لِلّه ما أَبهى وَأَبهَج قَنطرَهْ

لِلّه ما أَبهى وَأَبهَج قَنطرَهْ

سَمح السَعيدُ بِها فَزانَت كَوثرَهْ

سَمح السَعيدُ بِها فَزانَت كَوثرَهْ

God! What a splendid and delightful bridge!

How splendid and joyous is this bridge,

Sa‘id generously bestowed it, so it adorned his Kawthar.

generously built by the blessed ruler, abundantly useful.

وَبصنعها سككَ الحَديد مَديدها

وَبصنعها سككَ الحَديد مَديدها

أَضحى لِوافر نَفعِها ما أَقصره

أَضحى لِوافر نَفعِها ما أَقصره

And through its construction, the iron railways' long reach

With iron tracks firmly laid down its length,

became—thanks to its abundant benefit—so short!

its great benefit made manifest.

وَكَأَنَّها وَالمَوج تَحتَ رَصيفها

وَكَأَنَّها وَالمَوج تَحتَ رَصيفها

ملك يَنظِّم بِالشَهامة عَسكره

ملك يَنظِّم بِالشَهامة عَسكره

And it is as though, with waves beneath its deck,

As though it were a king marshaling his army

it were a king gallantly marshalling his army.

with pride, beneath the waves that lap its bank.

وَكَتائب العربات تَلثم أَرضَها

وَكَتائب العربات تَلثم أَرضَها

وَتَجوز وَهيَ بِأَمنِها مُستَبشِرَه

وَتَجوز وَهيَ بِأَمنِها مُستَبشِرَه

And battalions of carriages kiss its ground,

Caravans kiss its earth as they cross over

and cross, rejoicing in their safety.

and proceed in security, gladdened.

وَتَرى مَواكب هَذِهِ إِن أَيمَنت

وَتَرى مَواكب هَذِهِ إِن أَيمَنت

أَلقَت سِواها مُقبِلاً مِن مَيسرَه

أَلقَت سِواها مُقبِلاً مِن مَيسرَه

And you see these processions, if they go right,

To the right you see one procession,

meet others approaching from the left.

to the left, others come into view.

وَمَتى اِستَقامَت بِالحِذاء تَدفقت

وَمَتى اِستَقامَت بِالحِذاء تَدفقت

كَالماء مِنها في الطَريق بزمجره

كَالماء مِنها في الطَريق بزمجره

And whenever they align abreast, they stream

When the trains glide straight along its tracks

like water from it along the road, with a roar.

water flows between them as from a sieve.

فَإِذا تَصدّرت الجِبال لصدّها

فَإِذا تَصدّرت الجِبال لصدّها

في رَكضها دَكَّت وَوَلَّت مدبره

في رَكضها دَكَّت وَوَلَّت مدبره

And when mountains stand before them to bar their way,

Should mountains rise to bar the way,

in their rush they crush them, and the mountains turn and flee.

it charges on, rending obstacles asunder.

وَمآثر الملك السَعيد محمد

وَمآثر الملك السَعيد محمد

تَقضي بِأَن نُثني عَلَيهِ وَنَشكره

تَقضي بِأَن نُثني عَلَيهِ وَنَشكره

And the noble deeds of King Muhammad Sa‘id

The achievements of King Sa'id Muhammad

require that we praise him and thank him.

merit our praise and thanks.

وَتَجود مِنا بِالبَديع قَرائح

وَتَجود مِنا بِالبَديع قَرائح

في مَدح دَولته السنية نيره

في مَدح دَولته السنية نيره

And poetic minds among us pour forth wondrous verse,

Inspire our pens to eulogize with eloquence

bright in praising his exalted reign.

the virtues of his brilliant reign,

لا زالَ يُنشي ما بِهِ أَوطانه

لا زالَ يُنشي ما بِهِ أَوطانه

في عَصره تمسي وَتُصبح مزهره

في عَصره تمسي وَتُصبح مزهره

May he never cease to build what makes his lands

That continues to bring his lands

flourish in his time, evening and morning,

from dawn to dusk continuous joy.

ما قالَ في التَجديد مَجدي أَرخوا

ما قالَ في التَجديد مَجدي أَرخوا

شادَ العَزيز لمصر أَسنى قنطره

شادَ العَزيز لمصر أَسنى قنطره

so long as Majdi says of the renewal, 'Record the date:'

What Al-Majdi has inscribed will stand,

'The mighty one raised for Egypt a most resplendent bridge.'

the noble one built Egypt its finest bridge.