مَا مَوْقِفِي فِي مَصْرِفٍ لِلمَالِ

أَنَا شَاعِر مَا لِلحِسابِ وَما لِي

My stand in the Bank of Egypt

I am a poet unconcerned with accounts or self

لا شَيءَ لِي فِيهِ وكلّ كنوزِهِ

مِنْ حَيْثُ تَنْفَعُ مِصْرَ أَحْسبُهَا لِي

Nothing in it belongs to me, yet I count all its treasures as mine

In as much as they benefit Egypt, I take them as mine

إِنْ أَيْسَرَتْ مِصْر وَفِيهِ ضَمَانهَا

إِنِّي إِذَنْ فَرِحٌ بِرقَّةِ حَالِي

If Egypt thrives and it guarantees that

Then indeed, I rejoice at the delicacy of my state

تُنْعَى عَلَى الشُّعَراءِ أَوْهَامٌ لَهَا

خِدَعُ البَهارِجِ فِي طِلاَءِ مُحالِ

Poets are blamed for their delusions

Deceived by the luster of varnished impossibilities

وضُروبُ إِيقَاعِ مُرْجعَةٌ عَلَى

وَتَرٍ مِنَ الضَّربِ المُبرِّحِ بَالِ

And rhythmic repetitions revolving around

A string made for enjoyable rhythm

تحلُو بِأُلْفَتِنَا لَهَا لَكِنهَا

سَرْعَانَ مَا تُفْضِي إِلى الإِمْلاَلِ

They are sweet to our liking but

Soon lead to boredom

وتَظلُّ عَنْ مَجْرَى الحَياةِ بِمَعْزِلٍ

وَتُنَافِسُ العُمْرَانَ بِالأَطْلاَلِ

And remain far from the course of life

Competing against civilization with ruins

إِنْ كَان بعْضُ الشَّعْرِ هَذَا شَأْنهُ

ما الشِّعْرُ كلّ الشِّعرِ محْضُ خَيالِ

If some poetry is like this

Not all poetry is pure fantasy

وَتَعَلُّلٌ بِمُدَامَةٍ وتَعَذلٌ

لِمَلاَمَةٍ وَتَغَزُّلٌ بِغَزَالِ

Excusing with prolonged courtship and evading

Blaming and swooning over a gazelle

أَلشِّعْرُ يَنْتَجِعُ الجمَالَ وَيَنْتَحِي

فِي كُلِّ شَعْبٍ مَصْدَراً لِجَمَالِ

Poetry explores beauty and seeks out

In every path a source of beauty

بِالحُسْنِ وَالمَعْنَى لَهُ إِلمَامَة

تَجْلُو الحَقَائِقَ فِي أَحبِّ صِقَالِ

With merit and meaning it has leadership

Revealing truths in the choicest form

هُوَ مَوْرِدٌ يُروِي النَّهَى بِنَمِيرِهِ

وَيُعِيرُهُ فِي العَيْنِ لَمْعُ الآلِ

It is a meadow that nourishes resolve with its breeze

And loans it the shining light of hope in the eye

هُوَ مُثْقِبُ العَزَمَاتِ فِي طَلبِ العُلَى

ومُطِيلُ مَا تُدْنِي مِنْ الآجالِ

It pierces strong wills in the quest for glory

And prolongs what the eras make short of lifespans

لاَ شَيءَ يُلْهِمُهْ وَيَقْتَدِحُ اللَّظَى

مِنْ زَنْدِهِ كَعَظَائِمِ الأْفَعَالِ

Nothing inspires it, and it strikes out flames

From its flints like monumental deeds

يَا بَنْكَ مِصْرَ وَلِيد نَهْضَةِ أُمَّةٍ

لَمَّا بَنَتْكَ بَنَتْ لِلاِسْتِقْلاَلِ

O Bank of Egypt, born in the renaissance of a nation

For when it built you, it built for independence

يِتَمَكُّنِ الأرْكَانِ وَالأسُسِ الَّتِي

حَملَتْكَ زُكِّيَ رَأْيُ مِصْر العالِي

To strengthen its pillars and bases

Which carried you - the vision of High Egypt was purified

رَأْيٌ بدا لأُولِي البَصائِرِ سِرهُ

فِي ضَوْءِ مَا أَبْدَى وزيرُ المالِ

A vision made clear to the discerning

In the light of what the Minister of Finance manifested

أَلعَبْقَرِيُّ المُسْتَشَف نُبُوغَهُ

فِي كُلِّ تَدْبِيرٍ لَهُ وَمَقَالِ

The genius glimpsed in Abkary

In every arrangement he makes and speaks

هُوَ أَوَّلُ النُّخَبِ الْتَيِ أَبْرَزُتَهَا

وَلِذَلِكَ الهادِي النَّجِيبِ تُوَالِي

He is the first of the elites it presented

And for that wise and noble guide they follow

أَطْلَعْتَهُ بَدْراً وَكَمْ فِي إِثْرِهِ

يَنْمُو هِلاَلٌ لاَحِقاً بِهِلاَلِ

You made him a moon, oh how many a crescent

In the wake will succeed that crescent!

