1. قَد أثَرتُم لواعِجاً وَشُجونَا

    وَهوىً كَان فِي النُّفُوسِ دَفينَا

    You have indeed stirred burning longings and sorrows,

    and a passion that lay buried in our souls.

  2. زُرتُمُونَا أبناءَ مصرٍ فَألفَي

    تمُ خَيرَ الإخوانِ إذ زُرتُمُونا

    You visited us, sons of Egypt, and found

    the best of brothers when you visited us.

  3. وَرَأينَا منَ الفُنُونِ جَمالاً

    ورَأينَا منَ الجَمالِ فُنُونَا

    And we saw beauty in the arts,

    and we saw forms of art in beauty.

  4. ورَأينا التَّجدِيدَ في الفَنِّ وال

    فَنُّ بِغَيرِ التَّجدِيدِ لاَ يَعنِينَا

    And we saw renewal in art—and

    art without renewal means nothing to us.

  5. ورَأيناكِ فَاطِم فَرَأينا الس

    سِحر لكن سَمَّوهُ فيكِ فُتونَا

    And we saw you, Fatim, and beheld

    magic—but in you they called it enchantment.

  6. إن تَثَنَّت غُصناً تَغنَّت هَزَارا

    فَوقَه بِغِنَائِهِ يُشجِينَا

    If she sways like a branch, she sings like a nightingale

    above it, moving us with its song.

  7. هل رَأيتُم مِنَ الغُصُونِ طُيوراً

    هل رَأَيتم مِنَ الطُّورِ غُصُونَأ

    Have you seen birds made from branches?

    Have you seen branches made from the mountain?

  8. وَرَأينَا فَواتناً نابغاتٍ

    ورَأينَا نَوَابِغاً فاتِنينَا

    And we saw captivating, gifted women,

    and we saw gifted, captivating men.

  9. وَرَأينَا الشُّحرُورَ يُعدِ مُنَا شَد

    واً فإِن رَدَّدَ الغِنَا يُحيينَا

    And we saw the blackbird deprive us of song;

    for if he repeats his singing, he brings us to life.

  10. وَجَمالُ الجَمالِ خِفَّةُ رُوحٍ

    وَبتلكَ اتَّصَفتُمُ أجمَعينَا

    And beauty's beauty is lightness of spirit,

    and all of you possessed that quality.

  11. ثم عبدُ العزيزِ فِي الذَّوقِ والت

    تَنسِيقِ وَالتَّنظِيمِ الذي يَسبينَا

    Then Abd al-Aziz, in taste and

    arrangement and organization that captivate us:

  12. فِيهِ تُجلَى لَطافَةُ الذَّوقِ مِمَّا

    يَترُكُ المَرءَ ذَاهِلاً مَفتُونَا

    in it, the delicacy of taste shines forth, which

    leaves one bewildered and entranced.

  13. مَلِكُ المُضحِكِينَ عَبدُ نَبِيٍّ

    هُو وَالله مَالكُ المُضحِ

    Abd Nabi is the king of comedians;

    he is, by God, master of the comic... [word incomplete].

  14. خفَّ روحاً وخفَّ وَزناً فإن هب

    بَ عَلى النفسِ خِلتَهُ أُكسِجِينَا

    Light of spirit and light of weight—if he breezes

    over the soul, you would take him for oxygen.

  15. حِينَ يَبدو يَبدو السُّرُورُ وتَبدُو

    بَهجةٌ تُفرِح الفَتى المَحزُونَا

    When he appears, joy appears, and there appears

    a delight that gladdens the sorrowful youth.

  16. مَا على ذِي الأَحزَانِ إلا يَراهُ

    فإِذَا بِالحَزِينِ ليسَ حَزِينَا

    The sorrowful need only see him,

    and suddenly the sad man is sad no more.

  17. يَترُكُ المَرءَ فِي ذُهُولٍ وتَأثِي

    رٍ كَأنَّ الإِنسَانَ جُنَّ جُنُونَا

    He leaves one bewildered and deeply moved,

    as though one had gone utterly mad.

  18. قَد أَلِفنَا ثَدىَ الفُنُونِ رَضاعاً

    فارحَمي فَاطِم وَلا تَفطِمِينَا

    We have grown used to suckling the breast of the arts;

    so have mercy, Fatim, and do not wean us.

  19. إئتَلَفنَا بكم فَرُمتُم رَحيلاً

    أَو بَعدَ ائتِلافِنا تَهجُرُونَا

    We found fellowship with you, yet you sought to leave;

    or will you forsake us after our fellowship?

  20. أَهلُ مُرَاكِشٍ رِقاقُ قُلُوبٍ

    رَاقِبُوا اللهَ أيُّهَا القَومُ فِينَا

    The people of Marrakech have tender hearts;

    be mindful of God, O people, in how you treat us.

  21. فَاطِم لا تُخَيِّبِي ظَنَّنا لا

    خَيَّبَ اللهُ فِي مُناكِ ظُنونَا

    Fatim, do not disappoint our hopes; may

    God never leave hopes for your wishes unfulfilled.

  22. إِنَّما نَحنُ فِي الحَقِيقَةِ جِسمٌ

    حَلَّ فِيه الباشَا رُوحاً أمِينا

    In truth, we are only a body,

    in which the Pasha has settled as a faithful soul.

  23. أىُّ إِسمٍ كَاسمِ التهامِيِّ فَالأَر

    ضُ لَدَى ذِكرِهِ تَرِنُّ رَنينَا

    What name is like al-Tihami's? For the earth

    rings resoundingly at his mention.

  24. سَيِّدٌ يَعبَقُ المكَانُ لدى ذِك

    رِهِ نَشراً يُفَاوِحُ النِّسرِينَا

    A lord whose mention makes the place fragrant

    with perfume that rivals the wild rose.

  25. هوَ فَخرُ التَّاريخِ كم به باهى

    مَا مَضى مِن عُصُورِهِ الغَابرينَا

    He is history's pride; how often in him have gloried

    its ages long gone by!

  26. كم بهِ فَاخَرنا سِوانَا ولَمَّا

    شَاهَدوا صدقَ قَولِنَا شَاركُونَا

    How often we boasted of him to others; and when

    they saw the truth of our words, they joined us.

  27. فَعُيُونٌ مِن هَيبَةٍ شَاخِصاتٌ

    وَقلُوبٌ إلَيه حَنَّت حَنينَا

    So eyes stare in awe,

    and hearts yearn longingly for him.

  28. رَبَّنَا فَلتُدِمهُ فَخراً وَذُخراً

    رَبَّنَا فَلتُدِمهُ حِصناً حَصِينَا

    Our Lord, preserve him as a pride and a treasure;

    Our Lord, preserve him as an impregnable fortress.

  29. ليس غيرُ الدعاءِ لي من جزاءٍ

    فلتقولوا أنتم معي آمينا

    I have no recompense to give but prayer;

    so say with me, all of you: Amen.