رمى بنا الثغر كما ترمى الثغر

رمى بنا الثغر كما ترمى الثغر

قاهرة المعز وهي المستقر

قاهرة المعز وهي المستقر

The port hurled us forth, as breaches are assailed,

The absence threw us as absences throw

to al-Muʿizz’s Cairo, our resting place.

Conquering the brave, though it's the settlement

لما جفت أوطاننا سرنا وهل

لما جفت أوطاننا سرنا وهل

يجري علينا وطن بلا وطر

يجري علينا وطن بلا وطر

When our homelands shunned us, we departed; and can

When our homelands dried up, we left; and does

a land count as our homeland where no desire is fulfilled?

A homeland flow upon us without banks?

نزور من عبد الرحيم طلعة

نزور من عبد الرحيم طلعة

مشرقة كل نواحيها غرر

مشرقة كل نواحيها غرر

We came to behold ʿAbd al-Raḥīm’s face,

We visit from Abdel Rahim Tal'at

radiant, its every feature a blaze of light.

A rising whose every side glitters

وإنما زرنا مقر عزه

وإنما زرنا مقر عزه

فغاب إذ غاب جميع من حضر

فغاب إذ غاب جميع من حضر

Yet we visited only the seat of his glory;

We only visited his abode of might

so, when he was absent, all who were present were absent too.

So it was absent when all present were absent

إن أظلمت أيامنا بفقده

إن أظلمت أيامنا بفقده

ففي الدجى يعرف مقدار القمر

ففي الدجى يعرف مقدار القمر

If our days have darkened through his absence,

If our days darkened with his loss

then in darkness the moon’s worth is known.

In the darkness the moon's value is known

تحالف الناس على جفائنا

تحالف الناس على جفائنا

حتى جفا برد النسيم في السحر

حتى جفا برد النسيم في السحر

The people made a pact to shun us,

The people conspired against our deprivation

till even the coolness of the pre-dawn breeze shunned us.

Until the morning breeze blew cold in estrangement

كأننا لما عدمنا قربه

كأننا لما عدمنا قربه

قوس غدت عاطلة من الوتر

قوس غدت عاطلة من الوتر

When we lost his nearness, we were like

As though, when we lost his nearness

a bow left bereft of its string.

A bow stripped bare of its string

لما علمنا أنه مسافر

لما علمنا أنه مسافر

أحمده الله عواقب السفر

أحمده الله عواقب السفر

When we learned that he was traveling—

When we knew he traveled

may God give him cause to praise his journey’s outcomes—

We wished him safety in travel from God

عذنا إلى الرحمن أن يمده

عذنا إلى الرحمن أن يمده

الرحمن بالفتح المبين والظفر

الرحمن بالفتح المبين والظفر

we sought refuge with the Merciful, that he might be aided

We appealed to the Merciful to extend him

by the Merciful with manifest victory and triumph.

Conquest and clear victory from the Merciful

يا حبذا يوم نرى جبينه

يا حبذا يوم نرى جبينه

وتشتفي منه العيون بالنظر

وتشتفي منه العيون بالنظر

Ah, how welcome the day we see his brow,

O excellent the day we see his forehead

and eyes are healed by looking upon him,

And eyes quench their thirst by the sight

ويلثم الأفواه من يمينه

ويلثم الأفواه من يمينه

يداً أياديها وسيلة المطر

يداً أياديها وسيلة المطر

and mouths kiss his right hand—

And mouths kiss his right hand

a hand whose favors are a means of bringing rain.

A hand whose rains are bountiful

هناك أعذار النوى مقبولة

هناك أعذار النوى مقبولة

فكل ذنب للفراق مغتفر

فكل ذنب للفراق مغتفر

Then the excuses of distance are accepted,

There excuses of passion are accepted

and every fault of parting is forgiven.

And every sin of parting is forgiven