همْthey أشعلواthey lit نارهمtheir fire ، منْwho أشعلَlit الناراthe fire؟
همْ أشعلوا نارهم ، منْ أشعلَ النارا؟
منwho الذيthe one who ملأfilled الساحاتِthe squares ثوّاراrevolutionaries
من الذي ملأ الساحاتِ ثوّارا
They lit their fire; who lit the fire?
They lit their fire, who lit the fire?
Who filled the squares with revolutionaries?
Who filled the squares with revolutionaries?
متىwhen تجمَّعgathered هذاthis السيلُthe torrent منحدراًrushing down
متى تجمَّع هذا السيلُ منحدراً
منfrom كلِّevery ناحيةٍcorner فيin مصرEgypt مِدْراراflowing abundantly؟
من كلِّ ناحيةٍ في مصر مِدْرارا؟
When did this torrent gather, rushing down
When did this flood gather downhill
from every corner of Egypt, in full flood?
Flowing abundantly from every corner in Egypt?
منwho الذيthe one who صاغfashioned فيin الميدانthe square ملحمةًan epic
من الذي صاغ في الميدان ملحمةً
منfrom الشبابthe youth شَدَتْsang نثراًprose وأشعاراand verse؟
من الشباب شَدَتْ نثراً وأشعارا؟
Who fashioned in the square an epic
Who composed in the square an epic
from the young, singing in prose and verse?
Of youth pouring out prose and poetry?
منwho الذيthe one who صاغهاfashioned it حتىuntil غدتbecame لغةًa language
من الذي صاغها حتى غدت لغةً
علىupon الشّفاهthe lips وفيand in الأذهانِthe minds أفكاراthoughts؟
على الشّفاه وفي الأذهانِ أفكارا؟
Who fashioned it until it became a language
Who composed it until it became a language
upon the lips, and thoughts within the minds?
On lips and in minds ideas?
وكيفand how حرّكroused جيشاًan army لاno سلاحweapons لهfor it
وكيف حرّك جيشاً لا سلاح له
ماهزّdid not brandish سيفاًa sword علىagainst الطغيانtyranny بتّاراkeen-cutting؟
ماهزّ سيفاً على الطغيان بتّارا؟
And how did he rouse an army with no weapons,
How did it mobilize an army with no weapons
one that brandished no keen-cutting sword against tyranny?
That didn't shake a sword at tyranny attacking?
ماnot هزَّwaved إلاَّexcept أياديthe hands الجيلِthe generation مُرْسِلةَsending forth
ما هزَّ إلاَّ أيادي الجيلِ مُرْسِلةَ
شُواظَهاtheir flames ، وهُتافَand the chant الجيلِthe generation مَوَّاراsurging
شُواظَها ، وهُتافَ الجيلِ مَوَّارا
It raised only the generation's hands, sending forth
It only shook the outstretched hands of the generation
their flames, and the generation's surging chant.
And the generation's chanting roar
ماهزَّdid not raise إلاexcept هُتافاتٍchants مُعَبِّرةًexpressive
ماهزَّ إلا هُتافاتٍ مُعَبِّرةً
عنof المشاعرfeelings تفْنيداًrefutation وإنكاراand denunciation
عن المشاعر تفْنيداً وإنكارا
It raised only chants expressing
It only shook expressive chants
feelings in refutation and denunciation.
Objecting and denying with feelings
جيشٌan army إذاwhenever ماemphatic particle رأىsaw دبَّابةًa tank هدرتْroared
جيشٌ إذا ما رأى دبَّابةً هدرتْ
ألقىcast إليهاtoward it معwith التكبيرِproclaiming 'God is greatest' أزهاراflowers
ألقى إليها مع التكبيرِ أزهارا
An army that, whenever it saw a tank roar,
An army that when it saw a tank roar
threw flowers toward it with cries of 'God is greatest.'
Threw flowers to it screaming Allahu Akbar
سلاحهits weapon دفْترٌa notebook أوor لوحةٌa placard بَرَزَتْappeared
سلاحه دفْترٌ أو لوحةٌ بَرَزَتْ
فيهاon it الحروفُthe letters لأهلfor the perpetrators of البغيoppression إنذاراa warning
فيها الحروفُ لأهل البغي إنذارا
Its weapon was a notebook or a placard that displayed
Its weapon was a notebook or a banner that warned
letters as a warning to the oppressors.
The unjust with letters
حتىeven العباراتِthe phrases لمdid not يُبْدِعْcraft artfully صياغتهاtheir wording
حتى العباراتِ لم يُبْدِعْ صياغتها
ولمand did not يَضَعset لفصيحfor eloquent اللّفظِwording معياراa standard
ولم يَضَع لفصيح اللّفظِ معيارا
It did not even craft its phrases artfully,
Even the phrases were not authored
nor set a standard for eloquent wording.
