بِالعِلْمِ يُدْرِكُ أَقصَى المَجْدِ مِنْ أَمَمٍ
وَلا رُقِيَّ بِغَيْرِ العِلْمِ لِلأُمَمِ
With knowledge, the zenith of glory is attained by nations,
And without knowledge, nations cannot progress.
يَا مَنْ دَعَاهُمْ فَلَبَّتْهُ عَوَارِفُهُمْ
لِجُودِكُمْ مِنْهُ شُكْرُ الرَّوْضِ لِلدِّيَمِ
O you whose nobility responded when you called them,
The meadow's gratitude for your generosity is everlasting.
يَحْظَى أُولُو الْبَذْلِ إِنْ تَحْسُنْ مَقَاصِدُهُم
بِالبَاقِيَاتَ مِنَ الآلاءِ وَالنِّعَمِ
Those who generously intend good are granted lasting kindness,
With ever-renewed favours and blessings.
فَإِنْ تَجِدْ كَرَماً فِي غَيْرِ مَحْمَدَةٍ
فَقَدْ تَكُونُ أَدَاةُ المَوْتِ فِي الْكَرْمِ
If you find generosity without merit,
It can become an instrument of death, even in generosity.
مَعَاهِدُ العِلْمِ مَنْ يَسْخُو فَيَعْمُرُهَا
يَبْنِي مَدَارِجَ لِلْمُسْتَقْبلِ السَّنِمِ
Supporters of knowledge freely provide for it to flourish
And build steps to the future, ever ascending.
وَوَاضِعٍ حَجَراً فِي أُسٍّ مَدْرَسَةٍ
أَبْقَى عَلَى قَوْمِهِ مِنْ شَائِدِ الْهَرَمِ
One who lays but a stone in the foundation of a school
Remains longer in his people's memory than high pyramids.
شَتَّانَ مَا بَيْنَ بَيْتٍ تُسْتَجَدُّ بِهِ
قُوَى الشُّعُوبِ وَبَيْتٍ صَائِنِ الرِّمَمِ
How different are buildings erected for the strengthening of nations
And those tending only cold stone and rubble.
لَمْ يُرْهِقِ الشَّرْقَ إِلاَّ عَيْشُهُ رَدَحاً
وَالجَهْلُ رَاعِيهِ وَالأَقْوَامُ كَالنَّعَمِ
Only indolence, nurtured by ignorance and docile nations,
Has wearied the Orient with endless drudgery.
فَحَسبُهُ مَا مَضَى مِنْ غَفْلَةٍ لَبِثَتْ
دهراً وَآنَ لَهُ بَعْثٌ مِنَ الْعَدَمِ
Let the oblivion it has known suffice it now;
The time has come for it to rise from nothingness.
الْيَوْمَ يُمنَعُ مِنْ وِردٍ عَلَى ظَمأٍ
مَنْ لَيسَ بِاليَقِظِ المُستَبْصِرِ الْفَهِمِ
Today, he who lacks insight and wisdom
Is denied water at the fountain to quench his thirst.
اليوْمَ يُحرمُ أَدْنَى الرِّزْقِ طَالِبُهُ
فأَعْمِلِ الفِكْرَ لا تُحْرَمْ وَتَغْتنِمِ
Today, the lowest sustenance is forbidden to its seeker.
So rouse your mind, do not lose this chance to win.
وَالجَمْعُ كَالْفَرْدِ إِنْ فَاتَتْهُ مَعْرِفَةٌ
طَاحَتْ بِهِ غَاشِيَاتُ الظُّلْمِ وَالظُّلَمِ
Individuals and groups alike, if lacking knowledge,
Will be overwhelmed by darkness and gloom.
فَعَلِّمُوا عَلِّمُوا أَوْ لا قَرَارَ لَكُمْ
وَلا فِرَارَ مِنَ الآفَاتِ وَالغُمَمِ
Educate, educate, or you will find no rest,
No escape from afflictions and worries.
ربُّوا بَنِيكُمْ فَقَدْ صِرْنَا إِلَى زَمَنٍ
طَارَتْ بِهِ النَّاسُ كَالْعِقْبَانِ والرَّخَمِ
Raise your children, for we've come upon an age
In which people fly like starlings and ostriches.
