في الجزيرة معصرة فيها قصب

في الجزيرة معصرة فيها قصب

يعصروه مقشور

يعصروه مقشور

On the island is a press with sugarcane in it.

On the island there is a sugarcane press

They press it peeled.

Where they squeeze out the peeled cane

يعملوه جلاّب وسكر شي عجب

يعملوه جلاّب وسكر شي عجب

ما أبركه في الدور

ما أبركه في الدور

They make syrup and sugar from it—what a marvel!

And make it into fantastic sugar

What a blessing it is in homes!

How blessed it is in homes

آه لو انه بلاش ما له ثمن

آه لو انه بلاش ما له ثمن

ما بقيت مقهور

ما بقيت مقهور

Ah, if only it were free, with no price!

Oh, if only it were free, without cost

I would no longer be dejected.

I wouldn't remain oppressed

أنظر السكر صحيح وأرجع أنا

أنظر السكر صحيح وأرجع أنا

بقليب مكسور

بقليب مكسور

I look at the sugar, intact, and I return

Look, the sugar is real, yet I must return

With a broken little heart.

With my broken heart

يا مفيليس روح واقنع بالنظر

يا مفيليس روح واقنع بالنظر

لا تكن طمّاع

لا تكن طمّاع

O little pauper, go and be content with looking;

O Mefales, go and be content with looking

Do not be greedy.

Don't be greedy

وانظر البحر بأمواجه انحدر

وانظر البحر بأمواجه انحدر

ما عليه منّاع

ما عليه منّاع

And look at the river flowing down with its waves;

And watch the sea with its waves flowing

No one bars you from it.

With no obstacle

خذ وفرّق واملأ عبّك لا امتناع

خذ وفرّق واملأ عبّك لا امتناع

ليس ماؤه محجور

ليس ماؤه محجور

Take, share it out, and fill your garment's fold—no restraint;

Take and divide, fill up your basket, no objection

Its water is not forbidden.

Its water isn't forbidden

فاعمل أنت فيه بالباع والذرا

فاعمل أنت فيه بالباع والذرا

ومعك دستور

ومعك دستور

So work in it yourself, by fathom and cubit,

So you work in it with selling and scattering

And you have permission.

And with you a constitution

يا غراب ليش ربطوك في سلّمه

يا غراب ليش ربطوك في سلّمه

بحد الروضه

بحد الروضه

O crow, why did they tie you to a step

O raven, why did they tie you to the ladder

At the edge of al-Rawda?

By the garden's wall

وأنت جامد هكذا كالخشبه

وأنت جامد هكذا كالخشبه

ما تبيض بيضه

ما تبيض بيضه

And you are stiff like this, like a piece of wood;

While you stand still like wood

You do not lay an egg.

Not laying an egg

لك جناحين وأنت واقف ما تطير

لك جناحين وأنت واقف ما تطير

من حدا البحرور

من حدا البحرور

You have two wings, yet you stand and do not fly

You have two wings yet you don't fly

From beside the river.

From the edge of the pond

لكن أنت بان عذرك في الوقوف

لكن أنت بان عذرك في الوقوف

ما أبوك طيرور

ما أبوك طيرور

But as for you, your excuse for standing still is clear:

But your excuse for standing is clear

Your father is no bird.

Your father wasn't a bird

جامع المقياس فوقه مأذنه

جامع المقياس فوقه مأذنه

ولها أدوار

ولها أدوار

The Nilometer mosque has a minaret above it,

The mosque's minaret above it has rounds

And it has tiers.

Standing over the roofs before us

واقفه فوق السطوح قدّامنا

واقفه فوق السطوح قدّامنا

كنّها قوار

كنّها قوار

It stands above the rooftops before us,

As if they were lighthouses

As though it were a cucumber (meaning uncertain).

Under it is the sea, and its mast on top

تحتها البحر وصاري فوقها

تحتها البحر وصاري فوقها

من خشب منجور

من خشب منجور

The river is beneath it, and above it is a mast

Of carved wood

Of hewn wood.

What do you think, my friends, about this

أيش تقولوا يا أصحابي في ذي

أيش تقولوا يا أصحابي في ذي

يا ترى شختور

يا ترى شختور

What do you say, my friends, about this—

I wonder, did you understand?

Could it be a riverboat?