ياO عيدfestival of الاستقلالindependence أنyou (first part)
يا عيد الاستقلال أن
تَyou (completion) لهُof it خيالa phantom أمor حقيقَهْa reality
تَ لهُ خيال أم حقيقَهْ
O Independence Day, are you
O Independence Day, are you a fantasy or reality?
its phantom or its reality?
For liberation or for slavery, what did they outline in that document?
للعتقfor emancipation أمor للرقِّfor bondage ماwhat
للعتق أم للرقِّ ما
خطّوهthey inscribed it فيin تلكthat الوثيقهdocument
خطّوه في تلك الوثيقه
Was it freedom or bondage that
With celebrations, do the thirsty rejoice, and does the drowning celebrate?
they inscribed in that document?
After they blocked its path, does Egypt attain its goals?
أبمهرجانat a festival? تحتفيrejoices الthe
أبمهرجان تحتفي ال
ظمأىthirsty one وتحتفلand celebrates الغريقهthe drowning one
ظمأى وتحتفل الغريقه
At a festival, does the
They pretend to do good for it, yet its nature refuses.
thirsty one rejoice, and the drowning one celebrate?
If they freed the country yesterday, it is still not released from them.
وتنالand attains مصرEgypt مرامهاher goal
وتنال مصر مرامها
منfrom بعدafter ماthat سدّواthey blocked طريقهits path
من بعد ما سدّوا طريقه
And can Egypt attain her goal
The garden has become, but its fruits are for the stranger.
after they have barred the way to it?
And if one of its sons takes control, sister kills sister.
يتكلفونthey make a pretense of الصالحاgood deeds (first part)
يتكلفون الصالحا
تgood deeds (completion) لهاfor her وتأباهاand rejects them السليقهinnate nature
ت لها وتأباها السليقه
They make a show of good deeds
Can it choose today its fate with imported nations steering?
for her, though their nature rejects them.
Excuses are no cause for high aspirations.
إنif أطلقواthey freed أمسyesterday البلاthe country (first part)
إن أطلقوا أمس البلا
دthe country (completion) فمنهمُyet from them ليستshe is not طليقهfree
د فمنهمُ ليست طليقه
If yesterday they set the country free,
Also, the clouds rain down, and lightning flashes time and again.
it is not free of them.
In the horn they blow of warning, which we painted and blew.
وحديقةand a garden أضحتshe has become ولَbut (first part)
وحديقة أضحت ولَ
كنbut (completion) للغريبfor the stranger جنىfruit الحديقهthe garden
كن للغريب جنى الحديقه
And she has become a garden, but
After the pain we tasted, what pain should we fear?
the garden's fruit is the stranger's.
Do they want our market pillaged, and we don't frequent its stalls?
وإنand if استبدhe seized sole control بنيلهاof her Nile
وإن استبد بنيلها
قتلhe killed الشقيقةthe sister بالشقيقهwith the sister
قتل الشقيقة بالشقيقه
And if he seizes sole control of her Nile,
O State, we refuse your enmity and accept you as a friend!
he slays one sister with the other.
Will you rain injustice and we not try to stop it?
هلdo ...? تملكpossess اليومtoday اختياchoice (first part)
هل تملك اليوم اختيا
رchoice (completion) مصيرهاtheir destiny الأممthe nations المسوقهdriven along
ر مصيرها الأمم المسوقه
Can they choose today
You are neither merciful, nor is defiant Egypt content.
their destiny—the nations driven along?
And my liver burns for the valley's coveted freedom.
ليسis not التعللseeking solace بالمنىin wishes
ليس التعلل بالمنى
سبباًa means إلىto العقبىthe outcome السحيقهfar-distant
سبباً إلى العقبى السحيقه
Seeking solace in wishes is no
I find consent in spilling it.
means to the far-off goal.
I make it poetry filling the world, and all creation inclines an ear.
أيضنdoes it withhold? بالغيثwith rain السحاthe cloud (first part)
أيضن بالغيث السحا
بthe cloud (completion) وطالماand so often والىsent in succession بروقهits lightning flashes
ب وطالما والى بروقه
Does the cloud withhold the rain,
I find solace and avoid the woes of time and its narrowness.
though so often it has sent its lightning, flash on flash?
I replay the days of tender youth, splendid and elegant.
فيin بوقهhis trumpet نفخa blast النذيthe warner (first part)
في بوقه نفخ النذي
رِthe warner (completion) وقدand already بلوناهwe have tested him وبوقهand his trumpet
رِ وقد بلوناه وبوقه
In his trumpet is the warner's blast;
Whoever swims in its current today deserves its nectar tomorrow.
and we have already tested him and his trumpet.
Whoever takes from the great, takes from the good and wholesome.
أيwhat الأذىsuffering بعدafter الذيwhat
أي الأذى بعد الذي
ذقناهwe have tasted it نخشىwe fear أنto نذوقهwe taste it
ذقناه نخشى أن نذوقه
What suffering, after what
Are Egypt's leaders hesitant before an abyss profound?
we have tasted, do we fear to taste?
What punishment is more deserving of one who hurts his companion?
أيريدdoes he want? ماwhat فيin سوقناour market
أيريد ما في سوقنا
نهباًas plunder ولاand not نرتادwe frequent سوقهhis market
نهباً ولا نرتاد سوقه
Does he want what is in our market
The enemy returned to Egypt, scheming after his subtle deception.
as plunder, while we do not frequent his?
