قَصَرَ النّيل وما قصْ

قَصَرَ النّيل وما قصْ

صَرْتَ في بَذْلِ العَطايا

صَرْتَ في بَذْلِ العَطايا

The Nile has fallen short—but you have not fallen—

The Nile fell short, but you did not

—short in lavishing gifts.

fall short in bestowing gifts.

وأَبي كُل وفاءٍ

وأَبي كُل وفاءٍ

والوفا فيكَ سَجايا

والوفا فيكَ سَجايا

By my father, every kind of faithfulness is yours;

And by the father of all fidelity—

and faithfulness is second nature in you.

and fidelity is innate in you—

أَيُّها السَيِّد يادا

أَيُّها السَيِّد يادا

فعَ أسباب الرَّزايا

فعَ أسباب الرَّزايا

O master, O you who drive—

O master, O you who ward

—away the causes of calamity,

off the causes of calamity,

والذي هِمّتُه تأ

والذي هِمّتُه تأ

تي مِنَ الدُّنيا الدَّنايا

تي مِنَ الدُّنيا الدَّنايا

and anyone whose ambition attains—

and you whose ambition reaches

—base things from this world.

the base things of this world:

إنَّ عندي من عيالي

إنَّ عندي من عيالي

صبْيَةً مثلَ الخبايا

صبْيَةً مثلَ الخبايا

Indeed, among my dependents I have

Indeed, among my dependents I have

young children like hidden caches:

children like hidden treasures.

يُخرجون الخبزَ لو خبَأ

يُخرجون الخبزَ لو خبَأ

تُه تحتَ الحشايا

تُه تحتَ الحشايا

they ferret out bread even if I hide—

They bring out bread, even if I hide

—it beneath the mattresses.

it beneath the mattresses.

وَلَوَ أنّي كنت بَحراً

وَلَوَ أنّي كنت بَحراً

شَرَّبوني بالرِّوايا

شَرَّبوني بالرِّوايا

Even if I were a sea,

And if I were a sea,

they would drain me dry with waterskins.

they would drink me dry with waterskins.

قصَدَوا بَحْرِك إذما

قصَدَوا بَحْرِك إذما

لهُم مثلَ الرَّكايا

لهُم مثلَ الرَّكايا

They made for your sea, since what

They sought your sea, for

they have is like mere wells.

they have nothing like wells.

وزماني بكَ أَعيا

وزماني بكَ أَعيا

دٌ وأَعداكَ الضّحايا

دٌ وأَعداكَ الضّحايا

With you, my lifetime is all feast—

And through you my days are

—days, while your foes are the sacrifices.

festivals, and your enemies the sacrificial offerings.