أمدينة من فوق سطح الماء — Salah Magdy

أَمدينة مِن فَوق سَطح الماءِ

تَجري بِأَبَهج مَنظر وبَهاءِ

Is it a city above the water's surface,

gliding with the loveliest appearance and splendor?

أَم هَذِهِ إِرمٌ بَدَت وَعمادُها

مَسبوكة مِن فضة بَيضاء

Or is this Iram revealed, its pillars

cast from white silver?

أَم ذاكَ وَابور المَسرّة مدَّه

صَدرُ البَرية أَسَعد السَعداء

Or is that the steamship al-Masarra, fitted out

by the foremost of mankind, most fortunate of the fortunate?

وَحَبا به النيل المُبارك فَاِزدَهى

بِبَديع بَهجة شَكله الحَسناء

And he bestowed it on the blessed Nile, which grew resplendent

in the wondrous, lovely radiance of its form.

فَكَأن هَذا الفُلك في تَنظيمه

فَلَكٌ بِهِ تَسري نُجوم سَماء

So it seems this vessel, in its arrangement,

is a celestial sphere through which heaven's stars glide.

وَكَأَنَّهُ في النَهر عِندَ مَسيره

بَرق يَقصِّر عَنهُ طَرف الرائي

And on the river, as it travels, it seems

like lightning the beholder's gaze cannot keep pace with.

أَو أَنَّهُ ملك خَطيرٌ جُندُه

مَلأ مِن الأَمواج وَالأَهواء

Or as though it were a mighty king whose troops

are a multitude of waves and winds.

فَعَساكر الأَمواج يُرسلها عَلى

سُفن البخار طَليعة الأَعداء

It sends its armies of waves against

the steamships, the enemy's vanguard.

فَتظلّ تصدم بِالجِبال وَجوهها

حَتّى تُرى مَنثورة كَهباء

They keep battering their faces with mountains,

until they appear scattered like dust.

وَعَساكر الأَهواء يُلقيها عَلى

سُفن الشِراع بَشائر الأنحاء

And its armies of winds it hurls against

the sailing ships, heralds of the regions.

فَتردّها قَهراً عَلى أَعقابها

بِالذلّ وَالإرغام في الأَعداء

They drive them forcibly back on their heels,

with humiliation and compulsion among the foes.

وَتصدّها وَتبتُّ حبل وصالها

وَتفتت الجافي مِن الأَجزاء

And they repel them, severing the cord that joins them,

and shatter their solid parts.

فإِذا تَصدّى لِلسِباق فَدونه

وَابور برٍّ طار في البَيداء

When it takes up a race, it leaves behind

a land steam-engine flying through the desert.

وَإِذا سَرى فَالكُلُّ حَول رِكابه

في مَوكب يَسمو عَلى الجَوزاء

And when it journeys, all gather round its stirrup

in a procession soaring above al-Jawza.

وَإِذا رَسا لَثمت مقدّم تاجه

شَرَفاً ثَغورُ بَشائرٍ وَصَفاء

And when it anchors, the front of its crown is kissed

in homage by the lips of glad tidings and serenity.

وَتَبسمت لِقدومه في زينة

بِكَ يا سَعيدَ الدَولةِ الغَرّاء

And they smile at its arrival, adorned

through you, O Sa'id of the illustrious state.

وَترنمت مِنها بِمَدحك أَلسنٌ

شُكراً لَما أَوليت مِن نَعماء

And tongues among them sing your praises,

in gratitude for the blessings you bestowed.

يا أَيُّها الملك المؤيد هَذِهِ

مَصر لَك اِبتَهلت بِكُلِّ دُعاء

O divinely aided king, here is

Egypt, fervently offering every prayer for you.

وَبعدلك اِبتَهجت وَنالَت أَهلُها

مالم تَنل في دَولة الخُلَفاء

She rejoices in your justice, and her people have gained

what they never gained under the caliphs.

