1. أيا خليليّ دعَا

    ذِكْرَ السِّوَى واستمعا

    O my two friends, leave aside

    mention of all else, and listen

  2. حديثَ فخرٍ طلعا

    في مصر أبهى مطلعٍ

    to the tale of a glory that rose

    in Egypt, with the most splendid rising.

  3. فخرٌ أجاب من دعا

    لكسبه ومن دعى

    A glory that answered whoever called

    to attain it, and whoever was summoned;

  4. في وطنٍ من ادّعى

    له لحاقاً فدعِى

    in any homeland, whoever claims

    to catch up with it is a pretender.

  5. بدرٌ عُلاه سطعا

    وفي سما المجد سعى

    A full moon whose eminence shone,

    and journeyed in the heaven of glory;

  6. على البهاء خلعا

    في الكون أبهى الخِلع

    upon beauty it bestowed

    the finest robes of honor in all creation.

  7. فخر أجاب من دعا

    لكسبه ومن دعى

    A glory that answered whoever called

    to attain it, and whoever was summoned;

  8. في وطنٍ من ادَّعى

    له لحاقاً فدعى

    in any homeland, whoever claims

    to catch up with it is a pretender.

  9. حادى السرور رجّعَا

    بعزّنا مذ رجعا

    Joy's camel-driver sang his refrain

    of our glory, since he returned;

  10. وقد أبان لُمعا

    يا حسنها من لمع

    and he revealed bright gleams—

    O how lovely those gleams!

  11. وطننا تعزّزا

    وبالهنا تحيّزا

    Our homeland grew mighty,

    and took its place in bliss.

  12. هل غَيْرُه تميّزا

    بسهله الممتنع

    Has any other distinguished itself

    by its inimitable simplicity?

  13. أصيلُ فخرٍ أسبقِ

    على مدى الدهر بقى

    A deep-rooted glory, foremost,

    has endured throughout the ages,

  14. بطيب ذكرٍ عبقِ

    يُضوع للمستمع

    with sweet, fragrant remembrance

    wafting its scent to the listener.

  15. حديثُه عالي النسبْ

    بالعزِّ مرفوعُ النسب

    Its tale is of lofty lineage,

    its lineage exalted by honor;

  16. وحسبه إنْ يُحتسب

    ففي المحلّ الأرفع

    and its noble worth, if reckoned,

    is thus in the loftiest station.

  17. سوقٌ عُلاه نافقُ

    بغيضُه منافق

    The market of its eminence thrives;

    its foe is a hypocrite.

  18. صديقه الموافق

    يسوقه للأنفع

    Its friend, in accord with it,

    guides it toward what is most beneficial.

  19. ليس اللبيبُ ذو الفطن

    إلا المحب للوطن

    The discerning, insightful person is none

    but one who loves the homeland.

  20. وموضعٌ به قَطنْ

    لديه أسمى موضعِ

    And the place where he has dwelt

    is for him the loftiest of places.

  21. فمسقط الرأس أحّبْ

    من رأس مال يُكتسب

    For one's birthplace is dearer

    than capital one acquires;

  22. ومن لحبه انتسبْ

    فهو الذكيُّ الألمعي

    and whoever professes love for it

    is the intelligent, keen-witted one.

  23. وذو العقوق يوقظُ

    وبالحقوق يُوعظ

    And the disloyal one is awakened,

    and admonished about rights;

  24. عسى يَعي ويَحفظ

    عهْدا رعاه من يعي

    perhaps he will understand and preserve

    a covenant honored by those who understand.

  25. أكرمْ بمصر من حِمَى

    عُلاه قد سامى السما

    How noble a sanctuary Egypt is,

    whose eminence has rivaled the sky!

  26. مربعه لقد سما

    فيا له من مربع

    Its dwelling place has indeed risen high;

    what a dwelling place it is!

  27. مضتْ عليه أعصرُ

    والمجد لا يُقصَر

    Ages have passed over it,

    yet glory is undiminished;

  28. فيه المديحُ يَقصُر

    أقصرْ أُخيّ واجمع

    praise of it falls short.

    Be brief, my dear brother, and sum it up.

  29. نظمُ النسيب والغزلْ

    في غير مصر يُعتزل

    The poetry of love preludes and amorous verse

    is set aside outside Egypt.

  30. فيها علا وما نزل

    إلا على غزال لعلع

    In her it rose, and never alighted

    except upon a gazelle of Laʿlaʿ.

  31. في حبها تسموا الهممْ

    في حبها تعلو الشيم

    In love for her, aspirations soar;

    in love for her, noble traits rise;

  32. في حيا تعلو القيم

    بقدرها المرتفع

    in modesty, values rise

    in proportion to her exalted worth.

  33. ونيلها المبارك

    في الفيض لا يشاركُ

    And her blessed Nile

    is unrivaled in its flooding;

  34. أرجاؤه مسالك

    تُرْجَى بكل مَشْرع

    its reaches are pathways

    sought at every watering place.

  35. يَروي بعذبٍ سلسل

    أخبار فضل مرسلِ

    It recounts, with sweet, flowing water,

    tidings of bounty sent forth,

  36. بالصفا مُسلسل

    عن الوفا بالأذرع

    linked in a chain of purity,

    on the authority of fullness measured in cubits.

  37. فمصرُ ما أجلَّها

    الكل يهوى وصلَها

    For Egypt—how majestic she is!

    Everyone yearns for union with her;

  38. فإنْ رنتْ عينٌ لها

    نفقأها بالأصبع

    and if an eye gazes toward her,

    we gouge it out with a finger.

  39. رفيعةٌ شئونُها

    منيعةٌ حصونُها

    Her affairs are exalted,

    her fortresses impregnable,

  40. بديعة فنونها

    كم شيّدتْ منْ بلقع

    her arts exquisite.

    How many a wasteland she has built up!

  41. عزيزُها موفَّقُ

    وبالنفوسِ يرفق

    Her mighty ruler is granted success,

    and treats souls gently;

  42. وللنفيس ينَفقُ

    من بحرِ جودٍ أوسع

    and he spends on precious things

    from a most expansive sea of generosity.

  43. مليكها توطَّنا

    حيث اصطفاها وطنا

    Her king has settled there,

    having chosen her as his homeland;

  44. وللمعالي فطنا

    وللسوى لم يهرع

    and was attentive to lofty pursuits,

    and did not rush toward anything else.

  45. ومذْ غَدا مولاها

    للعزِّ قد أولاها

    And since he became her lord,

    he has bestowed glory upon her;

  46. مُؤَيَداً وَلاها

    بباسِ ليثٍ أروع

    supported, he governed her

    with the might of an awe-inspiring lion.