شكوتُ شكوى الأبيِّ الشجو والشجنا

شكوتُ شكوى الأبيِّ الشجو والشجنا

ولم أجد منكمُ قلباً ولا أذنا

ولم أجد منكمُ قلباً ولا أذنا

I lamented sorrow and anguish with an unbowed man's lament,

I complained the complaint of the afflicted father, lamenting and grieving,

but found among you neither a heart nor an ear.

Yet I did not find in you a heart or an ear,

أنا الجريح وما أجزى التي جرحت

أنا الجريح وما أجزى التي جرحت

أنا الطعين وما أجزى الذي طعنا

أنا الطعين وما أجزى الذي طعنا

I am the wounded one, yet I do not repay her who wounded me in kind;

I am the wounded, and how unworthy is the one who wounded me,

I am the stabbed one, yet I do not repay him who stabbed me in kind.

I am the stabbed, and how unworthy is the one who stabbed.

توزعتنيَ آمالٌ هنالك في

توزعتنيَ آمالٌ هنالك في

أسر الليالي وآلام تزيد هنا

أسر الليالي وآلام تزيد هنا

I am torn between hopes there, in

Hopes distributed me there among the bonds of nights,

the captivity of nights, and pains that grow here.

And pains increase here,

كابدت بينكمُ وجد الغريب وما

كابدت بينكمُ وجد الغريب وما

فارقت أهلي ولا هاجرت لي وطنا

فارقت أهلي ولا هاجرت لي وطنا

Among you I endured a stranger's anguish, though

I endured among you the loneliness of a stranger, and did not

I had neither left my kin nor emigrated from my homeland.

Leave my family or emigrate to me a homeland,

مبشراً ونذيراً عشت فيه فمن

مبشراً ونذيراً عشت فيه فمن

أساغ لي الماء أو أدلى لي الغصنا

أساغ لي الماء أو أدلى لي الغصنا

I lived there bringing glad tidings and warnings; who, then,

As a harbinger and warner I lived among you, so who

made water easy for me to swallow, or lowered a bough to me?

Made the water easy for me or lowered the branch for me?

بعدت من نيله عن بارد طلق

بعدت من نيله عن بارد طلق

وبت أجرع من أفيان ما سخنا

وبت أجرع من أفيان ما سخنا

I was far from the cool, refreshing water of its Nile,

After being denied it from the cold lips,

and spent my nights gulping heated water from Évian.

I spent the night swallowing the hot intestines.

أبالعقاقير أحشاءٌ تسيرني

أبالعقاقير أحشاءٌ تسيرني

من بعد ما أصبحت لا تهضم اللبنا

من بعد ما أصبحت لا تهضم اللبنا

Can my innards keep me going with medicines,

With medicines, do I have intestines that drive me

now that they can no longer digest milk?

After they became unable to digest milk?

أضحت تنازعني الخطو السقام وكم

أضحت تنازعني الخطو السقام وكم

نازعت في صحتي الأقدار والزمنا

نازعت في صحتي الأقدار والزمنا

Sickness now contests my steps, and how often

Exertion and disease have come to vie with me, and how much

in health I wrestled with fate and time!

Did the fates and time vie with me in my health?

لو يُبرِئُ النفسَ ممَّا بتُّ أحمله

لو يُبرِئُ النفسَ ممَّا بتُّ أحمله

من همِّ مصر طبيبٌ أبرأ البدنا

من همِّ مصر طبيبٌ أبرأ البدنا

If a physician could heal my soul of the burden I now bear

If a doctor could heal the soul from what I carry

of anguish for Egypt, he would heal my body.

Of the concerns of Egypt, he would have healed the body.

عاتبتكم ولكم مني شفيعكمُ

عاتبتكم ولكم مني شفيعكمُ

أحق بالعتب من لا يعرف الضغنا

أحق بالعتب من لا يعرف الضغنا

I reproached you, yet you have in me your advocate;

I reproached you, and you have in me an intercessor for you

he who knows no rancor has the best right to reproach.

More deserving of reproach than one who does not know rancor.

أعودكم وأواسيكم وتحملكم

أعودكم وأواسيكم وتحملكم

جوانحي وأنا العاني العليل أنا

جوانحي وأنا العاني العليل أنا

I visit you in sickness and comfort you, and you are held

I return to you and console you and carry you

within my breast, though I am the captive, the ailing one—I.

On my wings, while I am the suffering, the ill one.

وما لقيت من الأعداء مظلمة

وما لقيت من الأعداء مظلمة

كما لقيت من الأحباب مفتتنا

كما لقيت من الأحباب مفتتنا

I never suffered an injustice from enemies

And I did not face from the enemies an injustice

like what I suffered from loved ones, sorely tried.

