بِأَرضِ الجيزَةِ اِجتازَ الغَمامُ

وَحَلَّ سَماءَها البَدرُ التَمامُ

The clouds passed over the land of Giza,

And its sky was graced by the full moon.

وَزارَ رِياضَ إِسماعيلَ غَيثٌ

كَوالِدِهِ لَهُ المِنَنُ الجِسامُ

Abundant rain visited the gardens of Ismail,

Bestowed like a generous father.

ثَنى عِطفَيهِما الهَرَمانِ تيهاً

وَقالَ الثالِثُ الأَدنى سَلامُ

The two pyramids bowed their shoulders,

And the smaller third one bid peace.

حَلُمّي مَنفُ هَذا تاجُ خوفو

كَقُرصِ الشَمسِ يَعرِفُهُ الأَنامُ

My dream, this crown of Khufu

Is known to all like the sun disk.

نَمَتهُ مِن بَني فِرعَونَ هامٌ

وَمِن خُلَفاءِ إِسماعيلَ هامُ

It was erected by the determined descendants of Pharaoh,

And by the caliphs, descendants of Ismail.

تَأَلَّقَ في سَمائِكِ عَبقَرِيّاً

عَلَيهِ جَلالَةٌ وَلَهُ وِسامُ

It shone brilliantly in your sky,

Bearing majesty and decorations.

تَرَعرَعَتِ الحَضارَةُ في حُلاهُ

وَشَبَّ عَلى جَواهِرِهِ النِظامُ

Civilization flourished in its shadows,

And governance grew on its gems.

وَنالَ الفَنُّ في أُولى اللَيالي

وَأُخراهُنَّ عِزّاً لا يُرامُ

Art attained glory in its first nights,

As well as its last, untouchable might.

مَشى في جيزَةِ الفُسطاطِ ظِلٌّ

كَظِلِّ النيلِ بُلَّ بِهِ الأُوامُ

A shadow walked in the Fustat of Giza

Like the shadow of the Nile, flooded by waves.

إِذا ما مَسَّ تُرباً عادَ مِسكاً

وَنافَسَ تَحتَهُ الذَهَبَ الرَغامُ

Whenever it touched soil, musk emanated,

Competing with scattered gold nuggets.

وَإِن هُوَ حَلَّ أَرضاً قامَ فيها

جِدارٌ لِلحَضارَةِ أَو دِعامُ

If it landed anywhere, a wall rose for civilization,

Or a pillar for its support.

فَمَدرَسَةٌ لِحَربِ الجَهلِ تُبنى

وَمُستَشفى يُذادُ بِهِ السَقامُ

A school was built to fight ignorance,

A hospital was founded to cure the sick.

وَدارٌ يُستَغاثُ بِها فَيَمضي

إِلى الإِسعافِ أَنجادٌ كِرامُ

A place to seek help so caravans set out,

Of generous people, to provide aid.

أُساةُ جِراحَةٍ حيناً وَحيناً

مَيازيبٌ إِذا اِنفَجَرَ الضِرامُ

Sometimes a surgery to stitch wounds,

Sometimes conduits, should veins burst.

وَأَحواضٌ يُراضُ النيلُ فيها

وَكُلُّ نَجيبَةٍ وَلَها لِجامُ

Basins where the Nile floods joyfully,

Each noble stream with its canal.

أَبا الفاروقِ أَقبَلنا صُفوفاً

وَأَنتَ مِنَ الصُفوفِ هُوَ الإِمامُ

Abu Al-Farouk, we came in rows before you,

And you were the imam leading the rows.

إِلى البَيتِ الحَرامِ بِكَ اِتَّجَهنا

وَمِصرُ وَحَقَّها البَيتُ الحَرامُ

To the Sacred House, we set out before you,

And Egypt has rights to that Sacred House.

طَلَعتَ عَلى الصَعيدِ فَهَشَّ حَتّى

عَلا شَفَتَي أَبي الهَولُ اِبتِسامُ

You appeared on the plateau, so the smile

Widened on the lips of the Sphinx.

