سَقى وادِياً بَينَ العَريشِ وَبُرقَةٍ

سَقى وادِياً بَينَ العَريشِ وَبُرقَةٍ

مِنَ الغَيثِ هَطّالُ الشَآبيبِ هَتّانُ

مِنَ الغَيثِ هَطّالُ الشَآبيبِ هَتّانُ

May a valley between al-Arish and Barqa be watered

He watered a valley between Al-‘Arish and Barqah

By rain pouring down in abundant, steady showers.

With rain pouring down in torrents

وَحَيّا النَسيمُ الرَطبُ عَنّي إِذا سَرى

وَحَيّا النَسيمُ الرَطبُ عَنّي إِذا سَرى

هُنالِكَ أَوطاناً إِذا قيلَ أَوطانُ

هُنالِكَ أَوطاناً إِذا قيلَ أَوطانُ

And may the moist breeze, when it travels by night, greet for me

And moist winds greeted me as they blew by

Those homelands there—homelands worthy of the name.

There lies homelands, when home is mentioned

بِلادٌ مَتى ما جِئتَها جِئتَ جَنَّةً

بِلادٌ مَتى ما جِئتَها جِئتَ جَنَّةً

لِعَينَيكَ مِنها كُلَّما شِئتَ رُضوانُ

لِعَينَيكَ مِنها كُلَّما شِئتَ رُضوانُ

Lands where, whenever you arrive, you enter a paradise;

A land, whenever you come to it, you come to a paradise

There your eyes find delight whenever you wish.

To your eyes from it, whenever you desire, pleasure

تُمَثِّلُ لي الأَشواقُ أَنَّ تُرابَها

تُمَثِّلُ لي الأَشواقُ أَنَّ تُرابَها

وَحَصباءَها مِسكٌ يَفوحُ وَعِقيانُ

وَحَصباءَها مِسكٌ يَفوحُ وَعِقيانُ

Longing makes me imagine that their soil

Yearning makes me imagine its soil

And their pebbles are fragrant musk and pure gold.

And pebbles are musk exuding scent

فَيا ساكِني مِصرٍ تُراكُم عَلِمتُمُ

فَيا ساكِني مِصرٍ تُراكُم عَلِمتُمُ

بِأَنِّيَ ما لي عَنكُمُ الدَهرَ سُلوانُ

بِأَنِّيَ ما لي عَنكُمُ الدَهرَ سُلوانُ

So, O dwellers of Egypt, I wonder: have you learned

So people of Egypt, I know

That I shall never find solace away from you?

That I have no consolation from you forever

وَما في فُؤادي مَوضِعٌ لِسِواكُمُ

وَما في فُؤادي مَوضِعٌ لِسِواكُمُ

فَمِن أَينَ فيهِ وَهوَ بِالشَوقِ مَلآنُ

فَمِن أَينَ فيهِ وَهوَ بِالشَوقِ مَلآنُ

And there is no room in my heart for anyone but you;

And in my heart there is no place but you

So where could there be room, when it is full of longing?

So from where could there be, and it is filled with longing

عَسى اللَهُ يَطوي شُقَّةَ البُعدِ بَينَنا

عَسى اللَهُ يَطوي شُقَّةَ البُعدِ بَينَنا

فَتَهدَأَ أَحشاءٌ وَتَرقَأَ أَجفانُ

فَتَهدَأَ أَحشاءٌ وَتَرقَأَ أَجفانُ

May God fold away the distance between us,

May Allah fold the misery of distance between us

So that our insides grow calm and our eyelids cease to weep.

So writhing hearts and heavy eyelids may find peace

عَلَيَّ لِذاكَ اليَومِ صَومٌ نَذَرتُهُ

عَلَيَّ لِذاكَ اليَومِ صَومٌ نَذَرتُهُ

وَعِندي عَلى رَأيِ التَصَوُّفِ شُكرانُ

وَعِندي عَلى رَأيِ التَصَوُّفِ شُكرانُ

For that day I am bound to keep the fast I vowed,

For that day I have a fast I vowed

And, according to the Sufi view, I have thanksgiving to offer.

And with me, in the way of Sufism, thankfulness