إِذَا السُّحبُ طَمَّت وَادْلَهَمَّت فَقَدْ يُرَى

مَكَانٌ تَقِيهِ فُرْجَةٌ وَتُنِيرُ

When clouds cluster and thunder,

A place may appear, lit up and brightened.

فَيَضْحَكُ وَالآفَاقُ تَبْكِي حِيَالَهُ

وَفِي غَيْرِهِ بُؤْسٌ وَفِيهِ حُبُورُ

So it smiles while horizons weep around it,

Miserable elsewhere, but cheerful here.

عَفَا الْخَطْبُ عَنْ مِصْرٍ فَمِنْ لُطْفِ شُغْلِهَا

صَنَاعٌ يُوَفِّي حَمْدَهَا وَخَبِيرُ

Preoccupations have distracted Egypt from speeches,

Skills will fulfill its praise and expertise.

وَمِمَّا بِهِ تَقْضِي سَوَابِقُ عَهْدِنَا

بِهَا أََْن يُرَى قَلْبٌ لِمِصْرَ شَكُورُ

And of what validates precedents of our past,

Is that a heart loyal to Egypt be seen.

فَبَيْنَا غُزَاةِ الْحَرْبِ شَرْقاً وَمَغْرِباً

يَغَارُ عَلَيْهَا تَارَةً وَتُغِيرُ

While warriors of war in east and west

Sometimes jealous of it, upset and hostile,

وَبَيْنَا السُّيُوفُ الْبِيضُ تَسْفِكُ فِي الثَّرَى

دِمَاءً فَيَذْوِي نَبْتُهُ وَيَبُور

While bright swords shed blood in the soil,

Its vegetation withers and dries,

وَبَيْنَا الرِّمَاحُ السُّمْرُ تَقْضِي قَضَاءَهَا

فَيَمْضِي قَوِيماً وَالصِّعادُ تَجُورُ

While brown spears fulfill their judgment,

Moving straight while the ground shakes,

وَبَيْنَا مُبِيداتُ المَعَاقِلِ وَالْقُرَى

تُهَاجُ بِزَنْدٍ نَابِضٍ فَتَثُورُ

While strongholds and homes are devastated

By fiery bombardment bursting forth,

وَبَيْنَا عُيُونُ الْبَحْرِ تَرْمِي بِلَحْظِهَا

جِبَالاً رَسَتْ فِي مَتْنِهِ فَتَغُورُ

While sea eyes hurl with their gaze

Mountains that sank in its depth and drowned,

وَبَيْنَا مَطايَا الجَوِّ فِي خَطَراتِها

تُرامي العِدَى بالشَّهبِ حَيْثُ تَطيرُ

While warplanes darting in their danger

Hurl enemies with meteors where they fly,

وَبَيْنَا الْحُدُودُ الثَّابِتَاتُ لأَحْقُبٍ

يُسَيِّرُهَا شُوسُ الْوَغَى فَتَسِيرُ

While fixed borders for eras

Are pushed by spears of turmoil to move,

كَفَى آمِناً فِي مِصْرَ أَنَّ ظُنُونَهُ

تَرَى دُونَهُ الأَقْدَارَ كَيْفَ تَدُورُ

It’s enough to feel safe in Egypt that its perceptions

See fates spinning around it,

وَأَنَّ رُمُوزاً فِي الرِّقَاعِ يَخطُّها

تُقِرُّ مَكَانَ الفَتْحِ حَيْثُ يُشيرُ

And that symbols traced on the horizons

Point to where openings come, foretelling victory.

أَلَيْسَ يَسَارُ الْحَالِ قَيَّض مَجْمَعاً

كَهَذَا بِرَغْمِ الدَّهْرِ وَهُوَ عَسِيرُ

Has not fortune enabled such a gathering

Despite these hard times, against all odds?

أَفَاضَ عَلَيْهِ طالِعُ السَّعدِ نُورَهُ

وَضَمَّ بِهِ رَهْطَ الكِرَامِ سُرُورُ

The star of bliss has poured its light upon it

And gathered with it the cheerful nobles.

أُقِيمَ لِيُجْزَى فِيهِ بِالخَيْرِ عَامِلٌ

نَشِيطٌ كَمَا يَهْوَى النُّبوغَ قَدِيرُ

It was established to reward with good

An active, aspiring, capable worker,

نَجِيبٌ جَدِيرٌ بِالنَّجاحِ لِعَزْمِهِ

وَكُلُّ هُمَامٍ بِالنَّجاحِ جَدِيرُ

A decent man worthy of success for his resolve,

And every man of resolve is worthy of success.

لَئِنْ خُصَّ حَظٌّ مِنْ جَنَاهُ بِرِزْقِهِ

فَلِلْعِلم حَظٌّ مِنْ جَنَاهُ كَبِيرُ

If part of his share was distinguished by income,

Then science has ample share of his distinction.

وَإِنْ يَجْهَلِ الأَحَادُ مَا قَدْرُ جُهْدِهِ

وَمَا فَضْلُهُ فَالْعَارِفُونَ كَثِيرُ

Though the unaware know not his effort’s worth,

Nor his excellence, the knowing are many,

بِقُدْوَتِهِ لِلْمُقْتَدِينَ هِدَايَةٌ

إِذَا الْتَمَسُوا وَجْهَ الصَّوَابِ وَنُورُ

By following his example there is guidance

When the seekers of truth and light are asked.