سَعَيتُ إِلى أَن كِدتُ أَنتَعِلُ الدَما

سَعَيتُ إِلى أَن كِدتُ أَنتَعِلُ الدَما

وَعُدتُ وَما أُعقِبتُ إِلّا التَنَدُّما

وَعُدتُ وَما أُعقِبتُ إِلّا التَنَدُّما

I strove until I almost wore blood for sandals,

I toiled until I almost bled,

And returned with nothing but regret as my reward.

And returned with nothing but regret.

لَحى اللَهُ عَهدَ القاسِطينَ الَّذي بِهِ

لَحى اللَهُ عَهدَ القاسِطينَ الَّذي بِهِ

تَهَدَّمَ مِن بُنيانِنا ما تَهَدَّما

تَهَدَّمَ مِن بُنيانِنا ما تَهَدَّما

May God curse the age of the unjust, in which

May God obliterate the covenant of the unjust,

So much of our edifice came tumbling down.

By which parts of our edifice fell.

إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَلقى السَعادَةَ بَينَهُم

إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَلقى السَعادَةَ بَينَهُم

فَلا تَكُ مِصرِيّاً وَلا تَكُ مُسلِما

فَلا تَكُ مِصرِيّاً وَلا تَكُ مُسلِما

If you wish to find happiness among them,

If you want to find happiness among them,

Then be neither an Egyptian nor a Muslim.

Be neither Egyptian nor Muslim.

سَلامٌ عَلى الدُنيا سَلامَ مُوَدِّعٍ

سَلامٌ عَلى الدُنيا سَلامَ مُوَدِّعٍ

رَأى في ظَلامِ القَبرِ أُنساً وَمَغنَما

رَأى في ظَلامِ القَبرِ أُنساً وَمَغنَما

Farewell to the world—the farewell of one departing,

Peace upon the world, the farewell peace

Who found comfort and gain in the darkness of the grave.

Of one who saw comfort and gain in the darkness of the grave.

أَضَرَّت بِهِ الأولى فَهامَ بِأُختِها

أَضَرَّت بِهِ الأولى فَهامَ بِأُختِها

فَإِن ساءَتِ الأُخرى فَوَيلاهُ مِنهُما

فَإِن ساءَتِ الأُخرى فَوَيلاهُ مِنهُما

The first harmed him, so he fell in love with her sister;

The first one harmed me, so I turned to her sister,

And if the other proves cruel, woe to him from both!

And if the other turns out bad, woe to me from both.

فَهُبّي رِياحَ المَوتِ نُكباً وَأَطفِئي

فَهُبّي رِياحَ المَوتِ نُكباً وَأَطفِئي

سِراجَ حَياتي قَبلَ أَن يَتَحَطَّما

سِراجَ حَياتي قَبلَ أَن يَتَحَطَّما

Then blow, O winds of death, in crosswise gusts, and quench

O winds of death, blow me over and extinguish

The lamp of my life before it shatters.

The lamp of my life before it gets smashed.

فَما عَصَمَتني مِن زَماني فَضائِلي

فَما عَصَمَتني مِن زَماني فَضائِلي

وَلَكِن رَأَيتُ المَوتَ لِلحُرِّ أَعصَما

وَلَكِن رَأَيتُ المَوتَ لِلحُرِّ أَعصَما

For my virtues have not shielded me from my times,

My virtues did not protect me from my fate,

But I have found death a surer shield for the free man.

But I saw that death is most protective of the free.

فَيا قَلبُ لا تَجزَع إِذا عَضَّكَ الأَسى

فَيا قَلبُ لا تَجزَع إِذا عَضَّكَ الأَسى

فَإِنّكَ بَعدَ اليَومِ لَن تَتَأَلَّما

فَإِنّكَ بَعدَ اليَومِ لَن تَتَأَلَّما

So, O heart, do not despair when sorrow bites you;

O heart, do not grieve when sorrow stings you,

For after today you will no longer feel pain.

For after this day, you shall never again feel pain.

وَيا عَينُ قَد آنَ الجُمودُ لِمَدمَعي

وَيا عَينُ قَد آنَ الجُمودُ لِمَدمَعي

فَلا سَيلَ دَمعٍ تَسكُبينَ وَلا دَما

فَلا سَيلَ دَمعٍ تَسكُبينَ وَلا دَما

And, O eye, it is time for my tears to dry;

O eye, the time for your tears has passed

So you will shed neither a torrent of tears nor blood.

So shed no more tears or blood.

وَيا يَدُ ما كَلَّفتُكِ البَسطَ مَرَّةً

وَيا يَدُ ما كَلَّفتُكِ البَسطَ مَرَّةً

لِذي مِنَّةٍ أَولى الجَميلَ وَأَنعَما

لِذي مِنَّةٍ أَولى الجَميلَ وَأَنعَما

And, O hand, never once did I bid you stretch out

O hand, I never asked you once

To a benefactor who bestowed kindness and favors.

To favor one with kindness or gifts.

فَلِلَّهِ ما أَحلاكِ في أَنمُلِ البِلى

فَلِلَّهِ ما أَحلاكِ في أَنمُلِ البِلى

وَإِن كُنتِ أَحلى في الطُروسِ وَأَكرَما

وَإِن كُنتِ أَحلى في الطُروسِ وَأَكرَما

So, by God, how lovely you are in decay's fingers,

To God belongs what adorns you with rings

Though on the written pages you were lovelier and nobler.

Even if you are lovelier with bracelets and generosity.

