كانَت دَمَنهورُ لَنا

كانَت دَمَنهورُ لَنا

مَهدَ المَحاسِنِ وَالظَرائِفِ

مَهدَ المَحاسِنِ وَالظَرائِفِ

Damanhur was, for us,

Damnahur was a cradle for us

the cradle of beauty and delights,

Of beauty and subtleties

لا سِيِّما لَمّا رَقَّت

لا سِيِّما لَمّا رَقَّت

بِمُديرِها رَبُّ اللَطائِفِ

بِمُديرِها رَبُّ اللَطائِفِ

especially when she grew refined

Especially when it was blessed

through her governor, the master of graces:

By its Lord, the Bestower of graces

خَيري الخَلائِقَ أَحمَدَ

خَيري الخَلائِقَ أَحمَدَ

مُحي المَفاخِرِ وَالمَعارِفِ

مُحي المَفاخِرِ وَالمَعارِفِ

Ahmad Khayri, noble in character,

The best of creation, Ahmed

reviver of glories and learning.

Reviver of glories and knowledge

وَسِعَت لِنادي فَضلِهِ

وَسِعَت لِنادي فَضلِهِ

أَهلَ الفَضائِلِ وَالعَوارِفِ

أَهلَ الفَضائِلِ وَالعَوارِفِ

She welcomed into the circle of his bounty

In his circle of grace

people of virtue and benevolence.

Were people of virtues and gnosis

فَاِستَأنَسَت نَفسي بِهِم

فَاِستَأنَسَت نَفسي بِهِم

وَظَلَلتُ التَقطُ الطَرائِفِ

وَظَلَلتُ التَقطُ الطَرائِفِ

So my soul felt at ease among them,

My soul found companionship in them

and I kept gathering curiosities.

And I lingered to glean subtleties

وَأَقولُ قَد سَعِدَت دَمَن

وَأَقولُ قَد سَعِدَت دَمَن

هورُ وَراقَت كُلَّ طائِفِ

هورُ وَراقَت كُلَّ طائِفِ

And I would say: fortunate indeed is Daman-

And I say Damnahur was blessed

hur, and she has charmed every passerby.

And every corner flourished

لَكِن بِها كَلبٌ عَقورُ

لَكِن بِها كَلبٌ عَقورُ

قَد بَدَت مِنهُ المَخاوِفِ

قَد بَدَت مِنهُ المَخاوِفِ

Yet within her is a vicious dog,

But in it is an ungrateful dog

whose terrors have become plain.

Fears have appeared from it

لا زالَ يَعطِفُ كاسِراً

لا زالَ يَعطِفُ كاسِراً

فَيُسيءُ جالِسُها وَواقِفِ

فَيُسيءُ جالِسُها وَواقِفِ

He never stops lunging like a predator,

It still circles breaking things

harming those seated and standing there,

Hurting those sitting and standing

حَتّى غَدَت مَوبوءَةً

حَتّى غَدَت مَوبوءَةً

بِوُجودِهِ وَالكُلُّ واجِفِ

بِوُجودِهِ وَالكُلُّ واجِفِ

until she became plague-stricken

Until it has become infected

by his presence, and everyone trembles.

By its existence, and all are cautious

فَمَنِ الَّذي يأَتي لَها

فَمَنِ الَّذي يأَتي لَها

ما دَآمُ فيها الكَلبُ عاطِفِ

ما دَآمُ فيها الكَلبُ عاطِفِ

Who, then, would come to her

So who will come to it

as long as the dog Atif remains there,

As long as the destructive dog is circling

إِلّا وَباستورَ لَهُ

إِلّا وَباستورَ لَهُ

في كُلِّ آوِنَةٍ مُساعِفِ

في كُلِّ آوِنَةٍ مُساعِفِ

unless Pasteur were there for him,

Except to find his mark on it

ready at every moment to help?

In every moment redoubled

وَلَرُبَّما لَم يَجِدهُ

وَلَرُبَّما لَم يَجِدهُ

تُطبيهِ وَالداءُ ناقِفِ

تُطبيهِ وَالداءُ ناقِفِ

And perhaps he would gain no benefit

And sometimes cannot find it

from his treatment, as the disease ravages him.

When the disease lies in wait

فَاللَهُ يَخفى رَسمُهُ

فَاللَهُ يَخفى رَسمُهُ

مِنها فَتَأخُذُهُ المَتالِفِ

مِنها فَتَأخُذُهُ المَتالِفِ

So may God erase his trace

So God hides its traces

from her, and may deadly perils seize him.

From it, and it seizes the familiar

لا أَكونُ أَوَّلَ آمِنٍ

لا أَكونُ أَوَّلَ آمِنٍ

وَأَكونُ آخِرَ مَن يُجازِفِ

وَأَكونُ آخِرَ مَن يُجازِفِ

I will not be the first to feel safe,

I will not be the first to feel safe

and I will be the last to take a risk.

And I will be the last to take risks