لم ينهض الظلم في يوم بإنسان

لم ينهض الظلم في يوم بإنسان

فالظلم والموت للإنسان سيان

فالظلم والموت للإنسان سيان

Oppression has never uplifted a human being;

Injustice never rose with a human

For oppression and death are alike to humankind.

For injustice and death to a human are the same

وليس يعرف عيد في جلالته

وليس يعرف عيد في جلالته

أجل من عيد تحرير لإنسان

أجل من عيد تحرير لإنسان

No festival is known, in its grandeur,

And it knows no celebration in its majesty

More august than a festival of human liberation.

Greater than the celebration of human liberation

فكيف بالعيد أحيا أمة رزحت

فكيف بالعيد أحيا أمة رزحت

تحت البلاءين من جهل وطغيان

تحت البلاءين من جهل وطغيان

What, then, of the festival that revived a nation bowed down

So how is this celebration that revived a downtrodden nation

Beneath the twin afflictions of ignorance and tyranny?

Under the afflictions of ignorance and tyranny?

كأنما كل ماضيها الذي حفلت

كأنما كل ماضيها الذي حفلت

به الشعوب خرافات لسكران

به الشعوب خرافات لسكران

As though all her past, which the peoples cherished,

It is as if all its glorious past, with which

Were the fables of a drunkard;

The nations were obsessed, is the ramblings of a drunk

فلا هياكل أخناتون قد نهضت

فلا هياكل أخناتون قد نهضت

على ثراها ولا توحيد أديان

على ثراها ولا توحيد أديان

As though no temples of Akhenaten had risen

Neither Akhenaten's temples rose

Upon her soil, nor any unification of religions;

On its ruins, nor the unification of religions

وليس أحمس منسوبا لوثبتها

وليس أحمس منسوبا لوثبتها

ولا تجلت بها آيات عرفا

ولا تجلت بها آيات عرفا

And Ahmose were not linked to her uprising,

Nor was Ahmose attributed to its leap forwards

Nor signs of knowledge had shone forth in her;

Nor did its signs become manifest in cognition

ولا تهادى بها التمدين منبسطا

ولا تهادى بها التمدين منبسطا

والنيل ما بين إحياء وإحسان

والنيل ما بين إحياء وإحسان

Nor civilization had moved gracefully through her, spreading wide,

Nor did civilization spread in it serenely

With the Nile giving life and doing good;

And the Nile between revival and benevolence

ولا تهافت من راموا مودتها

ولا تهافت من راموا مودتها

على منائر جازت كل حسبان

على منائر جازت كل حسبان

Nor those who sought her friendship had flocked

Nor did those who sought its affection swarm

To beacons surpassing all reckoning.

Its minbars that surpassed all reckoning

شأى الغزاة فنونا من مآثرها

شأى الغزاة فنونا من مآثرها

فما استطاعوا وأعطت كل فنان

فما استطاعوا وأعطت كل فنان

Invaders strove to rival the arts among her achievements,

The invaders took from its glories, arts

But could not; she gave her gifts to every artist.

But could not, and every artist gave

وأوغلوا فتواروا في مقابرها

وأوغلوا فتواروا في مقابرها

تواري السيل في أعماق كثبان

تواري السيل في أعماق كثبان

They pressed deep within, then vanished into her tombs,

And they delved and disappeared into its tombs

As a torrent vanishes into the depths of dunes.

Like a flood disappearing into the depths of dunes

كأنما الفاطميون الألى ابتدعوا

كأنما الفاطميون الألى ابتدعوا

لها الحضارة كانوا أهل بهتان

لها الحضارة كانوا أهل بهتان

As though the Fatimids, who created

It is as if the Fatimids who originated

Civilization for her, had been people of falsehood;

Civilization for it were people of illusion

كأنما الأزهر المعمور فارقها

كأنما الأزهر المعمور فارقها

وبيع سكانها في سوق عبدان

وبيع سكانها في سوق عبدان

As though flourishing al-Azhar had left her,

It is as if Al-Azhar, bustling with life, had left it

And her inhabitants had been sold in a slave market.

And its inhabitants were sold in slave markets

كأنما كل ما أعطت وما خلقت

كأنما كل ما أعطت وما خلقت

لغو ويصدق فيه الحاقد الشاني

لغو ويصدق فيه الحاقد الشاني

As though all she had given and all she had created

It is as if everything it gave and created

Were idle talk, and the spiteful hater were believed about it—

Was void, and the hostile slanderer spoke the truth

من شوّة المجد حتى صار منقصة

من شوّة المجد حتى صار منقصة

وأفسد الحق حتى صار كالجاني

وأفسد الحق حتى صار كالجاني

He who disfigured glory until it became a disgrace,

From the glory of triumphs until it became deficient

And corrupted truth until it became like a criminal.

