لئن ظهرت لنا رَغَباتُ قومٍ

لئن ظهرت لنا رَغَباتُ قومٍ

لقد ضاقَ التحفّظُ بالبقايا

لقد ضاقَ التحفّظُ بالبقايا

If indeed some people's desires have become clear to us,

If the desires of a people appeared to us

Reserve has surely grown too cramped for the rest;

Reserve has certainly been straitened by the remains

تَلوذُ بموضعِ الكِتمانِ حَيْرى

تَلوذُ بموضعِ الكِتمانِ حَيْرى

وتَقذِفُها الضّمائرُ والطّوايا

وتَقذِفُها الضّمائرُ والطّوايا

Bewildered, they seek refuge in a place of concealment,

It takes refuge in the place of concealment, confused,

Yet consciences and hidden intentions cast them forth.

And the consciences pelt it, and the desires.

ومَن زَعمَ الزُّجاجَ يكون حُجباً

ومَن زَعمَ الزُّجاجَ يكون حُجباً

فقد زَعَمَ الشُّموسَ من الخفايا

فقد زَعَمَ الشُّموسَ من الخفايا

And whoever claims that glass can serve as veils

And whoever claimed glass to be veils

Has claimed that suns are among hidden things.

He has claimed that suns are from obscurities.

فقل للوفدِ كيف سُحِرتَ حتّى

فقل للوفدِ كيف سُحِرتَ حتّى

ذَهلتَ عن الحوادثِ والوصايا

ذَهلتَ عن الحوادثِ والوصايا

Then say to the Wafd: How were you bewitched, so that

So say to the delegation, how were you enchanted until

You lost sight of events and counsels?

You were heedless of events and advice?

ألا لله دَرُّكَ حين تمشي

ألا لله دَرُّكَ حين تمشي

على الجِسرِ المُقامِ من الضّحايا

على الجِسرِ المُقامِ من الضّحايا

Ah, God bless you as you walk

Verily your esteem when you walk

Upon the bridge built from victims!

On the bridge erected from victims.

وما الزّعماءُ إلا في ضلالٍ

وما الزّعماءُ إلا في ضلالٍ

إذا جعلوا الشُّعوبَ لهم مطايا

إذا جعلوا الشُّعوبَ لهم مطايا

And leaders are surely astray

And the leaders are not but in misguidance

When they make the peoples their mounts.

When they make the nations mounts for them.

إذا طلبوا المغانم لم يبالوا

إذا طلبوا المغانم لم يبالوا

بما تَلْقَى البلادُ من الرّزايا

بما تَلْقَى البلادُ من الرّزايا

When they seek spoils, they pay no heed

When they sought spoils, they did not care

To the calamities the country suffers.

About what the countries encounter from afflictions.

وَفَيْنَا بالعُهودِ فضجَّ قومٌ

وَفَيْنَا بالعُهودِ فضجَّ قومٌ

يَعُدّونَ الوفاءَ من الخطايا

يَعُدّونَ الوفاءَ من الخطايا

We kept the covenants, so some people clamored,

And we broke pacts so a people clamored

Counting faithfulness among sins.

Who count loyalty among sins.

تتابعتِ السِّهامُ فما رأينا

تتابعتِ السِّهامُ فما رأينا

سِوَى مُهجِ الرُّماةِ لها رمايا

سِوَى مُهجِ الرُّماةِ لها رمايا

The arrows followed one another, but we saw

Arrows followed so we did not see

No targets for them save the archers' hearts.

Except the bowstrings of their shooters, their targets.

كأنَّ الحقَّ مَقْتَلُ كلِّ نفسٍ

كأنَّ الحقَّ مَقْتَلُ كلِّ نفسٍ

فمن يَضرِبْهُ لا يُوقَ المنايا

فمن يَضرِبْهُ لا يُوقَ المنايا

As though truth were every soul's vital spot,

As if the truth is the killing of every soul

So whoever strikes it is not spared death.

So whoever hits it does not escape death.

وليس الشُّؤمُ فيما نال علمي

وليس الشُّؤمُ فيما نال علمي

سوى شُؤمِ الضّرائبِ والسّجايا

سوى شُؤمِ الضّرائبِ والسّجايا

And there is no ill fortune, as far as I know,

And my misfortune in what my knowledge attained

Except the ill fortune of temperaments and traits.

Is only the misfortune of levies and prisons.

وما نكبت مواليَها المعالي

وما نكبت مواليَها المعالي

كما نكبت مواليَها الدَّنايا

كما نكبت مواليَها الدَّنايا

And noble pursuits have not ruined their followers

Its glories did not suffer misfortune

As base pursuits have ruined theirs.

As its lowliness suffered misfortune.

نريد الغايةَ القُصوى لمصرٍ

نريد الغايةَ القُصوى لمصرٍ

ويطلبُ غيرُنا بعضَ المزايا

ويطلبُ غيرُنا بعضَ المزايا

We desire the ultimate goal for Egypt,

We want the highest purpose for Egypt

While others seek some advantages.

And others seek some of the gains.

أتسألُ فيمَ تختلف المساعي

أتسألُ فيمَ تختلف المساعي

وتَعجبُ كيف تَلتبِسُ القضايا

وتَعجبُ كيف تَلتبِسُ القضايا

Do you ask wherein endeavors differ,

Do I ask about the differing endeavors

And wonder how matters become confused?

And wonder how the cases become confused?

رُويدَك سوف تُنبِئُكَ اللّيالي

رُويدَك سوف تُنبِئُكَ اللّيالي

فتعلمَ ما تُكِنُّ من البلايا

فتعلمَ ما تُكِنُّ من البلايا

Take your time; the nights will tell you,

Restrain yourself, the nights will inform you

Then you will know what calamities they conceal.

So you may know what calamities they conceal.