بِرَبِّكَ ماذا أَصابَ البِلادا

بِرَبِّكَ ماذا أَصابَ البِلادا

فَما تَنظُرُ العَينُ إِلّا حِدادا

فَما تَنظُرُ العَينُ إِلّا حِدادا

By your Lord, what has befallen the land?

By your Lord, what has befallen the country?

For the eye sees nothing but mourning.

The eye sees nothing but grief.

فَوَيحَ القُلوبِ وَوَيحَ العُيونِ

فَوَيحَ القُلوبِ وَوَيحَ العُيونِ

لِحُزنٍ تَوالى وَخَطبٍ تَمادى

لِحُزنٍ تَوالى وَخَطبٍ تَمادى

So alas for hearts, and alas for eyes,

Alas for the hearts and alas for the eyes,

For sorrow upon sorrow, and calamity that drags on.

For sorrows that continue and troubles that persist.

فَقَدنا الظَهيرَ فَقَدنا النَصيرَ

فَقَدنا الظَهيرَ فَقَدنا النَصيرَ

فَقَدنا المُجيرَ فَقَدنا العِمادا

فَقَدنا المُجيرَ فَقَدنا العِمادا

We have lost the supporter; we have lost the champion.

We have lost the supporter, we have lost the helper,

We have lost the protector; we have lost the pillar.

We have lost the protector, we have lost the pillar.

فَقَدنا المَضاءَ فَقَدنا الوَفاءَ

فَقَدنا المَضاءَ فَقَدنا الوَفاءَ

فَقَدنا الإِباءَ فَقَدنا السَدادا

فَقَدنا الإِباءَ فَقَدنا السَدادا

We have lost resolve; we have lost fidelity.

We have lost generosity, we have lost loyalty,

We have lost proud defiance; we have lost sound judgment.

We have lost nobility, we have lost integrity.

فَيا لَكَ خَطباً يَهولُ النُفوسَ

فَيا لَكَ خَطباً يَهولُ النُفوسَ

وَيَأبى عَلى الدَهرِ إِلّا اِشتِدادا

وَيَأبى عَلى الدَهرِ إِلّا اِشتِدادا

Oh, what a calamity, terrifying souls,

O what grievous news that appalls souls!

And only growing more grievous as time passes.

And time insists on getting even worse.

وَيا طولَ وَجدي عَلى أُمَّةٍ

وَيا طولَ وَجدي عَلى أُمَّةٍ

أَساءَ الزَمانُ بِها ما أَرادا

أَساءَ الزَمانُ بِها ما أَرادا

And oh, how long my grief for a nation

O how long my pain for a nation

That Time has wronged as it pleased.

Whose times did with it as they pleased!

إِذا أَنجَبت رَجُلاً عاجَلَتهُ

إِذا أَنجَبت رَجُلاً عاجَلَتهُ

يَدُ المَوتِ تُفجِعُ فيهِ البِلادا

يَدُ المَوتِ تُفجِعُ فيهِ البِلادا

Whenever it brings forth a man, he is swiftly overtaken

When it brought forth a man, the hand of death was quick

By death's hand, bereaving the land of him.

To overwhelm him, bringing grief to the country.

سَلامٌ عَلى راقِدٍ لَم يَكُن

سَلامٌ عَلى راقِدٍ لَم يَكُن

لِيَهوى القَرارَ وَيَرضى الرُقادا

لِيَهوى القَرارَ وَيَرضى الرُقادا

Peace be upon a sleeper who was never one

Peace be upon one who lies dead, having never wished

To love repose or be content with slumber.

To settle down or be content to slumber.

وَأَدنى العُيونِ مِنَ النَومِ عَينٌ

وَأَدنى العُيونِ مِنَ النَومِ عَينٌ

تُميتُ طِوالَ اللَيالي سُهادا

تُميتُ طِوالَ اللَيالي سُهادا

And the eye nearest to sleep is an eye

The eyes closest to sleep are eyes

That kills the long nights in sleeplessness.

That slay the long nights with wakefulness.

فَإِن يَستَرِح جِسمُهُ في الثَرى

فَإِن يَستَرِح جِسمُهُ في الثَرى

فَذَلِكَ مِمّا أَطالَ الجِهادا

فَذَلِكَ مِمّا أَطالَ الجِهادا

So if his body rests in the earth,

If his body finds rest in the earth,

That comes of his long struggle.

That is after prolonged struggle.

جِنايَةُ نَفسٍ لَو اِستودِعَت

جِنايَةُ نَفسٍ لَو اِستودِعَت

ذُرى شاهِقٍ مُستَقِرٍّ لَمادا

ذُرى شاهِقٍ مُستَقِرٍّ لَمادا

The crime of a soul that, were it lodged

A crime it was that a soul, if entrusted

On the summits of a lofty, steadfast mountain, would make it sway.

To the highest, steepest mountain, would not be secure.

وَإِنَّ النُفوسَ مَطايا الجُسومِ

وَإِنَّ النُفوسَ مَطايا الجُسومِ

إِلى المَوتِ لَو نَستَبينُ الرَشادا

إِلى المَوتِ لَو نَستَبينُ الرَشادا

And indeed, souls are the mounts of bodies

Souls are indeed the steeds of bodies

Toward death, if we could but discern right guidance.

To death, if we would look for guidance.

