قُم لِلمُعَلِّمِ وَفِّهِ التَبجيلا

كادَ المُعَلِّمُ أَن يَكونَ رَسولا

Honor the teacher and give him utmost respect

The teacher is almost an apostle

أَعَلِمتَ أَشرَفَ أَو أَجَلَّ مِنَ الَّذي

يَبني وَيُنشِئُ أَنفُساً وَعُقولا

Did you know anyone nobler than he

Who builds and nurtures souls and minds

سُبحانَكَ اللَهُمَّ خَيرَ مُعَلِّمٍ

عَلَّمتَ بِالقَلَمِ القُرونَ الأولى

Glory be to You, O God, the Best Teacher

Who taught the early generations with the pen

أَخرَجتَ هَذا العَقلَ مِن ظُلُماتِهِ

وَهَدَيتَهُ النورَ المُبينَ سَبيلا

Who brought this intellect out of its darkness

And guided it to the clear light of the path

وَطَبَعتَهُ بِيَدِ المُعَلِّمِ تارَةً

صَدِئَ الحَديدُ وَتارَةً مَصقولا

Whom You imprinted through the teacher's hand sometimes

As rusty iron and other times as polished

أَرسَلتَ بِالتَوراةِ موسى مُرشِداً

وَاِبنَ البَتولِ فَعَلِّمِ الإِنجيلا

You sent Moses with the Torah as a guide

And the Son of the Virgin, so teach him the Gospel

وَفَجَرتَ يَنبوعَ البَيانِ مُحَمَّداً

فَسَقى الحَديثَ وَناوَلَ التَنزيلا

And made the spring of eloquence gush through Muhammad

Who quenched [people’s] thirst with the Hadith and presented the Quran

عَلَّمتَ يوناناً وَمِصرَ فَزالَتا

عَن كُلِّ شَمسٍ ما تُريدُ أُفولا

You taught Greece and Egypt but they declined

From every sun they wished to set

وَاليَومَ أَصبَحَتا بِحالِ طُفولَةٍ

في العِلمِ تَلتَمِسانِهِ تَطفيلا

And today they have become childlike

Seeking knowledge from others shamefully

مِن مَشرِقِ الأَرضِ الشَموسُ تَظاهَرَت

ما بالُ مَغرِبِها عَلَيهِ أُديلا

From the east of the earth suns have risen

Why does its west remain dark?

يا أَرضُ مُذ فَقَدَ المُعَلِّمُ نَفسَهُ

بَينَ الشُموسِ وَبَينَ شَرقِكِ حيلا

O land, since the teacher lost himself amongst the suns

And your east, what tricks remain?

ذَهَبَ الَّذينَ حَمَوا حَقيقَةَ عِلمِهِم

وَاِستَعذَبوا فيها العَذابَ وَبيلا

Those who carried the truth of their knowledge have gone

And deemed agony in it as sweet and fine

في عالَمٍ صَحِبَ الحَياةَ مُقَيَّداً

بِالفَردِ مَخزوماً بِهِ مَغلولا

In a world where the wise accompanied life

Shackled by individuals and fettered in chains

صَرَعَتهُ دُنيا المُستَبِدِّ كَما هَوَت

مِن ضَربَةِ الشَمسِ الرُؤوسُ ذُهولا

Vanquished by the despot’s world as heads fall

From the strike of the sun, swinging giddily

سُقراطُ أَعطى الكَأسَ وَهيَ مَنِيَّةٌ

شَفَتَي مُحِبٍّ يَشتَهي التَقبيلا

Socrates gave the poisoned cup, eagerly sipping

The lips of a lover wishing for a kiss

عَرَضوا الحَياةَ عَلَيهِ وَهيَ غَباوَةٌ

فَأَبى وَآثَرَ أَن يَموتَ نَبيلا

They offered him dishonorable life yet he refused

And chose to die with honor and dignity

إِنَّ الشَجاعَةَ في القُلوبِ كَثيرَةٌ

وَوَجَدتُ شُجعانَ العُقولِ قَليلا

Courage may be abundant in hearts

But courageous minds are few

إِنَّ الَّذي خَلَقَ الحَقيقَةَ عَلقَماً

لَم يُخلِ مِن أَهلِ الحَقيقَةِ جيلا

The One who created truth as He willed

Did not deprive any generation of its people

وَلَرُبَّما قَتَلَ الغَرامُ رِجالَها

قُتِلَ الغَرامُ كَمِ اِستَباحَ قَتيلا

Passion may have killed its men

But how many were killed out of passion?

أَوَكُلُّ مَن حامى عَنِ الحَقِّ اِقتَنى

عِندَ السَوادِ ضَغائِناً وَذُحولا

Is everyone who protected the truth revered

And accumulated at the hands of the masses spite and grudges?

