لِينُرْ شعَاعُكِ يَا عرُوس النِّيلِ

لِينُرْ شعَاعُكِ يَا عرُوس النِّيلِ

وَيُسِرْ شِرَاعُكِ فِي أَبَرِّ سَبِيلِ

وَيُسِرْ شِرَاعُكِ فِي أَبَرِّ سَبِيلِ

Let your radiance shine, O bride of the Nile,

Let your radiance shine, O bride of the Nile,

And may your sail follow the most virtuous course.

And may your sail be easy in the noblest course.

أَنْتِ المَلِيكَةُ فِي الجَّوَارِي فَازْدهِي

أَنْتِ المَلِيكَةُ فِي الجَّوَارِي فَازْدهِي

بِبدائِعٍ جُلَّتْ عَنِ التْمْثِيلِ

بِبدائِعٍ جُلَّتْ عَنِ التْمْثِيلِ

You are queen among the ships; so take pride

You are the queen among the maids, so excel

In wonders beyond comparison.

With wonders beyond all compare.

رَاعِي الغزَالَةَ وَالقَضَاءَ فُلاَتَها

رَاعِي الغزَالَةَ وَالقَضَاءَ فُلاَتَها

يرْعى مُهَاةَ المَاءِ رعيَ كفِيلِ

يرْعى مُهَاةَ المَاءِ رعيَ كفِيلِ

The gazelle’s guardian—with fate as her wilderness—

The gazelle shepherd who judges her sway

Tends the water-oryx with a guardian’s care.

Tends the bend of water with care.

أوْ مَا تُرَى فَوْقَ الحُبَابِ خُطُورَهَا

أوْ مَا تُرَى فَوْقَ الحُبَابِ خُطُورَهَا

بَيْنَ ابْتِسَامِ الموْجِ والتَّقْبِيلِ

بَيْنَ ابْتِسَامِ الموْجِ والتَّقْبِيلِ

Or do you not see her swaying above the foam,

Or is it her gliding over bubbles seen

Between the waves’ smiles and kisses?

Between the smile of waves and kissing?

يَهْفو الصَّحِيحُ مِن الصبا لِيُمِيلَهَا

يَهْفو الصَّحِيحُ مِن الصبا لِيُمِيلَهَا

فَيَخِفُّ ثم يَمُرُّ مُرَّ علِيلِ

فَيَخِفُّ ثم يَمُرُّ مُرَّ علِيلِ

The vigorous east wind blows to tilt her,

The healthy youth inclines toward her and swoons,

So it grows faint, then passes like one ailing.

Then passes like an ailing one.

وَتَظَلَّ تؤْنِسُهَا النَّجُومُ بِنَبْاةٍ

وَتَظَلَّ تؤْنِسُهَا النَّجُومُ بِنَبْاةٍ

مهْمَا تُطِلْ فَاللَّيْلُ غَيْرُ طَويلِ

مهْمَا تُطِلْ فَاللَّيْلُ غَيْرُ طَويلِ

And the stars keep her company with a whisper:

The stars keep her company with a coyness

However long you prolong it, the night is not long.

No matter how long the night lasts.

إِنْ تَنْطَلِقْ راضَ العُباب صِعَابَهُ

إِنْ تَنْطَلِقْ راضَ العُباب صِعَابَهُ

فَجَرتْ عَلَى قَدْرٍ مِنَ التَّسهِيل

فَجَرتْ عَلَى قَدْرٍ مِنَ التَّسهِيل

If she sets off, the swell tames its roughness,

If you launch despite the rocks' severity,

So she sails with a measure of ease.

You flow on a measure of facilitation.

وَإِذَا رَستْ فَالضِفَّتَانِ حدائِقٌ

وَإِذَا رَستْ فَالضِفَّتَانِ حدائِقٌ

زهِرتْ بِكلِّ مُحَبِّبٍ وجمِيلِ

زهِرتْ بِكلِّ مُحَبِّبٍ وجمِيلِ

And when she anchors, the two banks are gardens,

And where you dock, the banks are gardens

Blossoming with all that is endearing and beautiful.

Blooming with all that is lovely and fair.

مَدَّت إِلَى المِرْآةِ خُضْرَ ظِلاَلِهَا

مَدَّت إِلَى المِرْآةِ خُضْرَ ظِلاَلِهَا

نَكَسَتْ حَقَائِقُهَا حِلَى التَّخْيِيلِ

نَكَسَتْ حَقَائِقُهَا حِلَى التَّخْيِيلِ

They have stretched their green shadows toward the mirror;

Your green shadows reach out to the mirror.

Their real forms are inverted into ornaments of fancy.

Reality melts into imagined finery.

بَيْتٌ مُشِيدٌ يَسْتَقِّلُ وفِيهِ مَا

بَيْتٌ مُشِيدٌ يَسْتَقِّلُ وفِيهِ مَا

يُرْضِي القِرى مِنْ طَيِّبِ المَحْمُولِ

يُرْضِي القِرى مِنْ طَيِّبِ المَحْمُولِ

A lofty house that travels, and within it is what

A house is erected self-sufficient, containing

Fulfills hospitality’s needs with the fine provisions aboard.

