أَمسِ اِنقَضى وَاليَومُ مَرقاةُ الغَدِ
إِسكَندَرِيَّةُ آنَ أَن تَتَجَدَّدي
Yesterday has passed, today ushers in tomorrow
Alexandria, it is time for you to be reborn
يا غُرَّةَ الوادي وَسُدَّةَ بابِهِ
رُدّي مَكانَكَ في البَرِيَّةِ يُردَدِ
O pearl of the valley, barrier at its gate
Return to your place in the wilderness, echoing
فيضي كَأَمسِ عَلى العُلومِ مِنَ النُهى
وَعَلى الفُنونِ مِنَ الجَمالِ السَرمَدي
Pour forth again knowledge and sciences
And arts with eternal beauty adorned
وَسِمي النَبالَةَ بِالمَلاحِمِ تَتَّسِم
وَسِمى الصَبابَةَ بِالعَواطِفِ تَخلُدِ
Name valor by epics distinguished
Name youth by passions immortalized
وَضَعي رِواياتِ الخَلاعَةِ وَالهَوى
لِمُمَثِّلينَ مِنَ العُصورِ وَشُهَّدِ
Put aside tales of moral corruption and lust
For actors from generations to emulate
لا تَجعَلي حُبَّ القَديمِ وَذِكرَهُ
حَسَراتِ مِضياعٍ وَدَفعَ مُبَدَّدِ
Let not love of the past and its memory
Breed only regrets and worthless laments
إِنَّ القَديمَ ذَخيرَةٌ مِن صالِحٍ
تَبني المُقَصِّرَ أَو تَحُثُّ المُقتَدي
The olden is a treasure of wholesomeness
That builds up the negligent or guides emulators
لا تَفتِنَنكِ حَضارَةٌ مَجلوبَةٌ
لَم يُبنَ حائِطُها بِمالِكِ وَاليَدِ
Be not seduced by an imported civilization
Whose walls were not built by native hands
لَو مالَ عَنكِ شِراعُها وَبُخارُها
لَم يَبقَ غَيرُ الصَيدِ وَالمُتَصَيِّدِ
Were its sails and steamers to depart
Only hunting and hunted would remain
وُجِدَت وَكانَ لِغَيرِ أَهلِكِ أَرضُها
وَسَماؤُها وَكَأَنَّها لَم توجَدِ
It was found yet its land and sky
Were for others, as though it never existed
جاري النَزيلَ وَسابِقيهِ إِلى الغِنى
وَإِلى الحِجا وَإِلى العُلا وَالسُؤدُدِ
Pursuing the guest and predecessors to wealth
To pilgrimage, glory and high office
وَاِبني كَما يَبنى المَعاهِدَ وَاِشرِعي
لِشَبابِكِ العِرفانَ عَذبَ المَورِدِ
And build as institutions are built and embark
For your youth the sweet water of knowledge
إِنّي حَذِرتُ عَلَيكَ مِن أُمِّيَّةٍ
رَبَضَت كَجُنحِ الغَيهَبِ المُتَلَبِّدِ
I fear for you an encroaching darkness
Like wings of hovering vultures spread
أَخِزانَةَ الوادي عَلَيكِ تَحِيَّةٌ
وَعَلى النَدِيِّ وَكُلِّ أَبلَجَ في النَدي
Storehouse of the valley, greetings to you
And the stream and all who linger by it
ما أَنتِ إِلّا مِن خَزائِنِ يوسُفٍ
بِالقَصدِ موحِيَةٌ لِمَن لَم يَقصِدِ
You are but one of Joseph's storehouses
Signifying unmeant to the unpercipient
قُلِّدتِ مِن مالِ البِلادِ أَمانَةً
يا طالَما اِفتَقَرَت إِلى المُتَقَلِّدِ
Entrusted with the nation's wealth
Long starved of an able trustee
وَبَلَغتِ مِن إيمانِها وَرَجائِها
ما يَبلُغُ المِحرابُ مِن مُتَعَبِّدِ
And attained through its faith and hopes
What the prayer niche means to the devout
فَلَوَ اَنَّ أَستارَ الجَلالِ سَعَت إِلى
غَيرِ العَتيقِ لَبِستِ مِمّا يَرتَدي
Had the veils of majesty billowed
You would wear nothing but the time-honored
إِنّا نُعَظِّمُ فيكِ أَلوِيَةً عَلى
جَنَباتِها حَشدٌ يَروحُ وَيَغتَدي
We esteem in you banners under which throngs
Go and come and wander freely
وَإِذا طَعِمتَ مِنَ الخَلِيَّةِ شَهدَها
فَاِشهَد لِقائِدِها وَلِلمُتَجَنِّدِ
And if you taste the honeycomb
Bear witness to its leader and volunteers
لا تَمنَحِ المَحبوبَ شُكرَكَ كُلَّهُ
وَاِقرِن بِهِ شُكرَ الأَجيرِ المُجهَدِ
Give not all thanks to the beloved
But mix with it the worker's weary gratitude
إِسكَندَرِيَّةُ شُرِّفَت بِعِصابَةٍ
بيضِ الأَسِرَّةِ وَالصَحيفَةِ وَاليَدِ
Alexandria you were honored by a band
Of white turbans, loincloths and hands
خَدَموا حِمى الوَطَنِ العَزيزِ فَبورِكوا
خَدَماً وَبورِكَ في الحِمى مِن سَيِّدِ
Who served the precious homeland and were blessed
Blessed are those who serve in the protected sanctum
ما بالُ ذاكَ الكوخِ صَرَّحَ وَاِنجَلى
عَن حائِطَي صَرحٍ أَشَمَّ مُمَرَّدِ
Why has that hut become a towering mansion
Rising above the walls of a palace?
مِن كَسرِ بَيتٍ أَو جِدارِ سَقيفَةٍ
رَفَعَ الثَباتُ بِنايَةً كَالفَرقَدِ
From fragments of a house or lean-to roof
Steadfastness built up a structure like a watchtower
فَإِذا طَلَعتَ عَلى جَلالَةِ رُكنِها
قُل تِلكَ إِحدى مُعجِزاتِ مُحَمَّدِ
When you look upon the grandeur of its pillar
Say "This is one of Muhammad's miracles"
