شفيقٌ مضى والدهر خانك يا مصرُ

شفيقٌ مضى والدهر خانك يا مصرُ

وياكَم عليه كان يحسدك الدهرُ

وياكَم عليه كان يحسدك الدهرُ

Shafiq is gone, and Time has betrayed you, O Egypt.

Shafiq has passed away while fate has let you down, O Egypt

And how often Time envied you for him!

And what a source of envy was he for fate

فمنَ بعدَهُ تبغين أن تزدهي بهِ

فمنَ بعدَهُ تبغين أن تزدهي بهِ

ويمسى به بين البلادِ لك الفخرُ

ويمسى به بين البلادِ لك الفخرُ

So whom, after him, do you seek to take pride in,

So who after him can make you flourish

And through whom will glory be yours among the lands?

And at night make you pride amongst the lands

ومَن غيرُه أعددتِه لملمةٍ

ومَن غيرُه أعددتِه لملمةٍ

إذا ضلت الآراء واضطرب الفكرُ

إذا ضلت الآراء واضطرب الفكرُ

And whom besides him have you readied for a calamity,

And who else have you prepared for melding

When opinions go astray and thought grows confused?

When opinions go astray and thoughts get perplexed

مضى خيرُ ذخر تتقين به العدا

مضى خيرُ ذخر تتقين به العدا

فلا عجبٌ إن قيل أعْوزَكَ الذخرُ

فلا عجبٌ إن قيل أعْوزَكَ الذخرُ

Gone is the finest treasure with which you ward off foes;

The best treasure you had for protection against enemies is gone

So no wonder if it is said, 'You lack that treasure.'

No wonder it was said you were left without wealth

ولو كنت ممن اسعد الدهرُ حظهُ

ولو كنت ممن اسعد الدهرُ حظهُ

لعاش ابن منصور وَتمَّ لك النصرُ

لعاش ابن منصور وَتمَّ لك النصرُ

And had you been among those whose lot Time favored,

And if you had been one who fate has made fortunate

Ibn Mansur would have lived, and your victory been complete.

Ibn Mansour would have lived and your triumph would have been completed

هل بَعد بُعدكَ يا شفيقَ يَروقُ

هل بَعد بُعدكَ يا شفيقَ يَروقُ

عيشٌ لصبّ قلبهُ محروقُ

عيشٌ لصبّ قلبهُ محروقُ

After your departure, O Shafiq, can there be delight

After losing you, O Shafiq, would life taste sweet

In life for a yearning lover whose heart is scorched?

To a heart that burns, longing for you

وتشوقهُ الدنيا وأنتَ صددتها

وتشوقهُ الدنيا وأنتَ صددتها

وتميلُ عنه إلى النوى ويطيقُ

وتميلُ عنه إلى النوى ويطيقُ

Can the world entice him, when you have spurned it,

The world once attracted him when you were present

And you turn from him toward separation—can he bear it?

But now turns away while his thoughts turn to memories of times past

ها قد سبقتَ إلى مماتِ وإنني

ها قد سبقتَ إلى مماتِ وإنني

ليلذّ لي شوقاً إليكَ لحوقُ

ليلذّ لي شوقاً إليكَ لحوقُ

See, you have already gone ahead to death, and I

For you have preceded me in death though

Truly find it sweet, in my longing for you, to follow.

My yearning to join you grows

لا خير بعدَكَ في الحياةِ فإنها

لا خير بعدَكَ في الحياةِ فإنها

كدرٌ وخالصُ ودذها تلفيقُ

كدرٌ وخالصُ ودذها تلفيقُ

There is no good in life after you, for it is

There is no good left in life after you so

Murk, and its pure affection is a fabrication.

It has become unpleasant, false and patched up

وسرورها حزنٌ وخيرُ نعيمها

وسرورها حزنٌ وخيرُ نعيمها

بؤسٌ وغايةُ جمعها تفريقُ

بؤسٌ وغايةُ جمعها تفريقُ

And its joy is sorrow, and its greatest bliss

Its joy is sorrow, the best of its bliss

Is misery, and its gathering ends in dispersal.

Misery, and the height of all it offers is separation

ملماتٌ بها حكمُ القضاءُ

ملماتٌ بها حكمُ القضاءُ

وحزنُ ما لمدّتهِ انقضاءُ

وحزنُ ما لمدّتهِ انقضاءُ

Calamities that Fate has decreed,

It holds afflictions, ruled by the judgment of fate

And sorrow whose duration has no end;

And sadness with no end

ورزء لا يُطاقُ عليه صبرٌ

ورزء لا يُطاقُ عليه صبرٌ

ولا يجدي التحسُّرُ والبكاءُ

ولا يجدي التحسُّرُ والبكاءُ

And a loss no patience can endure,

Misery that cannot be endured patiently

And neither lamentation nor weeping avails.

Nor helped by regret and crying

وعيشٌ بَعد أن أودى شفيقٌ

وعيشٌ بَعد أن أودى شفيقٌ

تكدّر واستحال له الصفاءُ

تكدّر واستحال له الصفاءُ

And life, after Shafiq died,

And life after Shafiq has passed away

Has grown turbid, and clarity has become impossible for it.

Has become bitter with its clarity marred

فما لك يا زمانُ بلا تروٍّ

فما لك يا زمانُ بلا تروٍّ

تعاقبنا وما منا اجتراءُ

تعاقبنا وما منا اجتراءُ

So why, O Time, without deliberation,

So why, O time, do you keep alternating with no compassion

Do you punish us, though we have shown no insolence?

Afflicting us though we have done no wrong

قضيتَ بدونَ إشفاقٍ علينا

قضيتَ بدونَ إشفاقٍ علينا

ويعلم رّبنا أنَّا بَراءُ

ويعلم رّبنا أنَّا بَراءُ

You have passed judgment on us without compassion,

You have judged us without mercy

And our Lord knows that we are innocent.

And our Lord knows we are innocent