واديvalley الملوكِof the kings عواديthe ravages الدهرof time أشباهُalike
وادي الملوكِ عوادي الدهر أشباهُ
هلwhether فيin حناياكyour recesses للتاريخِfor history أَفواهُmouths
هل في حناياك للتاريخِ أَفواهُ
Valley of the Kings, the ravages of time are alike.
The valley of kings, the valleys of time are alike
Does history have mouths within your recesses?
Are there in your folds any mouths for history?
قصَّrecounted الزمانtime علىto مصرٍEgypt وغَالand struck fatally بهat him
قصَّ الزمان على مصرٍ وغَال به
أَمِثْلُis there the like of جاهِmajesty فؤادٍFuad's فيin الثَّرىthe dust جاهُmajesty
أَمِثْلُ جاهِ فؤادٍ في الثَّرى جاهُ
Time told its tale to Egypt and laid him low:
Time has narrated about an Egypt it destroyed
Is there a majesty in the dust like Fuad's majesty?
Is the glory of Fuad's heart like dust?
إنَّindeed العظيمthe great man ثوىrested فيin جوفthe depths مقبَرةٍof a tomb
إنَّ العظيم ثوى في جوف مقبَرةٍ
دونَtoo lowly for العظيمِthe great man جِنانgardens اللهof God مثواهhis resting place
دونَ العظيمِ جِنان الله مثواه
Indeed, the great man rests in the depths of a tomb,
Indeed the great rested in the belly of a grave
too lowly for the great man; God's gardens are his abode.
While the gardens of God were the abode of the great
عَزَّwas elusive الخلودُimmortality علىfor منwhoever صانَpreserved هيكَلَهُhis bodily frame
عَزَّ الخلودُ على من صانَ هيكَلَهُ
وعزَّزَand exalted الخلدُeternity نفساًa soul صانَهاpreserved it اللهُGod
وعزَّزَ الخلدُ نفساً صانَها اللهُ
Immortality eluded him who preserved his bodily frame,
Eternity was too strong for one who protected its temple
and eternity exalted a soul that God preserved.
And eternity strengthened a soul God protected
قمْrise فُضَّstrip away عنfrom كلٍevery فِرعونٍPharaoh غِلالَتَهُhis thin robe
قمْ فُضَّ عن كلٍ فِرعونٍ غِلالَتَهُ
ينهضْhe will rise وتستقبلand will welcome الدنياthe world سَرَاياهhis troops
ينهضْ وتستقبل الدنيا سَرَاياه
Rise, strip each Pharaoh of his thin robe;
Arise, remove the shackles from every Pharaoh
he will rise, and the world will welcome his troops.
That he may rise and the world welcome his palaces
يمشُونthey walk فيin مأتمِa funeral غَضّتlowered مهابتُهits solemn majesty
يمشُون في مأتمِ غَضّت مهابتُه
عينَthe eye الرَّدىof Death فتمنىso it wished لوif only تحاماهit had avoided him
عينَ الرَّدى فتمنى لو تحاماه
They march in a funeral whose solemn majesty lowered
They walk in the mourning of one whose awe has faded
Death's gaze, so that it wished it had passed him by.
The eye of meanness wished it could protect him
ياO بانَيbuilder المُلْكِof the realm بالدستورِthrough the constitution لاmay ... not سلِمَتْbe safe
يا بانَي المُلْكِ بالدستورِ لا سلِمَتْ
يدٌa hand مسخَّرَةٌconscripted تُبْنَىis built لموتاهُfor its dead
يدٌ مسخَّرَةٌ تُبْنَى لموتاهُ
O builder of the realm through the constitution, may no safety bless
O builder of the nation with constitution, no enslaved hand built for its death
a hand enslaved to the building done for its dead.
Far from your time and the council and their glory
حاشاfar be it from زمانكyour age والشورىand consultation ومجدهماand the glory of both
حاشا زمانك والشورى ومجدهما
نfragment of 'if' قيلit is said إنّthat ملوكkings الناسِof mankind أشباهalike
ن قيل إنّ ملوك الناسِ أشباه
Far be your age, consultative rule, and their glory from that judgment,
That it's said the people's kings are alike
if it is said that the kings of mankind are alike.
You rose with the nation, strengthening its determination
نهضتَyou rose بالمُلكwith the realm شَدّstrengthened النيلthe Nile عَزْمتهits resolve
نهضتَ بالمُلك شَدّ النيل عَزْمته
كِلاَboth الكريمينthe two generous ones قدindeed أوفىgave in full عطاياهhis gifts
كِلاَ الكريمين قد أوفى عطاياه
You raised the realm; the Nile strengthened its resolve.
Both generous ones fulfilled their grants
Each of the two generous ones bestowed his gifts in full.
