ثَلاثَةٌthree مِنof سُراةِthe notables of النيلِthe Nile قَدindeed حَبَسواthey endowed
ثَلاثَةٌ مِن سُراةِ النيلِ قَد حَبَسوا
عَلىfor مَدارِسِناour schools سَبعينَseventy فَدّاناfeddans
عَلى مَدارِسِنا سَبعينَ فَدّانا
Three of the Nile's notables have endowed
Seventy feddans for our schools.
أَحيَواthey revived بِهاwith it أَمَلاًa hope قَدindeed كانَwas يَخنُقُهُstrangling it
أَحيَوا بِها أَمَلاً قَد كانَ يَخنُقُهُ
بُخلُthe miserliness of الغَنِيِّthe rich man وَجَهلٌand ignorance قَدalready تَغَشّاناengulfed us
بُخلُ الغَنِيِّ وَجَهلٌ قَد تَغَشّانا
With it they revived a hope that was being strangled
By the rich man's miserliness and an ignorance that had engulfed us.
وَخالَفواand they defied سُنَّةًa custom فيin مِصرَEgypt شائِعَةًwidespread
وَخالَفوا سُنَّةً في مِصرَ شائِعَةً
جَرَّتbrought عَلىupon العِلمِlearning وَالآدابِand letters خُسراناloss
جَرَّت عَلى العِلمِ وَالآدابِ خُسرانا
And they defied a custom widespread in Egypt,
Which brought loss upon learning and letters.
فَإِنfor if هَمَّintended سُراةُthe notables of النيلِthe Nile أَنto يَقِفواthey make endowments
فَإِن هَمَّ سُراةُ النيلِ أَن يَقِفوا
عَلىfor القُبورِgraves وَإِنand even if لَمdid not تَحوِhold إِنساناa human being
عَلى القُبورِ وَإِن لَم تَحوِ إِنسانا
For if the Nile's notables plan an endowment,
It is for graves, even if they hold no human being.
فَكَمfor how many ضَريحٍa tomb خَلاءٌempty لاno رُفاتَremains بِهِin it
فَكَم ضَريحٍ خَلاءٌ لا رُفاتَ بِهِ
تَرىyou see لَهُbelonging to it مَناحيthe regions of النيلِthe Nile أَطياناfarmland
تَرى لَهُ مَناحي النيلِ أَطيانا
For many an empty tomb, with no remains within,
You see endowed with farmland throughout the Nile's reaches!
وَكَمand how many حُبوسٍendowments عَلىfor المَوتىthe dead وَغُلَّتُهاand their revenue
وَكَم حُبوسٍ عَلى المَوتى وَغُلَّتُها
يَشريbuy الجُباةُthe collectors بِهِwith it خوصاًpalm leaves وَرَيحاناand basil
يَشري الجُباةُ بِهِ خوصاً وَرَيحانا
And how many endowments for the dead, whose revenue
The collectors use to buy palm leaves and basil!
وَالعِلمُand learning فيin حَسرَةٍanguish وَالعَقلُand reason فيin أَسَفٍgrief
وَالعِلمُ في حَسرَةٍ وَالعَقلُ في أَسَفٍ
وَالدينُand religion فيin خَجَلٍshame مِمّاat what تَوَلّاناhas befallen us
وَالدينُ في خَجَلٍ مِمّا تَوَلّانا
And learning is in anguish, and reason in grief,
And religion is ashamed of what has befallen us.
ماwhat كانَwould have ضَرَّharmed سُراةَthe notables of النيلِthe Nile لَوif فَعَلواthey had acted
ما كانَ ضَرَّ سُراةَ النيلِ لَو فَعَلوا
شَرواكُمُas you did فَبَنَواand so they built لِلعِلمِfor learning أَركاناpillars
شَرواكُمُ فَبَنَوا لِلعِلمِ أَركانا
What harm would it have done the Nile's notables, had they acted
As you did, and so raised pillars for learning?
تَقذىsmart عُيونُthe eyes of بَنيthe sons of مِصرٍEgypt بِمَظهَرِهِمat their display
تَقذى عُيونُ بَني مِصرٍ بِمَظهَرِهِم
فيin الرَملِal-Raml حيناًat times وَفيand in حُلوانَHelwan أَحياناat other times
في الرَملِ حيناً وَفي حُلوانَ أَحيانا
The eyes of Egypt's sons smart at their display,
In al-Raml at times, and in Helwan at others.
يَبغونَthey seek أَنthat تَحتَويcontain الدُنياthe world خَزائِنُهُمtheir coffers
يَبغونَ أَن تَحتَوي الدُنيا خَزائِنُهُم
وَيَزرَعواand they plant فَلَواتِthe wildernesses of اللَهِGod أَقطاناcotton
وَيَزرَعوا فَلَواتِ اللَهِ أَقطانا
They seek to have their coffers hold the world,
And to plant God's wildernesses with cotton.
وَلَيسَand there is not فيهِمamong them أَخوa man of نَفعٍbenefit وَصالِحَةٍand good deeds
وَلَيسَ فيهِم أَخو نَفعٍ وَصالِحَةٍ
وَلاnor تَرىyou see لَهُمُfrom them بِرّاًcharity وَإِحساناand kindness
وَلا تَرى لَهُمُ بِرّاً وَإِحسانا
Yet none among them brings benefit or does good,
Nor do you see charity or kindness from them.
ياO مِصرُEgypt حَتّامَhow long يَشكوlaments الفَضلُmerit فيin زَمَنٍan age
يا مِصرُ حَتّامَ يَشكو الفَضلُ في زَمَنٍ
يُجنىwrong is done عَلَيهِto it وَيُمسيand passes the evening فيكِwithin you أَسواناsorrowful
يُجنى عَلَيهِ وَيُمسي فيكِ أَسوانا
O Egypt, how long must merit lament in an age
When it is wronged, and evening finds it sorrowful within you?
قَدindeed سالَhas flowed واديكِyour valley خِصباًwith fertility مُمتِعاًdelightful فَمَتىso when
قَد سالَ واديكِ خِصباً مُمتِعاً فَمَتى
تَسيلُwill flow أَرجاؤُهُits reaches عِلماًwith learning وِعِرفاناand understanding
تَسيلُ أَرجاؤُهُ عِلماً وِعِرفانا
Your valley has flowed with delightful abundance; so when
Will its reaches flow with learning and understanding?
Sol 6.1