إِلى حَيث أَلقَت رَحلها أُم قشعم

إِلى حَيث أَلقَت رَحلها أُم قشعم

توجه فَما في الناس مِن متدم

توجه فَما في الناس مِن متدم

To where Umm Qash'am laid down her saddle,

To where Umm Qushaym pitched her tent, make your way

go, for none among the people mourns.

And bid the people no farewell or end-of-season goodbye

وَوَدع وَفارق أَرض مَصر وَلا تَعُد

وَوَدع وَفارق أَرض مَصر وَلا تَعُد

فَهَذا فراق خَير عيد وَمَوسم

فَهَذا فراق خَير عيد وَمَوسم

Bid farewell, leave the land of Egypt, and do not return;

Part from Egypt's land and do not return

for this parting is the finest feast and festival.

For this is a better parting than a feast or season

وَما وَاحد في الناس يُبدي تَلَفاً

وَما وَاحد في الناس يُبدي تَلَفاً

عَلَيكَ وَلَكن زودك بِأَسهُم

عَلَيكَ وَلَكن زودك بِأَسهُم

Not one among the people shows consuming grief

No one among the people shows you any destruction

over you; instead, he has provisioned you with arrows.

Yet they provisioned you with their arrows

وَلا تغترر بِالناس عِندَ وَداعهم

وَلا تغترر بِالناس عِندَ وَداعهم

فَهُم أُمم راعوا المَودة بِالفَم

فَهُم أُمم راعوا المَودة بِالفَم

Do not be deceived by people when they bid farewell;

Do not be fooled by people's farewells

they are multitudes who honored affection only with their mouths.

They are nations who showed affection only outwardly

وَفَيهم قُلوب أَفعمت بِكَراهة

وَفَيهم قُلوب أَفعمت بِكَراهة

لِأَنك فيهُم كُنت أَول أَرقَم

لِأَنك فيهُم كُنت أَول أَرقَم

Within them are hearts filled with hatred,

In their mouths are hearts filled with hatred

because among them you were the foremost speckled viper.

Because you among them were the first mark

وَدَمعهمو إِذ سالَ ماء قُلوبهم

وَدَمعهمو إِذ سالَ ماء قُلوبهم

وَكُل إِناء فاضَ عِندَ تَفعم

وَكُل إِناء فاضَ عِندَ تَفعم

Their tears, when they flowed, were the water of their hearts;

And their tears, when they flowed like the water of their hearts

every vessel overflows when it becomes full.

Each vessel overflowed when stirred

وَما سرهم إِلا بِعادك عَنهمو

وَما سرهم إِلا بِعادك عَنهمو

فَنالوا مِن العَليا عَظيم التَقَدُم

فَنالوا مِن العَليا عَظيم التَقَدُم

Nothing pleased them but your departure from them,

And their secret was only your absence from them

so they attained great advancement in high rank.

Thus they attained the utmost advancement

وَما دُمت فيهم فَالعَذاب مُحيطهم

وَما دُمت فيهم فَالعَذاب مُحيطهم

وَلَكنهم بَعدَ النَوى في تَنعم

وَلَكنهم بَعدَ النَوى في تَنعم

As long as you remained among them, torment surrounded them;

While you remained among them, torment encompassed them

but after the separation, they live in comfort.

But after intention, they are in bliss

جَنحت إِلى باريس تَبغي تَقُدماً

جَنحت إِلى باريس تَبغي تَقُدماً

وَلَكن بانجاز إِلى الطُرق تَنتَمي

وَلَكن بانجاز إِلى الطُرق تَنتَمي

You turned toward Paris, seeking advancement,

You sailed to Paris seeking progress

yet through accomplishment you belong to the roads [wording unclear].

Yet in accomplishing the paths you conform to

وَتِلكَ بداء عز في مَصر طبه

وَتِلكَ بداء عز في مَصر طبه

فَسافَرت باريساً لِطب وَمَغنَم

فَسافَرت باريساً لِطب وَمَغنَم

And that was for an ailment whose cure was elusive in Egypt;

That is the iniquity of honor in Egypt cured

so you traveled to Paris for treatment and gain.

So you traveled Paris-ward for medicine and spoils

وَباريس لَما أَن رَأَتك لَقَد بَكَت

وَباريس لَما أَن رَأَتك لَقَد بَكَت

قُدومك فيها كانَ أَول مأتم

قُدومك فيها كانَ أَول مأتم

When Paris saw you, she indeed wept;

When Paris saw you she wept

your arrival there was the first occasion of mourning.

