مَنwho ليfor me بِأَجنِحَةِwith the wings of العَواصِفِthe tempests مَركَباas a mount
مَن لي بِأَجنِحَةِ العَواصِفِ مَركَبا
وَأَرىand I see مَطاياthe steeds of الهَمِّsorrow أَبعَدَfarther-reaching مَطلَباin pursuit
وَأَرى مَطايا الهَمِّ أَبعَدَ مَطلَبا
Who will give me the wings of tempests for a mount,
Who will lend me the wings of storms as my conveyance
while I see sorrow's steeds reaching farther in their quest?
As I see the steeds of worries have gone farther away
ياO بَرقُlightning حَيِّgreet عَلىupon السَحابِthe clouds مَنازِلاًdwellings
يا بَرقُ حَيِّ عَلى السَحابِ مَنازِلاً
تَسقيgive drink to حَياthe rain of البَينِseparation الرِفاقَthe companions الغُيَّباthe absent
تَسقي حَيا البَينِ الرِفاقَ الغُيَّبا
O lightning, greet from the clouds the dwellings
O lightning alive upon the clouds, make homes
that give absent companions the rain of separation.
That quench the thirst of those distant from their loved ones
أَنتَyou الرِسالَةُthe message وَالرَسولُand the messenger فَكُنso be لَهُمfor them
أَنتَ الرِسالَةُ وَالرَسولُ فَكُن لَهُم
مِنّاfrom us عَلىdespite النَأيِthe distance الكِتابَthe letter المُذهَباgilded
مِنّا عَلى النَأيِ الكِتابَ المُذهَبا
You are the message and the messenger; so be for them
You are the message and messenger so be for them
from us, despite the distance, a gilded letter.
For us in estrangement, the gilded missive
أَلِفواthey grew accustomed to الوُجومَbrooding silence وَلِلجَوانِحِand within the breasts ضَجَّةٌa clamor
أَلِفوا الوُجومَ وَلِلجَوانِحِ ضَجَّةٌ
سَمعَheard السِماكُal-Simak (a star) هَزيمَهاits thunder فَتَهَيَّباand so took fright
سَمعَ السِماكُ هَزيمَها فَتَهَيَّبا
They have grown used to brooding silence, though their breasts hold a clamor;
They have gotten used to gloom and the predatory birds clamor
Al-Simak heard its thunder and took fright.
The fish heard its defeat so hesitated in fear
هَلdo ...? يَذكُرونَthey remember لِمِصرَto Egypt واجِبَthe obligation of حَقِّهاher right
هَل يَذكُرونَ لِمِصرَ واجِبَ حَقِّها
أَمor يَحفَظونَthey preserve لَهاfor her الذِمامَthe binding pledge الأَقرَباthe closest
أَم يَحفَظونَ لَها الذِمامَ الأَقرَبا
Do they remember Egypt's rightful due,
Will they remember Egypt’s due right
or preserve their closest bond with her?
Or do they keep for it the nearest rope
وَيَرَونَand they see غَمرَتَهاher turmoil وَمَوقِفَand the situation of أَهلِهاher people
وَيَرَونَ غَمرَتَها وَمَوقِفَ أَهلِها
يَتَنازَعونَthey dispute سَبيلَهاher path وَالمَذهَباand the course
يَتَنازَعونَ سَبيلَها وَالمَذهَبا
And do they see her turmoil and her people's plight,
And they see its flooding and the stand of its people
as they dispute her path and course?
They quarrel over its path and doctrine
تَجريproceed الأُمورُaffairs بِهاin her عَلىaccording to أَهوائِهِمtheir whims
تَجري الأُمورُ بِها عَلى أَهوائِهِم
كُلٌّeach يَرىholds رَأياًan opinion وَيَطلُبُand seeks مَأرَباan aim
كُلٌّ يَرى رَأياً وَيَطلُبُ مَأرَبا
Her affairs proceed according to their whims;
Matters regarding it flow according to their whims
each holds an opinion and pursues his own end.
Each sees an opinion and seeks personal gain
أَأَرىdo I see? بِلاداًa country تَستَقِلُّbecomes independent وَأُمَّةًand a nation
أَأَرى بِلاداً تَستَقِلُّ وَأُمَّةً
تَأبىrefuses الحِمايَةَthe protectorate أَمor أُشاهِدُI watch مَلعَباa playground
تَأبى الحِمايَةَ أَم أُشاهِدُ مَلعَبا
Do I see a country becoming independent, and a nation
Shall I see a country become independent and a nation
rejecting a protectorate—or am I watching a playground?
That refuses protection or do I behold a playing field
لَولاwere it not for الحِفاظُhonor لَراحَwould go كُلُّevery مُجاهِدٍfighter
لَولا الحِفاظُ لَراحَ كُلُّ مُجاهِدٍ
يُلقيlays down السِلاحَarms وَيَستَبيحُand deems permissible المَهرَباescape
يُلقي السِلاحَ وَيَستَبيحُ المَهرَبا
Were it not for honor, every fighter would
If not for the defenders every fighter would have
lay down his arms and deem flight permissible.
Cast down arms and deemed fleeing permissible
لاmay ... not عَذَّبَtorment اللَهُGod الكِنانَةَal-Kinana (Egypt, 'the Quiver') إِنَّهاindeed, she
لا عَذَّبَ اللَهُ الكِنانَةَ إِنَّها
لَتُغادِرُsurely leaves الحُرَّthe free man الكَريمَthe noble مُعَذَّباtormented
لَتُغادِرُ الحُرَّ الكَريمَ مُعَذَّبا
May God not torment al-Kinana, for she
May Allah not torment cowardice for it
surely leaves the free, noble man tormented.
