أَرى الدَمَ يَجري في الكِنانَةِ دائِباً

أَرى الدَمَ يَجري في الكِنانَةِ دائِباً

وَما اِنفَكَّ داعي الشَرِّ يَجري وَيَدأَبُ

وَما اِنفَكَّ داعي الشَرِّ يَجري وَيَدأَبُ

I see blood flowing ceaselessly in Egypt, the Quiver,

I see blood flowing in the goblet steadily

and the herald of evil has not ceased to run and toil.

And the rousing call to evil never ceases nor stops

لَعَمري لَقَد جَلَّت مُصيبَةُ أُمَّةٍ

لَعَمري لَقَد جَلَّت مُصيبَةُ أُمَّةٍ

يَخونُ بَنوها عَهدَها حينَ تُنكَبُ

يَخونُ بَنوها عَهدَها حينَ تُنكَبُ

By my life, grievous indeed is the calamity of a nation

How great the tribulation of a nation whose sons

whose sons betray its covenant when it is stricken.

Betray their covenant when she is tipped over

وَما كُنتُ أَخشى أَن تَرى العَينُ فِتيَةً

وَما كُنتُ أَخشى أَن تَرى العَينُ فِتيَةً

عُكوفاً عَلى اللَذّاتِ تَلهو وَتَطرَبُ

عُكوفاً عَلى اللَذّاتِ تَلهو وَتَطرَبُ

And I had never feared that the eye would see young men

Never did I fear the eye would see youths

absorbed in pleasures, playing and reveling,

Reveling in pleasures, playing and dancing frivolously

كَأَن لَم يَكُن في مِصرَ شَيءٌ يَروعُها

كَأَن لَم يَكُن في مِصرَ شَيءٌ يَروعُها

وَلَم يَعرُها يَومٌ مِنَ النَحسِ أَشهَبُ

وَلَم يَعرُها يَومٌ مِنَ النَحسِ أَشهَبُ

as though nothing in Egypt had terrified her,

As if nothing in Egypt frightened them

and no ashen day of ill fortune had befallen her.

Nor did a day of ill omen make them ashen

حَنانَكَ رَبَّ الناسِ بِالأَنفُسِ الَّتي

حَنانَكَ رَبَّ الناسِ بِالأَنفُسِ الَّتي

تَبيتُ مِنَ المَكروهِ حَيرى تَقَلَّبُ

تَبيتُ مِنَ المَكروهِ حَيرى تَقَلَّبُ

Your mercy, Lord of mankind, upon the souls that

Have mercy, Lord of mankind, upon souls

spend the night bewildered by affliction, tossing and turning.

That spend the night perplexed and tossing about

عَناها مِنَ الحِدثانِ ما رُوِّعَت بِهِ

عَناها مِنَ الحِدثانِ ما رُوِّعَت بِهِ

وَمِن هائِلِ المَقدورِ ما تَتَرَقَّبُ

وَمِن هائِلِ المَقدورِ ما تَتَرَقَّبُ

They are tormented by the calamities that have terrified them,

Save them from the innovations that alarmed them

and by the horrors of destiny they await.

And the enormities of fate they apprehensively await

حَنانَكَ إِنَّ العَيشَ غُمَّت وُجوهُهُ

حَنانَكَ إِنَّ العَيشَ غُمَّت وُجوهُهُ

وَراحَت وُجوهُ المَوتِ حُمراً تَلَهَّبُ

وَراحَت وُجوهُ المَوتِ حُمراً تَلَهَّبُ

Your mercy! The faces of life have indeed been shrouded,

Have mercy! Living has saddened their faces

and the faces of death have grown red, blazing.

While the faces of death have become inflamed and burned

إِلَيكَ أَنبَنا لائِذينَ بِرَحمَةٍ

إِلَيكَ أَنبَنا لائِذينَ بِرَحمَةٍ

هِيَ العِصمَةُ الكُبرى إِذا ريعَ مُذنِبُ

هِيَ العِصمَةُ الكُبرى إِذا ريعَ مُذنِبُ

To You we have returned in repentance, seeking refuge in mercy,

To You we cried, seeking refuge in a mercy

which is the supreme safeguard when a sinner is terrified.

That is the greatest protection when a sinner wanders

تَدافَعَتِ الأَهوالُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

تَدافَعَتِ الأَهوالُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

وَجاءَت خُطوبُ الدَهرِ تَتَرى تَأَلَّبُ

وَجاءَت خُطوبُ الدَهرِ تَتَرى تَأَلَّبُ

Terrors have surged in from every side,

Horrors collided from every side

and time's calamities have come in succession, massing together.

And the calamities of fate came attacking and pouncing

وَوَلّى بشيرُ الخَيرِ بِالخَيرِ مُعرِضاً

وَوَلّى بشيرُ الخَيرِ بِالخَيرِ مُعرِضاً

وَقامَ نَذيرُ الشَرِّ بِالشَرِّ يَنعَبُ

وَقامَ نَذيرُ الشَرِّ بِالشَرِّ يَنعَبُ

And the herald of good departed with goodness, turning away,

The herald of good turned from good, preoccupied

and the warner of evil arose, cawing evil tidings.