What satisfies towns of fine imports.

زَهِيَتْ مَعَالِمُهُ بِآيَاتِ النَّهى

زَهِيَتْ مَعَالِمُهُ بِآيَاتِ النَّهى

مِنْ زَيِّ أَلْوَانٍ وَغُرِّ شُكُولِ

مِنْ زَيِّ أَلْوَانٍ وَغُرِّ شُكُولِ

Its features shine with signs of intellect,

Its features are beautiful with glyphs of warning

In an array of colors and radiant forms.

Against excess of color and arrogance of forms.

فَعُقُودُ نَظْمٍ رُصِّعَتْ جِدرَانُهُ

فَعُقُودُ نَظْمٍ رُصِّعَتْ جِدرَانُهُ

بِلآلىءَ اسَتوْقَفْنَ حِينَ مَسِيلِ

بِلآلىءَ اسَتوْقَفْنَ حِينَ مَسِيلِ

So necklaces of verse have studded its walls

Strands of prosody adorn its walls

With pearls halted in mid-flow.

With pearls that paused at the flood.

يا صاحِبَ الفلْكِ الَّتِي أَعْلاَمُها

يا صاحِبَ الفلْكِ الَّتِي أَعْلاَمُها

خفاقَةٌ فَرَحاً بِكُلِّ نَزِيلِ

خفاقَةٌ فَرَحاً بِكُلِّ نَزِيلِ

O owner of the ship whose flags

O captain of the ship whose flags

Flutter in joy at every guest,

Flutter joyfully for every lodger,

أَكْرِمْ بِنَفْسِكَ حِينَ قَالَتْ سَاعَة

أَكْرِمْ بِنَفْسِكَ حِينَ قَالَتْ سَاعَة

لَكَ مَا يَسُرُّ ضَمِير كُلِّ نَبِيلِ

لَكَ مَا يَسُرُّ ضَمِير كُلِّ نَبِيلِ

How noble your soul, when once it said

Honor yourself when the moment said:

To you what gladdens the conscience of every noble person:

For you whatever gladdens the heart of all nobles.

حَدِّثْ بِنِعْمةِ ربِّكَ الصَّمَدِ الَّذِي

حَدِّثْ بِنِعْمةِ ربِّكَ الصَّمَدِ الَّذِي

أَعْطَاكَ مَا أَعْطاكَ مُحْضَ جَمِيلِ

أَعْطَاكَ مَا أَعْطاكَ مُحْضَ جَمِيلِ

Tell of the blessing of your Lord, the Self-Sufficient, who

Speak of the blessing of your eternal Lord

Gave you what He gave you out of pure kindness.

Who gave you all He gave in pure kindness.

حَدِّثْ بِهَا فَالجُودُ أَفْضَلُ مَا بِهِ

حَدِّثْ بِهَا فَالجُودُ أَفْضَلُ مَا بِهِ

يُوفَى لَه شكْرُ عَلَى التَّفْضِيلِ

يُوفَى لَه شكْرُ عَلَى التَّفْضِيلِ

Speak of it, for generosity is the best means

Speak of it, for generosity is best with which

Of rendering Him thanks for His favor.

To repay Him for favoring.

كَمْ نِعْمَةٍ عِنْدَ البَخِيلِ فَقِيدَةٌ

كَمْ نِعْمَةٍ عِنْدَ البَخِيلِ فَقِيدَةٌ

جَعَلْتَ عَطَاءَ اللهِ كَالتَّطْفِيلِ

جَعَلْتَ عَطَاءَ اللهِ كَالتَّطْفِيلِ

How many a blessing is lost in a miser’s hands!

How many favors does the miser bind

You have made God’s bounty seem like freeloading.

Making God's gifts like begging!

لِيكنْ سَخَاءَكَ وَالحَياةُ سفِينَةٌ

لِيكنْ سَخَاءَكَ وَالحَياةُ سفِينَةٌ

فِي الدَّهْرِ بَيْنَ إِقَامَةٍ وَرحِيلِ

فِي الدَّهْرِ بَيْنَ إِقَامَةٍ وَرحِيلِ

Let your generosity—while life is a ship

Let your generosity and life be a ship

In time, between staying and departing—

Between staying and leaving in fate.

أَمْناً وَيُمنْاً لِلْحَيَاةِ وَرَبِّهَا

أَمْناً وَيُمنْاً لِلْحَيَاةِ وَرَبِّهَا

وَسُرُور تَجْوَالِ وسَعْدَ حُلُولِ

وَسُرُور تَجْوَالِ وسَعْدَ حُلُولِ

Be safety and good fortune for life and its master,

Safety and prosperity to life and its Lord,

And joy in voyaging and happiness in arrival.

And joy in roaming and bliss in alighting.