عَادَ حقّاً أَنَّ الْمَحَلَّةَ كُبْرَى

بَعْدَ تَعْطِيِلهَا مِنَ النَّعْتِ دَهْرَا

It is true that Al-Mahalla Al-Kubra

Has returned after its long absence from glory

فاحْمِدُوا اللّهَ بُكْرَةً وأَصِيلا

يَا بَنِيهَا ثمَّ احْمِدُوا بَنْكَ مِصْرا

So praise Allah in the mornings and evenings

O people of it, then praise the Nile of Egypt

هَذه غُرَّةُ الْمَآثِرِ فِيمَا

لَكَ يَا حَرْبُ منْ مَآثِرَ أُخْرى

This is the first of glories for what

You have of other glories, O Harb

قَدْ عَرفْنَاك كاتِباً وخَطِيباً

وَحَسِيباً وَفَوقَ ذِلكَ دِثرا

We knew you as a writer and orator

And accountant, and above that a shield

مَا عَرَفْناك وَالْقَوَافِي بِناءٌ

قبْلَ هَذي الأَبْياتِ تُنْشِئُ شِعْرا

We did not know you, though skilled with rhyme

Before these verses, composing poetry

رَاعَ أَلْبَابَنا بِكُلِّ بَيَانٍ

وبَديعٍ ما كَانَ بِالأَمْسِ فِكْرَا

You amazed our minds with every eloquence

And beauty, that was not thought of yesterday

خلَقْتَ بَلْدَةً نطالِعُ شَطْرَاً

مِنْ أَعَارِيضِهَا ونَتْركُ شَطرَا

You created a city, we look upon

Half of its facades and neglect the other half

شَيَّدْتَ مِنْ صِغَارِ صَوْبٍ إِذَا مَا

إِسْتَمْسكَتْ عَادَ أَجمُعُ الصرْحِ صَخْرا

You built from small blocks, so if

Held together, the whole citadel returns solid

بُطِّنتْ بِالْحَديدِ وَاخْتَلَفَتْ

أَصْوَاتُ آلاتِهَا أَزِيزاً وَزَأْرَا

Lined with iron, and the sounds

Of its tools mixed with buzzing and roaring

وَأُدِيرَتْ بِمَا يُبَددُهُ الْمَاءُ

وَأَنْفَاسُهُ الطَّليقَةُ حَرَّى

And spun with what scatters the water

And its free breaths, boiling hot

وَأُنِيرَتْ بِمَا تُوَلَّدْ مِنْ كُلِّ

شِهَابٍ فِي جَوْفِهَا كانَ سِرَّا

And lit with what is born from every

Flame in its interior that was secret

خَلَقْتَ بَلْدَة لِنَسِيجٍ وَغزْلٍ

وَضُرُوبٌ مِنَ الصِّناعَاتِ تَتْرَى

You created a city for weaving and spinning

And types of crafts one after another

حَيْثُ كَانَ الْبُسْتانُ يَنْبُتُ زَهْراً

مَصْنَعٌ لِلأَلْوَانِ يَنْبُتُ زَهْرَا

Where the garden grew flowers

A factory for dyes grows flowers

أَرَأَيْتَ الْحَرِيرَ وَالْقُطْنَ

وَالْكُتانَ وَالصُّوفَ فِيه نَظْماً وَنَثْرا

Have you seen the silk and cotton

And flax and wool in it, prose and verse

وَثِياباً مِنْ كُلِّ لَوْنٍ وَنَقْشٍ

مِلْءَ عَيْنِ البَديعِ طَيّاً وَنَشرا

And clothes of every color and pattern

Filling the eye of splendor, extended and folded

مكَثَتْ مِصْرُ حِقْبَةً وهْيَ تَجْنِي

مِن جَنَاهَا حَمّاً وَتَحرُزُ نَزْرَا

Egypt stayed for an era, reaping

From its yields worry and hoarding blessings

وَعَنَتْها شَتَّى الشُّؤونِ وَلمْ

تحْفَلْ لِمَا كَانَ بِالعِنَايَة أَحْرَى

And distracted by diverse affairs and did not

Pay heed to what was more deserving of care

أَعْوَزَتْهَا سِيَاسَةُ الْمَالِ حَتَّى

عُدَّ إِثْرَاؤُهَا الْمُشَتَّت فَقْرَا

Its wealth management was lacking until

Its scattered enrichment was counted poverty

كَيْف تَثْرِي الأَقْوَامُ مِنْ غَيْرِ قَصْد

