طُلْ أَيُّها الصَّرْحُ الرَّفِيعُ الْعِمَادِ
وَابْلُغْ إِلى السَّبْعِ الطِّبَاقِ الشِّدَادْ
O towering palace with lofty pillars,
Reach for the highest seventh heaven,
فِي وَجْهِكَ الْبَاسِمِ عَنْ زخْرُفٍ
بًشْرَى بِآمَالٍ كِبَارٍ تُشادْ
With your smiling face adorned,
Bringing great hopes to be fulfilled.
أَشِعَّة الشَّمسِ عَلَيْهِ جَرَتْ
وَأَثْبَتَتْهَا فِيهِ بِيض الأَيَادْ
The sun's rays poured over it
And its hands anchored them in white.
فَلَيْسَ فِي مَوْقِعِ لَحْظٍ بِهِ
إِلاَّ حَيَاةٌ فُجِّرَتْ مِنْ جَمَادْ
So in every glimpse of it
Life springs out of stillness.
بَنَاكَ في مِصْرَ لإِسْعَادِهَا
أَحْصَفُ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ مَعْنَى الْجِهَادْ
It was built in Egypt for her glory
By the most steadfast in knowing the meaning of strife,
مسْتَوْثِقٌ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ طَامِحٌ
إِلى مُرَادٍ هوَ أَسْمَى مرَاد
Confident in himself, aspiring
To the highest purpose.
مطَّرِدُ السَّعيِ وَهَلْ مِنْ مَدىً
يَجوزُهُ السَّاعِي بِغَيْرِ اطِّرَادْ
Unremitting in his endeavor, and what goal
Can the tireless reach without consistency?
شِيمَتُه السّلْمُ وَلَكِنَّهُ
حَرْبٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مسِيءٍ وَعَادْ
Peace is his way, but he wages
War on every evildoer and enemy.
جَرَى فَمَا قَصَّرَ عَنْ غَايَةٍ
وَدونَ مَا يَرْجوه خَرْطُ الْقَتادْ
He marched on, never falling short of any goal,
Never beyond what the archer of destiny desires.
بِالعِلْمِ وَالخِبْرَةِ ضم الْقُوَى
فِي الْقطْرِ فَانْضَمَّتْ وَكَانَتْ بَدَادْ
With knowledge and experience he gathered strength
So the nation came together and was reconstituted.
مَا بَنْك مِصْرٍ غَيْر مسْتَقْبَلٍ
يُعَدُّ أَوْ مَاضٍ مَجِيدٍ يعَادْ
O Egypt, you are not the past, magnificent in fame,
Nor the future, still being prepared.
لَه زُهَى الشمْسِ وَمِنْ حَوْلِهِ
نِظَامُ تِلْكَ الشَّرِكَاتِ الْعِدَادْ
You have the splendor of the sun, and surrounding you
Is the system of your united children.
يَصْدونَ عَنْهُ وَيتَابِعْنَهُ
فِي سَيْرِهِ وَالْخَيْرُ مَا زِدْنَ زَادْ
They protect you and follow you
In your course, and blessed are their provisions.
ثَغْرُ السُّوَيْس الْيَوْمَ يَفْتَرُّ عَنْ
حَظٍّ عَدَتْهُ أَمْسِ عَنْهُ عَوَادْ
Today the Suez Canal unveils
A fortune it deprived us of yesterday.
عِصَابَةُ الخَيْرِ أَجَدَّتْ بِهِ
مَوْرِدَ كَسْبٍ مَا لَه مِنْ نَفَادْ
The band of benefactors hastened through it
To a source of livelihood that will never run dry.
فَالبَحْرُ بِالارْزَاقِ عَالِي الرُّبَى
وَالبُرُّ بِالأَوْسَاقِ جَارِي المِهَادْ
The sea is abundant in sustenance, the land
Flowing with markets.
وَالفُلْكُ فِي شَتَّى مَجَالاَتِهَا
رَوَائِحٌ تُلْقِي شِبَاكاً عوَادْ
And ships in all their courses
Cast nets laden with gains.
تُطْعِمُ أَشْهَى الصَّيدِ مبَاعَه
وَتُطْعِمُ البَائِعَ أَزْكى الشِّهادْ
They offer the tastiest catch for sale
And feed the seller the choicest rewards.
وَتُلْقِمُ المَصْنَعَ فِي قُرْبِهَا
نُفَايَةَ الطَّيبِ مِمَّا يُصَادْ
They provide the nearby factory
With fragrant raw materials that are hunted.
فَيَمْنَحُ الأصْدَافَ مِنْ قِيمَةٍ
مَا لِيْسَ لِلدُّرِّ الْكِبَارِ الْجِيَادْ
So shells are endowed with a value
Beyond what the finest pearls are worth.
