1. لَقَد لَبّى زَعيمُكُمُ النِداءَ

    عَزاءً أَهلَ دِمياطٍ عَزاءَ

    Your leader has indeed answered the call.

    Take comfort, people of Damietta, take comfort.

  2. وَإِن كانَ المُعَزّي وَالمُعَزّى

    وَكُلُّ الناسِ في البَلوى سَواءَ

    Though the comforter and the comforted,

    And all people, are alike in affliction.

  3. فُجِعنا كُلُّنا بِعَلائِلِيٍّ

    كَرُكنِ النَجمِ أَو أَسنى عَلاءَ

    We have all been bereaved of Alaili,

    Like a pillar of the stars, or loftier still in glory.

  4. أَرَقُّ شَبابِ دِمياطٍ عَلَيها

    وَأَنشَطُهُم لِحاجَتِها قَضاءَ

    The tenderest of Damietta's young men toward her,

    And the most active in meeting her needs;

  5. وَخَيرُ بُيوتِها كَرَماً وَتَقوى

    وَأَصلاً في السِيادَةِ وَاِنتِهاءَ

    And the best of her houses in generosity and piety,

    And in nobility, from its origins to its culmination.

  6. فَتىً كَالرُمحِ عالِيَةً رُعوداً

    وَكَالصَمصامِ إِفرِنداً وَماءَ

    A youth like a spear with a quivering upper shaft,

    And like a keen sword in pattern and watery sheen.

  7. وَأَعطى المالَ وَالهِمَمَ العَوالي

    وَلَم يُعطِ الكَرامَةَ وَالإِباءَ

    And he gave his wealth and his lofty resolve,

    But never surrendered his dignity or proud independence.

  8. شَبابٌ ضارَعَ الرَيحانَ طيباً

    وَنازَعَهُ البَشاشَةَ وَالبَهاءَ

    Youth that matched sweet basil in fragrance,

    And vied with it in cheerfulness and splendor.

  9. وَجُندِيُّ القَضِيَةِ مُنذُ قامَت

    تَعَلَّمَ تَحتَ رايَتِها اللِقاءَ

    And a soldier of the cause since it arose,

    He learned combat beneath its banner.

  10. وَرُوِّعَ شَيخُها العالي بِيَومٍ

    فَكانَ بِمَنكِبَيهِ لَهُ وِقاءَ

    And one day its exalted elder was struck with fear,

    So he shielded him with his own shoulders.

  11. سَعى لِضَميرِهِ وَلَوَجهِ مِصرٍ

    وَلَم يَتَوَلَّ يَنتَظِرُ الجَزاءَ

    He strove for his conscience and for Egypt's sake,

    And did not serve in expectation of reward.

  12. وَنَعشٍ كَالغَمامِ يَرِفُّ ظِلّاً

    إِذا ذَهَبَ الزِحامُ بِهِ وَجاءَ

    And a bier like a cloud, its shade fluttering,

    As the throng bore it back and forth.

  13. وَلَم تَقَعِ العُيونُ عَلَيهِ إِلّا

    أَثارَ الحُزنَ أَو بَعَثَ البُكاءَ

    And whenever eyes fell upon it,

    It stirred grief or brought forth tears.

  14. عَجِبنا كَيفَ لَم يَخضَرَّ عوداً

    وَقَد حَمَلَ المُروءَةَ والرُفاءَ

    We wondered how its wood had not turned green,

    Though it bore chivalry and concord.

  15. مَشَت دِمياطُ فَاِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ

    تُنازِعُهُ الذَخيرَةَ وَالرَجاءَ

    Damietta walked forth and gathered around it,

    Contending with it for her treasure and hope.

  16. بَني دِمياطَ ما شَيءٌ بِباقٍ

    سِوى الفَردِ الَّذي اِحتَكَرَ البَقاءَ

    Sons of Damietta, nothing endures

    Except the One who holds eternity alone.

  17. تَعالى اللَهُ لا يَبقى سِواهُ

    إِذا وَرَدَت بِرِيَّتَهُ الفَناءَ

    Exalted is God; none but He endures,

    When His creation meets its end.

  18. وَأَنتُم أَهلُ إيمانٍ وَتَقوى

    فَهَل تَلقَونَ بِالعَتبِ القَضاءَ

    And you are people of faith and piety;

    Will you then meet the divine decree with reproach?

  19. مَلَأتُم مِن بُيوتِ اللَهِ أَرضاً

    وَمِن داعي البُكورِ لَها سَماءَ

    You have filled the land with houses of God,

    And the sky with the voice calling to them at dawn.

  20. وَلا تَستَقبِلونَ الفَجرَ إِلّا

    عَلى قَدَمِ الصَلاةِ إِذا أَضاءَ

    And you greet the dawn only

    Standing in prayer when it brightens.

  21. وَتَرتَقِبونَ مَطلَعَهُ صِغاراً

    وَتَستَبِقونَ غُرَّتَهُ نِساءَ

    And as children you await its rising,

    And as women you race to meet its first light.

  22. وَكَم مِن مَوقِفٍ ماضٍ وَقَفتُم

    فَكُنتُم فيهِ لِلوَطَنِ الفِداءَ

    And how often you took a stand in the past,

    So in each you were the homeland's sacrifice.

  23. دَفَعتُم غارَةً شَعواءَ عَنهُ

    وَذُدتُم عَن حَواضِرِهِ البَلاءَ

    You beat back a savage raid upon it,

    And warded calamity from its cities.

  24. أَخي عَبدَ الحَليمِ وَلَستُ أَدري

    أَأَدعو الصِهرَ أَم أَدعو الإِخاءَ

    My brother Abd al-Halim—and I do not know

    Whether to invoke kinship by marriage or brotherhood.

  25. وَكَم صَحَّ الوِدادُ فَكانَ صِهراً

    وَكانَ كَأَقرَبِ القُربى صَفاءَ

    And how often true affection became kinship by marriage,

    And was as sincere as the closest bond of kin.

  26. عَجيبٌ تَركُكَ الدُنيا سَقيماً

    وَكُنتَ النَحلَ تَملَؤُها شِفاءَ

    How strange that you left this world ailing,

    When you were the bees, filling it with healing.

  27. وَكُنّا حينَ يُعضِلُ كُلُّ داءٍ

    نَجيءُ إِلَيكَ نَجعَلُكَ الدَواءَ

    And we, whenever an ailment defied treatment,

    Would come to you, making you the cure.

  28. مَضَت بِكَ آلَةٌ حَدباءُ كانَت

    عَلى الزَمَنِ المَطِيَّةَ وَالوِطاءَ

    A hump-backed bier bore you away; it has been

    Throughout the ages, both mount and bed.

  29. وَسارَت خَلفَكَ الأَحزابُ صَفّاً

    وَسِرتَ فَكُنتَ في الصَفِّ اللِواءَ

    And the parties marched behind you in one rank,

    And you marched, the banner in that rank.

  30. تُوَلِّفُ بَينَهُم مَيتاً وَتَبني

    كَعَهدِكَ في الحَياةِ لَهُم وَلاءَ

    You unite them in death and build

    As you did in life, bonds of loyalty for them.