أَرىI see بِمِصرَin Egypt وُلاةًrulers لاno خَلاقَvirtue لَهُمfor them
أَرى بِمِصرَ وُلاةً لا خَلاقَ لَهُم
بِئسَwretched are الوُلاةُthe rulers وَبِئسَand wretched are الناسُthe people وَالزَمَنُand the age
بِئسَ الوُلاةُ وَبِئسَ الناسُ وَالزَمَنُ
I see in Egypt rulers who have no virtue.
I see in Egypt rulers with no ethics
Wretched are the rulers, and wretched the people and the age.
How terrible are the rulers, people and times
لاnot يَحفَظونَthey take heed إِذاwhen جارَتacts unjustly حُكومَتُهُمtheir government
لا يَحفَظونَ إِذا جارَت حُكومَتُهُم
أَنthat يَجأَرَcry out الشَعبُthe people أَوor يَستَصرِخَcries for help الوَطَنُthe homeland
أَن يَجأَرَ الشَعبُ أَو يَستَصرِخَ الوَطَنُ
They take no heed, when their government acts unjustly,
They do not care if their tyranny makes the people wail
that the people cry out or the homeland calls for help.
Or the homeland cry for help
وَلاand not يُبالونَthey care إِنif أَبدىshowed العَدُوُّthe enemy لَهُمto them
وَلا يُبالونَ إِن أَبدى العَدُوُّ لَهُم
وَجهَthe face of الرِضىapproval مُدِحواthey were praised فيamong الناسِthe people أَمor لُعِنواthey were cursed
وَجهَ الرِضى مُدِحوا في الناسِ أَم لُعِنوا
And they care not, if the enemy shows them
They do not care if an enemy shows them
a face of approval, whether they are praised among the people or cursed.
A face of consent, whether praised or cursed by the people
أَقولُI say لِلقَومِto the people مَرحىbravo حينَwhen بَرَّحَtormented بيme
أَقولُ لِلقَومِ مَرحى حينَ بَرَّحَ بي
طولُthe length of العُقوقِdisloyalty وَجاشَand surged الهَمُّworry وَالحَزَنُand sorrow
طولُ العُقوقِ وَجاشَ الهَمُّ وَالحَزَنُ
I say to the people, 'Bravo!' when I am tormented
I say to the people farewell as I depart
by prolonged disloyalty, and worry and sorrow surge.
Due to long injustice, worry and grief have raged
ماذاwhat تُعانونَyou endure مِنfrom عَيشٍa life أُتيحَwas allotted لَكُمto you
ماذا تُعانونَ مِن عَيشٍ أُتيحَ لَكُم
فيin صورَةِthe likeness of المَوتِdeath لَولاbut for القَبرُthe grave وَالكَفَنُand the shroud
في صورَةِ المَوتِ لَولا القَبرُ وَالكَفَنُ
What do you endure in the life allotted you,
What misfortune do you suffer from a life granted to you
in death's likeness, save for the grave and shroud?
In the form of death, if not for the grave and shroud
هَلّاwhy not رَحَمتُمyou showed mercy to نُفوساًsouls بيعَwas sold أَكرَمُهاtheir noblest
هَلّا رَحَمتُم نُفوساً بيعَ أَكرَمُها
بَيعَthe selling of الإِماءِthe slave women فَبِئسَso wretched is البَيعُthe sale وَالثَمَنُand the price
بَيعَ الإِماءِ فَبِئسَ البَيعُ وَالثَمَنُ
Why did you not pity souls whose noblest were sold
Why do you not have mercy on souls, the most valuable of which
as slave women are sold—wretched the sale and the price!
Were sold into slavery? How terrible is this sale and price
هُمُthey العِدىthe foes وَالرَدىand ruin لَولاbut for جَرائِرُهُمtheir crimes
هُمُ العِدى وَالرَدى لَولا جَرائِرُهُم
لَمdid not تَشقَsuffer مِصرُEgypt وَلَمand did not تَعصِفsweep fiercely بِهاthrough her المِحَنُthe ordeals
لَم تَشقَ مِصرُ وَلَم تَعصِف بِها المِحَنُ
They are the foes and ruin; but for their crimes,
They are enemies and corruptors, if not for their crimes
Egypt would not have suffered, nor would ordeals have swept through her.
