فزعتI was alarmed منby اختلافthe discord of القومthe people حيناًfor a time
فزعت من اختلاف القوم حيناً
أناديهمI call to them فلاyet not أجدI find الجواباthe answer
أناديهم فلا أجد الجوابا
For a time I was alarmed by the people's discord,
I was alarmed by the discord among the people for a while
calling to them, yet finding no reply.
I called out to them but found no response
وكمand how often ساويتI treated equally بنيهمُtheir sons بنصحيwith my counsel
وكم ساويت بنيهمُ بنصحي
فلاyet neither الراضينthe contented هزّit stirred ولاnor الغضاباthe angry
فلا الراضين هزّ ولا الغضابا
How often I treated their sons alike in my counsel,
How often did I make them equal with my advice
yet it stirred neither the contented nor the angry.
Yet neither the content nor the angry were swayed
وماand not منfrom any شيعةfaction لاقيتI found عتبيmy satisfaction
وما من شيعة لاقيت عتبي
ولكنيbut I صدقتهمwas frank with them العتاباin reproach
ولكني صدقتهم العتابا
From no faction did I find satisfaction,
And I met no fault from a group
yet I was sincere in my reproach of them.
Except that I sincerely reproached them
وموتيand my death دونهمin their defense فيin الحربwar خيرbetter
وموتي دونهم في الحرب خير
لمصرfor Egypt وليand for me منthan الموتdeath اكتئاباfrom despondency
لمصر ولي من الموت اكتئابا
My dying in their defense in war is better
And my death in battle for them is better
for Egypt and for me than dying of despondency.
For Egypt, than living in melancholy
وقدand indeed جمعتهمُbrought them together بعدafter افتراقdivision
وقد جمعتهمُ بعد افتراق
محبةlove of مصرEgypt فاقتبلواso they met one another صِحاباas friends
محبة مصر فاقتبلوا صِحابا
After division, they were brought together
And I gathered them after separation
by love of Egypt—so they met as friends—
With the love of Egypt they embraced companions
وضمand the gathering المجلسينthe two chambers لكلfor every نجوىconsultation
وضم المجلسين لكل نجوى
شيوخthe elders of الشعبthe people صفاًin one rank والشباباand the young
شيوخ الشعب صفاً والشبابا
and by the two chambers' gathering, for every consultation,
And the joining of the two councils for every whisper
of the people's elders and youth into one rank.
The elders of the nation in rows and the youth
وأصبحand became عونa helper to منthe one whom ولاهhe entrusted him with منهمfrom among them
وأصبح عون من ولاه منهم
مقاليدthe reins of الحكومةgovernment منthe one who أناباdelegated authority
مقاليد الحكومة من أنابا
And the man he appointed from among them gained a helper:
And the one I appointed from them to rule
the one who had delegated to him the reins of government.
Became the holder of the reins of government by my designation
وجاءواand they came بالكتابwith the document سفيرan envoy of عهدٍa covenant
وجاءوا بالكتاب سفير عهدٍ
وصفُّواand they settled بينهمamong themselves ذاكthat الحساباaccount
وصفُّوا بينهم ذاك الحسابا
They brought the document, an envoy of a covenant,
And they came with a letter, an ambassador of a covenant
and settled that account among themselves.
And they enumerated between them that account
وكانand was صنيعهمtheir deed عنديin my view قضاءa fulfillment
وكان صنيعهم عندي قضاء
لحقof the due owed to الملكthe king أنthat عرفواthey recognized الصواباwhat was right
لحق الملك أن عرفوا الصوابا
Their deed, to my mind, was the discharge
And their action with me was to fulfill
of their duty to the king: they had recognized what was right.
The right of the kingdom, recognizing what is right
وإنand if وجبis due الثوابthe reward غداًtomorrow لمثليto one like me
وإن وجب الثواب غداً لمثلي
فحسبيthen enough for me جمعgathering شملهمُtheir ranks ثواباas a reward
فحسبي جمع شملهمُ ثوابا
And if tomorrow reward is due to one like me,
And if reward is due tomorrow for the likes of me
their reunion is reward enough for me.
My reward was reuniting them
يردونthey repel العواديcalamities عنfrom حماهمtheir homeland
يردون العوادي عن حماهم
وقدthough indeed نزلتthey have descended بغيرهمُupon others than them عذاباas torment
وقد نزلت بغيرهمُ عذابا
They ward off calamities from their homeland,
They repel the aggressors from their protector
though these have descended on others as torment.
While torment has descended upon others
وقدand indeed سبقsurpassed القيامةthe Day of Resurrection فيin مداهاits extent
وقد سبق القيامة في مداها
عتاةthe tyrants of الحربwar هولاًin terror واضطراباand turmoil
عتاة الحرب هولاً واضطرابا
The Day of Resurrection, in all its vastness, has been surpassed
And doomsday has already begun in its course
by war's tyrants in terror and turmoil.
The terror and turmoil of the tyrants of war
فلاso no غيرother than الدمارdestruction نرىwe see سيولاًtorrents
فلا غير الدمار نرى سيولاً
ولاand no غيرother than السعيرblazing fire نرىwe see سحاباclouds
ولا غير السعير نرى سحابا
So we see no torrents but destruction,
So we see nothing but destruction in its flooding
and no clouds but blazing fire.
And nothing but inferno in its clouds
ولاand not أدريI know أللرزقwas it for sustenance? استبدّواthey acted tyrannically
ولا أدري أللرزق استبدّوا
غلاباًby force أمor ليمتلكواso they might possess الرقاباmen's necks
غلاباً أم ليمتلكوا الرقابا
I do not know: was it for sustenance they tyrannized,
And I do not know if they have monopolized
by force, or to take possession of men's necks?
Sustenance out of tyranny, or to possess the slaves
ولاand not أدريI know لمنto whom فيon الأرضearth منهمamong them
ولا أدري لمن في الأرض منهم
مرافقهاits resources إذاwhen عادتit has become خراباa wasteland
مرافقها إذا عادت خرابا
Nor do I know which of them on earth will possess
And I do not know for whom among them
its resources once it has become a wasteland.
Are its pathways, if it returns to ruin
وقدand perhaps يأتيthere comes علىupon الإنسانhumankind حينٌa time
وقد يأتي على الإنسان حينٌ
فلاand then not يجدone finds الطعامfood أوor الشراباdrink
فلا يجد الطعام أو الشرابا
And a time may come upon humankind
And there may come a time upon man
when neither food nor drink can be found.
When he finds neither food nor drink
Sol 6.1