تَفْدِي صُرُوحُ المَالِ صَرْحاً زَهَتْ
فِي جِيدِهِ المزْدَانِ تِلْكَ القِلاَدْ
The citadels of wealth were ransomed by a citadel
Adorned on its bosom with those necklaces.
أُمْنِيَّة قَوْمِيَّة حُققتْ
أَحْوَجُ مَا كَانَتْ إِلَيْهَا الْبِلاَدْ
A national desire was fulfilled,
What the country needed most urgently.
سَدَّ بِهَا خَلَّةَ أَوْطَانِهِ
أَرْوَعُ ذُو رَأْيٍ حَلِيفِ السَّدَادْ
With it, the leader of sound opinion and righteousness
Filled his homeland's void,
ذُو هِمَّة تُنْدِي صِلاَدَ الصَّفا
وَخَاطِرٍ يَقْدَحُ قَدْحَ الزِّنَادْ
Of lofty ambition shaking off lethargy
And lively intellect striking the flints.
وَفِطْنَةٍ سَاهِرَةٍ لِلْعُلَى
عَلَّمَتِ الشُّهبَ جَمِيلَ السُّهادْ
His watchful intelligence seeks the heights
And taught the meteors the beauty of vigilance.
مَغَانِمُ الْعَيْشِ لاِيْقَاظِهِ
وَيَغْنَمُ الأحَلاَمَ أَهْلُ الرقَادْ
The fruits of life are for his wakefulness
While the heedless gain only dreams.
طَلْعَتُ لَمْ يَحْمِ الْحِمَى آخِذٌ
مِثْلَكَ بِالنَّفعِ وَلِمْ يَفْدِ فَادْ
Ambition like yours is rare,
Benefiting without pride or ostentation.
أَرَيْتَنَا كَيْفَ تُنَالُ العلَى
وَدونَهنَّ الْعَقَبَاتُ الشِّدَادْ
You showed us how glory is attained
With mighty obstacles confronting it.
نُرِيدُ مِصْراً حُرَّةً فَخْمَةً
وَالشَّعبُ إِنْ يَعْزِمْ يَكُنْ مَا أَرَادْ
We want a free and noble Egypt,
And if the people resolve, they obtain what they want.
فَلَمْ يُضِعْ فِي بَاطِلٍ حَقَّهُ
وَتَقْتُلِ الشَّهوَةُ فِيهِ الرَّشَادْ
They did not compromise their rights
And desire kills moral decency in them.
فَهَلْ جَدَدْنَا فِي أَمَانِيِّنا
وَنَحْنُ مِنْ أَسْوَاقِنَا فِي كَسَادْ
Did we renew our hopes
While our markets are in recession?
لا تَتَأَتَّى ثَرْوَةٌ طَفْرَةً
إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ حِكْمَةٌ وَاقْتِصَادْ
Wealth does not come instantly;
It requires wisdom and moderation.
وَالمَالُ مَا زَالَ الْوَسِيطَ الَّذِي
يقَرِّبُ المبْتَغَيَاتِ البِعَادْ
Money has always been the means
To bring distant goals closer.
يَعْبُدُهُ النَّاسُ قَدِيماً وَفِي
ذَاكَ مِنَ الدِّينِ تسَاوَى الْعِبَادْ
People worship it perennially,
The creeds do not differ in this regard.
أَزْرَاهُ عَجْزاً دونَ إِدْرَاكِهِ
أَشْبَاهُ زُهَّادٍ أَضَلُّوا السَّوَادْ
The ignorant deemed it incapacity,
Like the misguided ascetics misleading the masses.
قَدْ تُصْلَحُ الدنْيَا بِإِعْدَادِهِ
لَهَا وَإِلاَّ اقْتَصَّ مِنْهَا الفَسَادْ
It can reform the world with preparation,
Otherwise corruption will exact its toll from it.
مَنْ لَمْ يَرَ الدنْيَا مَعَاشاً فهَلْ
يَصْدُقُ أَخْذاً بأُمورِ المَعَادْ
Can one who does not see life as livelihood
Be true to the matters of the hereafter?
بُكَاؤُنَا الفَائِتُ مِنْ عِزِّنَا
إِلى انْتِزَافِ الدَّمْعِ مَاذَا أَفَادْ
Our past tears over our lost glory,
Of what use is this outpouring?
وَهَلْ تُرَاثُ المَجْدِ مُغْنٍ إِذَا
ظَلَّ عَلَى الزَّهْوِ بِهِ الاِعْتِمَادْ
Can the heritage of glory suffice
If pride in it is all the support?
أَلْبُؤْسُّ للاْعْنَاقِ غُلٌّ فَإِن
لَمْ يُلْتَمَسْ مِنْهُ فَكَاكٌ أَبَادْ
Woe to the necks burdened by servility,
If no salvation can relieve them forever.
