إِذا جاءَ نَصر اللَه وَانشرح الصَدرُ

إِذا جاءَ نَصر اللَه وَانشرح الصَدرُ

وَأَشرَق مِن أُفق العُلوم لَنا البَدرُ

وَأَشرَق مِن أُفق العُلوم لَنا البَدرُ

When God's help came and the breast opened in relief,

When Allah's victory comes and breasts expand,

And the full moon shone for us from the horizon of learning,

And the full moon of knowledge dawns upon us,

وَطابَت لَنا الأَوقات في مَصر وَاِنجَلَت

وَطابَت لَنا الأَوقات في مَصر وَاِنجَلَت

غَياهب هَذا الجور وَاعتدل الدَهر

غَياهب هَذا الجور وَاعتدل الدَهر

And our days in Egypt grew pleasant, and dispelled was

When times become pleasant for us in Egypt and

The deep darkness of this injustice, and the times grew just,

The darkness of this oppression disappears and fate rights itself,

وَأَضحى فَريد العلم في مَصر مُزهِراً

وَأَضحى فَريد العلم في مَصر مُزهِراً

بِبَحر مُحيط مِنهُ يُلتَقَط الدر

بِبَحر مُحيط مِنهُ يُلتَقَط الدر

And learning's peerless one blossomed in Egypt

And the unique scholar in Egypt becomes prosperous,

Through an all-encompassing sea from which pearls are gathered—

With a vast ocean from which pearls can be extracted,

فَبُشرى لَنا بِالهاشميّ رفاعة

فَبُشرى لَنا بِالهاشميّ رفاعة

أَبي العَزم مَن يَحيا بِهِ النَظم وَالنَثر

أَبي العَزم مَن يَحيا بِهِ النَظم وَالنَثر

Then glad tidings to us of the Hashimite Rifa'a,

Good tidings to us with Rifa'a Al-Tahtawi,

Father of resolve, through whom verse and prose live.

The resolute father of prose and poetry,

وَيا فَوزَنا مِن حَيث حلَّ رِكابُه

وَيا فَوزَنا مِن حَيث حلَّ رِكابُه

بِساحتنا مِن بَعد ما مَسَّنا الضر

بِساحتنا مِن بَعد ما مَسَّنا الضر

And what a triumph for us, since his mounts have halted

What a victory for us when his footsteps arrived

In our courtyard, after affliction had touched us!

In our land after hardship had struck us,

وَيا سَعد أَبناء العُلوم بِسَيد

وَيا سَعد أَبناء العُلوم بِسَيد

جَليل بِهِ في الكَون يَفتَخر الفَخر

جَليل بِهِ في الكَون يَفتَخر الفَخر

And what good fortune for the sons of learning in a lord

And good fortune for the students with this great master,

So august that pride itself takes pride in him throughout creation!

With whom the universe takes pride and boasts,

لَقَد آب وَالإِقبال يَسعى أَمامه

لَقَد آب وَالإِقبال يَسعى أَمامه

فَأَدبر جَيش الوَهم وَابتسم الثَغر

فَأَدبر جَيش الوَهم وَابتسم الثَغر

Indeed, he has returned, with good fortune hastening before him;

He came and success walks ahead of him,

So the army of delusion retreated, and the mouth broke into a smile.

So the army of illusion retreated smiling,

وَسارع لِلخَيرات في كُل وجهة

وَسارع لِلخَيرات في كُل وجهة

فَسابقه في سَعيه السَعد وَالبشر

فَسابقه في سَعيه السَعد وَالبشر

And he hastened toward good deeds in every direction;

And he raced to do good in every direction,

So good fortune and gladness vied with him in his striving.

With his happiness outpacing his endeavors,

وَأَرغم بِالبرهان أَنف مفند

وَأَرغم بِالبرهان أَنف مفند

جَهول عَنيد فيهِ قَد قُضِيَ الأَمر

جَهول عَنيد فيهِ قَد قُضِيَ الأَمر

And with proof he rubbed a detractor's nose in the dust—

And he silenced with proof the snout of an obstinate ignoramus,

Ignorant and obstinate, whose case has already been decided.

About whom judgement has been passed,

وَما هُوَ إِلا مِن سُلالة مَعشر

وَما هُوَ إِلا مِن سُلالة مَعشر

هُم السادة الأَخيار وَالأَنجُم الزُهر

هُم السادة الأَخيار وَالأَنجُم الزُهر

And he is none other than a scion of a people

He is but of the progeny of a group,

Who are the virtuous lords and the radiant stars.

