مدن العَزيز بِها السُرور مُشيرُ

مدن العَزيز بِها السُرور مُشيرُ

وَحبوره للعالمين بَشيرُ

وَحبوره للعالمين بَشيرُ

In al-Aziz’s cities, joy is a marshal,

The cities of the mighty, wherein is happiness revealed,

And his jubilation brings glad tidings to all the world.

And his good tidings for all peoples as harbinger,

وَسَماء مَصر تَزينت بِكَواكب

وَسَماء مَصر تَزينت بِكَواكب

لِلناظرين وَإنهنَّ بُدور

لِلناظرين وَإنهنَّ بُدور

And Egypt’s sky is adorned with stars

The sky of Egypt adorned with stars,

For those who gaze—and indeed they are full moons.

For onlookers they shine bright.

وَالأَرض مِن نَظم الكَواكب أَصبَحت

وَالأَرض مِن نَظم الكَواكب أَصبَحت

مِنها إِلى الأَفلاك يَسعى نُور

مِنها إِلى الأَفلاك يَسعى نُور

And the earth, through the arraying of stars, has become

The earth composed of the arrangement of stars has become,

A place from which light travels toward the celestial spheres.

From it to the heavens a light flows,

وَرِياضُها مِنها تَضوع نَوافح

وَرِياضُها مِنها تَضوع نَوافح

نَدّيّة سَمحت بِهن زُهور

نَدّيّة سَمحت بِهن زُهور

And from its gardens waft fragrant breaths,

And its meadows give off gentle breezes,

Dew-fresh, generously bestowed by flowers.

With flowers they have been blessed.

وَنَسيم برّ الداوريّ سَرى بِما

وَنَسيم برّ الداوريّ سَرى بِما

فَوقَ الرضا مِنهُ فَطابَ مَسير

فَوقَ الرضا مِنهُ فَطابَ مَسير

And the breeze of al-Dawari’s kindness wafted with what

The zephyr of the Nile valley blew with what

From him surpassed contentment; sweet was its passage.

Above favor it holds, and so pure became its course,

وَالبشر أَضحى في مَجال رَشاده

وَالبشر أَضحى في مَجال رَشاده

بِجَواده بَينَ الصُفوف يَدور

بِجَواده بَينَ الصُفوف يَدور

And gladness now, in the arena of his wise guidance,

And mankind under its guidance to righteousness’ domain,

Circles among the ranks upon his steed.

Among the ranks pacing to and fro in its nobility.

وَالسَعد آلى أَن يَكون مقيداً

وَالسَعد آلى أَن يَكون مقيداً

بركابه وَإِلى عُلاه يَسير

بركابه وَإِلى عُلاه يَسير

And good fortune has vowed to remain bound

Good fortune came to be tied down,

To his stirrup, and to journey toward his eminence.

To its stirrups, and to its heights proceeding,

فَهُوَ السَعيد الصَدر أَكرَم مالك

فَهُوَ السَعيد الصَدر أَكرَم مالك

في مَصر عزّ بِهِ وَجلّ سَرير

في مَصر عزّ بِهِ وَجلّ سَرير

For he is Sa‘id, the fortunate chief, the most generous ruler

It is the happy, the generous master,

In Egypt; through him the throne grew mighty and exalted.

In Egypt mighty, its throne sublime.

وَبِهِ السَفائن وَالجِياد تَفاخَرَت

وَبِهِ السَفائن وَالجِياد تَفاخَرَت

مِن قَبل وَهوَ بِذا الفَخار جَدير

مِن قَبل وَهوَ بِذا الفَخار جَدير

And through him ships and steeds have vied in pride

By it the ships and steeds took pride,

Before now—and he is worthy of this glory.

Afore and it is worthy of such pride,

هوَ لا يُجارى في أُمور عدّة

هوَ لا يُجارى في أُمور عدّة

ما حازَها كِسرى وَلا سابور

ما حازَها كِسرى وَلا سابور

He is unrivaled in several matters

It cannot be matched in diverse matters,

That neither Kisra nor Shapur attained.

