصنامِ وَالأَشباحِ
And the false deity of affairs falls on its face
Statues and apparitions smashed and demolished
هُوَ ما بَنى الأَعزالُ بِالراحاتِ أَو
هُوَ ما بَنى الشُهَداءُ بِالأَرواحِ
It is what the hermits built with leisure
Or what the martyrs built with their souls
أَخَذَتهُ مِصرُ بكُلِّ يَومٍ قاتِمٍ
وَردِ الكَواكِبِ أَحمَرِ الإِصباحِ
Egypt took it every gloomy day
With the stars' return, dawn rosy and bright
هَبَّت سِماحاً بِالحَياةِ شَبابُها
وَالشَيبُ بِالأَرماقِ غَيرُ شِحاحِ
Its youth poured generosity into life
And old age with little life left was not stingy
وَمَشَت إِلى الخَيلِ الدَوارِعِ وَاِنبَرَت
لِلظافِرِ الشاكي بِغَيرِ سِلاحِ
It marched to the swift steeds and sprang up
For the victorious complainant with no weapons
وَقَفاتُ حَقٍّ لَم تَقِفها أُمَّةٌ
إِلّا اِنثَنَت آمالُها بِنَجاحِ
Stands for truth no nation took
Except that its hopes in success bent
وَإِذا الشُعوبُ بَنَوا حَقيقَةَ مُلكِهِم
جَعَلوا المَآتِمَ حائِطَ الأَفراحِ
And when people build the reality of their reign
They make dirges the wall of joy
بُشرى إِلى الوادي تَهُزُّ نَباتَهُ
هَزَّ الرَبيعِ مَناكِبَ الأَدواحِ
Good tidings to the valley shaking its plants
Like spring shaking the shoulders of water-drawers
تَسري مُلَمَّحَةَ الحُجولِ عَلى الرُبى
وَتَسيلُ غُرَّتُها بِكُلِّ بِطاحِ
Trudging thirsty camels over the hillside
Their braids dripping at every watering hole
اِلتامَتِ الأَحزابُ بَعدَ تَصَدُّعٍ
وَتَصافَتِ الأَقلامُ بَعدَ تَلاحي
The factions united after splitting
And the pens reconciled after discord
سُحِبَت عَلى الأَحقادِ أَذيالُ الهَوى
وَمَشى عَلى الضِغنِ الوِدادُ الماحي
The tails of grudges were pulled back
And affection walked, erasing hatred
وَجَرَت أَحاديثُ العِتابِ كَأَنَّها
سَمَرٌ عَلى الأَوتارِ وَالأَقداحِ
Conversations of rebuke flowed as though
They were nightly talks over strings and wine cups
تَرمي بِطَرفِكَ في المَجامِعِ لا تَرى
غَيرَ التَعانُقِ وَاِشتِباكِ الراحِ
Cast your eyes in assemblies and you will not see
Save embracing and interlocking of comfort
شَمسَ النَهارِ تَعَلَّمي الميزانَ مِن
سَعدِ الدِيارِ وَشَيخِها النَضّاحِ
Sun of day, learn scales from
The auspicious land and its chanting sheikh
ميلي اِنظُريهِ في النَدِيِّ كَأَنَّهُ
عُثمانُ عَن أُمِّ الكِتابِ يُلاحي
Look upon him in calm as though he were
Uthman consulting the Mother of Scripture
كَم تاجِ تَضحِيَةٍ وَتاجِ كَرامَةٍ
لِلعَينِ حَولَ جَبينِهِ اللَمّاحِ
So many crowns of sacrifice and crowns of honour
For the eye around his luminous forehead
وَالشَيبُ مُنبَثِقٌ كَنورِ الحَقِّ مِن
فَودَيهِ أَو فَجرِ الهُدى المِنصاحِ
And grey hair issuing like the light of truth
From his temples or the dawn of honest advice
لَبّى أَذانَ الصُلحِ أَوَّلَ قائِمٍ
وَالصُلحُ خُمسُ قَواعِدُ الإِصلاحِ
He answered the call for peace first to rise
And peace is the fifth pillar of reform
سَبَقَ الرِجالَ مُصافِحاً وَمُعانِقاً
يُمنى السَماحِ وَهَيكَلَ الإِسحاجِ
He preceded men greeting and embracing
The right of magnanimity and temple of pilgrimage
عَدلى الجَليلِ اِبنِ الجَليلِ مِنَ المَلا
وَالماجِدِ اِبنِ الماجِدِ المِسماحِ
He leaned on the magnificent son of the magnificent
From dynasty and scion of the benevolent dynasty
حُلوُ السَجِيَّةِ في قَناةٍ مُرَّةٍ
ثَمِلُ الشَمائِلِ في وَقارٍ صاحِ
Sweet of temperament in a channel of bitterness
Full of qualities in dignified composure
شَتّى فَضائِلَ في الرِجالِ كَأَنَّها
شَتّى سِلاحٍ مِن قَنا وَصِفاحِ
He combined diverse virtues in men as though
They were diverse coats of mail and armor
فَإِذا هِيَ اِجتَمَعَت لِمُلكِ جَبهَةً
كانَت حُصونَ مَناعَةٍ وَنِطاحِ
So when they gathered to shield his realm
They became fortresses of resilience and protection
اللَهُ أَلَّفَ لِلبِلادِ صُدورَها
مِن كُلِّ داهِيَةٍ وَكُلِّ صُراحِ
God harmonized the hearts of the country
From every cunning one and every hothead
وَزُراءُ مَملَكَةٍ وَدَعائِمُ دَولَةٍ
