يَا رَبَّة الصُّرْحِ الْمُمَرَّدِ تَلْتَقِي

فِيهِ ذُؤابَاتُ الزَّمَانِ الْحَاضِرِ

O mistress of the lofty palace where

People of the present era congregate

مِنْ نَابِغٍ فِي مِصْرَ أَوْ مِنَ نَابِهٍ

فِي الصِّينِ أَوْ بَادٍ يَلُمُّ وَحَاضِرِ

Whether a genius from Egypt or China

Or one with a gift from the past or present

أَوْ مِنْ أَدِيبٍ أَوْ صُنَاعٍ سَاقَهُمْ

شَوْقٌ إِلى رَوْضِ الْكَمَالِ الزَّاهِرِ

Or a writer or artisan brought by

A longing for the blossoming garden of perfection

أَنْفَقْتِ جَهْدُكِ فِي كِفَاحٍ دَائِبٍ

لأَقَالَةِ الجِنْسِ الرَّقِيقِ الْعَاثِرِ

You have spent your efforts in constant struggle

For the advancement of the stumbling gentle race

فِي كُلِّ مَعْنىً صَالِحٍ هَيَّأتِهِ

لِبُلُوغِ غايَات المُحِقٍّ الْقَادِرِ

In every worthy cause you have prepared it

To attain the goals of the Omnipotent Truth

الحَيُّ أَعْطَى نَاظِرينَ أَلَيْسَ مِن

غُبْنٍ عَلَيْهِ الاجْتِزَاءُ بِنَاظِرِ

The living you have given vision, is it not

Unjust for them to make do with blindness?

وَالشَّعبُ هَلْ يَرْقَى بِشَطْرٍ بَالِغٍ

تمَّت مَدَارِكُهُ وَشَطْرٍ قَاصِرِ

Can a people rise halfway developed

With half their faculties complete and half deficient?

وَبَذَلْتِ فَضْلاً مِنْ نَدَاكِ لِبَارِعٍ

فِي فَنِّه أَوْ نَاظِمٍ أَوْ نَائِرِ

You have given freely from your bounty to one

Gifted in art or poet or composer

بَذْلا قَرَأْتِ الْيَوْمَ أَحْدَثَ آيَةٍ

مِنْهُ رَدَدْتِ بِهَا الْحَيَاةَ لِشَاعِرِ

A gift you have read today, the latest verse

With which you have restored life to a poet

أَنْقَذْتِهِ حِسّاً وَمَعْنَىٍ فَاسْلَمِي

وَتَقَبَّلي مِنِّي تطَوُّعَ شاكِرِ

You have saved his feeling and meaning, so submit

And accept from me, a grateful admirer