Life flowed and throbbed in its joints
جرىflowed حياةًas life فدبَّتْso it stirred فيin مفاصِلِهِits joints
جرى حياةً فدبَّتْ في مفاصِلِهِ
وسِرْتَand you journeyed شمساًas a sun فطافَتْso it roamed فيthrough سجاياهits virtues
وسِرْتَ شمساً فطافَتْ في سجاياه
It flowed as life, which stirred within its joints,
You shone like a sun circling in its rays
and you went forth as a sun, which roamed through its virtues.
The nation might rise if its resources dry
قدmay ينهَضُrise الملْكُthe realm إنif جفَّتhave dried up مواردهits resources
قد ينهَضُ الملْكُ إن جفَّت موارده
وليسand does not ينهَضُrise إنif جَفَّتْhave dried up مَزَاياهits merits
وليس ينهَضُ إن جَفَّتْ مَزَاياه
A realm may rise even if its resources run dry,
But it won't rise if its virtues dry
but it cannot rise if its virtues run dry.
As both of you in the horizons of its pride set forth
كِلاكماboth of you فيin مَجاليthe displays فخرِهِof its glory شِرَعٌequal
كِلاكما في مَجالي فخرِهِ شِرَعٌ
النيلُthe Nile قامstood in support بهof it والعرشُand the throne حلاَّهadorned it
النيلُ قام به والعرشُ حلاَّه
Both of you stand equal in the displays of its glory;
The Nile rose with it and the throne adorned it
the Nile sustained it, and the throne adorned it.
Oh you present in my conscience when I address you
ياO حاضراًone present فيin ضميريmy conscience إذas أُخاطبهI address him
يا حاضراً في ضميري إذ أُخاطبه
كفانَيsufficed me الجاهَhigh standing قلبٌa heart فيكabout you نجواهits secret whispers
كفانَي الجاهَ قلبٌ فيك نجواه
O one present in my conscience, whom I now address,
The glory you gave me is enough, a heart within you its confidant
a heart whose whispers are of you suffices me for honor.
When poetry brings me close to you
إنيindeed I إذاwhen الشعرpoetry أدنانيbrought me near إليكَto you
إني إذا الشعر أدناني إليكَ
فقدthen indeed آمنتُI believed حقاًtruly بأنَّthat اللهGod أوحاهُinspired it
فقد آمنتُ حقاً بأنَّ الله أوحاهُ
Indeed, whenever poetry draws me near to you,
I truly believe that God inspired it
then I truly believe that God has inspired it.
The throne elated me when its radiance
شجانَيstirred my sorrow العرشُthe throne لماwhen ذرّdawned شارقُهits rising sun
شجانَي العرشُ لما ذرّ شارقُه
فيin مصرَEgypt إنّindeed ظلالَthe shadows الدهرof time غشَّاهshrouded it
في مصرَ إنّ ظلالَ الدهر غشَّاه
The throne stirred my sorrow when its rising sun dawned
In Egypt shone, the shadows of time covered it
in Egypt—indeed, time's shadows had shrouded it.
I sensed a nation whose banner shades the East
آنستُI perceived مُلكاًa kingdom تُظِلshades الشرقَthe East رايتُهits banner
آنستُ مُلكاً تُظِل الشرقَ رايتُه
ويلتقيand meets الغربَthe West ندّاًas an equal يومَon the day يلقاهit encounters it
ويلتقي الغربَ ندّاً يومَ يلقاه
I beheld a kingdom whose banner shades the East,
And meets the West, a companion when it meets it
and meets the West as an equal on the day it faces it,
A gleaming crown on the head of a beloved king
منوّرَradiant التاجِthe crown معصوباًbound علىupon مَلِكٍa king
منوّرَ التاجِ معصوباً على مَلِكٍ
كأنas though فيin التاجِthe crown شيئاًsomething منof مُحَيَّاهُhis countenance
كأن في التاجِ شيئاً من مُحَيَّاهُ
with a radiant crown, bound upon a king,
As if the crown had something of his light
as though the crown bore something of his countenance,
In a nation built from the cream of the East
فيamong أمةٍa nation منfrom لُبابِthe choicest essence الشرقof the East بانيةbuilding
في أمةٍ من لُبابِ الشرق بانية
مجداًglory علىupon العلمknowledge والأخلاقِand morals رُكناهits two pillars
مجداً على العلم والأخلاقِ رُكناه
among a nation of the East's choicest essence, building
Glory based on knowledge and morals its pillars
a glory founded on learning and morals, its two pillars.
One day overlooking the world, asking it
تُطِلّit looks out يوماًone day علىupon الدنياthe world تُسائِلُهاasking it
تُطِلّ يوماً على الدنيا تُسائِلُها
أيُّwhich الشعوبpeoples يباهيهاrivals it in glory بدنياهwith its worldly life
أيُّ الشعوب يباهيها بدنياه
One day it looks out upon the world, asking it:
Which of the nations boasts with its worldly life
Which people can rival it in worldly glory?
