قَد غَفَونا وَاِنتَبَهنا فَإِذا

قَد غَفَونا وَاِنتَبَهنا فَإِذا

نَحنُ غَرقى وَإِذا المَوتُ أَمَم

نَحنُ غَرقى وَإِذا المَوتُ أَمَم

We had slumbered and awoke, and behold—

We slept and woke to find ourselves drowning,

we were drowning, and death was close at hand.

And death was lurking close at hand,

ثُمَّ كانَت فَترَةٌ مَقدورَةٌ

ثُمَّ كانَت فَترَةٌ مَقدورَةٌ

غَرَّ فينا الدَهرُ ضَعفٌ فَهَجَم

غَرَّ فينا الدَهرُ ضَعفٌ فَهَجَم

Then came a fated lull;

Then came a destined respite

our weakness tempted Time, and it attacked.

In which time worked its wiles and struck in our weakness.

فَتَماسَكنا فَكانَت قُوَّةٌ

فَتَماسَكنا فَكانَت قُوَّةٌ

زَلزَلَت رُكنَ اللَيالي فَاِنهَدَم

زَلزَلَت رُكنَ اللَيالي فَاِنهَدَم

So we held together, and strength arose

We pulled ourselves together and found new strength

that shook the pillar of the nights, and it fell.

To shake the pillars of the nights, and they collapsed.

كانَ في الأَنفُسِ جُرحٌ مِن هَوىً

كانَ في الأَنفُسِ جُرحٌ مِن هَوىً

نَظَرَ اللَهُ إِلَيهِ فَاِلتَأَم

نَظَرَ اللَهُ إِلَيهِ فَاِلتَأَم

A wound of passion lay within our souls;

There was a wound of love lodged in our souls,

God looked upon it, and it healed.

God looked on it, and it healed.

فَنَشَدنا العَيشَ حُرّاً طَلَقاً

فَنَشَدنا العَيشَ حُرّاً طَلَقاً

تَحتَ ظِلِّ اللَهِ لا ظِلِّ الأُمَم

تَحتَ ظِلِّ اللَهِ لا ظِلِّ الأُمَم

So we sought life, free and unrestrained,

We sought a free and unfettered life

beneath God's shade, not the shade of nations.

Beneath God's shade, not the shade of nations.

وَحَقيقٌ أَن يُوَفّى حَقَّهُ

وَحَقيقٌ أَن يُوَفّى حَقَّهُ

مَن بِحَبلِ اللَهِ وَالصَبرِ اِعتَصَم

مَن بِحَبلِ اللَهِ وَالصَبرِ اِعتَصَم

And worthy of receiving his full due is

And truly, those threads will not unravel

he who holds fast to God's rope and to patience.

Who cling to God's cord and are garmented in patience.

آفَةُ المَرءِ إِذا المَرءُ وَنى

آفَةُ المَرءِ إِذا المَرءُ وَنى

آفَةُ الشَعبِ إِذا الشَعبُ اِنقَسَم

آفَةُ الشَعبِ إِذا الشَعبُ اِنقَسَم

A man's ruin comes when he falters;

A man's own conceit spells his ruin

a people's ruin comes when they divide.

Dissension spells ruin for a people.

لَيسَ مِنّاً مَن يَني أَو يَنثَني

لَيسَ مِنّاً مَن يَني أَو يَنثَني

أَو يَعُقُّ النيلَ في رَعيِ الذِمَم

أَو يَعُقُّ النيلَ في رَعيِ الذِمَم

He is not of us who falters or turns back,

None among us turns tail or veers sideways

or fails the Nile in honoring his pledges.

Or dams the Nile to flood the meadows.

نَشءَ مِصرٍ نَبِّئوا مِصراً بِكَم

نَشءَ مِصرٍ نَبِّئوا مِصراً بِكَم

تَشتَرونَ المَقصِدَ الأَسمى بِكَم

تَشتَرونَ المَقصِدَ الأَسمى بِكَم

Youth of Egypt, tell Egypt: at what price

O youth of Egypt, tell Egypt what you were sold for,

will you buy the loftiest goal—at what price?

Tell it what grand ideals go for these days.