And the warner of evil arose calling for evil

وَأَقبَلَ مِنّا ذو البَنينِ مُوَدِّعاً

وَأَقبَلَ مِنّا ذو البَنينِ مُوَدِّعاً

بَنيهِ يَخافُ المَوتَ وَالدَمعُ يُسكَبُ

بَنيهِ يَخافُ المَوتَ وَالدَمعُ يُسكَبُ

And a father of sons among us came, bidding farewell

From us came the father, bidding farewell

to his sons, fearing death while tears were shed.

To his sons, fearing death, tears pouring

بَكوا لِأَناشيدِ الوَداعِ وَما دَروا

بَكوا لِأَناشيدِ الوَداعِ وَما دَروا

أَجَدَّ أَبوهُم أَم تَطَرَّبَ يَلعَبُ

أَجَدَّ أَبوهُم أَم تَطَرَّبَ يَلعَبُ

They wept at the songs of farewell, not knowing

They cried from the anthems of farewell, not knowing

whether their father was in earnest or singing merrily in play.

Whether their father was grieving or just playing around

وَمَذعورَةٍ لَم تَدرِ مِمّا أَصابَها

وَمَذعورَةٍ لَم تَدرِ مِمّا أَصابَها

أَيهلِكُ أَم يَبقى لِأَبنائِهِ الأَبُ

أَيهلِكُ أَم يَبقى لِأَبنائِهِ الأَبُ

And many a terrified woman, shaken by what befell her, did not know

And a terrified mother not knowing what had befallen her -

whether the father would perish or live on for his children.

Would it destroy or would her spouse remain for her sons?

يَبيتانِ طَوعَ السُهدِ مِن تَعَبِ النَوى

يَبيتانِ طَوعَ السُهدِ مِن تَعَبِ النَوى

وَلَكِنَّهُ مِمّا دَها مِصرَ أَتعَبُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ مِمّا دَها مِصرَ أَتعَبُ

The two spend the night in thrall to sleeplessness, worn by separation,

Two spend the night obeying the arrows of fate

yet he is wearier still from what has befallen Egypt.

But it is what has exhausted Egypt that has wearied him

يَخافُ عَلَيها شَرَّ قَومٍ تَنَمَّروا

يَخافُ عَلَيها شَرَّ قَومٍ تَنَمَّروا

يُريدونَها بِالسوءِ لَمّا تَوَثَّبوا

يُريدونَها بِالسوءِ لَمّا تَوَثَّبوا

He fears for her the evil of a people grown tiger-fierce,

He fears for her the evil of a folk who are hostile

intent on harming her when they sprang to attack.

Wanting evil for her when they leapt up

يَجوبونَ أَطرافَ البِلادِ وَما بِهِم

يَجوبونَ أَطرافَ البِلادِ وَما بِهِم

سِوى الصَيدِ يُرمى وَالفَريسَةِ تُطلَبُ

سِوى الصَيدِ يُرمى وَالفَريسَةِ تُطلَبُ

They roam the land's far reaches, caring for nothing

Roaming the outskirts of the land with nothing but

but game to be shot at and prey to be sought.

Hunting prey and seeking quarry to occupy them

رَمانا بِهِم قَومٌ يُريدونَ مَأرِباً

رَمانا بِهِم قَومٌ يُريدونَ مَأرِباً

وَلِلخائِنِ المَخدوعِ في السوءِ مَأرِبُ

وَلِلخائِنِ المَخدوعِ في السوءِ مَأرِبُ

A people seeking an aim have hurled them against us,

Aiming arrows at a folk desiring calamity

and the duped traitor has a purpose in evil.

And for the traitor deceived into evil - a gain!

يَخافونَ يَومَ العَدلِ وَالعَدلُ مُقبِلٌ

يَخافونَ يَومَ العَدلِ وَالعَدلُ مُقبِلٌ

بِأَيّامِهِ وَالدَهرُ بِالناسِ قُلَّبُ

بِأَيّامِهِ وَالدَهرُ بِالناسِ قُلَّبُ

They fear the day of justice, and justice is approaching

They fear the day of justice, and justice is coming

with its days, and time is ever fickle toward mankind.

In its days, and time alternates among people

فَذَلِكَ يَومٌ لا مَحالَةَ واقِعٌ

فَذَلِكَ يَومٌ لا مَحالَةَ واقِعٌ

وَإِن سَفَهَت أَحلامُهُم فَتَرَيَّبوا

وَإِن سَفَهَت أَحلامُهُم فَتَرَيَّبوا

So that day will inevitably come,

So that is a day bound to come

even if their minds have grown foolish and so they doubt.

Though their vain dreams have misled and confounded them