لَو كُنتُ أَعتَقِدُ الصَليبَ وَخَطبُهُ

لَأَقَمتُ مِن صَلبِ المَسيحِ دَليلا

Had I believed in the crucifix and its sermon

I would have cited Christ's crucifixion as evidence

أَمُعَلِّمي الوادي وَساسَةَ نَشئِهِ

وَالطابِعينَ شَبابَهُ المَأمولا

O teachers of the valley and nurturers of its youth

And you who imprinted its hopeful youth

وَالحامِلينَ إِذا دُعوا لِيُعَلِّموا

عِبءَ الأَمانَةِ فادِحاً مَسؤولا

And you who, when called to teach, shouldered

The heavy responsibility, held accountable

كانَت لَنا قَدَمٌ إِلَيهِ خَفيفَةٌ

وَرِمَت بِدَنلوبٍ فَكانَ الفيلا

To you our steps were once effortless

And we threw at you, so you were the elephants

حَتّى رَأَينا مِصرَ تَخطو إِصبَعاً

في العِلمِ إِن مَشَتِ المَمالِكُ ميلا

Until we saw Egypt take one step

In knowledge, even if empires took miles

تِلكَ الكُفورُ وَحَشوُها أُمِّيَّةٌ

مِن عَهدِ خوفو لا تَرَ القِنديلا

Those ingrates and their illiteracy

From the days of Khufu see no lamp

تَجِدُ الَّذينَ بَنى المِسَلَّةَ جَدُّهُم

لا يُحسِنونَ لِإِبرَةٍ تَشكيلا

You find their pyramid builders’ descendants

Cannot properly shape a needle

وَيُدَلَّلونَ إِذا أُريدَ قِيادُهُم

كَالبُهمِ تَأنَسُ إِذ تَرى التَدليلا

And are pampered if you want to lead them

Like dogs sympathetic if shown affection

يَتلو الرِجالُ عَلَيهُمُ شَهَواتِهِم

فَالناجِحونَ أَلَدُّهُم تَرتيلا

Men relish their lusts over them

And the most vicious of them are the most successful

الجَهلُ لا تَحيا عَلَيهِ جَماعَةٌ

كَيفَ الحَياةُ عَلى يَدَي عِزريلا

Ignorance cannot sustain any community

How can life be sustained at the hands of the likes of Ezra?

وَاللَهِ لَولا أَلسُنٌ وَقَرائِحٌ

دارَت عَلى فِطَنِ الشَبابِ شَمولا

By God, if not for the tongues and intuitions

That rotated around the minds of the youths in complexity

وَتَعَهَّدَت مِن أَربَعينَ نُفوسَهُم

تَغزو القُنوطَ وَتَغرِسُ التَأميلا

And undertook the training of forty souls

To conquer despair and sow hope

عَرَفَت مَواضِعَ جَدبِهِم فَتَتابَعَت

كَالعَينِ فَيضاً وَالغَمامِ مَسيلا

They recognized the places of their infertility, so they followed

Like the eye, a stream, and the rain, a channel

تُسدي الجَميلَ إِلى البِلادِ وَتَستَحي

مِن أَن تُكافَأَ بِالثَناءِ جَميلا

Bestowing good on the country, yet shy

To be rewarded for it, however beautiful

ما كانَ دَنلوبٌ وَلا تَعليمُهُ

عِندَ الشَدائِدِ يُغنِيانِ فَتيلا

Neither Dunlop nor its teachings

Were of use during hardships, not even a wick

رَبّوا عَلى الإِنصافِ فِتيانَ الحِمى

تَجِدوهُمُ كَهفَ الحُقوقِ كُهولا

They nurtured the youths of ambition, you will find them

As the cave of rights—matured and aged

فَهوَ الَّذي يَبني الطِباعَ قَويمَةً

وَهوَ الَّذي يَبني النُفوسَ عُدولا

It is he who builds integrity of character

And it is he who builds just souls

وَيُقيمُ مَنطِقَ كُلِّ أَعوَجِ مَنطِقٍ

وَيُريهِ رَأياً في الأُمورِ أَصيلا

And corrects the logic of every twisted mind

Showing him mature insight in matters

وَإِذا المُعَلِّمُ لَم يَكُن عَدلاً مَشى

روحُ العَدالَةِ في الشَبابِ ضَئيلا

And if the teacher was not just, the spirit of justice

In the youths walked feebly and frail

وَإِذا المُعَلِّمُ ساءَ لَحظَ بَصيرَةٍ

جاءَت عَلى يَدِهِ البَصائِرُ حولا

And if the teacher's vision was immoral

The visions came through him distorted and crooked

وَإِذا أَتى الإِرشادُ مِن سَبَبِ الهَوى

وَمِنَ الغُرورِ فَسَمِّهِ التَضليلا

And if guidance came from the cause of lust

And arrogance—name it misguidance!