For your arrival in her was the first calamity

فَيا وَيلَها حل العَذاب بِأَهلِها

فَيا وَيلَها حل العَذاب بِأَهلِها

وَسَوف يَعم الجيل بَعدَ التَعَلُم

وَسَوف يَعم الجيل بَعدَ التَعَلُم

Ah, woe to her! Torment descended upon her people,

Oh woe to her people, torment befell them

and after your education it will engulf the generation.

And ignorance will encompass the generation after learning

فَأَنتَ أَبو جَهل وَجَبلك مورث

فَأَنتَ أَبو جَهل وَجَبلك مورث

وَمَن خالف الآباء في الجَهل يَظلم

وَمَن خالف الآباء في الجَهل يَظلم

For you are Abu Jahl, and your nature is inherited;

You are Abu Jahl and your nature inherited

whoever differs from his fathers in ignorance does wrong.

And whoever differs from their fathers in ignorance wrongs himself

وَرثت مِن الآباء كُل وَضيعة

وَرثت مِن الآباء كُل وَضيعة

وَفقت عَلَيهُم في الخَنا وَالمَحرم

وَفقت عَلَيهُم في الخَنا وَالمَحرم

You inherited every base trait from your fathers,

You inherited from your forefathers every disgrace

and surpassed them in obscenity and the forbidden.

And surpassed them in wickedness and prohibition

وَمَهما يَكُن عِند امرئ مِن خَليقة

وَمَهما يَكُن عِند امرئ مِن خَليقة

وَإِن خالَها تَخفي عَلى الناس تَعلم

وَإِن خالَها تَخفي عَلى الناس تَعلم

Whatever trait a person may possess,

However much natural disposition a man may have

even if he thinks it hidden from people, becomes known.

And if he differs from it, it is hidden from people, he knows

وَلا تَنتَظر نَبل المَعالي برحلة

وَلا تَنتَظر نَبل المَعالي برحلة

فَجفن المَعالي عَن وُجودك قَد عَمى

فَجفن المَعالي عَن وُجودك قَد عَمى

Do not expect noble honors from a journey;

Do not expect the nobility of high moral character from a journey

for the eyelid of high honors has gone blind to your existence.

For the eyelids of high moral character toward your existence are blind

وَمَسعاك في نَيل المَعالي مَخيب

وَمَسعاك في نَيل المَعالي مَخيب

وَإِن جَلت في الدُنيا فَغَير معظم

وَإِن جَلت في الدُنيا فَغَير معظم

Your striving to attain high honors is fruitless,

And your hearing the attainment of high moral character is disappointing

and even if you roam the world, you remain unhonored.

And however prominent in the world you are, you are not respected

وَفيكَ خِصال لَو تُبدي قَلبلها

وَفيكَ خِصال لَو تُبدي قَلبلها

عَلى العَذب صارَ العَذب صابَ بن عَلقم

عَلى العَذب صارَ العَذب صابَ بن عَلقم

Within you are traits: if you revealed a few of them

In you are traits, if you disclosed a few

to sweet water, it would become bitter spurge, son of colocynth.

The sweet would become like Zabn Alqum

وَلَو كانَ مَكتوب مِن اسمك أَحرُفاً

وَلَو كانَ مَكتوب مِن اسمك أَحرُفاً

عَلى المسك صار المسك غَير مقوم

عَلى المسك صار المسك غَير مقوم

And if a few letters of your name were written

And if letters of your name were written

upon musk, the musk would become worthless.

Musk would become unsavory

وَفي اسمك مَأوى السُم لَو نَطقت بِهِ

وَفي اسمك مَأوى السُم لَو نَطقت بِهِ

جَميع الوَرى ماتَت عَلى غَير مَأتم

جَميع الوَرى ماتَت عَلى غَير مَأتم

Your name is a lair of poison: if you uttered it,

In your name lies the shelter of poison, if you uttered it

all humankind would die without a funeral.

All creation would die without funeral

وَآدم لَو يَدري بِأَنك في الوَرى

وَآدم لَو يَدري بِأَنك في الوَرى

سَتَبقى لا ودى الخصينتين بِمعدم

سَتَبقى لا ودى الخصينتين بِمعدم

And if Adam knew that among humankind

And if Adam knew that you would remain in existence

you would remain, he would surely destroy his testicles by some deadly means [reading uncertain],

He would have divorced Eve irrevocably

وَطَلق حَواء طَلاقاً مثلثاً

وَطَلق حَواء طَلاقاً مثلثاً

وَهَذا طَلاق وَاجب لَم يَحرم

وَهَذا طَلاق وَاجب لَم يَحرم

and divorce Eve three times over.

