ياO أُمَّةًa nation أَودَتbrought ruin بِهاupon it الأَحلامُdreams
يا أُمَّةً أَودَت بِها الأَحلامُ
وَهَوَتand plunged بِباذِخِwith the towering height of مَجدِهاits glory الأَوهامُillusions
وَهَوَت بِباذِخِ مَجدِها الأَوهامُ
O nation brought to ruin by dreams,
O nation whose dreams have perished,
and whose towering glory illusions have brought down,
Whose glories have collapsed into ruin.
تَهفوyearns إِلىfor نَزَواتِthe whims of كُلِّevery مُضَلِّلٍone who misleads
تَهفو إِلى نَزَواتِ كُلِّ مُضَلِّلٍ
حَجَبَhid الهُدىguidance عَنfrom ناظِرَيهِhis two eyes ظَلامُdarkness
حَجَبَ الهُدى عَن ناظِرَيهِ ظَلامُ
you yearn for the whims of everyone who misleads,
You are misled by the deceits of every misguided one,
from whose eyes darkness has hidden guidance.
The darkness has veiled understanding from their eyes.
يَرميflings بِهاwith it أَجوازَthe depths of كُلِّevery مَضَلَّةٍtrackless wilderness
يَرمي بِها أَجوازَ كُلِّ مَضَلَّةٍ
غَبراءَdust-gray يُحمَدُis praised عِندَهاwhen facing it الإِحجامُholding back
غَبراءَ يُحمَدُ عِندَها الإِحجامُ
He flings you into the depths of every trackless wilderness,
He casts you into every perilous illusion-
dust-gray, where holding back is praised.
You think withdrawal is praiseworthy there.
هَذاthis السَبيلُthe path إِلىto الحَياةِlife وَهَذِهِand these
هَذا السَبيلُ إِلى الحَياةِ وَهَذِهِ
سُنَنُthe ways of الهُدىguidance لَوif only ترشدُwere discerning الأَفهامُminds
سُنَنُ الهُدى لَو ترشدُ الأَفهامُ
This is the path to life, and these
This is the path to life, and these
are the ways of guidance—if only minds were discerning.
Are the beacons of guidance, if only minds would be guided.
ياO قَومِmy people هَلhas ...? نَسَفَblasted apart الجِبالَmountains تَوَهُّمٌvain imagining
يا قَومِ هَل نَسَفَ الجِبالَ تَوَهُّمٌ
وَأَخافَand frightened آسادَthe lions of العَرينِthe den كَلامُtalk
وَأَخافَ آسادَ العَرينِ كَلامُ
O my people, has vain imagining ever blasted mountains apart,
O my people, can a whimsy move mountains,
and has talk frightened the lions of the den?
Or empty words frighten lions in their lairs?
ياO قَومِmy people هَلhas ...? أَحياrevived الشُعوبَnations تَعَلُّلٌwishful self-consolation
يا قَومِ هَل أَحيا الشُعوبَ تَعَلُّلٌ
وَحَمىand protected البِلادَthe land تَفَرُّقٌdivision وَخِصامُand strife
وَحَمى البِلادَ تَفَرُّقٌ وَخِصامُ
O my people, has wishful thinking ever revived nations,
O my people, do disputes and divisions
and have division and strife protected the land?
Give life to nations and protect their lands?
ياO قَومِmy people هَلcan ...? تَشأىoutstrip السَوابِقَthe swift racehorses ظُلَّعٌlame steeds
يا قَومِ هَل تَشأى السَوابِقَ ظُلَّعٌ
وَيَفوتُand outstrip شَأوَthe pace of المُدلِجينَnight travelers نِيامُsleepers
وَيَفوتُ شَأوَ المُدلِجينَ نِيامُ
O my people, can lame steeds outstrip the swiftest horses,
O my people, does a sluggard attain glory?
and can sleepers outpace those who travel by night?
Does sleep lead to triumph in the race?
ياO قَومِmy people هَلcan ...? تَهديguide الأَكُفَّthe hands سَواعِدٌforearms
يا قَومِ هَل تَهدي الأَكُفَّ سَواعِدٌ
تَهفوsway المَناكِبُthe shoulders فَوقَهاabove them وَالهامُand the heads
تَهفو المَناكِبُ فَوقَها وَالهامُ
O my people, can forearms guide the hands,
O my people, are hands with no strength able
while shoulders and heads sway above them?
To build, when the shoulders above them weary?
إيهٍgo on! بَنيsons of مِصرٍEgypt أَماhas ... not? وَعَظتكُمُadmonished you
إيهٍ بَني مِصرٍ أَما وَعَظتكُمُ
ماwhat تَصنَعُbring about الأَحداثُevents وَالأَيّامُand days
ما تَصنَعُ الأَحداثُ وَالأَيّامُ
Come now, sons of Egypt! Have you not been admonished
Woe unto you, O children of Egypt!
by what events and days bring about?