Hopes it was filled with that time destroyed
مُنىَhopes تملأتهاI cherished them دهراًfor an age بدَّدهاscattered them
مُنىَ تملأتها دهراً بدَّدها
دَهرan age تُذِلّhumiliate المنىhopes فيهin it رزاياهits calamities
دَهر تُذِلّ المنى فيه رزاياه
Hopes I cherished for an age were scattered by
A time that humiliates hopes in its misery
an age whose calamities bring hopes low.
They were dreams we lived enjoying them
كانتthey were لناfor us حُلُماًa dream عِشْناwe lived بلَذَّتهin its delight
كانت لنا حُلُماً عِشْنا بلَذَّته
حتىuntil رُزِئناwe were bereaved of فؤاداًFuad فاحتسبناهand bore his loss seeking God's reward
حتى رُزِئنا فؤاداً فاحتسبناه
They were a dream for us; we lived in its delight,
Until our hearts were spited so we resigned them
until we lost Fuad and bore his loss in faith.
If destiny called on its honor
فؤادُFuad لوif دعَتِcalled upon الأقدارُthe fates ذمَّتهhis pledged honor
فؤادُ لو دعَتِ الأقدارُ ذمَّته
لصيرّhe would have made الشرقthe East بعضاًa portion منof رعاياهhis subjects
لصيرّ الشرق بعضاً من رعاياه
Fuad—had destiny called upon his pledged honor,
It would make the East some of its subjects
he would have numbered the East among his subjects.
Dreams belie the heart with their joy
القلبthe heart تكذِبُهdeceives it الرؤياthe dream ببهجتهاwith its delight
القلب تكذِبُه الرؤيا ببهجتها
ويشتهيand it longs for حينwhen يصحوit awakens عَوْدthe return رؤياهُof its dream
ويشتهي حين يصحو عَوْد رؤياهُ
The dream deceives the heart with its delight,
And it longs when awakened the return of its dream
and when it wakes, it longs for its dream's return.
Oh how beautiful the desired hope realized it
ياoh حبَّذاhow lovely الأملthe hope المنشودlonged-for حقَّقَهfulfilled it
يا حبَّذا الأمل المنشود حقَّقَه
تاجٌa crown علىupon رأسِthe head فاروقٍof Farouk لمحناهwe glimpsed it
تاجٌ على رأسِ فاروقٍ لمحناه
Oh, how lovely the longed-for hope, fulfilled by
A crown on the head of Farouk we crowned
a crown we glimpsed upon Farouk's head!
Egypt crying over its beloved king
مصرٌEgypt علىfor المَلِكِthe king المحبوبِbeloved باكيةٌweeping
مصرٌ على المَلِكِ المحبوبِ باكيةٌ
لبَّتْكِanswered your call ياO مصرُEgypt منfrom لبنانَLebanon عيناهُhis two eyes
لبَّتْكِ يا مصرُ من لبنانَ عيناهُ
Egypt weeps for the beloved king;
You wept to it, O Egypt, from Lebanon its eyes
his eyes answered you, O Egypt, from Lebanon.
If only your soul tried to heal with perfume
لوif أَنَّthat نفسَكَyour soul تُشفيis healed بالطيوبwith fragrances سَعَىhe would hasten
لو أَنَّ نفسَكَ تُشفي بالطيوب سَعَى
إليكِto you بالأَرزِwith cedar يأسوهاhe heals it بريّاهُwith its fragrance
إليكِ بالأَرزِ يأسوها بريّاهُ
If fragrances could heal your soul, he would hasten
The cedar would come to you, its scent healing it
to you with cedar, healing it with its fragrance.
We remained tormented, complaining, so I responded
بِتناwe spent the night شجيَّينboth grieving ناحتshe lamented فاستجبتُso I answered لهاto her
بِتنا شجيَّين ناحت فاستجبتُ لها
كماas تَسَاجَلexchanged responses بكّاءٌa weeper وأوّاهُand one who sighs
كما تَسَاجَل بكّاءٌ وأوّاهُ
We spent the night, both grieving: she lamented, and I answered her,
As the wailing and crying out responded
as a weeper and one who sighs exchange laments.
Egypt owes me inspiration round my neck
لمصرَto Egypt دَيْنٌa debt منof الإلهامinspiration فيupon عُنقيmy neck
لمصرَ دَيْنٌ من الإلهام في عُنقي
ياoh ليتwould that شعريmy knowledge أهذاhas this...? الشعرُpoetry وفّاهُrepaid it in full
يا ليت شعري أهذا الشعرُ وفّاهُ
Upon my neck rests a debt of inspiration to Egypt;
I wish I knew, is this poetry fulfilling it?
would that I knew: has this poetry repaid it in full?
Partial English translation: 55 of 56 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1