Like what I faced from the loved ones, tempted.

وما بكيتُ على شملي وعافيتي

وما بكيتُ على شملي وعافيتي

كما بكيت على ميثاقكم حزنا

كما بكيت على ميثاقكم حزنا

I never wept over my family ties and health

And I did not cry over my well-being and health

as I wept in grief over your covenant.

As I cried over your covenant, grieving.

كادت تضيع حياتي بينكم عبثاً

كادت تضيع حياتي بينكم عبثاً

وما وهَى ليَ إيمانٌ ولا وهنا

وما وهَى ليَ إيمانٌ ولا وهنا

My life almost went to waste among you,

My life nearly vanished among you in vain,

yet my faith never faltered or grew weak.

And no faith or resolve wavered in me.

أين الدواء لعلي أسترد لكم

أين الدواء لعلي أسترد لكم

عزمي وأشهد يوماً بينكم حسنا

عزمي وأشهد يوماً بينكم حسنا

Where is the remedy, that I might regain for you

Where is the remedy, that I may regain for you

my resolve, and see a happy day among you?

My resolve, and one day witness goodness among you?

فدى لحرية الوادي الحياة فدىً

فدى لحرية الوادي الحياة فدىً

وإنّني مستقلٌّ ذلك الثمنا

وإنّني مستقلٌّ ذلك الثمنا

Life is a ransom for the valley's freedom—a ransom!

The life was redeemed for the freedom of the valley, redeemed,

And I deem that price a small one.

And I am independent, that price.

فكوا وثاقي أسر عنكم إلى أمد

فكوا وثاقي أسر عنكم إلى أمد

أعيا النواشط في الأمصار والسفنا

أعيا النواشط في الأمصار والسفنا

Loose my bonds: I will journey away from you to a destination

So release my shackles, free from you for a period

beyond the reach of swift travelers through cities and of ships.

Whose duration exhausts the seekers in cities and ships.

قاسيت في المدن ما ضاق الضمير به

قاسيت في المدن ما ضاق الضمير به

من يسترحْ في القرى لا يسكن المدنا

من يسترحْ في القرى لا يسكن المدنا

In cities I endured what oppressed the heart;

I suffered in the cities what the conscience was too narrow for,

whoever finds rest in villages will not dwell in cities.

One who rests in the villages does not inhabit the cities.

هل لي إلى البيد بعد المدن من سبب

هل لي إلى البيد بعد المدن من سبب

يوماً فقد ملَّ صدري جوَّها العَفِنا

يوماً فقد ملَّ صدري جوَّها العَفِنا

Is there a way for me to reach the deserts after the cities

Do I have to the wilderness after the cities any cause

one day? My breast has wearied of their fetid air.

One day? For my chest was filled with their rotten air.

مثلي هو الرجل الحر الوفيُّ على

مثلي هو الرجل الحر الوفيُّ على

علاته لمن استرعاه وائتمنا

علاته لمن استرعاه وائتمنا

A man like me is free and loyal, despite

One like me is the free, loyal man to

his infirmities, to whoever made him a guardian and trusted him.

His principles, for whoever employed him and entrusted him.

دعا الغريم إلى فصل الخطاب غداً

دعا الغريم إلى فصل الخطاب غداً

من ابتلى الداعيَ المدعُوَّ وامتحنا

من ابتلى الداعيَ المدعُوَّ وامتحنا

The adversary has been summoned to a decisive settlement tomorrow

The enemy called for the discourse to end tomorrow,

by the one who tried and tested caller and called.

Who tries the caller and the called and tests.

خافوا نفوسكمُ من قبل دفعكمُ

خافوا نفوسكمُ من قبل دفعكمُ

ذاك الدخيل القوي الهائل الخشنا

ذاك الدخيل القوي الهائل الخشنا

Beware your own selves before you repel

Fear for your souls before your driving away

that powerful, fearsome, harsh intruder.

That strong, tremendous, rude newcomer.

أرى الغضوب الذي طاشت مضاربه

أرى الغضوب الذي طاشت مضاربه

إليكمُ عاد يمحو ما قضى وجنى

إليكمُ عاد يمحو ما قضى وجنى

I see the wrathful one, whose blows went astray,

I see the wrath that has transgressed its bounds

return to you, undoing his decrees and the wrongs he wrought.

Returning to you, erasing what he ruled and reaped.