They are the virtuous masters and shining stars,

هُوَ اِبن رَسول اللَه أَكرَم مُرسلٍ

هُوَ اِبن رَسول اللَه أَكرَم مُرسلٍ

وَأَعظَم مَخلوق لَهُ الفَتح وَالنَصر

وَأَعظَم مَخلوق لَهُ الفَتح وَالنَصر

He is a son of God's Messenger, the noblest of messengers,

He is the son of the Messenger of God, the most generous prophet,

And the greatest created being, to whom belong conquest and victory.

And the greatest creature, for him are opening and victory,

هُوَ اللَوذَعيُّ الأَلمعيْ دَوحةُ العُلا

هُوَ اللَوذَعيُّ الأَلمعيْ دَوحةُ العُلا

هُوَ السَيد المَوصوف وَالحبر وَالبَحر

هُوَ السَيد المَوصوف وَالحبر وَالبَحر

He is the keen-witted, the discerning, the spreading tree of eminence;

He is the brilliant Luminary, the axis of supremacy,

He is the lord thus described, the scholar and the sea;

He is the master described, the sea of knowledge,

هُوَ الكنز للعرفان وَالكَف للندى

هُوَ الكنز للعرفان وَالكَف للندى

هُوَ الحلم وَالمَعروف وَالخَير وَالبر

هُوَ الحلم وَالمَعروف وَالخَير وَالبر

He is the treasure of knowledge and the hand of generosity;

He is the treasure of wisdom and the palm of generosity,

He is forbearance, kindness, goodness, and righteousness.

He is forbearance, kindness, good, and righteousness,

هُوَ الجَوهر الفَرد الأَمير الَّذي لَهُ

هُوَ الجَوهر الفَرد الأَمير الَّذي لَهُ

أَياد عَلى الأَيام لَيسَ لَها حَصر

أَياد عَلى الأَيام لَيسَ لَها حَصر

He is the peerless jewel, the prince whose

He is the unique gem, the prince for whom

Benefactions upon the days are beyond counting.

Favors upon the days have no limit,

هُوَ الفاضل النحرير وَالكامل الَّذي

هُوَ الفاضل النحرير وَالكامل الَّذي

لَهُ بِالذكا وَالفَضل قَد شَهدت مَصر

لَهُ بِالذكا وَالفَضل قَد شَهدت مَصر

He is the virtuous, the erudite, and the accomplished one whose

He is the noble writer, the perfect one whom

Intelligence and merit Egypt has indeed attested.

Egypt has witnessed his wisdom and merit,

لَقَد طَهر السودان مِن جل رجسهم

لَقَد طَهر السودان مِن جل رجسهم

وَفي بَندر الخَرطوم لاحَ لَهُ سر

وَفي بَندر الخَرطوم لاحَ لَهُ سر

Indeed, he purified Sudan of most of their filth,

He purified the Sudan of most of their filth,

And in the town of Khartoum a secret shone forth to him.

And in the port of Khartoum his light shone,

وَأَظهَر آيات الهُدى بِبلادهم

وَأَظهَر آيات الهُدى بِبلادهم

فَحقَّ لَهُ فيها وَفي غَيرِها الشُكر

فَحقَّ لَهُ فيها وَفي غَيرِها الشُكر

And he revealed the signs of guidance in their lands,

And he revealed the signs of guidance in their lands,

So thanks were due to him there and elsewhere.

So he rightfully deserves thanks there and elsewhere,

وَما قَدر مَدحي في أَميرٍ جَنابُه

وَما قَدر مَدحي في أَميرٍ جَنابُه

رَفيعٌ وَقَد أَثنى عَلى جدّه الذكر

رَفيعٌ وَقَد أَثنى عَلى جدّه الذكر

And what is my praise worth for a prince whose station

My ability falls short in praising a prince whose lineage is lofty,

Is lofty, when the Qur'an has already praised his forefather?

And the Quran has praised his grandfather,

فَلا زالَ للعرفان فينا يَسوسه

فَلا زالَ للعرفان فينا يَسوسه

وَيَطوي بِساط الجَهل ما طلع الفَجر

وَيَطوي بِساط الجَهل ما طلع الفَجر

So may he never cease to govern learning among us,

He continues to lead us to knowledge,

And roll up the carpet of ignorance as long as dawn rises.

And folds the carpet of ignorance since dawn rose.