أَيُّها القائِمونَ بِالأَمرِ فينا

أَيُّها القائِمونَ بِالأَمرِ فينا

هَل نَسَيتُم وَلاءَنا وَالوِدادا

هَل نَسَيتُم وَلاءَنا وَالوِدادا

O you who govern our affairs,

O you who hold authority over us

Have you forgotten our loyalty and affection?

Have you forgotten our loyalty and affection?

خَفِّضوا جَيشَكُم وَناموا هَنيئا

خَفِّضوا جَيشَكُم وَناموا هَنيئا

وَاِبتَغوا صَيدَكُم وَجوبوا البِلادا

وَاِبتَغوا صَيدَكُم وَجوبوا البِلادا

Reduce your army, and sleep peacefully;

Lower your army and sleep contented

And seek your quarry, and roam the lands.

Seek your prey and roam the lands

وَإِذا أَعوَزَتكُمُ ذاتُ طَوقٍ

وَإِذا أَعوَزَتكُمُ ذاتُ طَوقٍ

بَينَ تِلكَ الرُبا فَصيدوا العِبادا

بَينَ تِلكَ الرُبا فَصيدوا العِبادا

And if you find no ring-necked bird

And when a neck ornamented with pearls

Among those hills, then hunt the people.

Eludes you amid those hills, hunt down the slaves

إِنَّما نَحنُ وَالحَمامُ سَواءٌ

إِنَّما نَحنُ وَالحَمامُ سَواءٌ

لَم تُغادِر أَطواقُنا الأَجيادا

لَم تُغادِر أَطواقُنا الأَجيادا

We and the doves are just the same:

We and the doves are alike

Our collars have not left our necks.

Our necks have never lacked necklaces

لا تَظُنّوا بِنا العُقوقَ وَلَكِن

لا تَظُنّوا بِنا العُقوقَ وَلَكِن

أَرشِدونا إِذا ضَلِلنا الرَشادا

أَرشِدونا إِذا ضَلِلنا الرَشادا

Do not suspect us of disloyalty; rather,

Think not we disobey, but rather

Guide us to the right path if we stray.

Guide us if we stray from the right path

لا تُقيدوا مِن أُمَّةٍ بِقَتيلٍ

لا تُقيدوا مِن أُمَّةٍ بِقَتيلٍ

صادَتِ الشَمسُ نَفسَهُ حينَ صادا

صادَتِ الشَمسُ نَفسَهُ حينَ صادا

Do not exact blood-retribution from a nation for a slain man

Do not punish a nation for one slain

Whose life the sun hunted down as he hunted.

Though the sun itself has set when slain

جاءَ جُهّالُنا بِأَمرٍ وَجِئتُم

جاءَ جُهّالُنا بِأَمرٍ وَجِئتُم

ضِعفَ ضِعفَيهِ قَسوَةً وَاِشتِدادا

ضِعفَ ضِعفَيهِ قَسوَةً وَاِشتِدادا

Our ignorant men committed a deed, and you came

Our ignorant came with a matter and you

With four times its cruelty and severity.

Met his weakness with hardness and force

أَحسِنوا القَتلَ إِن ضَنِنتُم بِعَفوٍ

أَحسِنوا القَتلَ إِن ضَنِنتُم بِعَفوٍ

أَقِصاصاً أَرَدتُمُ أَم كِيادا

أَقِصاصاً أَرَدتُمُ أَم كِيادا

Be humane in killing, if you begrudge a pardon;

Show mercy in killing, if you disdain pardon

Did you intend retribution, or malice?

Seeking retaliation, or plotting evil

أَحسِنوا القَتلَ إِن ضَنَنتُم بِعَفوٍ

أَحسِنوا القَتلَ إِن ضَنَنتُم بِعَفوٍ

أَنُفوساً أَصَبتُمُ أَم جَمادا

أَنُفوساً أَصَبتُمُ أَم جَمادا

Be humane in killing, if you begrudge a pardon;

Show mercy in killing, if you disdain pardon

Was it living souls you struck, or lifeless matter?

Souls you hurt, or the inanimate

لَيتَ شِعري أَتِلكَ مَحكَمَةُ التَف

لَيتَ شِعري أَتِلكَ مَحكَمَةُ التَف

تيشِ عادَت أَم عَهدُ نيرونَ عادا

تيشِ عادَت أَم عَهدُ نيرونَ عادا

I wonder: has that court of the Inqui-

Would that I knew, is this the court of equity

sition returned, or has Nero's age returned?

Returned, or Nero's era come again?

كَيفَ يَحلو مِنَ القَوِيِّ التَشَفّي

كَيفَ يَحلو مِنَ القَوِيِّ التَشَفّي

مِن ضَعيفٍ أَلقى إِلَيهِ القِيادا

مِن ضَعيفٍ أَلقى إِلَيهِ القِيادا

How can a strong man relish vengeance

How can the strong gloat over the weak

On a weak man who has handed him the reins?

Who has surrendered leadership to him?

إِنَّها مُثلَةٌ تَشُفُّ عَن الغَيـ

إِنَّها مُثلَةٌ تَشُفُّ عَن الغَيـ

ـظِ وَلَسنا لِغَيظِكُم أَندادا

ـظِ وَلَسنا لِغَيظِكُم أَندادا

It is mutilation that lays bare an-

It is mutilation that reveals anger

ger; we are no match for your anger.