وَالعَسكر المَنصور جَيشك دائِماً

يَقتص في الهَيجا مِن الغرماء

And the victorious host, your army, always

exacts vengeance on its foes in battle.

وَيَسير تَحتَ لِواك في عزٍّ وَفي

أَمنٍ وَفي يُمنٍ وَفَرط هَناء

And marches beneath your banner in glory and in

safety, in good fortune, and in utmost bliss.

فَيَعود بِالفَتح المُبين مؤيداً

بِالنَصر مَحفوظاً مِن الأَسواء

Then returns with manifest conquest, upheld

by victory, safeguarded from ills.

وَالنيل فيهِ سَفينة الأَفراح قَد

حَلّت فَأَشرَق وَجهُه بِضِياء

And the Nile, where the ship of joys has

come to rest—its face shines with radiance.

وَاِزداد في عَليا جَنابك رَغبةً

وَغَدا بسيرك فيهِ أَعذب ماء

And it yearns still more for your exalted presence,

and through your passage in it, its water grows sweeter.

يا ناصر الأَوطان في يَوم الوَغى

بِالجُند وَالإِقدام وَالآراء

O defender of homelands on the day of battle,

with troops, boldness, and counsel;

يا أَكرم الأَملاك يا غَيث النَدى

يا طَيِّب الأَجداد وَالآباء

O most generous of kings, O rain of bounty,

O you of noble forefathers and fathers;

يا اِبن الَّذي نَشَر التَمدّن بَعدَ ما

قَد كانَ مَطوياً عَن الأَحياء

O son of him who spread civilization after it

had lain folded away from the living;

فَسَلَكت مَسلكه وَزدت مَحاسِنا

فَبررته يا أَشرَف الأَبناء

you followed his path and added virtues,

thus proving dutiful to him, O noblest of sons.

بُشراك أَفئدة الأَنام خَزائنٌ

ملئت بِحُبك يا أَبا العَلياء

Glad tidings for you: humankind's hearts are treasuries

filled with love for you, O father of exalted glory.

وَالملك عَين أَنت يا ابن محمد

إنسانها في مَصرك الغناء

And the realm is an eye; you, O son of Muhammad,

are its pupil in your verdant Egypt.

فاسلم لهُ كَيما يَرى بِكَ سَعده

وَيَفوز مِنك برفعة وَسَناء

So remain safe for it, that it may see its good fortune through you,

and gain from you elevation and splendor.

وَاصحب بِطُول الدَهر بين أَولى النُهى

طوسناً سَليلك سَيد الأَمراء

And throughout time, among men of reason, keep company with

Tusun, your scion, lord of princes,

نَجل المَعالي ثاقب الفهم الَّذي

يَزهو عَلى أَخدانه بِذَكاء

scion of lofty virtues, keen of mind, who

outshines his peers in intelligence.

وَاقبل فِداك النَفس مَدحة مُخلص

فاضَت عَلَيهِ سَحائب الآلاء

And accept—may my soul ransom you—the praise of a loyal man

upon whom the clouds of favors have poured.

وَاعذره إن أَعياه حصرُ مَناقبٍ

جَلّت عن التِعداد وَالإِحصاء

And pardon him if he is unequal to counting virtues

too exalted for numbering and reckoning.

لا زلت تُحسن صُنع آثار لَها

في مَصر نَفعٍ ماطر الأَنواء

May you never cease to excel in creating works whose

benefits in Egypt pour like rain from clouds,

ما لاحَ وابور المسرّة ذاهباً

بِتَمام مَدٍّ جيد الإِنشاء

as long as the steamship al-Masarra appears underway,

at full tide, finely built,

وَاِنساب في نيل السَعادة قاصِداً

بِرّا ببرّ شامل وَعَطاء

and glides through the Nile of felicity, intent on

goodness through all-embracing kindness and bounty.

وَالَمجد قال وَقَد رآه مؤرخاً

فرح عَلى برّ الخديوي جائي

And Glory, having seen it, said to mark its date:

"Joy comes through the Khedive's kindness."