وكانَ بمصرَ السحرُ قدْماً فأصبحتْ

وكانَ بمصرَ السحرُ قدْماً فأصبحتْ

وأسحارها أشعارُها تترقرقُ

وأسحارها أشعارُها تترقرقُ

In Egypt there was magic of old; now,

Magic was once ancient in Egypt

Her spells are her poems, rippling.

and its sorcery became scintillating verse.

ويعجبني منها تملُّقُ أهلِها

ويعجبني منها تملُّقُ أهلِها

وقد زادَ حتّى ماؤُها يتملَّقُ

وقد زادَ حتّى ماؤُها يتملَّقُ

And what pleases me about her is her people's flattery,

What pleases me most is the flattery of its people,

And it has grown so much that even her water flatters.

even its water flatters excessively.