سَمِعْتُ نَحِيبًا فِي دِمَائِي لَهُ كِبْرُ

سَمِعْتُ نَحِيبًا فِي دِمَائِي لَهُ كِبْرُ

فَنَادَيْتُ: مَا هَذَا؟! أَجَابَتْ: أَنَا مِصْرُ

فَنَادَيْتُ: مَا هَذَا؟! أَجَابَتْ: أَنَا مِصْرُ

I heard sobbing in my blood that carried pride.

I heard a wailing in my blood, proud and grand,

So I called out: 'What is this?!' She answered: 'I am Egypt.'

So I called out - what is this?! Egypt responded.

فَقُلْتُ: لِمَ النَّحِيبُ يَا غُرَّةَ الدُّنَى؟

فَقُلْتُ: لِمَ النَّحِيبُ يَا غُرَّةَ الدُّنَى؟

وَهَا أَنَذَا فَخَبِّرِينِيَ مَا الأَمْرُ؟

وَهَا أَنَذَا فَخَبِّرِينِيَ مَا الأَمْرُ؟

So I said: 'Why the sobbing, O radiant brow of the worlds?

I said - why the wailing, O jewel of the world?

And here I am, so tell me what is the matter.'

She said - my shackles have pained me, and I'm tired

فَقَالَتْ: قُيُودِي آلَمَتْنِي وَقَدْ سَئِمْـ

فَقَالَتْ: قُيُودِي آلَمَتْنِي وَقَدْ سَئِمْـ

ـتُ ذُلاًّ وَحُكْمًا طَاغِيًا شَرْعُهُ الْقَهْرُ

ـتُ ذُلاًّ وَحُكْمًا طَاغِيًا شَرْعُهُ الْقَهْرُ

She said: 'My chains have hurt me, and I have grown weary

Of humiliation and oppressive rule whose law is coercion.

of humiliation and a tyrannical rule whose law is oppression.'

So I said - how is there humiliation? You are free!

فَقُلْتُ: وَكَيْفَ الذُّلُّ؟ إِنَّكِ حُرَّةٌ

فَقُلْتُ: وَكَيْفَ الذُّلُّ؟ إِنَّكِ حُرَّةٌ

وَهَا هُمْ بَنُوكِ الْحَاكِمُونَ فَمَا الضُّرُّ؟

وَهَا هُمْ بَنُوكِ الْحَاكِمُونَ فَمَا الضُّرُّ؟

So I said: 'How can there be humiliation? You are free,

And here are your children ruling, so what is the harm?

and here are your sons, the rulers; so what harm is there?'

She said - it's deceit, they are not my children at all!

فَقَالَتْ: خِدَاعٌ مَا بَنِيَّ هُمُ وَهَلْ

فَقَالَتْ: خِدَاعٌ مَا بَنِيَّ هُمُ وَهَلْ

مِنِ ابْنٍ يَبِيعُ الأُمَّ مِنْهُ لَهَا الْغَدْرُ؟!

مِنِ ابْنٍ يَبِيعُ الأُمَّ مِنْهُ لَهَا الْغَدْرُ؟!

She said: 'Deception! They are not my sons. And is there

What son would sell his mother, to her he is a traitor?!

a son who sells his mother and betrays her?!

For they are the hands of my enemy and his scheme.

فَإِنَّهُمُ أَيْدِي عَدُوِّي وَكَيْدُهُ

فَإِنَّهُمُ أَيْدِي عَدُوِّي وَكَيْدُهُ

فَزَانُوا قُيُودِي بِالطِّلا لَوْنُهُ التِّبْرُ

فَزَانُوا قُيُودِي بِالطِّلا لَوْنُهُ التِّبْرُ

For they are my enemy's hands and his plotting,

They gilded my shackles with gold whose color is dust.

so they adorned my chains with a coating the color of raw gold.

So who will sever these wicked hands and save me?!

فَمَنْ قَاطِعُ الأَيْدِي الْخَبِيثَةِ مُنْقِذِي؟!

فَمَنْ قَاطِعُ الأَيْدِي الْخَبِيثَةِ مُنْقِذِي؟!

وَمَنْ يَحْطِمُ الأَغْلالَ وُلْدِي فَلا أَسْرُ؟!

وَمَنْ يَحْطِمُ الأَغْلالَ وُلْدِي فَلا أَسْرُ؟!

Who, then, will sever those wicked hands and save me?

And who will shatter the chains, that I am no prisoner?!

And who will shatter the shackles, my children, so there is no captivity?!'