And we are not equals to your rage

أَكرِمونا بِأَرضِنا حَيثُ كُنتُم

أَكرِمونا بِأَرضِنا حَيثُ كُنتُم

إِنَّما يُكرِمُ الجَوادُ الجَوادا

إِنَّما يُكرِمُ الجَوادُ الجَوادا

Honor us in our land, wherever you may be;

Honor us in our land wherever you are

Only the generous honor the generous.

Only the steed honors the steed

إِنَّ عِشرينَ حِجَّةً بَعدَ خَمسٍ

إِنَّ عِشرينَ حِجَّةً بَعدَ خَمسٍ

عَلَّمَتنا السُكونَ مَهما تَمادى

عَلَّمَتنا السُكونَ مَهما تَمادى

Indeed, twenty years added to five

Twenty arguments after five

Have taught us silence, however long it lasts.

Have taught us to be still no matter what

أُمَّةُ النيلِ أَكبَرَت أَن تُعادي

أُمَّةُ النيلِ أَكبَرَت أَن تُعادي

مَن رَماها وَأَشفَقَت أَن تُعادى

مَن رَماها وَأَشفَقَت أَن تُعادى

The nation of the Nile has shrunk from opposing

The Nile nation is too great to be hostile

Those who assailed it, and feared being opposed.

To one who attacked her, too noble to attack

لَيسَ فيها إِلّا كَلامٌ وَإِلّا

لَيسَ فيها إِلّا كَلامٌ وَإِلّا

حَسرَةٌ بَعدَ حَسرَةٍ تَتَهادى

حَسرَةٌ بَعدَ حَسرَةٍ تَتَهادى

There is nothing in it but talk, and nothing but

In her is only words, and only

Sorrow after sorrow, drifting gently by.

Regret after regret that keeps building

أَيُّها المُدَّعي العُمومِيُّ مَهلاً

أَيُّها المُدَّعي العُمومِيُّ مَهلاً

بَعضَ هَذا فَقَد بَلَغتَ المُرادا

بَعضَ هَذا فَقَد بَلَغتَ المُرادا

O public prosecutor, go gently;

O public prosecutor, stop.

Less of this, for you have attained your aim.

With some of this you have achieved your purpose

قَد ضَمِنّا لَكَ القَضاءَ بِمِصرٍ

قَد ضَمِنّا لَكَ القَضاءَ بِمِصرٍ

وَضَمِنّا لِنَجلِكَ الإِسعادا

وَضَمِنّا لِنَجلِكَ الإِسعادا

We have guaranteed you judicial office in Egypt,

We guaranteed you justice in Egypt

And guaranteed happiness for your son.

And guaranteed your son success

فَإِذا ما جَلَستَ لِلحُكمِ فَاِذكُر

فَإِذا ما جَلَستَ لِلحُكمِ فَاِذكُر

عَهدَ مِصرٍ فَقَد شَفَيتَ الفُؤادا

عَهدَ مِصرٍ فَقَد شَفَيتَ الفُؤادا

So when you sit in judgment, remember

So when you sit in judgment, remember

Egypt's covenant, for you have healed the heart.

Egypt's covenant, and you will cheer the heart

لا جَرى النيلُ في نَواحيكِ يا مِصـ

لا جَرى النيلُ في نَواحيكِ يا مِصـ

ـرُ وَلا جادَكِ الحَيا حَيثُ جادا

ـرُ وَلا جادَكِ الحَيا حَيثُ جادا

May the Nile not flow through your lands, O Egy-

Neither has the Nile flowed in your valleys, O Egypt

pt, nor may rain bless you wherever it falls.

Nor has the serpent roamed where it roamed

أَنتِ أَنبَتِّ ذَلِكَ النَبتَ يا مِصـ

أَنتِ أَنبَتِّ ذَلِكَ النَبتَ يا مِصـ

ـرُ فَأَضحى عَلَيكِ شَوكاً قَتادا

ـرُ فَأَضحى عَلَيكِ شَوكاً قَتادا

You made that plant grow, O Egy-

You grow that growth, O Egypt

pt, and it became a thorny qatad bush against you.

So it becomes thorns you pluck out

أَنتِ أَنبَتِّ ناعِقاً قامَ بِالأَمـ

أَنتِ أَنبَتِّ ناعِقاً قامَ بِالأَمـ

ـسِ فَأَدمى القُلوبَ وَالأَكبادا

ـسِ فَأَدمى القُلوبَ وَالأَكبادا

You reared a cawing creature who rose up yester-

You groom a vocal beast that stands

day, and made hearts and livers bleed.

At dusk, wounding hearts and livers

إيهِ يا مِدرَةَ القَضاءِ وَيا مَن

إيهِ يا مِدرَةَ القَضاءِ وَيا مَن

سادَ في غَفلَةِ الزَمانِ وَشادا

سادَ في غَفلَةِ الزَمانِ وَشادا

Go on, O champion of the courts, and O you who

Woe to you, O city of justice, woe to you

Ruled while time was heedless, and built high.

Who prevailed in the heedlessness of time and fenced

أَنتَ جَلّادُنا فَلا تَنسَ أَنّا

أَنتَ جَلّادُنا فَلا تَنسَ أَنّا

قَد لَبِسنا عَلى يَدَيكَ الحِدادا

قَد لَبِسنا عَلى يَدَيكَ الحِدادا

You are our executioner, so do not forget that we

You are our torturer, so do not forget

Have put on mourning clothes at your hands.

We have worn black garments by your hand