لَقِيَتْكَ مِصْرُ بِثَغْرِهَا المُتَبَسِّمِ
وَتَنَوَّرَتْ بِضِيَائِكِ المُتَوَسَّمِ
Egypt met you with her smiling face,
And was illuminated by your distinguished light.
وَجَرَى عَلَى مُتَلَهِّيٍ مِنْ جُرْحِهَا
شَافِي نَدَاكَ فَكَانَ أَلْطَفَ بَلْسَمِ
Your healing call flowed to her wounds,
Being the gentlest balm.
لَمْ تَقْتَضِيهَا زِينَةً فَازّيَنَتْ
بِخُلُوصِهَا فِي وُدِّهَا المُتَكَتَّمِ
You did not ask her for adornment, so she adorned herself
With her sincerity in her concealed love.
والله يَعْلَمُ مَا حَزَازَةُ مُكْرَهٍ
سِيمَ الريَاءَ وَمَا مَرَارَةَ مُرْغَمِ
And Allah knows the bitterness of resentment,
The evil of ostentation and the bitterness of coercion.
للهِ مَوْكِبُكِ السَّنِيُ وَحَوْلَهُ
شَعْبٌ إِذَا فَدَّاكَ لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمِ
The venerable procession is for Allah, and around it
A people, if they sacrifice for you, will not utter a word.
مِلَلٌ تُحِيطُ بِهِ وَقَدْرُكِ وَاحِدٌ
فِي نَفْسِ نَصْرَانِيهَا وَالمُسْلِمِ
There are troubles surrounding it, yet your destiny is one
In the souls of its Christians and Muslims.
لَكِ هَامُهَا تَعْنُو وَجَاهُكَ فَوْقَهَا
تَاجٌ يُشِيرُ إِلَيْهِ كُلُّ مُسَلِّمِ
Their ideals bow to you, and your status is above them,
A crown to which every Muslim points.
أَهلاً بِأُم المُحْسِنِينَ وَمَرْحَباً
بِالطُّهْرِ يَبْرُزُ فِي المِثَالِ الأَوْسَمِ
Welcome O mother of benefactors, and greetings
To the virtue which shines as the finest example.
مَا الرَّوْضُ فِي اسْتِقْبَالِهِ شَمْسَ الضُّحَى
تَفْتَرُّ بَعْدَ العَارِضِ المُتَجَهِّمِ
The garden is not, after the passing clouds,
More beautiful in receiving the sun at dawn,
بِأَتَمَّ حُسْناً مِنْ وِضَاءِ أُسْرَةٍ
يَبْرُقْنَ فِي اسْتِقْبَالِ وَجْهِ المُنْعِمِ
Than your most perfect beauty, from the radiance
Of faces shining to receive the Bestower.
أَقْبَلْتَ إِقْبَالَ الزَّمَانِ وَكُلُّهُ
غُرَرٌ تَسُرُّ عَوْدَ المَوْسِمِ
You came in the manner of auspicious times, and they are all
Joys that delight the return of the season.
فَرَأَيْتِ مِنْ صِدْقِ التَّجِلَّةِ خَيْرَ مَا
يُهْدَى إِلَى ذَاكَ المَقَامِ الأَعْظَمِ
You saw in the sincerity of the reception the best
Of what is gifted to that greatest station,
وَسَمِعْتِ صَوْتَ الحَقِّ مِنْ مُتَرَنِّمٍ
إِلاَّ بِوَحِيِ الصِّدْقِ لَمْ يَتَرَنَّمِ
And you heard the voice of truth from one chanting,
Who did not chant except with the revelation of honesty.
سِيَّانَ مَبْدُؤُهُ وَآخِرُ عَهْدِهِ
فِي رَعْيهِ لِذِمَامِهِ المُتَقَدمِ
Its beginning and end are equal in his caring
For the flock he led early on.
وَالعَصْرُ قَدْ يَجِدُ التَّحَوُّلُ فِطْنَةً
وَيَرَى الحِفَاظَ لُزُومَ مَا لَمْ يَلْزَمِ
And the age may find transformation to be prudent
And see guarding what was not guarded as necessary.