وَلَوِ الْخَصْبُ بدلَ التُّرْبَ تِبْرا

How can nations grow rich without intent

Even if fertility replaced barrenness as land

فَبِفضْلِ الزَّعِيمِ طَلْعَتَ حَرْبٍ

صُلِحَ الأَمْرُ بَعْدَ أَنْ كَان أَمْرَا

So by the grace of the leader Talaat Harb

The matter was corrected after it was an issue

أَسَّس الْمَصْرِفَ الْكَبِيرَ فَكَانَ الأَصْلُ

وَامْتَدَّتِ التَّفارِيغُ كُثْرَا

He established the great bank, so it was the origin

And the branches extended, many

وبَدَتْ قُوَّةُ التعَاوُنِ فِي

تحْقِيقِ مَا لا يُظَنُّ كَسْباً وَوَفْرَا

And the strength of cooperation appeared

In achieving what is not expected as gain and abundance

شَرِكَاتٌ مَصْرِيَّة أَلِفَتْهَا

نهْضَةٌ تَمْلأُ الجوَانِحَ بُشْرَا

Egyptian companies he assembled

An awakening that fills the souls with glad tidings

أَحْكَمَ الرَّأْيَ وَالتَّصرُّفَ فِي الْمَالِ

قدَّرَتْ أَخْلاقُهُ الرِّبْحَ دُرَّا

He perfected reason and management of wealth

His morals appraised profit as ripe fruit

نَهْضَةٌ لَمْ تَخُصَّ مِصْرَ بِنُعْمَاهَا

وعَمَّت نوَاحِي الشَّرْقِ طُرَّا

An awakening that did not exclusive to Egypt in its blessings

And it encompassed the regions of the East in general

فَأَرَتَنَا السَّفينَ تنْقَادُ جَوّاً

وَأَرَتْناَ السَّفينَ تَرتَادُ بَحْرَا

So it showed us ships sailing the air

And it showed us ships treading the sea

وَأَرَتْنَا كُبْرَى الصِّناعَاتِ قَامَتْ

بَعْدَ أَنْ كانَتِ الصِّناعَاتُ صُغْرَ

And it showed us the greatest industries established

After they were small industries

وَأَرتْنَا النُّبوغَ فِي كلِّ مُجْلى

لِنَشاطِ الْعُقولِ يَطْلَلُ زهْرَا

And it showed us brilliance in every established field

For the activity of minds, flowers blooming

وَأَرَتْنَا فِي حَومِة الْقصْدِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ

زحْفَ الْجُيُوشِ كرّاً وَفَرَّا

And it showed us in the swarming of resolve and management

The march of armies, attacking and fleeing

وأَرتْنَا غَنَائِمَ الرِّبْحِ وَالأَرْزَاقِ

مِنها على ذَوِي الْحَقِّ تُجْرَى

And it showed us the spoils of profit and sustenance

From it to those deserving given

وأَرتْنَا جَدْباً تَحوَّلَ خَصْباً

وَأَرتْنَا عُسْراً تَحَوَّلَ يُسْرَا

And it showed us barrenness transformed into fertility

And hardship transformed into ease

وأَرتْنَا حالاً تَفِيدُ بِهَا

الأَوطَانُ نَفْعاً وَفَوْقَ ذِلكَ فَخْرَا

And it showed us a condition from which

The nations benefit, and above that take pride

يَا بَنِي مِصْرَ إِنَّ طَلْعتَ حَرْبٍ

لا يُجَارَى عَزْماً وَحَزماً وَبِرَّا

O people of Egypt, Talaat Harb

Is unmatched in resolve, wisdom and righteousness

دُونَ هَذِهِ المَآثِرِ الْغُرِّ كَمْ

ذَلَّلَ صَعْباً لَكُم ومَهِّدَ وَعْرا

Apart from these first glories, how much

Did he make easy for you and pave roughness

هلْ يُسامَى فِي الْمَجِد مُجْدُ عِصَامِيٍّ

بَنَى أُمَّتهُ وأَحْدَثَ عَصْرا

Can the glory of reformers be equaled

Who built his nation and brought about an age?