And truth was corrupted as if by a sinner

لا شيء غير عتو الظلم دان له

لا شيء غير عتو الظلم دان له

من لا يدين لأصنام وأوثان

من لا يدين لأصنام وأوثان

Nothing but the arrogance of oppression was obeyed

Nothing but the injustice of oppression was submitted to

By one who bows to neither idols nor graven images.

By one who does not submit to idols and statues

كأنما أنكر الأديان أجمعها

كأنما أنكر الأديان أجمعها

من قدسوها فهانت دون أثمان

من قدسوها فهانت دون أثمان

As though all religions had been denied

It is as if all religions together denied

By those who sanctified them, leaving them debased and worthless.

Those who sanctified them, so they were disgraced for prices

وبات كافور من كنا نرجبه

وبات كافور من كنا نرجبه

وإن يكن في أديم أبيض قاني

وإن يكن في أديم أبيض قاني

And he whom we used to honor became Kafur,

Kafur, whom we used to hold in high esteem

Though his skin was white and ruddy.

Became, even if clad in white silk, despised

من سخّر الدين عبدا في فضائحه

من سخّر الدين عبدا في فضائحه

ولم يزل خصم إنجيل وقرآن

ولم يزل خصم إنجيل وقرآن

He who enslaved religion to his scandals,

One who enslaved religion to serve his disgraces

And remained an enemy of Gospel and Quran;

And ceaselessly opposed the Bible and Quran

من داس فوق رقاب الناس أجمعهم

من داس فوق رقاب الناس أجمعهم

كأنهم مثله أشباه خصيان

كأنهم مثله أشباه خصيان

He who trampled the necks of all the people,

One who trampled over all people's necks

As though they, like him, resembled eunuchs.

As if they were, like him, pseudo-eunuchs

غلا فريقا من الأحرار قد علموا

غلا فريقا من الأحرار قد علموا

للثار ما بين تشريد وحرمان

للثار ما بين تشريد وحرمان

He shackled a group of free men who had learned

A group of the free who knew

To seek vengeance amid banishment and deprivation.

Of vengeance between banishment and deprivation were provoked

واسعذبوا النفي رغم البؤس يرهقهم

واسعذبوا النفي رغم البؤس يرهقهم

حتى يؤدوا أمانات لأوطان

حتى يؤدوا أمانات لأوطان

They found exile sweet, despite the misery weighing upon them,

And they tolerated exile despite the misery burdening them

So that they might fulfill trusts owed to their homelands;

Until they fulfilled their trusts to homelands

واستمرؤوا الموت ممن راح يسحقهم

واستمرؤوا الموت ممن راح يسحقهم

كأنهم حشرات موتها داني

كأنهم حشرات موتها داني

And welcomed death from one who went on crushing them,

And they risked death from one who went to crush them

As though they were insects whose death was near.

As if they were insects whose death is insignificant

واستشهدوا في سبيل النبل ليس لهم

واستشهدوا في سبيل النبل ليس لهم

هم يمت لهذا العالم الفاني

هم يمت لهذا العالم الفاني

They fell as martyrs in the cause of nobility, having

And they were martyred in the cause of nobility, having for it

No concern tied to this perishing world.

No concern, for it is they who died for this ephemeral world

فدى لمصر التي عزّ المسيح بها

فدى لمصر التي عزّ المسيح بها

طفلا وعاد لها في دينه الساني

طفلا وعاد لها في دينه الساني

A sacrifice for Egypt, where Christ was honored

A sacrifice for Egypt in which the Christ was ennobled

As a child, and returned to her in his radiant faith;

As a child and to which he returned in his enduring faith

فدى لمصر التي الإسلام باركها

فدى لمصر التي الإسلام باركها

كنانة الله ما دانت لكفران

كنانة الله ما دانت لكفران

A sacrifice for Egypt, whom Islam blessed,

A sacrifice for Egypt which Islam blessed

God's quiver, which never bowed to unbelief;

The beloved of God who never submitted to disbelief

فدى لخير مثالياتها وفدى

فدى لخير مثالياتها وفدى

لجيلهها الواثب المستيقظ الباني

لجيلهها الواثب المستيقظ الباني

A sacrifice for the finest of her ideals, and a sacrifice

A sacrifice for the best of its ideals and a sacrifice

For her rising, wakeful, building generation;

For its leaping, awakening, building generation

حتى استجاب لها الأحرار أجمعهم

حتى استجاب لها الأحرار أجمعهم

والجيش واحتشدوا في وجه شيطان

والجيش واحتشدوا في وجه شيطان

Until all free men answered her,

Until all the free and the army responded to it

And the army, and they massed against a devil.