دَهْرٌ أَذمَّ لأَهْلِهِ وَمَلأْتِهِ
بِالمَحْمَدَاتِ فَعَادَ غَيْرُ مُذَمَّمِ
An age that censured its people, but you filled it
With praiseworthy deeds, so it returned free of blame.
لا بِدْعَ إِنْ كَانَ الثَّنَاءُ عَلَيْكِ فِي
لَفْظِ اللسَانِ وَفِي مِدَادِ المِرْقَمِ
There is no innovation if praising you is in
The words of the tongue and the ink of the pen.
فَنَدَاكَ يَجْرِي فِي اليَرَاعَةِ نَافِثاً
مِنْ سِحْرِهِ وَسَدَاكِ يَنْطُقُ فِي الفَمِ
So your call flows freely in expression,
As though it is magic, and you speak in the mouth.
مَاذَا أُعَدِّدُ مِنْ مَآثِرِكِ الَّتِي
هِيَ بِالتَّعَدُّدِ وَالسَّنَى كَالأَنْجُمِ
What should I list of your achievements which
Are like the stars in their multitude and glory?
لَوْ حُصِّلَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهَا لاسْتَنْفَدَتْ
دُرَّ المُحِيطِ وَمُفْرَدَاتِ المُعْجَمِ
If their names were collected, they would exhaust
The pearls of the sea and the words of the dictionary.
كَمْ مِنْ يَدٍ لَكِ قَدْ أَقَالَتْ عَثْرَةً
مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ تُظْنَنْ يَدٌ أَوْ تُعْلَمِ
How many a stumbling have you relieved
From where no hand was expected or known?
كَمْ مِنَّةٍ لَكِ عَوَّضَتْ مِنْ ضَيْعَةٍ
مُجْتَاحَةٍ أَوْ مَنْزِلٍ مُتَهدمِ
How many losses have your kindnesses replaced
From conquering devastation or a crumbling home?
كَمْ يَمَّمَتْ هِبَةٌ كَرِيماً مُوحَشاً
فِي دَارِهِ وَذَرَاهُ غَيرُ مُيَمَّمِ
How much have your gifts brought a lonely soul cheer
In his house, leaving him not deprived?
كَمْ مِنْ يَتِيمٍ أَنْقَذَتْهُ مَبَرَّةٌ
لَكِ مِنْ تَعَاسَتِهِ وَكَمْ مِنْ أَيِّمِ
How many orphans have you saved by your compassion
From their misery? And how many spinsters?
كَمْ فِي الشُّيُوخِ وَفِي الشَّبَابِ مُرُةءةٌ
صَوَّرَتْهَا فِي اللَّحْمِ مِنْهُمْ وَالدَّمِ
How many glimpses of delight have you pictured
In their flesh and blood of both the old and young?
كَمْ مِنْحَةٍ بَعَثَتْ بِمِصْرَ صِنَاعَةً
لَمْ يُبْقِ مِنْهَا الدَّهْرُ غَيْرَ الأَرْسُمِ
How many endowments have you sent Egypt of crafts
Of which time has left nothing but relics?
كَمْ مَعْهَدٍ لِلْعِلمِ فِي أَرْجَائِهَا
جَدَّدْتِ دَارِسَهُ وَكَمْ مِنْ مَعْلِمِ
How many institutes of knowledge in its corners
Have you renewed for their students and teachers?
هَيْهَاتَ يَنْسَى قَوْمُكِ الأَبْرَارُ مَا
أَولَيْتِهِمْ مِنْ خَالِدَاتِ الأَنْعُمِ
Never will your righteous people forget what
You have granted them of enduring blessings.
فَهَوَى سَرَائِرِهِمْ هَوضاكِ وَنَيْلُهُمْ
أَدْنَى رِضَاكِ يُعَد أَسْنَى مَغْنَمِ
Their hearts crave you, and their slightest pleasure in you
Is counted their greatest prize.
مَا دُمْتِ سَالِمَةً فَمِصْرُ وَأَهْلُهَا
فِي نِعْمَةٍ وَفَرَتْ فَدُومِي وَاسْلَمِي
As long as you are well, Egypt and its people
Are in bounty. So last long and be safe!
