1. بَني القِبطِ إِخوانُ الدُهورِ رُوَيدَكُم

    هَبوهُ يَسوعاً في البَرِيَّةِ ثانِيا

    Sons of the Copts, brothers through the ages, be patient.

    Suppose him to be a second Jesus among humankind.

  2. حَمَلتُم لِحِكمِ اللَهِ صَلبَ اِبنِ مَريَمٍ

    وَهَذا قَضاءُ اللَهِ قَد غالَ غالِيا

    You endured, under God's decree, the crucifixion of Mary's son;

    And this is God's decree: it has claimed dear Ghali.

  3. سَديدُ المَرامي قَد رَماهُ مُسَدِّدٌ

    وَداهِيَةُ السُوّاسِ لاقى الدَواهِيا

    He whose aims were true was shot by a sure marksman,

    And the shrewdest of statesmen met with calamities.

  4. وَوَاللَهِ أَو لَم يُطلِقِ النارَ مُطلِقٌ

    عَلَيهِ لَأَودى فَجأَةً أَو تَداوِيا

    And, by God, whether or not a shooter had opened fire

    Upon him, he would surely have died suddenly or while under treatment.

  5. قَضاءٌ وَمِقدارٌ وَآجالُ أَنفُسٍ

    إِذا هِيَ حانَت لَم تُؤَخَّر ثَوانِيا

    Decree and destiny, and the appointed terms of souls—

    When they come due, they are not postponed even for seconds.

  6. نَبيدُ كَما بادَت قَبائِلُ قَبلَنا

    وَيَبقى الأَنامُ اِثنَينِ مَيتاً وَناعِيا

    We perish, as tribes before us perished,

    And humankind remains two kinds: the dead and those who announce their deaths.

  7. تَعالَوا عَسى نَطوي الجَفاءَ وَعَهدَهُ

    وَنَنبِذُ أَسبابَ الشِقاقِ نَواحِيا

    Come, perhaps we may fold away estrangement and its era,

    And cast the causes of discord aside.

  8. أَلَم تَكُ مِصرٌ مَهدَنا ثُمَّ لَحدَنا

    وَبَينَهُما كانَت لِكُلٍّ مَغانِيا

    Was Egypt not our cradle, then our grave,

    And, between the two, homes for each of us?

  9. أَلَم نَكُ مِن قَبلِ المَسيحِ اِبنِ مَريَمٍ

    وَموسى وَطَهَ نَعبُدُ النيلَ جارِيا

    Were we not, before Christ, the son of Mary,

    And Moses and Taha, worshipping the flowing Nile?

  10. فَهَلّا تَساقَينا عَلى حُبِّهِ الهَوى

    وَهَلّا فَدَيناهُ ضِفافاً وَوادِيا

    Then why not share draughts of affection in our love for it,

    And why not sacrifice ourselves for it—its banks and valley?

  11. وَما زالَ مِنكُم أَهلُ وُدٍّ وَرَحمَةٍ

    وَفي المُسلِمينَ الخَيرُ ما زالَ باقِيا

    And among you there are still people of affection and compassion,

    And goodness still remains among the Muslims.

  12. فَلا يَثنِكُم عَن ذِمَّةٍ قَتلُ بُطرُسٍ

    فَقِدماً عَرَفنا القَتلَ في الناسِ فاشِيا

    So let the killing of Boutros not turn you from your covenant;

    For we have long known killing to be rife among people.