وَارَحْمَتَاهُ لِقَومٍ فَارَقوا النِّعَمَا
مِنْ غَيْرِ ذَنْبٍ لَهُمْ وَاسْتَقْبَلُوا النِّقَمَا
And His mercy upon a people who parted from blessings
Without sin of theirs, and met with wrath
وُلاةُ أَرْزَاقِهِمْ وَلَّوْا فَمَا رَجَعُوا
وَغَادَرُوهُمْ عُرَاةً جُوَّعاً هُضُمَا
Rulers of their livelihood turned away, so they did not come back
And left them naked, hungry, wronged
شُيُوخُهُمْ وَعَذَارَاهُمْ وَصِبْيَتُهُمُ
ذَاقُوا جَمِيعاً فِطَامَ القَهْرِ وَاليَتَمَا
Their elders, young women, and children
All tasted the weaning of oppression and orphanhood
فَلَوْ تَرَقَّبَهُمْ مُسْتَطْلِعٌ لَرَأَى
أَشْلاءَ حُزْنٍ مُشَظَّاةً بِكُلِّ حِمَى
If an onlooker were to watch over them, he would see
Pieces of sorrow shredded with every fever
لَوْلا بَشَاشَةُ إِيمَانٍ تُثَبِّتُهُمْ
تَخَيَّرُوا دُونَ تِلْكَ العِيشَةِ العَدَمَا
Were it not for the cheer of faith that gives them steadfastness
They would have chosen annihilation over that life
مَا حَالُ أُمٍّ لَهَا طِفْلٌ بِجَانِبِهَا
غَيْرَ المَدَامِعِ فِي يَوْمَيْهِ مَا طُعِمَا
What is the state of a mother who has a baby beside her
With no food but tears during her days?
وَرُضَّعٍ وَجَدُوا الأَثْدَاءَ لاذِعَةً
كَالجَمْرِ فَانْفَطَمُوا وَاسْتَنْكَرُوا الحَلَمَا
And suckling babes who found the teats scathing
Like embers, so they weaned and deemed the dream impossible
وَغَانِيَاتٍ أَبَاحَتْهَا الخُطُوبُ فَلَوْ
لَمْ تُعْصَمِ النَّفْسُ سَاءَ الفَقْرُ مُعْتَصَمَا
And singers whom hardships made permissible, so if
The soul were not protected, destitution would have a protected refuge
وَعَاجِزِينَ إِذَا لحَاجَاتُ ثُرْنَ بِهِمْ
عَاقَتْ قُيُودُ اللَّيَالِي مِنْهُمُ الهِمَمَا
And the helpless when needs burdened them
The shackles of nights incapacitated their resolves
أَشْبَاهُ مَوْتَى سِوَى رُؤْيَا تُرَوِّعُهُمْ
وَرَائِعَاتُ الرُّؤْى لا تَبْعَثُ الرِّمَمَا
Like those near dead but for visions that terrify them
And terrifying dreams cannot restore vigor
أَولُئِكُمْ أهلُ مَنْ جَادُوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ
وَخَلَّفُوهُمْ عَلَى أَوْطَانِهِمْ ذِمَمَا
Those are the people of one who was generous with himself
And left them in their homelands, liable
شَكَوا إِلَى مِصْرَ مَا عَانُوهُ فَاسْتَمَعَتْ
وَمَنْ شَكَا فَدَعَا مِصْراً دَعَا الكَرَمَا
They complained to Egypt of their suffering, so she listened
And whoever complains to Egypt invokes benevolence
جَادَتْ بِمَا أَخجَلَ التَّيَّارَ مُنْدَفِقاً
وَالسُّحْبُ هَاطِلَةً وَالْغَيْثُ مُنْسَجِمَا
She gave with what embarrassed the gushing currents
And pouring clouds and accompanying rain
للهِ دَرُّ بَنِيهَا الأَسْخِيَاءِ فَهُمْ
إِذَا انْبَرَوْا للنَّدَى بَزُّوا بِهِ الأُمَمَا
God’s gift are her noble children, for when
They set out to give, they outdid all nations
عَبَّاسُ قُدْوَتُهُمْ فِيهِ وَهُمْ تَبَعٌ
كَالرَّأْسِ وَالجِسْمِ نِعْمَ الصَّاحِبَانِ هُمَا
Abbas is their role model, and they his followers
Like the head and body, excellent companions they are
رَعَى الإِلهُ مَلِيكاً جُلُّ بُغْيَتِهِ
أَنْ يُعْلِي الحَقَّ أَوْ أَنْ يَكْشِفَ الغُمَمَا
God protected the king whose sole ambition
Is to elevate truth and reveal the clouds
إِذَا تَعَاظَمَتِ الجُلَّى فَنَائِلُهُ
تَرَاهُ فَوْقَ مَرَامِي الفَضْلِ قَدْ عَظُمَا
When glories grow great, its attainer
You see above the highest points of virtue made great
وَكَافَأَ الحَمْدُ أُمَّ المُحْسِنِينَ بِمَا
أَولَتْ فَأَغْلَتْ فَرَاعَ العُرْبَ وَالعَجَمَا
And praise rewarded the mother of benefactors with what
She initiated, so it overwhelmed the Arabs and non-Arabs
أَلْقَتْ عَلَى الدَّهْرِ ذِكْراً مِنْ عَوَارِفِهَا
يُعَطِّرُ الْكَوْنَ وَالأَرْوَاحَ وَالنَّسَمَا
She conferred upon eternity a fragrance from her noble deeds
That aromates existence, souls, and zephyr
هِيَ المُرُوءةُ تُعْطِي وَالوَفَاءُ يَفِي
وَرَسْمُهَا السَّعْدُ مَحْجُوباً وَمُبْتَسِمَا
It is gallantry to give and loyalty to fulfill
And her crest is veiled bliss and a smile
عَاشَتْ وَقَرَّتْ بِنَجْلَيْهَا وَأُمَّتِهّا
وَبِالسرُورَينِ مَبْذُولاً وَمَغْتَنَمَا
She lived and settled with her two feet and her nation
Freely given andfortunately gained bliss
وَلْتَحْيَ مِصْرُ فَمَا زَالَتْ كَمَا عُهِدَتْ
كَهْفاً لِقَاصِدِهَا غَوْثاً لِمَنْ أُزِمَا
So may Egypt live! For she remains as she was known
A refuge for her seekers, succor for the anguished
تَنَاوَلَتْ كُلَّ مَلْهُوفٍ بِرَحْمَتِهَا
وَاللهُ يَرحَمُ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ مَنْ رَحِمَا
She tended to every distraught soul with her mercy
And God shows mercy to those who showed mercy in both abodes.