فَأَمّا الشِدادُ فَتَمضي سِراعاً

فَأَمّا الشِدادُ فَتَمضي سِراعاً

وَأَمّا الضِعافُ فَتَمشي اِتِّئادا

وَأَمّا الضِعافُ فَتَمشي اِتِّئادا

So as for the strong, they go swiftly,

As for the hardy, they go quickly,

And as for the weak, they walk unhurriedly.

While the weak walk haltingly.

وَإِنَّ حَياةَ الفَتى كَالثَراءِ

وَإِنَّ حَياةَ الفَتى كَالثَراءِ

يُصَرِّفُهُ سَرَفاً وَاِقتِصادا

يُصَرِّفُهُ سَرَفاً وَاِقتِصادا

And a man's life is indeed like wealth:

A young man's life is like wealth:

He spends it extravagantly or frugally.

He disposes it lavishly or thriftily.

فَهَذا يُؤَخِّرُ مِنهُ البَقاءَ

فَهَذا يُؤَخِّرُ مِنهُ البَقاءَ

وَهَذا يُعَجِّلُ مِنهُ النَفادا

وَهَذا يُعَجِّلُ مِنهُ النَفادا

So this prolongs its continuance,

One postpones its remainder;

And that hastens its exhaustion.

Another hastens its dwindling.

نَظُنُّ الحَياةَ دَماً جائِلاً

نَظُنُّ الحَياةَ دَماً جائِلاً

وَروحاً تَقينا البَلى وَالفَسادا

وَروحاً تَقينا البَلى وَالفَسادا

We think life is circulating blood

We fancy life is blood forever flowing,

And a spirit that protects us from decay and corruption.

A spirit that saves us from decay and corruption.

وَما هِيَ إلّا حِسانُ الفِعالِ

وَما هِيَ إلّا حِسانُ الفِعالِ

تُفيدُ البِلادَ وَتُجدي العِبادا

تُفيدُ البِلادَ وَتُجدي العِبادا

Yet it is nothing but noble deeds

Yet it is only the good deeds

That benefit the land and do people good.

That benefit the country and aid the servants of God.

فَلا رَحِمَ اللَهُ إِلّا اِمرَأً

فَلا رَحِمَ اللَهُ إِلّا اِمرَأً

يُجيبُ نِداءَ العُلا إِذ يُنادى

يُجيبُ نِداءَ العُلا إِذ يُنادى

So may God have mercy on none but a man

God have no mercy on a man who does not

Who answers the call of greatness when summoned,

Respond when high ambitions call,

يَخوضُ إِلَيها جِسامَ الأُمورِ

يَخوضُ إِلَيها جِسامَ الأُمورِ

وَيَقتادُ فيها الصِعابَ اِقتِيادا

وَيَقتادُ فيها الصِعابَ اِقتِيادا

Who plunges into momentous affairs to reach it,

And plunge into the thick of things,

And there brings hardships firmly under his control.

Marching through difficulties purposefully!

وَلَو أَبصَرَ المَوتَ مِن دونِها

وَلَو أَبصَرَ المَوتَ مِن دونِها

لَما رامَ عَن جانِبَيها اِرتِدادا

لَما رامَ عَن جانِبَيها اِرتِدادا

And even if he saw death barring the way to it,

If he saw death apart from this,

He would not seek to retreat from its flanks.

He would not think of retreating.

عَزاءً بَني مِصرَ عَن كَوكِبٍ

عَزاءً بَني مِصرَ عَن كَوكِبٍ

أَحالَتهُ أَيدي المَنايا رَمادا

أَحالَتهُ أَيدي المَنايا رَمادا

Take comfort, sons of Egypt, for the loss of a star

Comfort the people of Egypt for the loss

That the hands of death have turned to ashes.

Of a star that the hands of fate have turned to ashes,

كَأَنّي بِهِ يَستَثيرُ القُبورَ

كَأَنّي بِهِ يَستَثيرُ القُبورَ

وَيَبعَثُ فيها الحَياةَ اِجتِهادا

وَيَبعَثُ فيها الحَياةَ اِجتِهادا

I seem to see him rousing the graves,

As though I see him rousing the tombs

And, through striving, awakening life within them.

And quickening life in them strenuously,

كَأَنّي بِأَيدي البِلى واهِناتٍ

كَأَنّي بِأَيدي البِلى واهِناتٍ

تُمارِسُ مِنهُ خُطوباً شِدادا

تُمارِسُ مِنهُ خُطوباً شِدادا

I seem to see the hands of decay, feeble,

As though I see the hands of destruction, enfeebled,

Grappling with fierce ordeals from him.

Inflicting on him the worst calamities.

عَزاءً بَني مِصرَ عَن فَقدِهِ

عَزاءً بَني مِصرَ عَن فَقدِهِ

وَضَنّاً بِشِرعَتِهِ وَاِعتِدادا

وَضَنّاً بِشِرعَتِهِ وَاِعتِدادا

Take comfort, sons of Egypt, for his loss,

Comfort the people of Egypt for his absence

And cherish his way and take pride in it.

And sympathy for his companions and comrades.

وَلا تَتَعادَوا فَإِنَّ الشُعوبَ

وَلا تَتَعادَوا فَإِنَّ الشُعوبَ

تَموتُ اِنقِساماً وَتَحيا اِتِّحادا

تَموتُ اِنقِساماً وَتَحيا اِتِّحادا

And do not become enemies of one another, for nations

Do not let yourselves diverge, for nations

Die through division and live through unity.

Die when divided and live when united.