And gathered against the face of Satan

وخر من عرشه المنهوك في وجل

وخر من عرشه المنهوك في وجل

كأنما هو من خوص وعيدان

كأنما هو من خوص وعيدان

And, exhausted, he fell from his throne in dread,

And he who undermined its throne fell in fear

As though he were made of palm fronds and sticks.

As if he were made of reeds and timber

وراح شر طريد مصر تلفظه

وراح شر طريد مصر تلفظه

للبحر مثل وبىء بين جرذان

للبحر مثل وبىء بين جرذان

He departed, the worst of outcasts, as Egypt spat him

And the evil of Egypt's outcast departed it

Into the sea, like a plague-stricken creature among rats.

To the sea like a plague among rats

يا ليت مصر التي قد خان نعمتها

يا ليت مصر التي قد خان نعمتها

وارته في إثمه من غير أكفان

وارته في إثمه من غير أكفان

Would that Egypt, whose bounty he had betrayed,

Oh, would that Egypt whose blessings he betrayed

Had buried him in his sin, without a shroud.

And whose sin overwhelmed him without shrouds

وعلها اليوم في ذكرى لثورتها

وعلها اليوم في ذكرى لثورتها

لا تكتفي بازدراء أو بنسيان

لا تكتفي بازدراء أو بنسيان

And may she today, remembering her revolution,

Would not be content today, on the anniversary of its revolution, with contempt or forgetfulness

Not be content with scorn or forgetting.

For truth is supported by the hand of faith

فالحق تأييده في كف إيمان

فالحق تأييده في كف إيمان

والبطش تبديده في كف نيران

والبطش تبديده في كف نيران

For truth is upheld by the hand of faith,

And might is scattered by the hand of fire

And brute force is shattered by the hand of flames.

July, O month of splendid celebrations

تموز يا شهر أعياد محجلة

تموز يا شهر أعياد محجلة

وكل عيد له عيد لوجداني

وكل عيد له عيد لوجداني

July, O month of white-blazoned festivals,

Each holiday has an inner holiday for my essence

Each of its festivals is a festival for my heart.

Who can give me the sight of homelands that my verses

من لي بزورة أوطان فتنت بها

من لي بزورة أوطان فتنت بها

وإن أكن في ربوع مثل أوطاني

وإن أكن في ربوع مثل أوطاني

Who will grant me a visit to homelands that enchanted me,

Would spread, even if I were in lands like homelands?

Though I dwell in lands like my own?

To witness the greatest joy and spread it

لأشهد الفرحة العظمى وأنشرها

لأشهد الفرحة العظمى وأنشرها

عطرا بشعري أو نورا بألحاني

عطرا بشعري أو نورا بألحاني

That I may witness the greatest joy and spread it

As perfume in my poetry or light in my melodies

As fragrance through my poetry, or light through my melodies;

And portray today the meaning of its second glory

وأرسم اليوم معنى مجدها الثاني

وأرسم اليوم معنى مجدها الثاني

في فخم ألوانه لا فخم ألواني

في فخم ألوانه لا فخم ألواني

And paint today the meaning of her second glory

In the grandeur of colors, not the grandeur of my colors

In the splendor of its colors, not of my own;

And watch the working peasant possessing

وأرقب الكادح الفلاح ممتلكا

وأرقب الكادح الفلاح ممتلكا

لأرضه لا بهيما ملك أطيان

لأرضه لا بهيما ملك أطيان

And watch the toiling farmer as the owner

His land, not an owned beast of estates

Of his land, not a beast belonging to an estate;

And see the Consultative Council convened

وأنظر المجلس الشورى مجتمعا

وأنظر المجلس الشورى مجتمعا

في عزة الحر لا في ذلة العاني

في عزة الحر لا في ذلة العاني

And behold the consultative council assembled

In the dignity of the free, not the humiliation of the compelled

In a free man's dignity, not a captive's abasement;

And all its members have honored its seats

وكل أعضائه زانوا مقاعهدهم

وكل أعضائه زانوا مقاعهدهم

كما تلألأ أفكار بأذهان

كما تلألأ أفكار بأذهان

All its members adorning their seats,

As ideas glittered in minds

As thoughts gleam within minds.