Attained by neither Chosroes nor Sabur,

هُوَ في البَراعة وَاليَراع مجرّب

هُوَ في البَراعة وَاليَراع مجرّب

هُوَ بِالعُلوم وَبِاللغات خَبير

هُوَ بِالعُلوم وَبِاللغات خَبير

He is proven in skill and in wielding the reed pen;

It is in ability and protection tested,

He is versed in the sciences and in languages.

It is in knowledge and languages adept.

فَاللَه يَحفظه وَيَحرس نجله

فَاللَه يَحفظه وَيَحرس نجله

ما لاحَ بَرق أَو أَضاء مُنير

ما لاحَ بَرق أَو أَضاء مُنير

So may God preserve him and guard his son,

So may God protect it and guard its son,

As long as lightning flashes or a light gleams;

As long as lightning flashed or illuminator shone,

أَو ما تَلا أَعياده في مَصره

أَو ما تَلا أَعياده في مَصره

نَصر وَفَتح دائم وَحبور

نَصر وَفَتح دائم وَحبور

Or as long as his festivals in his Egypt are followed by

Or as long as its feasts in Egypt lasted,

Victory, lasting conquest, and jubilation;

Victory and openings everlasting.

أَو ما تَخلد ذكر يَوم ولاية

أَو ما تَخلد ذكر يَوم ولاية

لِجَنابه العالي وَعمّ سُرور

لِجَنابه العالي وَعمّ سُرور

Or as long as the memory of an accession day lives on

Or as long as the mention of its assumption day endured,

For his exalted person, and joy spreads everywhere;

For its noble self, and joy spread,

أَو ما إِلى التَشريف بادر مُسرِعاً

أَو ما إِلى التَشريف بادر مُسرِعاً

في كُل عام عالم وَأَمير

في كُل عام عالم وَأَمير

Or as long as there hasten swiftly to pay homage

Or as long as each year’s world and prince,

Each year a scholar and an emir;

Hastened to honor it and ennoble,

أَو ما تَعشَّق في نِظام جُيوشه

أَو ما تَعشَّق في نِظام جُيوشه

راءٍ لها في الصَف وَهِيَ تَمور

راءٍ لها في الصَف وَهِيَ تَمور

Or as long as his armies’ order wins the love

Or as long as one swooned over its armies’ order,

Of one who sees them in the ranks as they surge;

To behold them on the battlefield looming,

أَو ما تَكلم في نَجابة شبله

أَو ما تَكلم في نَجابة شبله

متكلم في المَهد وَهوَ صَغير

متكلم في المَهد وَهوَ صَغير

Or as long as his lion-cub’s nobility is spoken of

Or as long as one spoke of its cub’s sagacity,

By a speaker in the cradle, while still a child;

Speaking in the cradle while still small,

أَو ما تَباهى بِالفَضائل مِثلَه

أَو ما تَباهى بِالفَضائل مِثلَه

صَدر كَريم للعلوم نَصير

صَدر كَريم للعلوم نَصير

Or as long as one takes pride in virtues, as he does—

Or as long boast of virtues the like of it,

A generous chief, a champion of the sciences;

A generous master, knowledge’s ally,

أَو ما تَرنم في الوَرى بِمَديحه

أَو ما تَرنم في الوَرى بِمَديحه

عَبد عَلى طُول الزَمان شَكور

عَبد عَلى طُول الزَمان شَكور

Or as long as his praise is sung among mankind

Or as long in the world with its praise one hums,

By a servant grateful throughout all time;

A lifelong grateful servant’s psalms,

أَو ما غَدا سَعد السُعود مُؤرِّخاً

أَو ما غَدا سَعد السُعود مُؤرِّخاً

مدن العَزيز بِها السُرور مُشير

مدن العَزيز بِها السُرور مُشير

Or as long as Sa‘d al-Su‘ud sets down the date:

Or as long as blissful fortune records,

“In al-Aziz’s cities, joy is a marshal.”

The cities of the mighty, wherein is happiness revealed.