يا حبذا الصلح بين الجانبين كما

يا حبذا الصلح بين الجانبين كما

تقضي السماء وترضاه له ولنا

تقضي السماء وترضاه له ولنا

How welcome is peace between the two sides, as

O how excellent is reconciliation between the two sides, as

Heaven decrees and approves for him and for us!

The sky rules and approves for it and for us.

تستقبل اليومَ منه كلَّ ما اشترطت

تستقبل اليومَ منه كلَّ ما اشترطت

عليه مصر وشاءت لا كما أذنا

عليه مصر وشاءت لا كما أذنا

Today she receives from him all that

Today it receives from him all that Egypt stipulated

Egypt required of him and desired—not merely what he permitted.

Upon him, and what it desired, not as we permitted.

فما يثور عليها بعد ما سكنت

فما يثور عليها بعد ما سكنت

وما تثور عليه بعد ما سكنا

وما تثور عليه بعد ما سكنا

So he will not rise against her once she has grown calm,

So it does not revolt against it after it settled down,

nor will she rise against him once he has grown calm.

Nor does it revolt against him after we settled down.

يرعى ويضمن حقّاً أهلَ مصرَ غداً

يرعى ويضمن حقّاً أهلَ مصرَ غداً

لمن رعى لهمُ حقاً ومن ضمنا

لمن رعى لهمُ حقاً ومن ضمنا

Tomorrow Egypt's people will safeguard and guarantee a right

It observes and guarantees the right of Egypt’s people tomorrow

for whoever safeguarded a right for them, and whoever guaranteed it.

For whoever observed their right for them and guaranteed.

دعوا الوزارة للأمر المحيط بها

دعوا الوزارة للأمر المحيط بها

فللوئام المرجَّى ما بنت وبنى

فللوئام المرجَّى ما بنت وبنى

Leave the ministry to the circumstances surrounding it;

Leave the ministry for the matter encompassing it,

for what it has built, and he has built, serves the hoped-for concord.

For the hoped reconciliation what it built and founded,

إن الذي اختلفت فيه ظنونُكُمُ

إن الذي اختلفت فيه ظنونُكُمُ

من ذلك السر قد أرضاكمُ علنا

من ذلك السر قد أرضاكمُ علنا

Indeed, what your conjectures differed over

That which your assumptions differed about

in that secret has now openly satisfied you.

From that secret has pleased you publicly.

دستور مصرَ وليدٌ بينكم فخذوا

دستور مصرَ وليدٌ بينكم فخذوا

من السلام له مهداً ومحتضنا

من السلام له مهداً ومحتضنا

Egypt's constitution is a newborn among you; fashion

The constitution of Egypt is a newborn among you, so take

from peace a cradle for it and a nurturing embrace.

From peace a cradle and wet nurse for it.

وَعدٌ من الدهرِ قد أوفى لمصرَ به

وَعدٌ من الدهرِ قد أوفى لمصرَ به

وقد أطلَّ عليكم غيرُه ودنا

وقد أطلَّ عليكم غيرُه ودنا

A promise from time, now fulfilled for Egypt,

A promise from fate that has fulfilled for Egypt through it,

and another has appeared before you and drawn near.

And has turned to you other than it and come near.

وما نريد نصيب العرش منتقصاً

وما نريد نصيب العرش منتقصاً

وما نريد نصيب الشعب ممتهنا

وما نريد نصيب الشعب ممتهنا

We do not want the throne's share diminished,

And we do not want the share of the throne diminished,

nor do we want the people's share dishonored.

Nor the share of the people debased.

والنيل أجراه في واديه خالقه

والنيل أجراه في واديه خالقه

إن شاء أطلقه حراً أو اختزنا

إن شاء أطلقه حراً أو اختزنا

And the Nile—its Creator set it flowing in its valley;

And its Creator has flowed the Nile in its valley,

if He wills, He sets it free or holds it in store.

If He wills, He releases it free, or stores it.

لنا الكفاية من أقسامه وله

لنا الكفاية من أقسامه وله

أن يسقى الشام قسمٌ منه واليمنا

أن يسقى الشام قسمٌ منه واليمنا

We have enough from its allotted shares, and He may let

We have enough of its shares, and for Him

a portion of it water the Levant and Yemen.

Is to water Syria a share of it and Yemen.

وليس يصرفه في غير موضعه

وليس يصرفه في غير موضعه

من كاله وهو أنواء ومن وزنا

من كاله وهو أنواء ومن وزنا

Nor does He divert it from its proper place—

And none diverts it in other than its place,

He who measured it when it was rainfall, and He who weighed it.

Of those who measured it, and it is breaths and weight.