1. سَعيد بِالمهنَّدِ وَاليَراعِ

    لنشر العدل في مصر يُراعي

    Sa‘id, with the Indian-steel sword and reed pen,

    Takes care to spread justice in Egypt.

  2. بِهِ يا مَصر فَاِبتَهجي وَتيهي

    عَلى كُل المَمالك وَالبقاع

    Through him, O Egypt, rejoice and exult

    Above all kingdoms and lands.

  3. وَهزِّي عطف عجبك في البَرايا

    فجند العز حَولك كَالسباع

    And sway your flank in pride among all creation,

    For glory's troops surround you like beasts of prey.

  4. فَمنه الزرخ تحمل كَالسَواري

    إِذا ما قامَ للهَيجاء داعِ

    For among them the cuirassiers charge like masts,

    Whenever a call to battle rises.

  5. وَمِنهُ الزنج كَالآساد تَسطو

    وَتهجم بِالأَسنة للقراع

    And among them the Zanj strike like lions,

    And charge with spearpoints into the fray.

  6. وَمِنهُ الأوجيان بِكُل واد

    تَهيم وَتقتَفي أَثر الشجاع

    And among them the chasseurs, in every valley,

    Roam and follow the valiant man's tracks.

  7. وَللطوبجيّ دَمدمةٌ وَرعدٌ

    وَإِقدام يَدوس بِهِ الأَفاعي

    And the gunner has rumbling and thunder,

    And daring with which he tramples vipers.

  8. وَللبيّادة الأَنجاب بَطشٌ

    شَديد لا يُقاوم بِالدِفاع

    And the gallant infantry wield a force

    So fierce that no defense can withstand it.

  9. وَللكوبري عَلى النيل انتصاب

    كَطود شامخ في الارتفاع

    And the bridge stands above the Nile,

    Like a mountain soaring high.

  10. وَهَل تُنسى سَفائنُه إِذا ما

    جَرَت في يَوم ريح بِالشِراع

    And can his ships be forgotten when

    They course under sail on a windy day?

  11. وِللشهم المُهندس كُلُّ بَحث

    يَعود عَلى العَساكر بِانتِفاع

    And the gallant engineer's every study

    Brings benefit to the troops.

  12. وَبَينَهُمُ العَزيز عَلى أَغرّ

    يَمرّ بِهِ كَبَرق ذي التِماع

    And among them the exalted ruler, on a white-blazed steed,

    Passes upon it like a flashing bolt of lightning.

  13. وَيَرمي كُلَّ جَبارٍ عَنيدٍ

    بفرقة جَيشه بَعدَ اِجتِماع

    And strikes every stubborn tyrant

    By scattering his army after it has assembled.

  14. وَيَنشُر في رُبا مَصرٍ عُلوماً

    طَوَتهاأَيدي الضَياع

    And spreads across Egypt's hills the sciences

    That the hands of oblivion had folded away.

  15. فَمنها ما بِهِ الآداب تَزهو

    عَلى طُول الزَمان بِلا اِنقِطاع

    For among them are those through which literature flourishes

    Throughout all time, without interruption.

  16. وَمِنها ما يهذِّب حينَ يُروَى

    برقَّةِ لَفظِهِ شرسَ الطِباع

    And some, when recited, refine

    With their gentle wording, the rough of temper.

  17. وَمِنها ما بِهِ الأَحكام تَسمو

    وَتنجح في المَقاصد وَالمَساعي

    And through some, the laws rise high

    And succeed in purposes and endeavors.

  18. وَمِنها للعساكر كُل فنّ

    بِهِ تَحظى المَعارف بِاتِساع

    And among them is every art for the troops,

    Through which knowledge gains breadth.

  19. وَتقتحم العَجاج فَلا تُبالي

    بِمَن تَلقاه مِن أَهل الخِداع

    And they plunge into the battle-dust, heedless

    Of whom they meet among the men of guile.

  20. وَمِنها وَهوَ أَنفعها فُنونٌ

    أَبان جَمالَها كَشفُ القِناع

    And among them, most useful of all, are arts

    Whose beauty the lifting of the veil revealed.

  21. فُنونٌ أَصبَح اِستحكام مَصرٍ

    بِها نيرانه ذات اِندِفاع

    Arts that have made Egypt's fortifications

    Send their fire surging forth,

  22. وَيصدع بِالمَدافع كُل طاغ

    مَهين لَيسَ ينجو بامتِناع

    And shatter with cannon every tyrant,

    Base, finding no escape through resistance.

  23. وَتِلكَ رِسالَتي مِنها تَحلّت

    بدرّ زانه عَذبُ اِبتِداع

    And that treatise of mine takes its adornment from them:

    Pearls graced by sweet invention.

  24. وَبِالأَمر الكَريم أَضاءَ مِنها

    جَبين قَد زَها بِالانطباع

    And by the noble command, from it shone

    A brow made splendid by appearing in print.

  25. وَكلهمُ مَع الإخلاص أَثنَوا

    عَلى مَولاهمُ الصَدر المُطاع

    And all of them, with sincerity, gave praise

    To their lord, the leader whom they obey.

  26. وَلَما مثلت طَبعاً وَتَمَّت

    بِمَصر قلت في حسن اِختِراع

    And when it appeared in print and was completed

    In Egypt, I said with fine invention:

  27. لَقَد أَرّخت سَيف اليُمن أَنشا

    مَيادين الحصون مَع القِلاع

    Indeed, I gave this chronogram: 'The sword of good fortune built

    The fields of fortresses, together with citadels.'