وَفَّيْتَ عَهْداً بِالأُولَى أَعدَدْتَهُمْ

لِلسَّبْقِ مِنْ فُرْسَانِ كُلِّ مَجَالِ

And you fulfilled a promise, preparing them

To lead every field of qualifiers

ومُنًى ضرُوباً لِلبِلاَدِ قَضيْتَهَا

جعلتْ مكَانَك فَوْقَ كلُّ منَالِ

And achieved types for the country, making

Its place above every ascent

هِي أُمَّة جَادَتْ علَيْكَ بِوَفْرِهَا

وَتَعهَّدَتْك بِنَصْرِهَا المُتَوالِي

It is a nation that poured its abundance upon you

And undertook to support you unfailingly

وتَجشَّمَت مِنْ دُونِ حرِّيَاتِهَا

ما جُشِّمتْ بِتَحوُّلِ الأحوالِ

And took upon itself, forgoing its liberties

What it had not borne throughout eras

فَمَكَثْتَ فِي أَعْقَابِ مَا اضْطَلعتْ بِهِ

مِنْ جُهْدِ أَيَّامٍ وسُهدِ ليالِ

Thus you remained, in the aftermath of what it undertook

From the effort of days and vigils of nights

أَعْلَى ذَخَائِرهَا وأَنْفَسُ ما جَنتْ

مِنْ كلِّ مَبْذولٍ عزِيزٌ غَالِ

The highest of its treasures and most precious

Of everything offered, precious and expensive

فِي خَمْسَ عَشْرَ مِنَ السِّنِينِ أَتَيْتَ مَا

لَمْ يَأْت غَيْرُكَ مِنْ سِنِينَ طِوالِ

In fifteen years you accomplished what

None other accomplished in years spent

وشَبَبْتَ مُكْتَمِلَ الرجُولَةِ حَيْثُمَا

دَرَجَ اللِّدَاتُ مدارِجَ الأَطْفَالِ

And came of mature manhood, wherever

The qualities of childhood tread levels

مُتَغَفِّراً مُتَدَرِّعاً إِنْ صَرَّحَت

حَربٌ وقَالَ الحانِقونَ نَزَالِ

Asking forgiveness, being forearmed if

War broke out and hostile ones called for combat

حَرْبٌ وَمَا أَكْفَى المُسَمَّى بِاسْمِهَا

لِيصُول فِيهَا صَوْلَةَ الرِّئْبالِ

War, and how sufficient is the one named for it

To rage in it with the ferocity of beasts

لِلنَّصْرِ فِيهَا طَلعَةٌ مِنْ طَلْعتٍ

شَهِدَتْ عَوَاقِبُهَا بِصِدْقِ الفَالِ

For victory in it, an omen out of omens

Whose consequences truth has born out

أَمِنَ الغُلوِّ وَذَاكَ فَضْلُ جِهَادِهِ

لِبِلاَدِهِ أَنْ عُدَّ فِي الأبْطَالِ

Safe from excess - that is the merit of his

Struggle for his country that he is counted among heroes

يَا قَوْمُ حَيوا بَنْكَ مِصْرَ فَإِنَّهُ

حِصْنُ النَّجَاةِ وَمَعْقِدُ الآمَالِ

O my people, preserve the Bank of Egypt, for it

Is the fortress of salvation and refuge of hopes

فِي مَجْدٍ مَاضِينَا عَلَيْنَا حُجَّةٌ

إِنَّ لَمْ نُعَزِّزهُ بِمجْدِ الحالِ

In our past glory lies argument against us

If we do not bolster it with present glory

