Egypt
بلادي بلادي بلادي
Bilady, Bilady, Bilady
Bilady, Bilady, Bilady
1978
1979
Mohamed Yunis al-Qadi (original poem by Sayed Darwish)
Sayed Darwish
❤ Love of homeland 🕊 Freedom ✝ God / Faith 🌿 Nature 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage |
Key Facts
- 1. The melody predates its use as an anthem by decades; Sayed Darwish originally composed it around 1920 as a popular patriotic song, and it circulated widely before being elevated to official status in 1979.
- 2. The lyrics are based on a famous 1907 speech by nationalist leader Mustafa Kamil, making Egypt's anthem one of very few derived from a political speech rather than a purpose-written poem.
- 3. Egypt's anthem is notably gentle compared to its neighbors; it contains no references to war, enemies, or military struggle, focusing entirely on love of the homeland and the Nile.
Lyrics
بِلادي بِلادي بِلادي
لكِ حُبّي وفُؤادي
مِصر يا أُمّ البِلاد
أنتِ غايتي والمُراد
وعلى كُلّ العِباد
كم لِنيلكِ من أيادي
بِلادي بِلادي بِلادي
لكِ حُبّي وفُؤادي
مِصر أنتِ أغلى دُرّة
فوق جبين الدّهر غُرّة
يا بِلادي عيشي حُرّة
واسلمي رغم الأعادي
بِلادي بِلادي بِلادي
لكِ حُبّي وفُؤادي
مِصر يا أرض النّعيم
سُدّت بالمجد القديم
مقصدي دفع الغريم
وعلى الله اعتمادي
بِلادي بِلادي بِلادي
لكِ حُبّي وفُؤادي
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialThe melody comes from a speech by Mustafa Kamil, an early Egyptian nationalist, with music composed by Sayed Darwish, considered the father of Egyptian popular music. Egypt has had four different national anthems since 1923, with this version adopted after the Camp David Accords in 1979 to replace the pan-Arab anthem that no longer fit Egypt's new diplomatic direction.