كانَت دَمَنهورُ لَنا

مَهدَ المَحاسِنِ وَالظَرائِفِ

Damnahur was a cradle for us

Of beauty and subtleties

لا سِيِّما لَمّا رَقَّت

بِمُديرِها رَبُّ اللَطائِفِ

Especially when it was blessed

By its Lord, the Bestower of graces

خَيري الخَلائِقَ أَحمَدَ

مُحي المَفاخِرِ وَالمَعارِفِ

The best of creation, Ahmed

Reviver of glories and knowledge

وَسِعَت لِنادي فَضلِهِ

أَهلَ الفَضائِلِ وَالعَوارِفِ

In his circle of grace

Were people of virtues and gnosis

فَاِستَأنَسَت نَفسي بِهِم

وَظَلَلتُ التَقطُ الطَرائِفِ

My soul found companionship in them

And I lingered to glean subtleties

وَأَقولُ قَد سَعِدَت دَمَن

هورُ وَراقَت كُلَّ طائِفِ

And I say Damnahur was blessed

And every corner flourished

لَكِن بِها كَلبٌ عَقورُ

قَد بَدَت مِنهُ المَخاوِفِ

But in it is an ungrateful dog

Fears have appeared from it

لا زالَ يَعطِفُ كاسِراً

فَيُسيءُ جالِسُها وَواقِفِ

It still circles breaking things

Hurting those sitting and standing

حَتّى غَدَت مَوبوءَةً

بِوُجودِهِ وَالكُلُّ واجِفِ

Until it has become infected

By its existence, and all are cautious

فَمَنِ الَّذي يأَتي لَها

ما دَآمُ فيها الكَلبُ عاطِفِ

So who will come to it

As long as the destructive dog is circling

إِلّا وَباستورَ لَهُ

في كُلِّ آوِنَةٍ مُساعِفِ

Except to find his mark on it

In every moment redoubled

وَلَرُبَّما لَم يَجِدهُ

تُطبيهِ وَالداءُ ناقِفِ

And sometimes cannot find it

When the disease lies in wait

فَاللَهُ يَخفى رَسمُهُ

مِنها فَتَأخُذُهُ المَتالِفِ

So God hides its traces

From it, and it seizes the familiar

لا أَكونُ أَوَّلَ آمِنٍ

وَأَكونُ آخِرَ مَن يُجازِفِ

I will not be the first to feel safe

And I will be the last to take risks