إِن نَمْشِ زَحْفاً فَمَا كَزَّاتُ مُعْتَزِمٍ
مِنَّا هُدِيتُمْ وَمَا مَنْجَاةُ مُعْتَصِمِ
If we march in step, no resolute group
Can be split by us; you were guided by us, no protection in resistance.
يا رُوحَ أَشْرَفَ مَنْ فَدَّى مَوَاطِنَهْ
بِمَوْتِهِ بَعْدَ طُولَ الْجُهْدِ وَالسَّقَمِ
O soul of the noblest man who ransomed his homelands
With his death after long struggle and ill health.
كَأَنَّنِي بِكِ فِي النَّادِي مُرَفْرِفَةً
حِيَالَنَا وَكَأَنَّ الصَّوْتَ لَمْ يَرِمِ
I can see you in the club, fluttering about us,
As if your voice still stirs the air.
فَفِي مَسَامِعِنَا مَا كُنتِ مُلْقِيَةً
فِي مِثْلِ مَوْقِفِنَا مِنْ طَيِّبِ الكَلِمِ
In our hearing still echo the words you spoke
When we were, as now, receptive to your wise speech.
وَفِي القلوب اهْتِزَازٌ مِنْ سَنَاكِ وَقَدْ
جَلاهُ وَرْيٌ كَوَرْيِ الْبَرْقِ فِي الظُّلَمِ
And hearts still quiver with your image,lit up
As with the flash of lightning in the dark of night.
تُوصِينَنَا بِتُرَاثٍ نَامَ صَاحِبُهُ
عَنْهُ اضْطِراراً وَعَيْنُ الدَّهْرِ لم تَنَمِ
You enjoined us to an inheritance its owner neglected,
Obliged by circumstance, while the days slept on.
سَمْعاً وَطَوْعاً بِلا ضَعَفٍ وَلا سَأمٍ
لِلْهَاتِفِ المُسْتَجَابِ الصَّوْتِ مِن قِدَمِ
Hearing and obeying, unflagging, unwearied,
The voice of the caller, so long obeyed.
أَلدَّارُ عَامِرَةٌ كَالْعَهْدِ زَاهِرةٌ
وَالْقَوْمٌ عِنْدَ جَمِيلِ الظَّنِّ بِالْهِمَمِ
The club prospers still, as it did, blossoming
Among a people of generous thoughts and determination.
هُمْ نَاصِرُوهَا كَمَا كَانُوا وَمَا بَرِحَتْ
ظِلاًّ وَنُوراً لِمَحْرُومٍ وَذِي يَتَمٍ
They still defend it as they did; it remains
A haven for the deprived, the orphaned.
إِنَّ الْفَقِيرَ لَهُ فِي قَوْمِهِ ذِمَمٌ
وَالْبِرُّ ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الإِيفَاءِ بِالذِّمَمِ
The destitute have claims to fulfill among their people,
And charity meets such obligations.
تِجَارَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ رابِحَةٌ
يشْرِي السَّخِيُّ بِهَا عَفْواً مِنَ النَّقَمِ
Trade for the sake of God is profitable,
The generous man ransoms himself thereby from vengeance.
وَيَسْتَزِيدُ النَّدَى مِنْ فَضْلِ رازِقِهِ
وَيَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى الْعِلاّتِ وَالأُزُمِ
And draws increase from his Lord's bounty,
Seeking help against want and days of scarcity.
دَامَتْ لِمِصْرَ عَلَى الأَيَّامِ رِفْعَتُهَا
وَدَرَّهَا كُلُّ فَيَّاضٍ وَمُنْسَجِمِ
May Egypt's eminence through the days continue,
May she be irrigated by every streaming source.
لَوْ أَنَّهَا بَاهَتِ الأَمْصَارَ قَاطِبةً
بِالْفَضْلِ حَقَّ لَهَا فَلْتَحْيَا وَلْتَدُمِ
Were she to eclipse all other nations in splendor
She would deserve it; so may she live and endure!