وَيا قَدَمي ما سِرتِ بي لِمَذَلَّةٍ

وَيا قَدَمي ما سِرتِ بي لِمَذَلَّةٍ

وَلَم تَرتَقي إِلّا إِلى العِزِّ سُلَّما

وَلَم تَرتَقي إِلّا إِلى العِزِّ سُلَّما

And, O my foot, you never carried me to humiliation,

O feet, you never took me to humiliation

Nor climbed a ladder except toward honor.

But only climbed the ladder of honor.

فَلا تُبطِئي سَيراً إِلى المَوتِ وَاِعلَمي

فَلا تُبطِئي سَيراً إِلى المَوتِ وَاِعلَمي

بِأَنَّ كَريمَ القَومِ مَن ماتَ مُكرَما

بِأَنَّ كَريمَ القَومِ مَن ماتَ مُكرَما

So do not slacken your pace toward death, and know

Do not hesitate to walk toward death, and know

That the noble one among a people is he who dies honored.

That the most honorable people die with honor.

وَيا نَفسُ كَم جَشَّمتُكِ الصَبرَ وَالرِضا

وَيا نَفسُ كَم جَشَّمتُكِ الصَبرَ وَالرِضا

وَجَشَّمتِني أَن أَلبَسَ المَجدَ مُعلَما

وَجَشَّمتِني أَن أَلبَسَ المَجدَ مُعلَما

And, O soul, how often I forced patience and contentment upon you,

O soul, how I adorned you with patience and consent,

And you made me don glory as an emblazoned robe.

And adorned myself to wear the badge of glory.

فَما اِسطَعتِ أَن تَستَمرِئي مُرَّ طَعمِهِ

فَما اِسطَعتِ أَن تَستَمرِئي مُرَّ طَعمِهِ

وَما اِسطَعتُ بَينَ القَومِ أَن أَتَقَدَّما

وَما اِسطَعتُ بَينَ القَومِ أَن أَتَقَدَّما

Yet you could not stomach its bitter taste,

You did not succeed in relishing its bitter taste,

Nor could I advance among the people.

Nor did I succeed in preceding the people.

فَهَذا فِراقٌ بَينَنا فَتَجَمَّلي

فَهَذا فِراقٌ بَينَنا فَتَجَمَّلي

فَإِنَّ الرَدى أَحلى مَذاقاً وَمَطعَما

فَإِنَّ الرَدى أَحلى مَذاقاً وَمَطعَما

So this is our parting; bear it nobly,

This is our farewell, so take it gracefully,

For death is sweeter in savor and taste.

For destruction is sweeter and more flavorful.

وَيا صَدرُ كَم حَلَّت بِذاتِكَ ضيقَةٌ

وَيا صَدرُ كَم حَلَّت بِذاتِكَ ضيقَةٌ

وَكَم جالَ في أَنحائِكَ الهَمُّ وَاِرتَمى

وَكَم جالَ في أَنحائِكَ الهَمُّ وَاِرتَمى

And, O breast, how often distress has settled within you,

O chest, how much distress has descended upon you,

And how often worry has roamed your recesses and flung itself down.

And how much worry and sorrow took refuge inside you.

فَهَلّا تَرى في ضيقَةِ القَبرِ فُسحَةً

فَهَلّا تَرى في ضيقَةِ القَبرِ فُسحَةً

تُنَفِّسُ عَنكَ الكَربَ إِن بِتَّ مُبرَما

تُنَفِّسُ عَنكَ الكَربَ إِن بِتَّ مُبرَما

Then will you not see in the grave's confinement a spaciousness

Can you not see relief in the narrowness of the grave

That eases your anguish, should you spend the night tormented?

That would relieve your suffering once concluded?

وَيا قَبرُ لا تَبخَل بِرَدِّ تَحِيَّةٍ

وَيا قَبرُ لا تَبخَل بِرَدِّ تَحِيَّةٍ

عَلى صاحِبٍ أَوفى عَلَينا وَسَلَّما

عَلى صاحِبٍ أَوفى عَلَينا وَسَلَّما

And, O grave, do not begrudge a greeting in return

O grave, do not be stingy in returning a greeting

To a friend who comes to us and offers greetings.

To a friend who was loyal to us and bid farewell.

وَهَيهاتَ يَأتي الحَيُّ لِلمَيتِ زائِراً

وَهَيهاتَ يَأتي الحَيُّ لِلمَيتِ زائِراً

فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ الوُدَّ في الحَيِّ أُسقِما

فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ الوُدَّ في الحَيِّ أُسقِما

Yet how unlikely that the living should come to visit the dead!

Alas, the living will not visit the dead,

For I have seen affection among the living stricken ill.

For I saw sincerity for the living as frail.

وَيا أَيُّها النَجمُ الَّذي طالَ سُهدُهُ

وَيا أَيُّها النَجمُ الَّذي طالَ سُهدُهُ

وَقَد أَخَذَت مِنهُ السُرى أَينَ يَمَّما

وَقَد أَخَذَت مِنهُ السُرى أَينَ يَمَّما

And, O star, whose sleeplessness has long endured,

O star that stayed up long

And whom night journeys have worn down wherever you have turned,

And the Pleiades took from it - where did it point to?

لَعَلَّكَ لا تَنسى عُهودَ مُنادِمٍ

لَعَلَّكَ لا تَنسى عُهودَ مُنادِمٍ

تَعَلَّمَ مِنكَ السُهدَ وَالأَينَ كُلَّما

تَعَلَّمَ مِنكَ السُهدَ وَالأَينَ كُلَّما

Perhaps you will not forget the pledges of a boon companion,

Perhaps you do not forget the company of a devoted friend

Who learned from you sleeplessness and weariness whenever...

Who learned wakefulness and direction from you whenever.