1. Their plight troubled us, it was grave
The whale's rosary, are you sated, despicable?
١. رَاعَنَا خَطْبُهُمْ وَكَانَ جَسِيماً
مَسْبَحَ الحُوتِ هَلْ شَبِعْتَ رَمِيمَا
2. Devour every chest and gnaw away bones
With eyes and drink killing and flesh
٢. كُلْ صُدُوراً وَانْهَشْ كُلىً وَتَفَكَّهْ
بِعُيُونٍ وَاشْرَبْ نُهىً وَحُلُومَا
3. And suckle the teat of every vigorous mare
And leave the hungry infant ravenous
٣. وَامْتَصِصْ نَهْدَ كُلِّ رَوْدٍ حَصَانٍ
وَدَعِ الجَائِعَ الرَّضِيعَ فَطِيمَا
4. You have slain two hundred men
And women, you have taken immense spoils
٤. مِئَتَيْ هَالِكٍ أَصَبْتَ رِجَالاً
وَنِسَاءً أَصَبْتَ غُنْماً عَظِيمَا
5. O Nile, you did not wrong them
Rather, their ignorance wronged them and you were not unjust
٥. أَيُّهَا النِّيلُ مَا جَنَيْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ
بَلْ جَنَى جَهْلُهُمْ وَلَسْتَ مُلِيمَا
6. Long have they known you as gentle to them
With tenderness, and they caressed you calmly
٦. طَالَمَا مَارَسُوكَ سَهْلاً عَلَيْهِمْ
مِنْ حَنَانٍ وَدَاعَبُوكَ حَلِيمَا
7. Fate led them, and nothing could protect them
From the tyranny of ignorance that you should be generous
٧. قَدَرٌ سَاقَهُمْ فَلَمْ يُغْنِ مِمَّا
حَتَمَ الْجَهْلُ أَنْ تَكُونَ كَرِيمَا
8. A merchant sold them to you for money
He exaggerated about them, so you were not deceitful
٨. بَاعَهُمْ تَاجِرٌ عَلَيْكَ بِمَالٍ
بَزَّهُ مِنْهُمُ فَلَسْتَ غَرِيمَا
9. And if they remain ignorant and wretched and vanish
Thus are the people wherever they live orphaned
٩. وَلَئِنْ يَجْهَلُوا فَيَشْقَوْا فَيَفُنوْا
هَكَذَا الشَّعْبُ حَيْثُ عَاشَ يَتِيمَا
10. Had a government guided them, knowledge
Would have saved them from that painful affliction
١٠. لَوْ رَعَتْهُمْ حُكُومَةٌ لَوَقَاهُمْ
عِلْمُهُمْ ذَلِكَ المُصَابَ الأَلِيمَا