So I said - patience, your tears are raging,

فَقُلْتُ: رُوَيْدًا إِنَّ دَمْعَكِ ثَائِرٌ

فَقُلْتُ: رُوَيْدًا إِنَّ دَمْعَكِ ثَائِرٌ

وَإِنَّ بَنِيكِ الأُسْدَ حَتْمًا لَهُمْ جَمْرُ

وَإِنَّ بَنِيكِ الأُسْدَ حَتْمًا لَهُمْ جَمْرُ

So I said: 'Be patient; your tears are in revolt,

And your children lions, they will surely have embers.

and your sons, the lions, surely carry embers.'

She said - My lions are captives, and how can I

فَقَالَتْ: بَنِيَّ الأُسْدُ أَسْرَى وَكَيْفَ بِي

فَقَالَتْ: بَنِيَّ الأُسْدُ أَسْرَى وَكَيْفَ بِي

أَضَنُّ بِدَمْعِي وَالدُّمُوعُ بِهِمْ نَهْرُ؟!

أَضَنُّ بِدَمْعِي وَالدُّمُوعُ بِهِمْ نَهْرُ؟!

She said: 'My sons, the lions, are captives; how can I

Feel comforted by my tears which for them are a river?!

hold back my tears, when tears for them are a river?!

The joy of my eye is killed, and how can I

وَقُرَّةُ عَيْنِي يُقْتَلُونَ وَكَيْفَ بِي

وَقُرَّةُ عَيْنِي يُقْتَلُونَ وَكَيْفَ بِي

أَضِنُّ بِدَمْعِي هَا دِمَائِيَ ذِي بَحْرُ؟!

أَضِنُّ بِدَمْعِي هَا دِمَائِيَ ذِي بَحْرُ؟!

And those who delight my eye are being killed; how can I

Feel solace in my tears, O my blood which is an ocean?!

hold back my tears? Behold, this blood of mine is a sea!'

So I said - congratulations Egypt, this is our salvation,

فَقُلْتُ: هَنِيئًا مِصْرُ هَذَا خَلاصُنَا

فَقُلْتُ: هَنِيئًا مِصْرُ هَذَا خَلاصُنَا

وَهَذِي دِمَاءٌ مِنْ بَنِيكِ هِيَ الْبِشْرُ

وَهَذِي دِمَاءٌ مِنْ بَنِيكِ هِيَ الْبِشْرُ

So I said: 'Congratulations, Egypt! This is our deliverance,

And this is blood from your children, it is the good tidings.

and this blood from your sons is gladness:

Tears, blood, your glory's Nile, and awakening

دُمُوعٌ دِمَاءٌ نِيلُ عِزِّكِ وَالْعُلا

دُمُوعٌ دِمَاءٌ نِيلُ عِزِّكِ وَالْعُلا

وَبَعْثٌ لِشَعْبٍ فِي الْخُنُوعِ لَهُ دَهْرُ

وَبَعْثٌ لِشَعْبٍ فِي الْخُنُوعِ لَهُ دَهْرُ

tears, blood—the Nile of your glory and eminence,

Of a people long submissive, it has an eternity.

and a rebirth for a people who have spent an age in submission.

So smile and dry your tears, for they have refused

فَخَارِ وَكَفْكِفِي الدُّمُوعَ فَإِنَّهُ

فَخَارِ وَكَفْكِفِي الدُّمُوعَ فَإِنَّهُ

أَبَى الضَّيْمَ أَبْنَاءٌ أُسُودُ الشَّرَى غُرُّ

أَبَى الضَّيْمَ أَبْنَاءٌ أُسُودُ الشَّرَى غُرُّ

Take pride and wipe away your tears, for indeed

Injustice, your children, the lions of calamity are brave.

sons—illustrious lions of al-Shara—have refused injustice.

Do you not rejoice that their blood flows

أَلا تَفْرَحِينَ أَنْ تَسِيلَ دِمَاؤُهُمْ

أَلا تَفْرَحِينَ أَنْ تَسِيلَ دِمَاؤُهُمْ

وَتُضْحِينَ حُرَّةً وَيَمْحُو الدُّجَى الْفَجْرُ

وَتُضْحِينَ حُرَّةً وَيَمْحُو الدُّجَى الْفَجْرُ

Will you not rejoice that their blood flows,

And you become free, and the gloom is swept away by dawn?

and you become free, and dawn erases the darkness?'

She smiled with a tear drop

فَجَادَتْ بِبَسْمَةٍ وَقَطْرَةُ دَمْعَةٍ

فَجَادَتْ بِبَسْمَةٍ وَقَطْرَةُ دَمْعَةٍ

تَسَاقَطُ ثُمَّ قَالَتِ: الْيَوْمَ لِي فَخْرُ

تَسَاقَطُ ثُمَّ قَالَتِ: الْيَوْمَ لِي فَخْرُ

Then she offered a smile, and a teardrop

Falling, then said: Today I have pride.

fell; then she said: 'Today, pride is mine.'