عَلَمانِtwo banners; two eminent men مِنamong أَعلامِbanners; eminent men مِصـEgypt (first part)
عَلَمانِ مِن أَعلامِ مِصـ
ـرَEgypt (completion) عَداassailed الرَدىdeath فَطَواهُماand furled them both
ـرَ عَدا الرَدى فَطَواهُما
Two banners among the banners of Egypt—
Two leaders from Egypt's greatest men
death assailed them and furled them both.
Time could not wear their glory down
حَسَنٌHasan وَزُهديand Zuhdi لَمnot يُمَتـwas granted enjoyment (first part)
حَسَنٌ وَزُهدي لَم يُمَتـ
ـتَعwas granted enjoyment (completion) بِالشَبابِof youth كِلاهُماboth of them
ـتَع بِالشَبابِ كِلاهُما
Hasan and Zuhdi—neither was granted
Virtuous and ascetic, they spurned
the enjoyment of youth.
The passion of youth through their lives
سَلَكاthey both followed سَبيلَthe path الحَقِّtruth ماas long as
سَلَكا سَبيلَ الحَقِّ ما
عاشاthey both lived وَماand how أَولاهُماworthy they both were
عاشا وَما أَولاهُما
They followed the path of truth as long as
They walked the path of truth while
they lived—and how worthy they both were of it!
They lived, never swerving from it
داسَtrampled الأَثيمُthe evildoer حِماهُماthe sanctuary of them both
داسَ الأَثيمُ حِماهُما
تَحتَbeneath الدُجىthe darkness وَدَهاهُماand brought calamity upon them both
تَحتَ الدُجى وَدَهاهُما
The evildoer trampled their sanctuary
Though the wicked trampled their shield
under cover of darkness and brought calamity upon them both.
Beneath darkness, and shot them down
فَرَمىso he shot النُهىreason وَالفَضلَand virtue مُجـjoined together (first part)
فَرَمى النُهى وَالفَضلَ مُجـ
ـتَمِعينَjoined together (completion) حينَwhen رَماهُماhe shot them both
ـتَمِعينَ حينَ رَماهُما
Thus he shot reason and virtue, joined
Champions of restraint and nobility
together, when he shot them both.
Together when arrows pierced them
إِنif تَذكُرواyou all mention هِمَمَaspirations الرِجاmen (first part)
إِن تَذكُروا هِمَمَ الرِجا
لِmen (completion) فَقَدِّمواthen give precedence to ذِكراهُماthe memory of them both
لِ فَقَدِّموا ذِكراهُما
If you speak of men’s high aspirations,
If you recall the courage of heroes
then give their memory pride of place.
Let their memory come first
أَوor تَسأَلونيyou all ask me عَنabout شَهيـtwo martyrs (first part)
أَو تَسأَلوني عَن شَهيـ
ـدَيtwo martyrs (completion) مَبدَإٍa principle فَهُماthen they both are هُماthe very ones
ـدَي مَبدَإٍ فَهُما هُما
Or if you ask me of two martyrs
If you ask who were martyrs
to a principle: they are the very ones.
At the dawn, then they were they
Sol 6.1