He exercises his might against it for his tender claim.
ياO دولةstate نأبىwe reject عداenmity (first part)
يا دولة نأبى عدا
وتهاher enmity (completion) ونرضاهاand accept her صديقهas a friend
وتها ونرضاها صديقه
O state whose enmity we reject
If you separate from him, you will all be one group.
and whom we accept as a friend,
If you wake from him, you will not wake easily.
هلwill ...? تنزلينyou inflict بناupon us الهواhumiliation (first part)
هل تنزلين بنا الهوا
نhumiliation (completion) ولاand not نحاولwe try أنto نعوقهwe hinder it
ن ولا نحاول أن نعوقه
will you bring humiliation upon us
Your proof is what you do today, not ancient relics.
without our trying to resist it?
With its new and old, the venerable nation prepares.
لاnot أنتyou راحمةmerciful ولاnor
لا أنت راحمة ولا
مصرEgypt الأبيةproud and unyielding بالمطيقهable to endure (emphatic)
مصر الأبية بالمطيقه
You are not merciful, nor
can proud Egypt endure it.
واحرَّah, the burning of أكبادlivers إلىfor
واحرَّ أكباد إلى
حريةfreedom الواديthe Valley مشوقهfilled with longing
حرية الوادي مشوقه
Ah, how the livers burn,
yearning for the Valley's freedom!
هذاthis is ذكيّglowing دميmy blood لهاfor her
هذا ذكيّ دمي لها
أجدI find الرضاcontentment فيin أنthat أريقهI shed it
أجد الرضا في أن أريقه
Here is my glowing blood for her;
I find contentment in shedding it.
أجريهI make it flow شعراًas poetry يملأfills الthe
أجريه شعراً يملأ ال
دنياworld ويستصغيand makes listen الخليقهcreation
دنيا ويستصغي الخليقه
I make it flow as verse that fills
the world and makes all creation listen.
أجدI find السلُوَّsolace وأتقيand guard against
أجد السلُوَّ وأتقي
نكدَthe misery of الزمانtime بهwith it وضيقهand its distress
نكدَ الزمان به وضيقه
I find solace and ward off
time's misery and distress through it.
وأعيدand bring back أيامthe days of الشباyouth (first part)
وأعيد أيام الشبا
بyouth (completion) الغضtender فاخرةsplendid أنيقهgraceful
ب الغض فاخرة أنيقه
And I bring back the days of
tender youth, splendid and graceful.
منwhoever سارtravels فيin تيارهits current الthe (in 'today')
من سار في تياره ال
يومday (in 'today') استحقdeserves غداًtomorrow رحيقهits nectar
يوم استحق غداً رحيقه
Whoever moves in its current
today deserves its nectar tomorrow.
منwhoever نالreceives منof ضخمweighty العظاthe admonitions (first part)
من نال من ضخم العظا
تthe admonitions (completion) ينلshall receive منof الملحthe witticisms الرشيقهgraceful
ت ينل من الملح الرشيقه
Whoever partakes of weighty admonitions
shall partake of graceful witticisms.
أتخاذلٌmutual abandonment? زعماءَO leaders of مصEgypt (first part)
أتخاذلٌ زعماءَ مص
رEgypt (completion) أمامbefore هاويةan abyss عميقهdeep
ر أمام هاوية عميقه
Do you abandon one another, leaders of Egypt,
before a deep abyss?
أيwhat العقابpunishment أحقmost fitting بالfor the
أي العقاب أحق بال
رجلman الذيwho يؤذيharms رفيقهhis companion
رجل الذي يؤذي رفيقه
What punishment best befits
the man who harms his companion?
عادresumed الغريمthe adversary لمصرtoward Egypt يعhe scowls (first part)
عاد الغريم لمصر يع
بسhe scowls (completion) بعدafter خدعتهhis deception الدقيقهsubtle
بس بعد خدعته الدقيقه
The adversary scowls at Egypt again,
after his subtle deception.
يقضيhe judges بشدةby the strength of بأسهhis might
يقضي بشدة بأسه
فيهاin her affairs لدعواهin favor of his claim الرقيقهflimsy
فيها لدعواه الرقيقه
He passes judgment by his sheer might
in her affairs, favoring his flimsy claim.
فإنso if افترقتمyou split apart عندهin his presence
فإن افترقتم عنده
كنتمyou would be جميعكمall of you فريقهhis faction
كنتم جميعكم فريقه
So if you divide in his presence,
you will all belong to his camp.
إنif تستفقshe recovers منهfrom him فماthen not
إن تستفق منه فما
هيshe منكمُfrom you بالمستفيقهrecovering (emphatic)
هي منكمُ بالمستفيقه
If she recovers from him,
she will not recover from you.
برهانكمyour proof ماwhat تعملوyou do (first part)
برهانكم ما تعملو
نyou do (completion) اليومtoday لاnot التحفthe treasures العتيقهancient
ن اليوم لا التحف العتيقه
Your proof is what you do
today, not ancient treasures.
بجديدهاwith their new وقديمهاand their old
بجديدها وقديمها
تتأهبprepare themselves الأممthe nations العريقهdeep-rooted
تتأهب الأمم العريقه
With both their new and their old,
deep-rooted nations prepare themselves.
Partial English translation: 32 of 64 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1