وَفْدَ الْحِمَى مِنْ قَادَةٍ وَأُولِي نُهىً

فَوْقَ التَّصارِيفِ الكِبَارِ كِبَارِ

A delegation of leaders and wise men

Above the highest ranks, the greatest

أَرْشِدْ بِكُمْ مُسْتَطْلِعِينَ لِشَأْنِكُمْ

فِي الْغَرْبِ كُلَّ مَطَالعِ الأَنْوَارِ

Guide those seeking you for your affairs

In the West, the source of all lights

هُزَّتْ مَنَابِرُهُ بِعَالِي صَوْتِكُمْ

وَأُثِيرَ فِيهِ الرَّأْيُ كُلَّ مَثَارِ

Its platforms shook at the sound of your voices

And opinion was stirred, every fruit

سَالَتْ عُيُونُ بَيَانِكُمْ فِي صُحْفِهِ

فَمَلأْنَهَا وَجَرَيْنَ بِالأَنْهَارِ

Your eyes flowed in its pages

Filling them and running with rivers

وَبَدَتْ لِمِصْرَ بِهِ بَوَادِرُ حِكْمَةٍ

سَبَتِ الْعُقُولَ بِآيِهَا الأَبْكَارِ

And there appeared to Egypt in it glimmers of wisdom

Captivating minds with its brilliant signs

إِنْ أَنْكَرَ الْعَادُونَ مَا وَصِمْوا بِهِ

هَلْ تَطْهُرُ الْوَصَمَاتُ بِالإِنْكَارِ

If the hostile deny what they are branded with

Can brands be cleansed by denial?

أَوْ أَهْجَرُوا قَوْلاً لِكُلِّ مُهَذَّبٍ

مِنْكُمْ فَبَعْضُ المَدْحِ فِي الإِهْجَارِ

Or they shun words for every polished one

Of you, so some praise in estrangement

أَفَرِيدُ أَعْظِمْ بالَّذِي هَيَّأتَهُ

لِعَشِيرَةٍ فَدَّيْتَهَا وَدِيَارِ

Shall I begrudge what you have prepared

For a clan you ransomed, and homes?

نَمْ إِن مصْراً عنْكَ رَاضِيَةٌ وَفُزْ

مِنْ شُكْرِهَا بِمَثُوبَةِ الأَخْيَار

Indeed Egypt is pleased with you

And succeed with the reward of the virtuous

أَوْشَكْتُ أَجْزَعُ فانْتهَيْتُ بِأَنَّني

آنَسْتُ فِيكَ مَشِيئَةً لِلبَارِي

I almost despair for I am certain

I sensed in you the will of the Creator