بِنِضالٍ يُصقَلُ العَزمُ بِهِ

بِنِضالٍ يُصقَلُ العَزمُ بِهِ

وَسُهادٍ في العُلا حُلوِ الأَلَم

وَسُهادٍ في العُلا حُلوِ الأَلَم

With struggle by which resolve is burnished,

With struggle does the will grow keener

and sleeplessness for greatness, sweet in its pain.

With vigilance atop the heights is rest made sweet.

أَنا لا أَفخَرُ بِالماضي وَلا

أَنا لا أَفخَرُ بِالماضي وَلا

أَحسَبُ الحاضِرَ يُطرى أَو يُذَم

أَحسَبُ الحاضِرَ يُطرى أَو يُذَم

I do not boast of the past, nor

I boast not of the past, nor count the present

do I deem the present worthy of praise or blame.

Mean or sublime in fortune's fickle gaze.

كُلُّ هَمّي أَن أَراكُم في غَدٍ

كُلُّ هَمّي أَن أَراكُم في غَدٍ

مِثلَ ما كُنتُم أُسوداً في أَجَم

مِثلَ ما كُنتُم أُسوداً في أَجَم

All my concern is to see you tomorrow

My sole concern is that I see you tomorrow

as you once were: lions in the thickets.

Lions still, as you were in the jungles of yore.

فَالفَتى كُلُّ الفَتى مَن لَو رَأى

فَالفَتى كُلُّ الفَتى مَن لَو رَأى

في اِقتِحامِ النارِ عِزّاً لَاِقتَحَم

في اِقتِحامِ النارِ عِزّاً لَاِقتَحَم

For the true young man is he who, if he saw

The only youth deserving of the name

honor in plunging into fire, would plunge in.

Is he who'd plunge into the fire for glory.

لا تَظُنّوا العَيشَ أَحلامَ المُنى

لا تَظُنّوا العَيشَ أَحلامَ المُنى

ذاكَ عَهدٌ قَد تَوَلّى وَاِنصَرَم

ذاكَ عَهدٌ قَد تَوَلّى وَاِنصَرَم

Do not think life is made of wishful dreams;

Do not imagine, life is but the pursuit of dreams,

that is an age already past and gone.

Those days are done, dead and gone.

هُوَ حَربٌ بَينَ فَقرٍ وَغِنىً

هُوَ حَربٌ بَينَ فَقرٍ وَغِنىً

وَصِراعٌ بَينَ بُرءٍ وَسَقَم

وَصِراعٌ بَينَ بُرءٍ وَسَقَم

It is war between poverty and wealth,

Life is a struggle 'twixt poverty and wealth,

and a struggle between health and sickness.

A contest 'twixt fitness and disease.

هُوَ نارٌ وَوَقودٌ فَإِذا

هُوَ نارٌ وَوَقودٌ فَإِذا

غَفَلَ الموقِدُ فَالنارُ حَمَم

غَفَلَ الموقِدُ فَالنارُ حَمَم

It is fire and fuel; and if

Fire with fuel − and should the stoker sleep,

the fire-tender grows heedless, the fire turns to cinders.

The flames will spread and rage.

فَاِنفُضوا النَومَ وَجِدّوا لِلعُلا

فَاِنفُضوا النَومَ وَجِدّوا لِلعُلا

فَالعُلا وَقفٌ عَلى مَن لَم يَنَم

فَالعُلا وَقفٌ عَلى مَن لَم يَنَم

So shake off sleep and strive for greatness,

Shake off your slumbers and toil for the heights,

for greatness is reserved for those who do not sleep.

The heights exact a price from those who sleep.

لَيسَ يَجني مَن تَمَنّى وَصلَها

لَيسَ يَجني مَن تَمَنّى وَصلَها

وانِياً أَو وادِعاً غَيرَ النَدَم

وانِياً أَو وادِعاً غَيرَ النَدَم

No one who longs to reach it will reap—

You'll gather nothing, dreaming of its lips

while idle or at ease—anything but regret.

Whether bidding adieu or greeting the new morn

وَالأَماني شَرُّ ما تُمنى بِهِ

وَالأَماني شَرُّ ما تُمنى بِهِ

هِمَّةُ المَرءِ إِذا المَرءُ اِعتَزَم

هِمَّةُ المَرءِ إِذا المَرءُ اِعتَزَم

And wishes are the worst affliction for

except regret. Better not to wish at all.

a man's ambition once he has resolved.