Egypt would not have cracked and afflictions would not have struck her
لَوif أَنَّهُمthat they شَرَعواopened سُبلَpaths الأَمانِsafety لَهاfor her
لَو أَنَّهُم شَرَعوا سُبلَ الأَمانِ لَها
ماnot اِعتَزَّgrew powerful فيهاin her العِدىthe foes يَوماًever وَلاnor أَمِنواthey felt secure
ما اِعتَزَّ فيها العِدى يَوماً وَلا أَمِنوا
Had they opened for her the paths of safety,
If only they took the paths to her safety
the foes would never have grown powerful there, nor felt secure.
No enemies would have become arrogant in her or felt secure
لاnot يَهدَأونَthey rest إِذاwhen رامواthey sought مَعونَتَهُمhelping them
لا يَهدَأونَ إِذا راموا مَعونَتَهُم
حَتّىuntil تَميدَsway القُرىthe villages أَوor تَرجُفَtremble المُدُنُthe cities
حَتّى تَميدَ القُرى أَو تَرجُفَ المُدُنُ
They never rest when they seek to help them,
They do not settle down when they want their money
until the villages reel or the cities tremble.
Until villages quake and cities tremble
الشَعبُthe people مُحتَنَكٌbridled وَالخَيرُand goodness مُتَّرَكٌabandoned
الشَعبُ مُحتَنَكٌ وَالخَيرُ مُتَّرَكٌ
وَالعَدلُand justice مُنتَهَكٌviolated وَالحَقُّand right مُمتَهَنُdebased
وَالعَدلُ مُنتَهَكٌ وَالحَقُّ مُمتَهَنُ
The people are bridled, and goodness is abandoned;
The people are oppressed and good is abandoned
and justice is violated, and right is debased.
Justice is violated and truth is disgraced
تِلكَthat البَلِيَّةُthe calamity لَمdid not تُبصِرsee نَظائِرَهاits counterparts
تِلكَ البَلِيَّةُ لَم تُبصِر نَظائِرَها
عَينٌan eye وَلاnor صافَحَتُshook hands with أَترابَهاits peers أُذُنُan ear
عَينٌ وَلا صافَحَتُ أَترابَها أُذُنُ
That calamity—nothing like it has ever been seen
That affliction, no eyes have seen its like
by any eye, nor has any ear greeted its peers.
No ears have experienced news of its peers
تَدَرَّعواthey armored themselves بِقُوىwith the might of الأَعداءِthe enemies وَاِحتَجَبَتand became veiled
تَدَرَّعوا بِقُوى الأَعداءِ وَاِحتَجَبَت
عَنهُمfrom them وُجوهُthe faces of الهُدىguidance وَالرَأيand judgment فَاِفتَتَنواso they went astray
عَنهُم وُجوهُ الهُدى وَالرَأي فَاِفتَتَنوا
They armored themselves with the enemies' might, and veiled
They armored themselves with the forces of enemies, and the faces
from them were the faces of guidance and judgment, so they went astray.
Of guidance and opinion veiled themselves from them, so they were tempted
لَسَوفَsurely will يَلقَونَthey face يَوماًa day لَيسَnot تَعصِمُهُمprotects them
لَسَوفَ يَلقَونَ يَوماً لَيسَ تَعصِمُهُم
فيهِon it الدُروعُthe coats of armor وَلاnor تُنجيهِمُsaves them الجُنَنُthe shields
فيهِ الدُروعُ وَلا تُنجيهِمُ الجُنَنُ
They will surely face a day when they will not be protected
Soon they will face a day when armor will not protect them
by coats of armor, nor saved by shields.
Nor will madness save them.
Sol 6.1