Or standardized by the eloquent
منwho الذيthe one who سيَّرset in motion الجيشَthe army الكبيرَgreat ومنْand who
من الذي سيَّر الجيشَ الكبيرَ ومنْ
أجراهُmade it flow فيin ساحةthe square التَّحريرِTahrir (Liberation) أنْهاراrivers؟
أجراهُ في ساحة التَّحريرِ أنْهارا؟
Who set the great army in motion, and who
Who led the great army and who
made it flow as rivers through Tahrir Square?
Drove it in Tahrir Square rivers?
وكيفand how جاءَcame إلىto السَّاحاتِthe squares محتملاًenduring
وكيف جاءَ إلى السَّاحاتِ محتملاً
أقسىthe harshest المعاناةِsuffering إقداماًcourage وإصراراand resolve؟
أقسى المعاناةِ إقداماً وإصرارا؟
And how did it come to the squares, enduring
How did it come to the squares bearing
the harshest suffering with courage and resolve?
The harshest suffering with determination and insistence?
طُوفانa flood أسئلةٍquestions يجتاحsweeps over قافيتيmy rhyme
طُوفان أسئلةٍ يجتاح قافيتي
مازالstill remains ذهنيmy mind لهُfor it والقلبُand the heart مِضْماراa racecourse
مازال ذهني لهُ والقلبُ مِضْمارا
A flood of questions sweeps over my rhyme;
A flood of questions overwhelms my rhyme
my mind and heart are still its racecourse.
My mind and heart still race
أينwhere الجوابthe answer ؟ وماكانand was not الجوابُthe answer سِوىother than
أين الجواب ؟ وماكان الجوابُ سِوى
تلكthose الملايينِthe millions جاءتْcame تمسحُwiping away العاراthe shame
تلك الملايينِ جاءتْ تمسحُ العارا
Where is the answer? And the answer was nothing but
Where is the answer? The answer was only
those millions who came to wipe away the shame.
Those millions who came to wipe away the shame
جيْشٌan army منof الشَّعبِthe people ، لمdid not يُطْلقfire علىat أحدٍanyone
جيْشٌ من الشَّعبِ ، لم يُطْلق على أحدٍ
ناراًgunfire ولمand did not يُعْطِgive للتَّسليحfor armament دولاراa dollar
ناراً ولم يُعْطِ للتَّسليح دولارا
An army of the people, which directed at no one
An army of the people, that didn't fire
gunfire, and spent not a dollar on armaments.
A shot at anyone or spend a dollar on weapons
ومالهُand it has no فيin مياهِthe waters البحرِthe sea بارجةٌa battleship
ومالهُ في مياهِ البحرِ بارجةٌ
تُجيدُis skilled فيin غمراتِthe surges الموجthe waves إبحاراsailing
تُجيدُ في غمراتِ الموج إبحارا
And it had no battleship in the waters of the sea,
It doesn't have in the sea waters a warship
adept at sailing amid the surging waves.
Skilled in diving deep in the waves
ومالهُand it has no فيin مجالِthe realm الجوِّthe sky طائرةٌan aircraft
ومالهُ في مجالِ الجوِّ طائرةٌ
حربيةٌmilitary تُمْطِرُrains down الغاراتِthe raids إمطاراin torrents
حربيةٌ تُمْطِرُ الغاراتِ إمطارا
And it had no aircraft in the skies,
It doesn't have in the air a fighter jet
a warplane raining down air raids in torrents.
Raining down strikes pouring
لكنَّهbut it كانwas فيin الميدانِthe square مُحْتشداًmassed
لكنَّه كان في الميدانِ مُحْتشداً
مُزَمْجراًrumbling صاخباًclamorous كالموجِlike the waves هدَّاراroaring
مُزَمْجراً صاخباً كالموجِ هدَّارا
Yet it was massed in the square,
But it was gathered in the square
rumbling, clamorous, roaring like the waves.