For that is an obligatory divorce not prohibited

Such a divorce would be obligatory, not forbidden,

Because you made him through you disobedient

لِأَنك قَد صَيرته بِكَ عاصِياً

لِأَنك قَد صَيرته بِكَ عاصِياً

وَصَيَرت إِبليساً عَدواً لِآدم

وَصَيَرت إِبليساً عَدواً لِآدم

because you have made him disobedient on your account,

And Satan an enemy of Adam

and made Iblis an enemy of Adam.

And stingy with prostration, for he

وَصارَ بَخيلاً بِالسُجود لِأَنَّهُ

وَصارَ بَخيلاً بِالسُجود لِأَنَّهُ

رَآك بِمأواهم بِأَمر محتم

رَآك بِمأواهم بِأَمر محتم

He became grudging of prostration because

Saw you in their dwelling by decree

he saw you in their abode by an inevitable decree.

In you lies the lewdness of the Time of Ignorance that never

وَفيكَ سَفاح الجاهِلية لَم يَزَل

وَفيكَ سَفاح الجاهِلية لَم يَزَل

لَهُ لبد أَظفاره لَم تقلم

لَهُ لبد أَظفاره لَم تقلم

Within you, the slaughterer of the Age of Ignorance still

Ceased to have claws that were not clipped

has a mane; his claws have never been clipped.

I invoke upon you the curse of God for as long as He is Capable

لَعَنت بِلَعن اللَه ما دامَ قادِراً

لَعَنت بِلَعن اللَه ما دامَ قادِراً

وَمُتَصِفاً دُنيا وَأُخرى بِمنعم

وَمُتَصِفاً دُنيا وَأُخرى بِمنعم

May you be cursed with God's curse as long as He remains powerful

And Characterizer of the life of this world and the next with blessing

and is a bestower of blessings in this world and the next.

Whoever is pleased that you should love him

وَمَن كانَ يَرضي أَن تَكون محبه

وَمَن كانَ يَرضي أَن تَكون محبه

يَدرس بِأَنياب وَيوطأ بِمنسم

يَدرس بِأَنياب وَيوطأ بِمنسم

Whoever would be pleased to have you as his friend,

Will be gored by fangs and trampled by hooves

may he be crushed by fangs and trampled under a camel's foot.

You have not ceased corrupting the land when you travel

فَلا زِلت بِالضَراء في الأَرض مُفسِداً

فَلا زِلت بِالضَراء في الأَرض مُفسِداً

لَكَ الشَر مَهما سِرت أَعظَم تَوأم

لَكَ الشَر مَهما سِرت أَعظَم تَوأم

May you ever be a corrupter on earth amid adversity;

For you evil is greatest whenever you are concealed

wherever you go, evil is your greatest twin.

And you have not ceased to be blamed, having left Egypt

وَلا زِلت مَذموماً لِمَصر مُفارِقاً

وَلا زِلت مَذموماً لِمَصر مُفارِقاً

وَفي غَيرِها لا زِلت غَير مُكرم

وَفي غَيرِها لا زِلت غَير مُكرم

May you remain reviled, parted from Egypt,

And in other than it, you have not ceased to be disrespected

and elsewhere may you remain unhonored.

May God not return you to Egypt again

وَلا رَدَكَ اللَه إِلَيَ مَصر تانِياً

وَلا رَدَكَ اللَه إِلَيَ مَصر تانِياً

وَقَد ذُقت مِن بَحر الرَدى شَر مطعم

وَقَد ذُقت مِن بَحر الرَدى شَر مطعم

May God never bring you back to Egypt again,

Since you have tasted the bitterest flavor from the sea of harm

having tasted the worst fare from the sea of perdition.

And may your blameworthy action remain chronicled

وَدامَ لَكَ الفعل الذَميم مُؤرِخاً

وَدامَ لَكَ الفعل الذَميم مُؤرِخاً

إِلَيكَ عَذاب وافر في جَهَنَم

إِلَيكَ عَذاب وافر في جَهَنَم

May your vile deed endure, recording:

To you abundant torment in Hellfire

For you, abundant torment in Hell.