مصر تتحدث عن نفسها

وَقَفَ الخَلقُ يَنظُرونَ جَميعًا — كَيفَ أَبني قَواعِدَ المَجدِ وَحدي

Waqafa l-khalqu yanzuruna jami'an — kayfa abni qawa'ida l-majdi wahdi

All creation stood and watched together — how I build the foundations of glory alone ✦

وَبُناةُ الأَهرامِ في سالِفِ الدَهرِ — كَفَوني الكَلامَ عِندَ التَحَدّي

Wa-bunatu l-ahrami fi salifi d-dahri — kafawni l-kalama 'inda t-tahaddi

And the builders of the Pyramids, in time long past — spared me the need of speech when I am challenged ✦

أَنا تاجُ العَلاءِ في مَفرِقِ الشَرقِ — وَدُرّاتُهُ فَرائِدُ عِقدي

Ana taju l-'ala'i fi mafriqi sh-sharqi — wa-durratuhu fara'idu 'iqdi

I am the crown of eminence on the brow of the East — and its pearls are the matchless jewels of my necklace

إِنَّ مَجدي في الأولَياتِ عَريقٌ — مَن لَهُ مِثلُ أولَياتي وَمَجدي

Inna majdi fi l-ulayati 'ariqun — man lahu mithlu ulayati wa-majdi

My glory among the firsts of history runs deep — who else has firsts, and glory, such as mine?

أَنا إِن قَدَّرَ الإِلَهُ مَماتي — لا تَرى الشَرقَ يَرفَعُ الرَأسَ بَعدي

Ana in qaddara l-ilahu mamati — la tara sh-sharqa yarfa'u r-ra'sa ba'di

If God should ever decree my death — you will not see the East lift its head again ✦

ما رَماني رامٍ وَراحَ سَليمًا — مِن قَديمٍ عِنايَةُ اللَهِ جُندي

Ma ramani ramin wa-raha saliman — min qadimin 'inayatu llahi jundi

No archer ever aimed at me and walked away unharmed — since oldest time the care of God has been my army

كَم بَغَت دَولَةٌ عَلَيَّ وَجارَت — ثُمَّ زالَت وَتِلكَ عُقبى التَعَدّي

Kam baghat dawlatun 'alayya wa-jarat — thumma zalat wa-tilka 'uqba t-ta'addi

How many a power wronged and oppressed me — then vanished: such is the end of all aggression

إِنَّني حُرَّةٌ كَسَرتُ قُيودي — رَغمَ أَنفِ العِدا وَقَطَّعتُ قَيدي

Innani hurratun kasartu quyudi — raghma anfi l-'ida wa-qatta'tu qaydi

I am a free woman: I have broken my shackles — despite my enemies, and torn my chains apart ✦

أَتُراني وَقَد طَوَيتُ حَياتي — في مِراسٍ لَم أَبلُغِ اليَومَ رُشدي

Aturani wa-qad tawaytu hayati — fi mirasin lam ablughi l-yawma rushdi

Do you suppose that I, who have spent a lifetime — in hard schooling, have not come of age today?

أَمِنَ العَدلِ أَنَّهُم يَرِدونَ الماءَ — صَفوًا وَأَن يُكَدَّرَ وِردي

A-mina l-'adli annahum yariduna l-ma'a — safwan wa-an yukaddara wirdi

Is it justice that they come down to drink the water — pure, while my own drinking-place is muddied? ✦

أَمِنَ الحَقِّ أَنَّهُم يُطلِقونَ الأُسدَ — مِنهُم وَأَن تُقَيَّدَ أُسدي

A-mina l-haqqi annahum yutliquna l-usda — minhum wa-an tuqayyada usdi

Is it right that they turn loose — their lions, while my lions are kept in chains?

نَظَرَ اللَهُ لي فَأَرشَدَ أَبنائي — فَشَدّوا إِلى العُلا أَيَّ شَدِّ

Nazara llahu li fa-arshada abna'i — fa-shaddu ila l-'ula ayya shaddi

God looked upon me and guided my children — and they pulled toward the heights with all their strength

إِنَّما الحَقُّ قُوَّةٌ مِن قُوى الدَيّانِ — أَمضى مِن كُلِّ أَبيَضَ هِندي

Innama l-haqqu quwwatun min quwa d-dayyani — amda min kulli abyada hindi

For truth is a power among the powers of the Judge — keener than any white blade of India ✦

قَد وَعَدتُ العُلا بِكُلِّ أَبِيٍّ — مِن رِجالي فَأَنجِزوا اليَومَ وَعدي

Qad wa'adtu l-'ula bi-kulli abiyyin — min rijali fa-anjizu l-yawma wa'di

I have promised the heights every proud-souled man — among my sons: so fulfill my promise today

وَارفَعوا دَولَتي عَلى العِلمِ وَالأَخلاقِ — فَالعِلمُ وَحدَهُ لَيسَ يُجدي

Wa-rfa'u dawlati 'ala l-'ilmi wa-l-akhlaqi — fa-l-'ilmu wahdahu laysa yujdi

And raise my nation upon knowledge and character — for knowledge on its own will not avail ✦

نَحنُ نَجتازُ مَوقِفًا تَعثُرُ الآراءُ — فيهِ وَعَثرَةُ الرَأيِ تُردي

Nahnu najtazu mawqifan ta'thuru l-ara'u — fihi wa-'athratu r-ra'yi turdi

We are crossing a pass where judgments stumble — and a stumble of judgment here is fatal

فَقِفوا فيهِ وِقفَةَ الحَزمِ وَارموا — جانِبَيهِ بِعَزمَةِ المُستَعِدِّ

Fa-qifu fihi wiqfata l-hazmi wa-rmu — janibayhi bi-'azmati l-musta'iddi

So stand in it the stand of resolve, and strike — at both its flanks with the vigor of the prepared ✦