1. عصرنا أَبهَج عَصرِ

    وَسَعيدٌ خَيرُ صَدرِ

    Our age is the most joyous age,

    and Sa'id the best of rulers.

  2. يا هَنا أَبناء مَصرِ

    بِمساعيه السَعيدهْ

    O joy of Egypt's sons

    through his fortunate efforts!

  3. يا هَناها بِالجُنودِ

    تَحتَ هاتيك البُنودِ

    O her joy in the troops

    beneath those banners!

  4. فَستحظى مِن سعيدِ

    بِفتوحات جَديدهْ

    For she will gain from Sa'id

    new conquests.

  5. فَهوَ رَب المشرفيهْ

    وَالرِماح السمهريهْ

    For he is master of Mashrafi swords

    and of sturdy Samhari spears,

  6. في حروب حَيدريهْ

    ذات نَصرات عَديدهْ

    in Haydar-like battles

    bringing many victories,

  7. ذات نَصرات وَفَتحِ

    وَسَعادات وَربحِ

    bringing victories and conquest,

    and good fortune and gain,

  8. وَإِشارات بِمَدحِ

    لِمعاليه الفَريدهْ

    and signs of praise

    for his peerless eminence;

  9. وَنَوال للعبادِ

    مِنهُ يَروى كُلُّ صادي

    and bounty for the people:

    from him every thirsty soul drinks his fill;

  10. وَشهاب في الجهادِ

    لِلشَياطين المريدهْ

    and a blazing meteor in holy warfare

    against the rebellious devils;

  11. وَسعود للرعيهْ

    في سِنيه الكسرويهْ

    and good fortune for his subjects

    throughout his Khosrau-like years,

  12. بِأَيادٍ قَيصريهْ

    وَمبرات تَليدهْ

    with Caesar-like favors

    and ancestral benefactions

  13. عَن أَبيه رب مَصرِ

    مَن حَماها يَوم عسرِ

    from his father, lord of Egypt,

    who defended her on a day of hardship,

  14. بِلظى طوبٍ وَجمرِ

    مِن أَعاديها المبيدهْ

    with cannon flame and embers,

    against her ravaging foes.

  15. يا لَمَولاها السَعيدِ

    صاحب الرَأي السَديدِ

    O, what a fortunate lord she has,

    possessed of sound judgment,

  16. مِن نَصير لِلجنودِ

    في الملمات الشَديدهْ

    a champion of the troops

    in grievous calamities!

  17. ما لَهُ في الحَرب نَبوَهْ

    عَن عداة ذات قوّهْ

    He never falters in war

    before foes possessed of strength;

  18. وَهوَ مِن أَهل الفتوَّهْ

    وَالتَراتيب الرَشيدهْ

    and he is among men of chivalry

    and judicious organization.

  19. هَل يُباريه مباري

    في مَيادين الفَخارِ

    Can any rival match him

    in the arenas of glory,

  20. وَهوَ في خَوض الغبارِ

    قسور يردي طريدهْ

    when, plunging into battle's dust,

    he is a lion felling his prey?

  21. هَل لَهُ يَوم الجحافلْ

    بَينَ خَيال وَراجلْ

    Has he, on the day of massed armies,

    among horsemen and foot soldiers,

  22. مِن نظير أَو مماثلْ

    في لقا قَوم عَتيدهْ

    any equal or counterpart

    in facing battle-ready troops?

  23. هَل لَهُ في العَصر ثاني

    أَم لَهُ في مَصر شاني

    Has he an equal in this age,

    or anyone in Egypt who hates him?

  24. وَهوَ في الهَيجا يماني

    يَحصد الأعدا حَصيدهْ

    And in battle he is a Yemeni blade,

    reaping the foes as his harvest.

  25. كَم جوارٍ بِالبخارِ

    قابلت مَوج البحارِ

    How many steam-driven ships

    have faced the waves of the seas

  26. وَانتحت مِن خَير دارِ

    نَحو أَقطار بَعيدهْ

    and set out from the finest abode

    toward faraway lands!

  27. كَم بِأَخبار المُهندسْ

    نَفَّس الكَربَ منفِّسْ

    How often, through the engineer's reports,

    a bringer of relief dispelled distress

  28. عَن جُيوش لِلمؤسسْ

    ذات أَعمال مُفيدهْ

    from the founder's armies,

    engaged in useful works!

  29. كَم عَلى جسر الكبورجي

    سارَ ازدرها وَطوبجي

    How often over the bridge-builder's bridge

    a dragoon and an artilleryman marched,

  30. وَعَلَيهِ مَرَّ أوجي

    راجِلاً يَتلو عَميدهْ

    and over it a rifleman passed,

    on foot, following his commander!

  31. كَم عَن السفّار زنجي

    صدّ قَهراً شرَّ يولجي

    How often a Black African, for travelers,

    forcibly warded off a wayfarer's malice,

  32. وَرَمى في دَرب حجِ

    مِن تَعدى بِمكيدهْ

    and fired upon, along a pilgrimage road,

    whoever attacked with a stratagem!

  33. كَم عَلى مَتن السُروجِ

    أَيقَظ الزرخ البروجي

    How often, upon saddle-backs,

    the bugler roused the armored cavalry,

  34. فَسَعَت نَحوَ البُروج

    لِلعُلا حَتّى تَصيدهْ

    so they hastened toward the towers

    seeking glory, until they captured it!

  35. كَم دُودُكْجي بانتظامِ

    صاح في يَوم احتشامِ

    How many a fifer, keeping time,

    sounded on a day of pomp

  36. مَع تَرَنْبَتْجي الخيامِ

    بَينَ أَسوارٍ مشيدهْ

    with the camp's trumpeter,

    among towering walls!

  37. كَم بِأَوقات التَهاني

    لِلمُوَيَسّيقى أَغاني

    How many, at times of celebration,

    are the musician's songs

  38. في ثَنا صَدر الزَمانِ

    بِمَعان كَالخريدهْ

    in praise of the age's foremost man,

    with meanings like an unpierced pearl!

  39. أَيد الحَق سَدادَهْ

    وَسَقى الغَيث بِلادَهْ

    May the True One uphold his sound judgment,

    and may rain water his lands,

  40. وَحَباه بِالسَعادهْ

    في لَياليه المَديدهْ

    and may He favor him with happiness

    throughout his long nights.

  41. وَزَهَت أَيامُ نَجلِهْ

    طوسنِ المَحفوظِ شبلِهْ

    And may his son's days flourish—

    Tusun, his protected lion cub,

  42. مَن كَساهُ طيبَ أَصلِهْ

    حلَّةَ الفَضل الحَميدهْ

    whom the goodness of his lineage has clothed

    in the praiseworthy robe of excellence—

  43. ما ذكرنا في الدعاءِ

    مع صفوف في الحذاءِ

    as long as, in supplication, we say,

    with ranks standing in alignment,

  44. جوق يشا عِندَ النِداءِ

    بابتهاج وَعقيدهْ

    “Long live!” at the call,

    with joy and conviction;

  45. أَو غَدا يُنشد قَولي

    لِلخديوي كُلُّ قَولِ

    or whenever my verse is recited

    to the Khedive by every speaker,

  46. فيجازيه بِطَولِ

    عمّ في مَصرٍ عَبيدَهْ

    and he rewards him with bounty

    that has embraced his servants in Egypt.

  47. زاده الله جلالا

    وبهاءً وكمالا

    May God increase him in majesty,

    in splendor and perfection,

  48. وَعلوّاً وَاِعتَدَلا

    ما تَلا مَجدي قَصيدهْ

    and in eminence; may he stand upright,

    so long as Majdi recites a poem.