وَإِذا أُصيبَ القَومُ في أَخلاقِهِم

فَأَقِم عَلَيهِم مَأتَماً وَعَويلا

And if a people were corrupted in morals

Hold for them a eulogy and cry in lament

إِنّي لَأَعذُرُكُم وَأَحسَبُ عِبئَكُم

مِن بَينِ أَعباءِ الرِجالِ ثَقيلا

I pardon you and reckon your burden

Among the burdens of men as heavy

وَجَدَ المُساعِدَ غَيرُكُم وَحُرِمتُمُ

في مِصرَ عَونَ الأُمَّهاتِ جَليلا

Others found supporters while you were deprived

In Egypt of the great mothers' help

وَإِذا النِساءُ نَشَأنَ في أُمِّيَّةً

رَضَعَ الرِجالُ جَهالَةً وَخُمولا

And if women were raised illiterate

Men suckled ignorance and idleness

لَيسَ اليَتيمُ مَنِ اِنتَهى أَبَواهُ مِن

هَمِّ الحَياةِ وَخَلَّفاهُ ذَليلا

An orphan is not one whose parents have passed

Leaving him lowly, lost in life's worries

فَأَصابَ بِالدُنيا الحَكيمَةِ مِنهُما

وَبِحُسنِ تَربِيَةِ الزَمانِ بَديلا

But found for him the wise world

And a good upbringing as recompense

إِنَّ اليَتيمَ هُوَ الَّذي تَلقى لَهُ

أُمّاً تَخَلَّت أَو أَباً مَشغولا

The orphan is he who gets instead

A mother who abandoned him or a busy father

مِصرٌ إِذا ما راجَعَت أَيّامَها

لَم تَلقَ لِلسَبتِ العَظيمِ مَثيلا

Egypt, if it revisited its days

It would not find the Great Saturday an equal

البَرلَمانُ غَداً يُمَدُّ رُواقُهُ

ظِلّاً عَلى الوادي السَعيدِ ظَليلا

Parliament tomorrow, its porch will cast

A shadow on the happy valley, shaded

نَرجو إِذا التَعليمُ حَرَّكَ شَجوَهُ

أَلّا يَكونَ عَلى البِلادِ بَخيلا

We hope that when education stirs its vigor

It will not be stingy on the country

قُل لِلشَبابِ اليَومَ بورِكَ غَرسُكُم

دَنَتِ القُطوفُ وَذُلِّلَت تَذليلا

Tell the youth today, your planting has thrived

The harvest is near and easily obtained

حَيّوا مِنَ الشُهَداءِ كُلَّ مُغَيَّبٍ

وَضَعوا عَلى أَحجارِهِ إِكليلا

Greet every martyr who passed away

And place on their tombs a wreath

لِيَكونَ حَظُّ الحَيِّ مِن شُكرانِكُم

جَمّاً وَحَظُّ المَيتِ مِنهُ جَزيلا

So that the share of the living, from your gratitude

Is plentiful, and the share of the dead, plenty

لا يَلمَسُ الدُستورُ فيكُم روحَهُ

حَتّى يَرى جُندِيَّهُ المَجهولا

Let the constitution not touch in you its spirit

Until it sees its unknown soldiers

ناشَدتُكُم تِلكَ الدِماءَ زَكِيَّةً

لا تَبعَثوا لِلبَرلَمانِ جَهولا

I implore you by those pure bloods

Do not send to Parliament fools

فَليَسأَلَنَّ عَنِ الأَرائِكِ سائِلٌ

أَحَمَلنَ فَضلاً أَم حَمَلنَ فُضولا

Let a questioner ask about the seats

Did they carry virtue or sin?

إِن أَنتَ أَطلَعتَ المُمَثِّلَ ناقِصاً

لَم تَلقَ عِندَ كَمالِهِ التَمثيلا

If you appointed an imperfect representative

You will not find the ideal represented through him

فَاِدعوا لَها أَهلَ الأَمانَةِ وَاِجعَلوا

لِأولى البَصائِرِ مِنهُمُ التَفضيلا

So appoint people of integrity and give

Preference to the most insightful among them

إِنَّ المُقَصِّرَ قَد يَحولُ وَلَن تَرى

لِجَهالَةِ الطَبعِ الغَبِيِّ مُحيلا

The negligent may reform but you will never see

Reform from an ignorant disposition

فَلَرُبَّ قَولٍ في الرِجالِ سَمِعتُمُ

ثُمَّ اِنقَضى فَكَأَنَّهُ ما قيلا

For how many words of men you have heard

Then vanished, as if never said

وَلَكَم نَصَرتُم بِالكَرامَةِ وَالهَوى

مَن كانَ عِندَكُمُ هُوَ المَخذولا

And how many you have supported out of dignity and passion

Who were, to you, the abandoned

كَرَمٌ وَصَفحٌ في الشَبابِ وَطالَما

كَرُمَ الشَبابُ شَمائِلاً وَمُيولا

There is grace and forgiveness in youth

The youth graced traits and tendencies generously

قوموا اِجمَعوا شَعبَ الأُبُوَّةِ وَاِرفَعوا

صَوتَ الشَبابِ مُحَبَّباً مَقبولا

Come together, gather the people of fatherhood, and lift

The voice of youth, beloved and accepted

ما أَبعَدَ الغاياتِ إِلّا أَنَّني

أَجِدُ الثَباتَ لَكُم بِهِنَّ كَفيلا

Only the determination I find in you

Makes me confident in it as guarantor

فَكِلوا إِلى اللَهِ النَجاحَ وَثابِروا

فَاللَهُ خَيرٌ كافِلاً وَوَكيلا

Commit your success to God and persevere

For God is the best patron and protector