هُوَ كَائِنٌ مِن رُوحِ مِصْرَ وَأَمْرهِا

سَامِي الحَقِيقَةِ بَارِعُ التِّمْثَالَ

It exists from the spirit of Egypt and its affairs

Sublime in truth, excellent in representation

لِلخِصْبِ والإِقبَالِ أَعْلَى دَوْلَةً

فِيها وَعفَّى دوْلَةً الإِمْحالِ

For prosperity and thriving, most exalted of institutions

In it, though an impossibility made institution thrives

يَبْغِي سَلاَمَتَهَا وَرِفْعة شَأْنِها

فِي كُلِّ مُقْتَحَمٍ وَكُلِّ مَصالِ

It desires its wellbeing and prominence

In every daring and every endeavor

أَغْزى سَماءَ الشَّرْقِ بِيضُ نُسُورِهَا

يخطُرْنَ فِي الغُدُوَاتِ والآصالِ

The dawn sky of the East white with its eagles

Circling in mornings and evenings

وَعَلَى المُتُونِ أَهِلَّةٌ خَفَّاقَةٌ

لِتَعاوُن فِي البِرِّ لاَ لِقِتَالِ

And over its expanses a fluttering cavalry

For cooperation in righteousness, not for fighting

أَجْرَى سَفَائِنِهَا فَهُنَّ مَوَاخِرٌ

بِالرَّكْبِ وَالأرْزَاقِ غَيْرُ أَوَالِي

It dispatched its ships, which are havens

For people and provision other than first ones

أَلبرِّ يَأْنَسُ لِلُّقَاءِ وَيَحْتَفِي

بِالعَوْدِ بَحْرٌ لَمْ يَكنْ بِالسَّالِي

Goodness feels intimate for the return and celebrates

The return of the sea that was not easy before

مِنْ كُلِّ مَا تُرْجَى مَنَافِعُهُ حَبَا

مِصْراً بِمَأْثُورٍ طَرِيفٍ مِثَالِ

Of everything expected to benefit, it gifted

Egypt with well-known delightful examples

طُفْ بِالمَحَلَّةِ تُلْفِ كَيْفَ تَبدِلَتْ

بِالبالِيَاتِ حدِيثَةُ الأَنْوَالِ

Stroll around the bank and see how it changed

With modern channels the dilapidated ones

وَتُقِرُّ عَيْنَكَ مُتْعةٌ أَهْلِيَّةٌ

أَغْنَتْ عَنِ النَّسَّاجِ وَالغَزَّالِ

And delight your eye with amiable pleasure

That spared the textile merchant and the spinner

يَتَهَلَّلُ الشُّرَكَاءُ فِي أَرْبَاحِهَا

لِتَهَلُّلِ الفَرِحِينَ بِالأَجْعَالِ

The shareholders gleam with its profits

At the sparkling of the delighted with bundles

تِلْكَ المَعَاهِدُ يَسَّرَتْ مَا يَسَّرَتْ

مِنْ كُلِّ كَسْبٍ فِي الكِفَاحِ حَلاَلِ

Those institutions facilitated whatever

Lawful earning through endeavor they facilitated

تُؤتِي الغِنَى وَيَعِيشُ فِي أَكْنَافِهَا

آلاَفُ آلافٍ مِنَ العُمَّالِ

Bringing affluence, and thousands upon thousands

Of laborers live under its care

وَتخَرِّجُ المُتَادِّبِينَ لِيُحْسِنوا

فِي العَيْشِ مَا يُجْدِي مِنَ الأشْغَالِ

