أُعلِّلُ نَفسي وَالأَماني طماعةٌ

أُعلِّلُ نَفسي وَالأَماني طماعةٌ

وَنَفسُ الفَتى تَلهو وَذو العَيش يَأملُ

وَنَفسُ الفَتى تَلهو وَذو العَيش يَأملُ

I soothe my soul, while hopes are insatiable;

I justify myself while my hopes are greedy,

and a young man's soul amuses itself, and whoever lives hopes.

And the soul of youth is heedless while he who lives hopes.

أُعلّلها بِالصالحاتِ مِن المُنى

أُعلّلها بِالصالحاتِ مِن المُنى

وَبِالدَهرِ مِن بَعد الإِساءَةِ يُجمِلُ

وَبِالدَهرِ مِن بَعد الإِساءَةِ يُجمِلُ

I soothe it with the good things I hope for,

I justify it with good deeds and wishes

and with time, which shows kindness after doing harm.

And with time after wrongdoing becoming beautiful.

وَما حاجَتي أَن أَرتَعي العَيش ناضِراً

وَما حاجَتي أَن أَرتَعي العَيش ناضِراً

أُعَلُّ بِماءِ الخَفضِ فيهِ وَأُنهَلُ

أُعَلُّ بِماءِ الخَفضِ فيهِ وَأُنهَلُ

And what need have I to graze upon lush life,

I have no need to graze upon lush life,

given the water of ease therein, draught after draught?

I quench my thirst with the water of humility.

وَلكنّني أَرجو الحَياةَ لِأُمَّةٍ

وَلكنّني أَرجو الحَياةَ لِأُمَّةٍ

تُقادُ إِلى الجَلّادِ ظُلماً وَتُقتَلُ

تُقادُ إِلى الجَلّادِ ظُلماً وَتُقتَلُ

But I hope for life for a nation

But I hope for life for a nation

led unjustly to the executioner and killed.

That is led unjustly to the executioner and is killed,

يَكيدُ لَها أَعداؤُها وَيَخونُها

يَكيدُ لَها أَعداؤُها وَيَخونُها

بَنوها فَما تَدري عَلى مَن تُعوِّلُ

بَنوها فَما تَدري عَلى مَن تُعوِّلُ

Her enemies plot against her, and she is betrayed

Its enemies scheme against it and its own sons betray it

by her sons, so she does not know whom to rely on.

So it knows not in whom it should place its trust,

أَرى سَوءَةً شَنعاءَ لَستُ إِخالها

أَرى سَوءَةً شَنعاءَ لَستُ إِخالها

بِغَيرِ الدَمِ المُهراقِ عَن مَصرَ تُغسَلُ

بِغَيرِ الدَمِ المُهراقِ عَن مَصرَ تُغسَلُ

I see a hideous disgrace, which I do not think

I see an ugly disgrace that I cannot remove

can be washed away from Egypt except with shed blood.

Except with shed blood washed away from Egypt.