أَعلامُ مُؤتَمَرٍ أُسودُ صَباحِ
Ministers of a kingdom and pillars of a state
Figures of a conference, lions of dawn
يَبنونَ بِالدُستورِ حائِطَ مُلكِهِم
لا بِالصِفاحِ وَلا عَلى الأَرماحِ
They build with the constitution the wall of their reign
Not with forgiveness nor by spears
وَجَواهِرُ التيجانِ ما لَم تُتَّخَذ
مِن مَعدِنِ الدُستورِ غَيرُ صِحاحِ
And crown jewels were never taken
Except from the essence of constitution, nothing counterfeit
اِحتَلَّ حِصنَ الحَقِّ غَيرُ جُنودِهِ
وَتَكالَبَت أَيدٍ عَلى المِفتاحِ
The fortress of truth was seized by none but its soldiers
And hands grabbed at the key
ضَجَّت عَلى أَبطالِها ثُكُناتُهُ
وَاِستَوحَشَت لِكُماتِها النُزّاحِ
Its barracks clamored over its heroes
And were desolate for their concentration
هُجِرَت أَرائِكُهُ وَعُطِّلَ عودُهُ
وَشَلا مِنَ الغادينَ وَالروّاحِ
Its thrones were abandoned and its lute fell silent
And slackened were those departing and returning
وَعَلاهُ نَسجُ العَنكَبوتِ فَزادَهُ
كَالغارِ مِن شَرَفٍ وَسِمتِ صَلاحِ
And it was covered by spider webs, increasing
Its nobility and virtuous demeanor
قُل لِلبَنينِ مَقالَ صِدقٍ وَاِقتَصِد
ذَرعُ الشَبابِ يَضيقُ بِالنُصّاحِ
Say to the youths words of truth and moderation
For the arm of youth is too narrow for advising
أَنتُم بَنو اليَومَ العَصيبِ نَشَأتُمو
في قَصفِ أَنواءٍ وَعَصفِ رِياحِ
You are the sons of the dire day brought up
In the debris of gales and lashing winds
وَرَأَيتُمو الوَطَنَ المُؤَلَّفَ صَخرَةً
في الحادِثاتِ وَسَيلِها المُجتاحِ
And you saw the united nation become a boulder
In events and their raging flood
وَشَهِدتُمو صَدعَ الصُفوفِ وَما جَنى
مِن أَمرِ مُفتاتٍ وَنَهيِ وَقاحِ
And you witnessed the rift in the ranks and what was reaped
From orders gone awry and immodest prohibiting
صَوتُ الشُعوبِ مِنَ الزَئيرِ مُجَمَّعاً
فَإِذا تَفَرَّقَ كانَ بَعضَ نُباحِ
The voice of nations roaring when assembled
Yet when dispersed becomes but barking
أَظمَتكُموُ الأَيّامُ ثُمَّ سَقَتكُمو
رَنَقاً مِنَ الإِحسانِ غَيرَ قَراحِ
The days nurtured you then quenched your thirst
With benevolence without stint
وَإِذا مُنِحتَ الخَيرَ مِن مُتَكَلِّفٍ
ظَهَرَت عَلَيهِ سَجِيَّةُ المَنّاحِ
And when good is granted by a pretentious one
The nature of hypocrisy becomes evident
تَرَكتُكُمو مِثلَ المَهيضِ جَناحُهُ
لا في الحِبالِ وَلا طَليقَ سَراحِ
You were left like a bird with crippled wing
Neither bound by ropes nor freed unfettered
مَن صَيَّرَ الأَغلالَ زَهرَ قَلائِدٍ
وَكَسا القُيودَ مَحاسِنَ الأَوضاحِ
He who made shackles a necklace of flowers
And clothed bonds in beauty's drapery
إِنَّ الَّتي تَبغونَ دونَ مَنالِها
طولُ اِجتِهادٍ وَاِضطِرادُ كِفاحِ
What you seek without reaching
Is long effort and continuing struggle
سيروا إِلَيها بِالأَناةِ طَويلَةً
إِنَّ الأَناةَ سَبيلُ كُلِّ فَلاحِ
Go to it steadily and patiently
For patience is the way of all success
وَخُذوا بِناءَ المُلكِ عَن دُستورِكُم
إِنَّ الشِراعَ مُثَقِّفُ المَلّاحِ
And take the building of the kingdom from your constitution
For the sail enlightens the sailor
يا دارَ مَحمودٍ سَلِمتِ وَبورِكَت
أَركانُكِ الهرَمِيَّةُ الصُفّاحِ
O house of Mahmoud, you are safe and blessed
Your venerable pillars fully alert
وَاِزدَدتِ مِن حُسنِ الثَناءِ وَطيبِهِ
حَجَراً هُوَ الدُرِيُّ في الأَمداحِ
You have increased in the goodness of praise and its fragrance
A stone that is precious in eulogies
الأُمَّةُ اِنتَقَلَت إِلَيكِ كَأَنَّما
أَنزَلتِها مِن بَيتِها بِجَناحِ
The nation moved to you as though
You descended it from its home on wing
بَرَكاتُ شَيخٍ بِالصَعيدِ مُحَمَّلٌ
عِبءَ السِنينَ مُؤَمَّلٍ نَفّاحِ
The blessings of a sheikh in Upper Egypt laden
With the burden of fruitful years ripened
بِالأَمسِ جادَ عَلى القَضِيَّةِ بِاِبنِهِ
وَاليَومَ آواها بِأَكرَمَ ساحِ
Yesterday he favored the cause with his son
And today sheltered it in the most generous refuge