And graduates competitors to excel

In living by useful occupations

اللهُ يعْلَمُ كَمْ وَقَتْ أَوْطَانَكُمْ

شَرَّ الفَرَاغِ وَفِتْنَةَ البُهَّالِ

God knows how many your homelands' times

Were plagued by unemployment and wanton youths

فَاليَوْمُ عِيدٌ لِلكِنَانَةِ فَخْرُهُ

أَنْ لَبْسَ مَرْدُوداً إِلى أَمْثَالِ

So today is an Eid for decency, pride of which

Is that shabby attire is returned to the like

لاَ تَلْتَقِي مِنْهَا اللَّحَاظ بِمَوْقِعٍ

إِلاَّ وَفِيهِ لِلسُّرُورِ مَجَالِي

No gathering of people where delight finds no occasion

And the happy are adorned with necklaces

هُوَ عِيدُ مِصرَ وَلاَ انْفِرَادَ لَهَا بِهِ

كَلاَّ وَلاَ لِلعَصْرِ دُونَ التَّالِي

It is Egypt's Eid, and exclusivity to it is impossible

No, nor to the era without successors

هُوَ عِيدُ رَابِطَةِ الشُّعُوبِ جَمِيعِهَا

فِي الشَّرْقِ بَعْدَ تَفَكُّكِ الأَوْصَالِ

It is the Eid of the kinship of all peoples

In the East after the severing of ties

هُوَ عِيدُ حَاضِرِهَا وَمُقْبِلِهَا عَلَى

مُتَعَاقَبِ الأَحْقَابِ وَالأَجْيَالِ

The Eid of its present and its outlook onto

Eras and generations coming in succession

أَعْظِمْ بِهذا الحَفْلِ فِيهِ وَكُلُّهُ

مِنْ صَفْوَةِ الوُزَرَاءِ وَالأقْيَالِ

Sanctify by this ceremony in it, all of it

From the elite of ministers and judges

وَمِنَ السَّرَاةِ تَفَاوَتَتْ أَقْدَارُهُمْ

وَتَوَافَقُوا فِي البِشْر والإِقبالِ

And from statesmen varying in status

United in omens and prosperity

شَرفُ الرَّئِيسِ وَقَدْ تَوَسَّطَ عِقْدَهُمْ

شَرَفْ الفَرِيدَةِ وَالجُمَانِ غَوالِي

The honor of the President centered among them

The elite and beautiful and perfect moons

مَا زَالَ صَدْراً فِي الصُّدُورِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ

مِنْ مَهْدِهِ إِلاَّ حَلِيفَ مَعَالِي

Still a chest among chests, having been since

His cradle none but intimate with high values

لَطْفٌ وَآدابٌ وَصِدْقُ فِرَاسَةٍ

وَوَفَاءُ مَوْلَى فِي مَهَابَةِ وَالِي

Kindness, etiquette and honesty of insight

And loyalty of a master in majesty of ruler

حَقٌ لَهُ ولِصاحِبَيْهِ مَا لَهُمْ

فِي قَوْمِهِمْ مِنْ صَادِقِ الإِجلاَلِ

Rightfully theirs, his and his two companions What they have among their people of sincere veneration

Did the reticence of his expression occur to you

هلْ رَاعَكُمْ مِنْ طَلْعَتٍ وَبَيانِهِ

نُطْقُ السكُوتِ وَحُسْنُ مَا هُوَ نَالِي

And excellent what is attainable?

