وَفدَO delegation الكِنانَةِal-Kinana (the Quiver) هَلquestion marker حَمَلتَyou have borne رَجاءَهاher hope
وَفدَ الكِنانَةِ هَل حَمَلتَ رَجاءَها
أَمor قَدalready حَمَلتَyou have borne أَمانَةَthe trust of الأَوطانِthe homelands
أَم قَد حَمَلتَ أَمانَةَ الأَوطانِ
O delegation of al-Kinana, have you borne her hope,
The envoys of Kenya, did they carry her hope
or have you already borne the trust of the homelands?
Or did they carry the nation’s trust?
الدَهرُtime عَينٌan eye وَالمَمالِكُand the kingdoms أَلسُنٌtongues
الدَهرُ عَينٌ وَالمَمالِكُ أَلسُنٌ
وَالنيلُand the Nile قَلبٌa heart دائِمُconstant الخَفَقانِbeating
وَالنيلُ قَلبٌ دائِمُ الخَفَقانِ
Time is an eye, and kingdoms are tongues,
Time is an eye, kingdoms are tongues
and the Nile is a heart that never ceases beating.
And the Nile a heart beating forever
قُلsay لِلأُلىto those who وَزَنواweighed الشُعوبَthe peoples تَذَكَّرواremember
قُل لِلأُلى وَزَنوا الشُعوبَ تَذَكَّروا
فيin مِصرَEgypt شَعباًa people راجِحَweighty الميزانِthe balance
في مِصرَ شَعباً راجِحَ الميزانِ
Tell those who weighed the peoples: remember
Say to those gone astray: nations, weigh yourselves
a people in Egypt who weigh heavily in the balance.
In Egypt you’ll find balanced scales
وَإِذاand if رَماكَshoot at you أولوthose possessing الخُصومَةِhostility فَاِرمِهِمthen shoot at them
وَإِذا رَماكَ أولو الخُصومَةِ فَاِرمِهِم
بِالحُجَّةِwith the argument الكُبرىthe greatest وَبِالبُرهانِand with proof
بِالحُجَّةِ الكُبرى وَبِالبُرهانِ
And if your adversaries shoot at you, shoot at them
If foes pelt you with accusations, pelt them
with the greatest argument and with proof.
With supreme proof and clear evidence
وَاِصدَعand cleave غَيابَةَdark depths كُلِّevery شَكٍّdoubt مُظلِمٍdark
وَاِصدَع غَيابَةَ كُلِّ شَكٍّ مُظلِمٍ
بِشِهابِwith a meteor of عِلمٍknowledge ساطِعٍradiant وَبَيانِand eloquence
بِشِهابِ عِلمٍ ساطِعٍ وَبَيانِ
And cleave the depths of every dark doubt
Shatter the gloom of every dark doubt
with a meteor of radiant knowledge and eloquence.
With a shining beam of knowledge and eloquence
سَكَنَتgrew still أَكُفُّhands الضارِبينَthe strikers عَنِfrom الظُبىthe sword-blades
سَكَنَت أَكُفُّ الضارِبينَ عَنِ الظُبى
فَاِضرِبso strike بِقَلبٍwith a heart قاطِعٍcutting وَلِسانِand a tongue
فَاِضرِب بِقَلبٍ قاطِعٍ وَلِسانِ
The fighters' hands have ceased to wield blades;
The hands striking the innocent have stilled
so strike with a keen-edged heart and tongue.
So strike with a heart and tongue that cut
إِنَّindeed الحَياةَlife لَناfor us لَحَقٌّsurely a right ثابِتٌfirmly established
إِنَّ الحَياةَ لَنا لَحَقٌّ ثابِتٌ
وَالحَقُّand right أَغلَبُmightier قاهِرُsubduer of السُلطانِsovereign power
وَالحَقُّ أَغلَبُ قاهِرُ السُلطانِ
Indeed, life is our firmly established right,
Life is our inalienable right
and right is mightier, subduing sovereign power.
And right defeats even the mightiest ruler
ماno لِلقَوِيِّfor the strong man إِذاwhen تَجاوَزَoversteps حُكمُهُhis rule
ما لِلقَوِيِّ إِذا تَجاوَزَ حُكمُهُ
يَبغيhe seeks التَعَسُّفَarbitrary oppression بِالضَعيفِagainst the weak يَدانِtwo hands (figuratively, power)
يَبغي التَعَسُّفَ بِالضَعيفِ يَدانِ
The strong man, when his rule oversteps its bounds,
When the strong exceed the bounds of justice
seeking to oppress the weak, has no power.
Seeking to oppress the weak they succumb
Sol 6.1