Roaring and clamoring like raging waves
ماحرَّكdid not stir النَّاسthe people إلاَّexcept الظُّلْمُinjustice حينwhen بنىbuilt
ماحرَّك النَّاس إلاَّ الظُّلْمُ حين بنى
منهُfrom it الطُّغاةُthe tyrants أمامin front of النَّاسِthe people أسواراwalls
منهُ الطُّغاةُ أمام النَّاسِ أسوارا
Nothing stirred the people but injustice, when
Nothing moved the people except injustice when
the tyrants built walls of it in front of the people;
The tyrants built walls in front of the people
وحينماand when أَهْدَرواthey disregarded حقَّthe right of الضعيفِthe weak person علىat
وحينما أَهْدَروا حقَّ الضعيفِ على
أبوابِthe gates حرْمانهمtheir deprivation للشَّعْبِof the people ، إهداراutter disregard
أبوابِ حرْمانهم للشَّعْبِ ، إهدارا
and when they utterly disregarded the rights of the weak at
And when they wasted the rights of the weak
the gates of the deprivation they imposed on the people;
Spilling them at the doors of their deprivation
وحينماand when أكلواthey ate شَهْداًhoneycomb وفاكهةًand fruit
وحينما أكلوا شَهْداً وفاكهةً
وألقمواand they fed النَّاسthe people بالتقتيرِwith stinginess أحجاراstones
وألقموا النَّاس بالتقتيرِ أحجارا
and when they ate honeycomb and fruit
And when they ate honey and fruit
and in their stinginess fed the people stones;
While feeding the people rocks of rationing
وحينماand when صنعواthey fashioned منfrom سوءِthe evil of نيَّتِهِمtheir intent
وحينما صنعوا من سوءِ نيَّتِهِم
لكلِّfor every جِذعٍtrunk منof الإنصافِfairness مِنْشاراa saw
لكلِّ جِذعٍ من الإنصافِ مِنْشارا
and when, from their evil intent, they fashioned
And when from their evil intention they made
a saw for every trunk of fairness;
From every trunk of justice, a saw
وحينَand when دَقّواthey hammered علىupon جُدْرانِthe walls of سَطْوتهمtheir oppressive power
وحينَ دَقّوا على جُدْرانِ سَطْوتهم
لكلِّfor every كفِpalm تريدُseeks الحقَّjustice مِسْماراa nail
لكلِّ كفِ تريدُ الحقَّ مِسْمارا
and when they hammered into the walls of their oppressive power
And when on the walls of their tyranny they hammered
a nail for every palm that sought justice.
For every hand seeking truth, a nail
لماwhen رأىsaw الشَّعْبُthe people أنَّthat الظالمينthe oppressors أبواrefused
لما رأى الشَّعْبُ أنَّ الظالمين أبوا
أنto يَمْنَحُوهgrant them منof الإنصافِfairness مِعْشاراa tenth
أن يَمْنَحُوه من الإنصافِ مِعْشارا
When the people saw that the oppressors refused
When the people saw the oppressors refused
to grant them a tenth of fairness,
To grant them even a fraction of justice
لمdid not يُشبِعوهsatisfy their hunger ولمand did not يُرْووهquench their thirst منfrom ظمأٍthirst
لم يُشبِعوه ولم يُرْووه من ظمأٍ
ولمand did not يعينوهhelp them حتىso that يبْتنيbuild داراa home
ولم يعينوه حتى يبْتني دارا
did not feed them fully or quench their thirst,
They didn't satisfy or quench their thirst
nor help them to build themselves a home,
Or help them build a house
لمَّاwhen رآهمsaw them قلوباًhearts لاno شعورَfeeling لهاin them
لمَّا رآهم قلوباً لا شعورَ لها
صارتْbecame،وقدand had أُشْرِبَتْbeen steeped بالحقدِin hatred أحجاراstones
صارتْ،وقد أُشْرِبَتْ بالحقدِ أحجارا
when they saw them as hearts devoid of feeling,
When they saw them as hearts devoid of feeling
turned into stones, steeped in hatred,
Turned to stones soaked in hatred
ألقىcast إلىinto ساحةِthe square التَّحريرTahrir (Liberation) قوَّتهُtheir strength
ألقى إلى ساحةِ التَّحرير قوَّتهُ
منfrom الشبابthe youth الذيwho لمءnot يُعْطَbe given مِقْداراstanding
من الشباب الذي لمء يُعْطَ مِقْدارا
they cast their strength into Tahrir Square,
It threw its strength into Tahrir Square
from the youth who had been given no standing.
Of youth who were never given their due
نادواthey called ونادواand they called ، فلمَّاso when لمdid not يرواsee أحداًanyone
نادوا ونادوا ، فلمَّا لم يروا أحداً
يُزيلremoves عنfrom كاهلِthe shoulders of الإنسانِthe human being أضْراراafflictions
يُزيل عن كاهلِ الإنسانِ أضْرارا
They called and called; so when they saw no one
They called and called, and when they saw no one
lifting afflictions from humanity's shoulders,
Remove the burdens from the human's shoulders
قالوابإصرارهمthey said with their resolve للمسْتخفِّto the one contemptuous بهمof them:
قالوابإصرارهم للمسْتخفِّ بهم:
إنif كنتyou are ريحاًa wind فقدthen indeed لاقيتَyou have met إعصاراa hurricane
إن كنت ريحاً فقد لاقيتَ إعصارا
they said with their resolve to the one who scorned them:
They said to those underestimating them
If you are a wind, then you have met a hurricane.
If you're wind, you have met a storm
Sol 6.1