Is this how events and days instruct you?
إيهٍgo on! فَقَدfor indeed طَمَتِhave overflowed الخُطوبُcalamities وَهالَناand appalled us
إيهٍ فَقَد طَمَتِ الخُطوبُ وَهالَنا
مِنهاof them رُكامٌa heap يَعتَليهِrises above it رُكامُa heap
مِنها رُكامٌ يَعتَليهِ رُكامُ
Come now, for calamities have overflowed, and we are appalled
Alas, disasters have attacked us.
by a heap of them with another heap rising above it.
Thickly they have descended upon thickening ruin.
إيهٍgo on! فَقَدfor indeed أَشقىmade wretched النُفوسَsouls جِماحُهاtheir unruliness
إيهٍ فَقَد أَشقى النُفوسَ جِماحُها
وَأَضَلَّهاand led them astray التَمويهُdeception وَالإيهامُand illusion
وَأَضَلَّها التَمويهُ وَالإيهامُ
Come now, for their unruliness has made souls wretched,
Alas, their violence has tormented our souls.
and deception and illusion have led them astray.
Deception and trickery have led them astray.
خُلُقٌa disposition يَهُبُّblows الشَرُّevil مِنهُfrom it وَتَرتَميand hurtle forth
خُلُقٌ يَهُبُّ الشَرُّ مِنهُ وَتَرتَمي
فِتَنٌtumults تَروعُterrify الآمِنينَthose at peace جِسامُgreat
فِتَنٌ تَروعُ الآمِنينَ جِسامُ
A disposition from which evil blows, and forth hurtle
A character yielding only evil, from which pour
great tumults that terrify those at peace.
Calamities to frighten those living in security.
سوسواgovern أُمورَكُمُyour affairs سِياسَةَthe governance of حازِمٍa resolute man
سوسوا أُمورَكُمُ سِياسَةَ حازِمٍ
فَلَعَلَّso perhaps مُعوَجَّwhat is crooked in الأُمورِaffairs يُقامُis set straight
فَلَعَلَّ مُعوَجَّ الأُمورِ يُقامُ
Govern your affairs as a resolute man would,
Tackle your affairs through the policy of one prudent,
so perhaps what is crooked in your affairs may be set straight.
Perhaps what is corrupt can thereby be set right.
أَسَفيmy grief عَلىfor المُتَباغِضينَthose who hate one another وَقَدand indeed رَأَواthey have seen
أَسَفي عَلى المُتَباغِضينَ وَقَد رَأَوا
أَنَّthat الفَلاحَsuccess تَوَدُّدٌaffection وَوِئامُand concord
أَنَّ الفَلاحَ تَوَدُّدٌ وَوِئامُ
My grief for those who hate one another, though they have seen
I grieve over those mutually hostile. Have they not seen
that success lies in affection and concord.
That cordiality and harmony are grace and delight?
شَرَعواthey instituted العَداوَةَenmity بَينَهُمamong them لَمdid not يوصِهِمenjoin upon them
شَرَعوا العَداوَةَ بَينَهُم لَم يوصِهِم
دينُthe religion of المَسيحِChrist بِهاto it وَلاnor الإِسلامُIslam
دينُ المَسيحِ بِها وَلا الإِسلامُ
They instituted enmity among themselves; it was not enjoined on them
They have initiated enmity amongst themselves, though
by Christ's religion, nor by Islam.
Neither Christ's nor Islam's religion commanded them this.
عَوَتِhowled الثَعالِبُthe foxes أَمسَyesterday حَولَaround عِرينِهِمtheir den
عَوَتِ الثَعالِبُ أَمسَ حَولَ عِرينِهِم
وَاليَومَand today يَزَأَرُroars حَولَهُaround it الضِرغامُthe lion
وَاليَومَ يَزَأَرُ حَولَهُ الضِرغامُ
The foxes howled yesterday around their den,
But yesterday the foxes frolicked round their lair,
and today the lion roars around it.
And today wolves growl maliciously about it.
جَثمواthey crouched بِمُستَنِّon the path of الهَوانِhumiliation وَماand did not دَرَواthey knew
جَثموا بِمُستَنِّ الهَوانِ وَما دَرَوا
أَنَّthat الحَياةَlife تَدافُعٌmutual struggle وَزِحامُand jostling
أَنَّ الحَياةَ تَدافُعٌ وَزِحامُ
They crouched on the path of humiliation, and did not know
They have squatted in the mire of disgrace, not realizing
that life is mutual struggle and jostling.
That life is conflict and peril and war.
Sol 6.1