They swore to safeguard Egypt from foolishness

قد أقسموا أن يصونوا مصر عن سفه

قد أقسموا أن يصونوا مصر عن سفه

ويبلغوها مكانا فوق كيوان

ويبلغوها مكانا فوق كيوان

They have sworn to shield Egypt from folly

And take it to a place above constellations

And bring her to a place above Saturn;

And contribute to diverse civilizations

ويسهموا في حضارات منوّعة

ويسهموا في حضارات منوّعة

لا في سفاسف أوهام وأضغان

لا في سفاسف أوهام وأضغان

And contribute to diverse civilizations,

Not to the dregs of illusions and assumptions

Not to petty delusions and grudges;

And make religion a meaning not colored

ويجعلوا الدين معنى لا يلوّنه

ويجعلوا الدين معنى لا يلوّنه

إفك السياسة أو تسميم ثعبان

إفك السياسة أو تسميم ثعبان

And make religion a meaning uncolored

By the deceit of politics or the poisoning of a serpent

By political falsehood or a serpent's poisoning.

If in my distant exile, my dreaming

إن كنت في البعد لم يعطف سوى حلمي

إن كنت في البعد لم يعطف سوى حلمي

على حنيني فهذا الحلم غنياني

على حنيني فهذا الحلم غنياني

If, far away, nothing but my dream has shown compassion

Inclined to my yearning, then this dream sustains me

For my longing, then this dream is enough for me.

Or if in my distant exile, forgotten, my spirit

أو كنت في البعد منسيا فما برحت

أو كنت في البعد منسيا فما برحت

روحي ترفرف في أصداء تحناني

روحي ترفرف في أصداء تحناني

Or if, far away, I am forgotten, still

Has not ceased fluttering in the echoes of my affection

My soul keeps fluttering in the echoes of my yearning.

Children of Egypt whose virtues transcend

أبناء مصر التي تسمو مناقبها

أبناء مصر التي تسمو مناقبها

فوق الفراعين في تقدير أزمان

فوق الفراعين في تقدير أزمان

Sons of Egypt, whose virtues rise

The horizons in the estimation of time

Above the pharaohs in the judgment of ages,

Like jewels, age increased their value

مثل الجواهر زاد العمر قيمتها

مثل الجواهر زاد العمر قيمتها

أو كالنجوم بعمر جد نوراتي

أو كالنجوم بعمر جد نوراتي

Like jewels whose worth increases with age,

Or like stars, with a new life their lights shine

Or like stars, with a life radiant indeed;

Today is the beginning of an era entirely of resolve

اليوم مبدأ عهد كله همم

اليوم مبدأ عهد كله همم

كالنيرات أضاءت وسط إدجان

كالنيرات أضاءت وسط إدجان

Today begins an era full of resolve,

Like fires that blazed amidst darkness

Like luminaries shining amid darkness.

There is no more excuse for despair that may seize you

لا عذر بعد ليأس قد يساوركم

لا عذر بعد ليأس قد يساوركم

فإنكم أهل هذا الموطن الحاني

فإنكم أهل هذا الموطن الحاني

There is no excuse now for despair that might assail you,

For you are the people of this affectionate homeland

For you are the people of this tender homeland.

You are the army and you are Egypt, not a tyrannous king

الجيش أنتم وأنتم مصر لا ملك

الجيش أنتم وأنتم مصر لا ملك

جان عليكم ولا آثام أعوان

جان عليكم ولا آثام أعوان

You are the army, and you are Egypt—not a king

Or criminal aides imposing upon you

Who wronged you, nor the sins of henchmen.

And your station is among immortal deeds

وحطكم بين أعمال مخلّدة

وحطكم بين أعمال مخلّدة

وتضحيات لأبطال وشجعان

وتضحيات لأبطال وشجعان

And he brought you low amid immortal deeds

And the sacrifices of heroes and brave men

And sacrifices by heroes and brave men.

My message before was to provoke you

رسالتي قبل كانت في إثارتكم

رسالتي قبل كانت في إثارتكم

كما يثار شواظ طيّ بركان

كما يثار شواظ طيّ بركان

My message before was to rouse you,

As embers are provoked in a volcano

As a blaze is stirred within a volcano.

And today my poetry sings your praises

واليوم غنى لكم شعري محامدكم

واليوم غنى لكم شعري محامدكم

كما تغنى بنفح الزهر بستاني

كما تغنى بنفح الزهر بستاني

Today my poetry has sung your praises to you,

As the blossoms' fragrance sings in my garden

As my garden sings with the breath of flowers.