Resolve spells a man's mettle when he's resolved.

تَحمِدُ العَزمَ وَتَثني حَدَّهُ

تَحمِدُ العَزمَ وَتَثني حَدَّهُ

فَهيَ كَالماءِ لِإِخمادِ الضَرَم

فَهيَ كَالماءِ لِإِخمادِ الضَرَم

They praise resolve and blunt its edge,

You applaud resolve and marvel at its edge,

so they are like water for quenching a blaze.

Quenching fervor like water douses flames.

وَاُنظُروا اليابانَ في الشَرقِ وَقَد

وَاُنظُروا اليابانَ في الشَرقِ وَقَد

رَكَّزَت أَعلامَها فَوقَ القِمَم

رَكَّزَت أَعلامَها فَوقَ القِمَم

And look at Japan in the East: she has

Consider Japan in the East, its standards flutter

planted her banners above the peaks.

at the pinnacle unfurled.

حارَبوا الجَهلَ وَكانوا قَبلَنا

حارَبوا الجَهلَ وَكانوا قَبلَنا

في دُجى عَميائِهِ حَتّى اِنهَزَم

في دُجى عَميائِهِ حَتّى اِنهَزَم

They fought ignorance—they had preceded us

They battled ignorance before we did

in its blind darkness—until it was vanquished.

til ignorance was beaten and outclassed.

فَاِسأَلوا عَنها الثُرَثّا لا الثَرى

فَاِسأَلوا عَنها الثُرَثّا لا الثَرى

إِنَّها تَحتَلُّ أَبراجَ الهِمَم

إِنَّها تَحتَلُّ أَبراجَ الهِمَم

So ask the Pleiades about her, not the earth;

Ask it not of the elite but its plebs,

indeed, she occupies the towers of aspiration.

its ambitions scale the highest citadels.

هِمَمٌ يَمشي بِها العِلمُ إِلى

هِمَمٌ يَمشي بِها العِلمُ إِلى

أَنبَلِ الغاياتِ لا تَدري السَأَم

أَنبَلِ الغاياتِ لا تَدري السَأَم

Aspirations that send knowledge marching toward

Ambitions drive science toward the noblest ends

the noblest goals, and know no weariness.

unhampered by fatigue or ennui,

فَهيَ أَنّى حاوَلَت أَمراً مَشَت

فَهيَ أَنّى حاوَلَت أَمراً مَشَت

خَلفَها الأَيّامُ في صَفِّ الخَدَم

خَلفَها الأَيّامُ في صَفِّ الخَدَم

So whenever she attempts a task, there march

so that whenever it attempts something its days

behind her the days, in the ranks of servants.

fall into ranks behind it serving as troops.

لا تُبالي زُلزِلَت مِن تَحتِها

لا تُبالي زُلزِلَت مِن تَحتِها

أَم عَلَيها النَجمُ بِالنَجمِ اِصطَدَم

أَم عَلَيها النَجمُ بِالنَجمِ اِصطَدَم

She cares not if the ground beneath her shakes,

It matters not if the ground shakes under it

or above her star collides with star.

or star collides into star above it stumbled.

تَخِذَت شَمسَ الضُحى رَمزاً لَها

تَخِذَت شَمسَ الضُحى رَمزاً لَها

وَكَفى بِالشَمسِ رَمزاً لِلعِظَم

وَكَفى بِالشَمسِ رَمزاً لِلعِظَم

She took the morning sun as her emblem,

It made the rising sun its emblem, as if

and the sun suffices as an emblem of greatness.

the sun's enough symbol for sublime renown.

فَهيَ لا تَألو صُعوداً تَبتَغي

فَهيَ لا تَألو صُعوداً تَبتَغي

جانِبَ الشَمسِ مَكاناً لَم يُرَم

جانِبَ الشَمسِ مَكاناً لَم يُرَم

So she never slackens in ascent, seeking

Thus it rests not, seeking to climb nigh

beside the sun a place never yet sought.

the sun's domain: unclimbed terrain.