ركابٌ سارَتِ الآمالُ فيهِ

وَطافَ بِهِ التَلَفُّتُ وَالزِحامُ

A procession in which hopes paraded,

Accompanied by attention and crowds.

فَماذا في طَريقِكَ مِن كُفورٍ

أَجَلُّ مِنَ البُيوتِ بِها الرِجامُ

So what ingratitude awaits on your path,

More glorious than houses adorned with battlements?

كَأَنَّ الراقِدينَ بِكُلِّ قاعٍ

هُمُ الأَيقاظُ وَاليَقظى النِيامُ

It is as if those asleep in every place

Are the awake, while the awake are dozing.

لَقَد أَزَمَ الزَمانُ الناسَ فَاِنظُر

فَعِندَكَ تُفرَجُ الإِزَمُ العِظامُ

Hard times have worn out people, so look,

For in you unfolds relief for great sorrows.

وَبَعدَ غَدٍ يُفارِقُ عامُ بُؤسٍ

وَيَخلفُهُ مِنَ النَعماءِ عامُ

After tomorrow departs, a woeful year,

Succeeded by years of blessings!

يَدورُ بِمِصرَ حالاً بَعدَ حالٍ

زَمانٌ ما لِحالَيهِ دَوامُ

Before Egypt will pass many uncertain states

Without its circumstances lasting.

وَمِصرُ بِناءُ جَدِّكَ لَم يُتَمَّم

أَلَيسَ عَلى يَدَيكَ لَهُ تَمامُ

And Egypt, your grandfather’s creation,

Was not finished - is it not by your hand that it will be completed?

فَلَسنا أُمَّةً قَعَدَت بِشَمسٍ

وَلا بَلَداً بِضاعَتُهُ الكَلامُ

For we are not a nation sitting in sunlight,

Nor a land whose wares are words.

وَلَكِن هِمَّةٌ في كُلِّ حينٍ

يَشُدُّ بِناءَها المَلِكُ الهُمامُ

But an ambition bound in every era

By the efforts of the steadfast king!

نَرومُ الغايَةَ القُصوى فَنَمضي

وَأَنتَ عَلى الطَريقِ هُوَ الزِمامُ

We strive for the highest goal and go forth,

And you are the one holding the reins!

وَنَقصرُ خُطوَةً وَنَمُدُّ أُخرى

وَتُلجِئُنا المَسافَةُ وَالمَرامُ

We shorten one step and lengthen another,

Compelled by the vast distance and destination.

وَنَصبرُ لِلشَدائِدِ في مَقامٍ

وَيَغلِبُنا عَلى صَبرٍ مَقامُ

We are patient at every stop,

Outlasting the stations of patience themselves.

فَقَوِّ حَضارَةَ الماضي بِأُخرى

لَها زَهوٌ بِعَصرِكَ وَاِتِّسامُ

So strengthen the civilization of the past

With one graced by splendor in your time!

تَرفُّ صَحائِفُ البَردِيِّ فيها

وَيَنطُقُ في هَياكِلِها الرُخامُ

Leaves of papyrus in it fluttering,

And granite temples give speech.

رَعَتكَ وَوادِياً تَرعاهُ عَنّا

مِنَ الرَحمَنِ عَينٌ لا تَنامُ

We pray protection for you, and rain to irrigate the valley,

From the Merciful, a spring that never sleeps.

فَإِن يَكُ تاجُ مِصرَ لَها قِواماً

فَمِصرُ لِتاجِها العالي قِوامُ

So that the crown of Egypt may endure

And Egypt may be everlasting for her towering crown!

لِتَهنَأ مِصرُ وَليَهنَأ بَنوها

فَبَينَ الرَأسِ وَالجِسمِ اِلتِئامُ

That Egypt may delight, and her sons delight

In the joining of the head with the body!