And exchange in one genius

وَتَنَاوُبٌ فِي عَبْقَريٍ وَاحِدٍ

بَيْنَ الفَتَى الفَعَّالِ وَالقَوَّالِ

Between the active youth and speaker

When I seek his description beyond

إِنِّي لأَفْزَعُ حِينَ أَبْغِي وَصْفَهُ

مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَبْغِيهِ وَهْوَ حِيَالِي

What I seek, with him before me

A mountain the eye wanders overwhelmed by its heights

جَبَلٌ تَضِلُّ العَيْنُ فِي عَلْيَائِهِ

وَالوَحْيُ مَهْبِطُهُ رُؤُوسُ جِبَالِ

And revelation - its landing place is mountain peaks

A sea, unfazed by any condemnor

بَحْرٌ وَلَيْسَ يَضِيرُهُ مُسْتَنْكِرٌ

أَنْ ينْظِمَ الشِّرِكَاتِ نَظْمَ لآَلِي

If it systematically composes companies

His seclusion belongs to God, and from its overlooks

لِلهِ عُزْلَتُهُ وَمِنْ شُرُفَاتِهَا

يَرْمِي الجِهَاتِ بِلَحْظِهِ الجوَّالِ

He casts his roving gaze upon regions

He tends to the protected territory’s needs to fulfill them

يَرْتَادُ حاجَاتِ الحِمَى لِقَضَائِهَا

وَيَسُدُّ خَلاَّت بِغَيْرِ سُؤَالِ

And fills what is lacking without asking

What he, alone, maneuvers and plans

مَاذَا يُدِيرُ وَمَايُدَبِّرُ وَحْدَهُ

مِمَّا بِهِ يَعْيَى عِدَادَ رِجَالِ

Exhausts the count of men

You crane towards him, seeing nothing but dew

تَرْنو إِلَيْهِ لَمَا تَرَى إِلاَّ نَدًى

حَيْثُ الهُمُومُ تَهُم بِالإِشْعَالِ

Where worries make fervent with kindling

Abundant are his exploits I repeat mentioning

كُثْرٌ مَآثِرُهُ أُرَدَّدُ ذِكْرَهَا

وَفُؤَادُ سُلْطَانٍ يَمُرُّ بِبَالِي

With the heart of a sultan passing through my mind

He gathered two sleeping forms both of whom

جَمَعَ التَّوَافِي فَرْقَدَيْنِ هُمَا وَقَدْ

عَزَّ التَّوَافِي مَضْرِبُ الأَمْثَالِ

Rare is the gathering of sleepers into proverbs

Awake, entrusted over the wealth

يَقِظَيْنِ مُؤْتَمَنَيْنِ عَنْ ثِقَةٍ عَلَى

مَا فِي ذِمَامِهِمَا مِنَ الأمْوَالِ

In their reins out of trusts

And transformed for Egypt and its people’s benefit

وَمُحَولَيْنِ لِنَفْع مِصْرَ وَأَهلِهَا

مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِلاَّ لِنَفْعِ جَوَالِي

What had not been but for the benefit of wanderers

So if exploitation has a corrupting implication

فَإِذَا لِلاِسْتِغْلاَلِ مَعْنًى مُخْلِفٌ

مَا كَانَ مِنْ مَعْنًى لِلاِسْتِعْلاَلِ

What had been implication of utilization!

Mounting to the highest and most perilous goals

رَكِبَاً إِلى أَسْمَى المَآرِبِ صَعْبَةً

تَفْتَكُّ أَحْرَاراً مِنَ الأَغْلاَلِ

Liberating freemen from shackles

Can the masters thus reside in their homelands

أَفَيَمْكُثَ السادَاتْ فِي أَوْطَانِهِم

وَكَأَنَّهُمْ للاجْنَبِينَ مَوَالِي

As if they are vassals of foreigners?!

By the heart of a sultan, with the honor of his glory

لِفُؤَادِ سُلْطَانٍ بِطَارِفِ مَجْدِهِ

إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِالعَمِّ أَوْ بِالخَالِ

If not with paternal or maternal relatives

O excellent - high honor suits him

يَا حَبَّذَا الشَّرَفُ الرَّفِيعُ يُصِيبُهُ

غَيْرُ المُدِلِّ بِهِ وَلاَ المُخْتَالِ

Without pretending or boasting

This is the youth among youths, no defender

هَذَا فَتَى الفِتْيَانِ غَيْرُ مُدَافَعٍ

وَالقُدْوَةُ المُثْلَى بِغَيْرِ جِدالِ

And guiding exemplar without contention

This is the pillar whose burdens

هَذَا هُوَ الرُّكْنُ الَّذِي أَحْمَالُهُ

تُوهِي وَلاَ يَشْكُو مِنَ الأَحْمَالِ

Exhaust, though he does not complain of burdens

I praise him for what merits it, loving him

أثْنِي عَلَيْهِ بِمَا بِهِ وَأُحِبُّهُ

لِلفَضْلِ فِيهِ وَلَيْسَ لِلإِفْضَالِ

For virtue in him, not for favor

If the den - and they are its cubs - is secured

إِنْ العَرِينَ وَهَؤُلاَءِ أُسُودُهُ

لَمُؤَمَّنٍ بِتَرْعْرُعِ الأَشْبَالِ

With the cubs being reared

Until each generation celebrates its Eid

حَتَّى يُعَيِّدَ كُلُّ جِيلٍ عِيدهُ

بِتَسَلْسُلِ الأَدْهَارِ لاَ الأَحْوَالِ

In succession of eras, not conditions