وَحَيْثُ لاَ مَالَ فَلاَ قوَّةٌ
وَلاَ سِلاَحٌ مَانِعٌ أَوْعَتَادْ
Where there is no wealth, there is no strength,
No weapon of protection or defense,
وَلاَ اخْتِرَاعٌ مُسْتَطَاعٌ وَلاَ
مَعْرِفَةٌ تُجْدِي وَفَنٌّ يجَادْ
No attainable invention, no useful
Knowledge or art to give generously.
وَلاَ رِجَالٌ يُنْقِذُونَ الْحِمَى
بِحُسْنِ رَأْيٍ أَوْ بِفَضْلِ اجْتِهَادْ
No men to rescue the nation
With wisdom or excellence of effort.
لَوْلاَ الأُولى نَشَّأتَهُمْ مِنهُمُ
لِمِصْرَ ظَلَّتْ نُجْعَةً تُسْتَرَادْ
Had it not been for you nurturing them,
Egypt would have remained backward, imported.
أَمَّا وَقَدْ نَبَّهتَ نُوَّامَهَا
لِلْغُنْمِ يُجْنَى أَوْ لِغُرْمٍ يُذَادْ
But now you have awakened her sleepy ones
Either for gain to be reaped or loss to be checked.
وَقَامَ مِنْ أَحْرَارِهَا فِتْيَةٌ
أَلْقَوْا إِلى قَائِدِهِمْ بِالْقِيَادْ
And from among her free men arose youth
Who committed to their leader with accord.
فَانْظُرْ إِلى الْجَاهِ الَّذِي أَحْرَزَتْ
بِهِمْ وَمَنْ سَوَّدَهُ الْجَاهُ سَادْ
So behold the status you gained through them,
He whom prestige empowers is led.
أَلَمْ تَجِدْ فِي الشَّامِ مَا أَحْدَثَتْ
آثَارُ ذَاكَ المَثَلِ المُسْتَفَادْ
Did you not find in Syria what that exemplar
You followed achieved?
فِي الْقُدْسِ فِي لُبْنَانَ فِي جُلَّقٍ
قَوْمٌ يُكِنُّونَ لِمِصْرَ الْوِدَادْ
In Jerusalem, in Lebanon, in Jullaq
Are folk who harbor affection for Egypt.
تَنَافَسُوا حَوْلَكَ فِي بَثِّهِ
بِكُلِّ مَا يُحْسِنُ قَارٍ وَبَادْ
They competed around you in disseminating
All the willing settled and nomad can propagate.
فَلاَ مَلِيكٌ نَالَ مِنْهُ الَّذِي
نِلْتَ وَلاَ غَازٍ كَمَا عُدْتَ عَادْ
So no ruler gained what you attained
Nor conqueror like you returned.
ذَلِكَ فَوْزٌ بَاهِرٌ لاَ يَفِي
بِحَقِّه تَسْطِيرُهُ بِالمِدَادْ
That is resplendent success, for which
Inscription by the pen does not do justice.
إِذَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ أَشَدْنَا بِمَا
كَان لِحِلْفَيْكَ بِهِ مِنْ أَيَادْ
When we mention it, we are reminded of
What your two confederations accomplished.
مِدْحَتُ نَاهِيكَ بِهِ مِنْ فَتى
يُذْكَرُ بِالمِدْحَةِ فِي كُلِّ نَادْ
I will not praise the like of the youth
Whose praise is mentioned in every club.
قَيْلٌ مِنَ الأَقْيَالِ لَكِنَّهُ
مُنْفَرِدٌ فِي المَجْدِ أَيُّ انْفِرَادْ
A heavy burden, but singular
In glory, what peerless distinction!
أَمَّا ابْنُ سُلْطَانَ فَحَسْبُ العُلَى
مِنْهُ طَرِيفٌ زَادَ جَاهَ التِّلاَدْ
As for the son of the Sultan, the heights
Suffice from him, increasing the luster of pedigree.
فَخْرُ شَبَابِ القُطْرِ إِنْ فَاخَرُوا
بِنَابِهٍ مِنْهُمْ سَرِيٍّ جَوَادْ
The pride of the country’s youth, if they pride
Themselves on a steed from among them, swift and generous.
ثَلاَثَةٌ فِي نَسَقٍ قَلَّمَا
بِمِثْلِهِ دَهْرٌ عَلَى مِصْرَ جَادْ
Three in a pattern, rarely through the ages
Did Egypt have the like of them as gifts.
كَأَنْجُمِ المِيزَانِ فِي رَمْزِهَا
إِلى تَلاَقٍ فِي العُلَى وَاتِّحادْ
Like the stars of Libra in its symbol
Converging at the summit in union.
