أَمَل مَيت عَلى النَفس أَلحَد

أَمَل مَيت عَلى النَفس أَلحَد

ت لَهُ مِن كَلاءة اللَهُ قَبرا

ت لَهُ مِن كَلاءة اللَهُ قَبرا

A dead hope—within my soul I entombed

A dead hope—upon my soul I dug

for it, in God’s watchful care, a grave.

for it a grave of God's sheltering care.

زَهَقت روحه وَفاضَت شُعاعا

زَهَقت روحه وَفاضَت شُعاعا

قَبلَما يَنفذ الطُفولة عُمرا

قَبلَما يَنفذ الطُفولة عُمرا

Its spirit departed, overflowing as radiance

Its spirit fled and streamed forth in rays,

before it had passed beyond childhood in age.

before its life had passed beyond childhood.

كُنتُ أَحيا عَلى نَدى مِنهُ يَسا

كُنتُ أَحيا عَلى نَدى مِنهُ يَسا

قط بَرداً عَلى يَدي وَعطرا

قط بَرداً عَلى يَدي وَعطرا

I lived on its dew, as it fell

I lived on dew from it that rained

upon my hand in coolness and fragrance.

coolness upon my hands, and fragrance,

في ظِلال مَطولة أَفرَع الشعـ

في ظِلال مَطولة أَفرَع الشعـ

ـر عَلَيها مِن الهَناءَة فَجرا

ـر عَلَيها مِن الهَناءَة فَجرا

In lengthened shadows poetry branched forth

in long shadows, where poetry unfurled

above it, as a dawn of happiness.

over them a dawn of bliss.

ثُمَ أَودى يا وَيحه ضاقَت الدُنـ

ثُمَ أَودى يا وَيحه ضاقَت الدُنـ

ـيا بِهِ جُهدِها إِحتِمالا وَصَبرا

ـيا بِهِ جُهدِها إِحتِمالا وَصَبرا

Then it perished—alas for it! The world grew too strait

Then it perished—alas for it! The world grew too narrow

for it, at the limit of her endurance and patience,

for it, its endurance and patience strained to the utmost.

بَعد ما نَضر الحَياة بِعَيني

بَعد ما نَضر الحَياة بِعَيني

مَضى جاهِداً وَأَعقَب أَسرا

مَضى جاهِداً وَأَعقَب أَسرا

after it had made life bloom in my eyes.

After it had brightened life in my eyes,

It passed away striving, and left bondage in its wake.

it departed, struggling, and left captivity in its wake.

أَمَلي في الزَمان مصر فَحيا اللَـ

أَمَلي في الزَمان مصر فَحيا اللَـ

ـه مُستَودَع الثَقافة مَصرا

ـه مُستَودَع الثَقافة مَصرا

My hope in this age is Egypt—may God keep

My hope in life is Egypt—so may God bless

Egypt alive, the repository of culture.

Egypt, the repository of culture.

نَضر اللَه وَجهَها فَهِيَ ما تَز

نَضر اللَه وَجهَها فَهِيَ ما تَز

داد إِلّا بعدا عَلَي وَعُسرا

داد إِلّا بعدا عَلَي وَعُسرا

May God make her face radiant; and she only grows

May God brighten her face, for she only grows

more distant from me, and harder to attain.

more distant from me and harder to reach.