مَضى الرَأيُ حَتّى ما لَنا مُتَرَدَّدُ

مَضى الرَأيُ حَتّى ما لَنا مُتَرَدَّدُ

فَجِدُّوا وَلَمّا يَمضِ لِلجِدِّ مَوعِدُ

فَجِدُّوا وَلَمّا يَمضِ لِلجِدِّ مَوعِدُ

The decision is settled, leaving us no room to waver.

The opinion has passed, we have no more hesitation

So act in earnest; the time for earnest action has not yet passed.

So be serious, before the time of seriousness expires

هِيَ الحادِثاتُ اِستَوفَضَت تَتَمَرَّدُ

هِيَ الحادِثاتُ اِستَوفَضَت تَتَمَرَّدُ

فَلا تَذَرُنَّ اليَومَ يَتبَعُهُ الغَدُ

فَلا تَذَرُنَّ اليَومَ يَتبَعُهُ الغَدُ

These are calamities, rushing forth in rebellion.

Events have rebelled, going out of control

So never let today slip away with tomorrow following it.

So do not leave today to be followed by tomorrow

أَنَسكُنُ وَالأَهرامُ مُرتَجَّةُ الذُرى

أَنَسكُنُ وَالأَهرامُ مُرتَجَّةُ الذُرى

وَنَرضى وَأَمرُ النيلِ فَوضى مُبَدَّدُ

وَنَرضى وَأَمرُ النيلِ فَوضى مُبَدَّدُ

Shall we be still while the pyramids' summits quake,

Shall we be complacent, while the pyramids are shaken?

and be content while the Nile's affairs lie in chaos and disarray?

Shall we be satisfied, while the Nile is in chaos?

رَمى جَدَّهُ قَومٌ تَظَلُّ سِهامُهُم

رَمى جَدَّهُ قَومٌ تَظَلُّ سِهامُهُم

بِأَحشائِهِ مِنها مُصيبٌ وَمُقصِدُ

بِأَحشائِهِ مِنها مُصيبٌ وَمُقصِدُ

A people have assailed its fortune; their arrows remain

A people have cast their grandfather aside, while their arrows

in its entrails, some hitting their mark, others killing outright.

Wound his entrails, some hit and some miss

إِذا ما اِستَقَرَّت في الجَوانِحِ هاجَها

إِذا ما اِستَقَرَّت في الجَوانِحِ هاجَها

بُكاءُ الثَكالى وَالرَنينُ المُرَدَّدُ

بُكاءُ الثَكالى وَالرَنينُ المُرَدَّدُ

When they settle among the ribs, they are stirred by

When sorrow settles deeply in the souls

the weeping of bereaved mothers and the repeated wailing.

The weeping of widows and the cries echo

أَلا إِنَّهُ الشَعبُ الجَريحُ المُصفَّدُ

أَلا إِنَّهُ الشَعبُ الجَريحُ المُصفَّدُ

فَمَن يَكُ ذا جِدٍّ فَقَد أَقصَرَ الدَدُ

فَمَن يَكُ ذا جِدٍّ فَقَد أَقصَرَ الدَدُ

Behold, it is the wounded, fettered people!

Indeed it is the wounded and shackled people

So, for anyone in earnest, the time for frivolity is over.

So who will have enough diligence? The debt is great

لَعَمرُكَ ما يَعتامُ ذو الحَزمِ خُطَّةً

لَعَمرُكَ ما يَعتامُ ذو الحَزمِ خُطَّةً

فَيَعمَدُ إِلّا لِلَّتي هِيَ أَرشَدُ

فَيَعمَدُ إِلّا لِلَّتي هِيَ أَرشَدُ

By your life, a prudent man chooses no course

By your life, one with wisdom does not scheme

to pursue except the wisest one.

Except for that which is most proper

أَما وَالأُسارى اللاعِبينَ لَقَد بَكَت

أَما وَالأُسارى اللاعِبينَ لَقَد بَكَت

قُيودُهُمُ اللاتي تُغارُ وَتُحصَدُ

قُيودُهُمُ اللاتي تُغارُ وَتُحصَدُ

Indeed, by the captives at play, tears have been shed

Indeed, the shackles of the playful prisoners have wept

by their bonds, tightly twisted and firmly plaited.

Bonds which they envy and harvest

يَرَونَ وُجوهَ الأَمرِ يُمناً وَقَد جَرى

يَرَونَ وُجوهَ الأَمرِ يُمناً وَقَد جَرى

بهِ الطَيرُ نَحساً فَهوَ أَشأَمُ أَنكَدُ

بهِ الطَيرُ نَحساً فَهوَ أَشأَمُ أَنكَدُ

They see good fortune in the matter's aspects, though there have already flown

They see the face of affairs auspiciously, though which

birds bearing ill omen for it: it is most ill-starred and wretched.

Birds have flown inauspiciously, and it is most ominous

إِذا بَشَّرَ الأَقوامَ بِالوَيلِ صائِحٌ

إِذا بَشَّرَ الأَقوامَ بِالوَيلِ صائِحٌ

فَماذا يَقولُ المُنذِرُ المُتَهَدِّدُ

فَماذا يَقولُ المُنذِرُ المُتَهَدِّدُ

If a crier brings the peoples glad tidings of woe,

When a herald warns the people of woe

then what will the threatening warner say?

What does the threatening warner say?

أَبَينا فَما نَرضى مِنَ الأَمرِ ما رَضوا

أَبَينا فَما نَرضى مِنَ الأَمرِ ما رَضوا

وَإِنّا لَنَستَعلي فَنَأبى وَنَحرَدُ

وَإِنّا لَنَستَعلي فَنَأبى وَنَحرَدُ

We have refused, and will not accept in this matter what they accepted.

Our fathers, we are not content with what they were content with

And we shall indeed stand proud, refuse, and rage.

And we still rebel, refuse, and recoil

أَنُذعِنُ لِلحُكمَينِ أَمّا الَّذي لَهُم

أَنُذعِنُ لِلحُكمَينِ أَمّا الَّذي لَهُم

فَجَمٌّ وَأَمّا ما لَنا فَمُصَرَّدُ

فَجَمٌّ وَأَمّا ما لَنا فَمُصَرَّدُ

Shall we submit to the two rulings? As for theirs,

Shall we surrender to the two rulers? As for theirs,

it is abundant, while what is ours is scantily given.

It is compulsion, and as for ours, it is rejection

عَذيري مِنَ المَحروبِ يُسلِمُ نَفسَهُ

عَذيري مِنَ المَحروبِ يُسلِمُ نَفسَهُ

فَلا عِرضُهُ يَبقى وَلا هُوَ يُحمَدُ

فَلا عِرضُهُ يَبقى وَلا هُوَ يُحمَدُ

Who will excuse my reproach of the despoiled man who surrenders himself?

My excuse to the warring one who surrenders himself

Thus neither his honor survives nor is he praised.

Is that neither his honor remains nor is he praiseworthy