Would leave the noble free man tormented
لَيسَis not الَّذيthe one who جَعَلَmade الوَفاءَloyalty جَزاءَهاher recompense
لَيسَ الَّذي جَعَلَ الوَفاءَ جَزاءَها
كَمَنِlike one who اِستَهانَmade light بِعَهدِهاof her covenant فَتَقَلَّباand so turned fickle
كَمَنِ اِستَهانَ بِعَهدِها فَتَقَلَّبا
He who repaid her with loyalty is not
The one who made loyalty its reward is not
like one who made light of her covenant and turned fickle.
Like one who took lightly his pact and flipped
إِنَّindeed الَّذيHe who وَهَبَbestowed on النُفوسَsouls خِلالَهاtheir qualities
إِنَّ الَّذي وَهَبَ النُفوسَ خِلالَها
جَعَلَmade الوَفاءَloyalty إِلىto الكِرامِthe noble مُحَبَّباbeloved
جَعَلَ الوَفاءَ إِلى الكِرامِ مُحَبَّبا
Indeed, He who endowed souls with their qualities
Indeed the one who granted souls their nature
made loyalty dear to the noble.
Made loyalty to the noble beloved
لِلحَقِّfor truth جُندٌan army إِنif مَشىit marches بِلِوائِهِbeneath its banner
لِلحَقِّ جُندٌ إِن مَشى بِلِوائِهِ
غَلَبَit defeats الأَعَزَّthe mightiest مِنَamong الجُنودِarmies الأَغلَباthe most victorious
غَلَبَ الأَعَزَّ مِنَ الجُنودِ الأَغلَبا
Truth has an army; if it marches beneath its banner,
The truth has troops and if they march under its banner
it defeats the mightiest, most victorious of armies.
They will defeat the proudest of armies
لَيتَif only الأُلىthose who شَهِدواthey witnessed الكَريهَةَbattle حَدَّثواthey would tell
لَيتَ الأُلى شَهِدوا الكَريهَةَ حَدَّثوا
أَيَّwhich of القَواضِبِthe keen swords كانَwas أَصدَقَtruest مَضرَباin striking
أَيَّ القَواضِبِ كانَ أَصدَقَ مَضرَبا
If only those who witnessed battle would tell
I wish the vanished had witnessed the ugly scene and spoken
which of the keen swords was truest in its stroke.
Which of the boats was the most steadfast
حَجَبواthey shielded المَقاتِلَthe vital spots بِالدُروعِwith armor حَصينَةًimpregnable
حَجَبوا المَقاتِلَ بِالدُروعِ حَصينَةً
وَالحَتفُand death يَهتِكُrends حاسِراًthe unarmored وَمُحَجَّباand the shielded
وَالحَتفُ يَهتِكُ حاسِراً وَمُحَجَّبا
They shielded their vital spots with impregnable armor,
They shielded the fighter with impenetrable armor
yet death rends both the unarmored and the shielded.
Yet the skulls tore them open, shattering the helmed
عَصَفَraged الهَوىpassion بِالجامِحينَagainst the headstrong وَرُبَّماand perhaps
عَصَفَ الهَوى بِالجامِحينَ وَرُبَّما
صَدَعَpierced العِمايَةَblindness مَنone who أَهابَcalled out وَثَوَّباand repeated the call
صَدَعَ العِمايَةَ مَن أَهابَ وَثَوَّبا
Passion swept away the headstrong; and perhaps
Passion blew away the reckless and perhaps
one who called and called again has pierced the blindness.
Cracked the shaky one who hesitated and delayed
ماwhat عُذرُthe excuse of مَنone who تَرَكَleft المَنارَthe beacon وَراءَهُbehind him
ما عُذرُ مَن تَرَكَ المَنارَ وَراءَهُ
وَمَضىand went on يَخوضُwading through مِنَof الضَلالَةِerror غَيهَباpitch-dark gloom
وَمَضى يَخوضُ مِنَ الضَلالَةِ غَيهَبا
What excuse has one who left the beacon behind him
No excuse for one who left the minaret behind
and went on wading through the pitch-dark gloom of error?
And went plunging into the depths of ruin
اللَهَGod (an exhortation) فيconcerning وَطَنٍa homeland يَظَلُّcontinues مُصابُهُits affliction
اللَهَ في وَطَنٍ يَظَلُّ مُصابُهُ
يَقضيdecrees عَلىupon أَعقابِكُمyour descendants أَنthat تُنكَباthey be afflicted
يَقضي عَلى أَعقابِكُم أَن تُنكَبا
Fear God concerning a homeland whose affliction keeps
By Allah, in a land whose wounds still bleed
dooming your descendants to disaster.
That will seal the fate of your heels to stumble
ماwhat لِلحُلومِwith the minds ذَهَبنَthey have gone أَبعدَthe farthest مَذهَبٍcourse
ما لِلحُلومِ ذَهَبنَ أَبعدَ مَذهَبٍ
أَعلِقنَhave they grasped? مِنfrom عَنقاءَAnqa (a mythical bird) مُغرِبَMughrib (the bird's epithet) مَخلَباa claw
أَعلِقنَ مِن عَنقاءَ مُغرِبَ مَخلَبا
What ails the minds? They have gone to the farthest extreme.
What ails these dreamers? They have gone farther astray
Have they grasped a claw of the fabled Anqa Mughrib?
Than a pendant from the neck of a western belle
Sol 6.1