لِينُرْ شعَاعُكِ يَا عرُوس النِّيلِ
وَيُسِرْ شِرَاعُكِ فِي أَبَرِّ سَبِيلِ
Let your radiance shine, O bride of the Nile,
And may your sail be easy in the noblest course.
أَنْتِ المَلِيكَةُ فِي الجَّوَارِي فَازْدهِي
بِبدائِعٍ جُلَّتْ عَنِ التْمْثِيلِ
You are the queen among the maids, so excel
With wonders beyond all compare.
رَاعِي الغزَالَةَ وَالقَضَاءَ فُلاَتَها
يرْعى مُهَاةَ المَاءِ رعيَ كفِيلِ
The gazelle shepherd who judges her sway
Tends the bend of water with care.
أوْ مَا تُرَى فَوْقَ الحُبَابِ خُطُورَهَا
بَيْنَ ابْتِسَامِ الموْجِ والتَّقْبِيلِ
Or is it her gliding over bubbles seen
Between the smile of waves and kissing?
يَهْفو الصَّحِيحُ مِن الصبا لِيُمِيلَهَا
فَيَخِفُّ ثم يَمُرُّ مُرَّ علِيلِ
The healthy youth inclines toward her and swoons,
Then passes like an ailing one.
وَتَظَلَّ تؤْنِسُهَا النَّجُومُ بِنَبْاةٍ
مهْمَا تُطِلْ فَاللَّيْلُ غَيْرُ طَويلِ
The stars keep her company with a coyness
No matter how long the night lasts.
إِنْ تَنْطَلِقْ راضَ العُباب صِعَابَهُ
فَجَرتْ عَلَى قَدْرٍ مِنَ التَّسهِيل
If you launch despite the rocks' severity,
You flow on a measure of facilitation.
وَإِذَا رَستْ فَالضِفَّتَانِ حدائِقٌ
زهِرتْ بِكلِّ مُحَبِّبٍ وجمِيلِ
And where you dock, the banks are gardens
Blooming with all that is lovely and fair.
مَدَّت إِلَى المِرْآةِ خُضْرَ ظِلاَلِهَا
نَكَسَتْ حَقَائِقُهَا حِلَى التَّخْيِيلِ
Your green shadows reach out to the mirror.
Reality melts into imagined finery.
بَيْتٌ مُشِيدٌ يَسْتَقِّلُ وفِيهِ مَا
يُرْضِي القِرى مِنْ طَيِّبِ المَحْمُولِ
A house is erected self-sufficient, containing
What satisfies towns of fine imports.
زَهِيَتْ مَعَالِمُهُ بِآيَاتِ النَّهى
مِنْ زَيِّ أَلْوَانٍ وَغُرِّ شُكُولِ
Its features are beautiful with glyphs of warning
Against excess of color and arrogance of forms.
فَعُقُودُ نَظْمٍ رُصِّعَتْ جِدرَانُهُ
بِلآلىءَ اسَتوْقَفْنَ حِينَ مَسِيلِ
Strands of prosody adorn its walls
With pearls that paused at the flood.
يا صاحِبَ الفلْكِ الَّتِي أَعْلاَمُها
خفاقَةٌ فَرَحاً بِكُلِّ نَزِيلِ
O captain of the ship whose flags
Flutter joyfully for every lodger,
أَكْرِمْ بِنَفْسِكَ حِينَ قَالَتْ سَاعَة
لَكَ مَا يَسُرُّ ضَمِير كُلِّ نَبِيلِ
Honor yourself when the moment said:
For you whatever gladdens the heart of all nobles.
حَدِّثْ بِنِعْمةِ ربِّكَ الصَّمَدِ الَّذِي
أَعْطَاكَ مَا أَعْطاكَ مُحْضَ جَمِيلِ
Speak of the blessing of your eternal Lord
Who gave you all He gave in pure kindness.
حَدِّثْ بِهَا فَالجُودُ أَفْضَلُ مَا بِهِ
يُوفَى لَه شكْرُ عَلَى التَّفْضِيلِ
Speak of it, for generosity is best with which
To repay Him for favoring.
كَمْ نِعْمَةٍ عِنْدَ البَخِيلِ فَقِيدَةٌ
جَعَلْتَ عَطَاءَ اللهِ كَالتَّطْفِيلِ
How many favors does the miser bind
Making God's gifts like begging!
لِيكنْ سَخَاءَكَ وَالحَياةُ سفِينَةٌ
فِي الدَّهْرِ بَيْنَ إِقَامَةٍ وَرحِيلِ
Let your generosity and life be a ship
Between staying and leaving in fate.
أَمْناً وَيُمنْاً لِلْحَيَاةِ وَرَبِّهَا
وَسُرُور تَجْوَالِ وسَعْدَ حُلُولِ
Safety and prosperity to life and its Lord,
And joy in roaming and bliss in alighting.
