يَاO مِصْرُEgypt خَطْبُكِyour calamity خَطْبُthe calamity الشَّرْقِthe East أَجْمَعِهِall of it
يَا مِصْرُ خَطْبُكِ خَطْبُ الشَّرْقِ أَجْمَعِهِ
عَلَىdespite اخْتِلافِthe differences بَنِيهِits sons وَالأَسَىand sorrow عُمَمُall-embracing
عَلَى اخْتِلافِ بَنِيهِ وَالأَسَى عُمَمُ
O Egypt, your calamity is the calamity of the entire East,
O Egypt, your plight is the plight of the East entire,
Despite the differences among its sons; sorrow embraces all.
Despite the divergence of its people and their sorrows abound,
فَفِيfor in حَوَاضِرِهِits cities الظَّبْيُthe gazelle المَرُوحُfrolicsome سَجَاgrew still
فَفِي حَوَاضِرِهِ الظَّبْيُ المَرُوحُ سَجَا
وَفِيand in بَوَادِيهِits deserts رِيعَwas frightened الضَّيْغَمُthe lion الأَضِمُenraged
وَفِي بَوَادِيهِ رِيعَ الضَّيْغَمُ الأَضِمُ
For in its cities the frolicsome gazelle grew still,
In its cities the yearning gazelles were left to graze,
And in its deserts the raging lion was frightened.
And in its valleys the fruits of the oleander bloom,
تَلَجْلَجَstammered الْبَرْقُthe lightning (telegraph) إِذْas طَارَflew النَّعْيُthe news of death بِهِthrough it
تَلَجْلَجَ الْبَرْقُ إِذْ طَارَ النَّعْيُ بِهِ
وَاسْتَشْعَرَتْand felt وِقْرَهُits burden الْوَخَّادَةُthe long-striding الرُّسُمُswift-paced camels
وَاسْتَشْعَرَتْ وِقْرَهُ الْوَخَّادَةُ الرُّسُمُ
The lightning stammered as the news of death flew through it,
Lightning flashed when news of him took flight,
And the long-striding, swift-paced camels felt its burden.
And in solemnity his death did customs don,
لُبْنَانُLebanon مَادَتْreeled بِهِat it حُزْناًin sorrow رَوَاسِخُهُits firm-rooted mountains
لُبْنَانُ مَادَتْ بِهِ حُزْناً رَوَاسِخُهُ
وَجَفَّand withered بِالغُوطَوِin Ghouta الصَّفْصَافُthe willow وَالرَّتَمُand the broom shrubs
وَجَفَّ بِالغُوطَوِ الصَّفْصَافُ وَالرَّتَمُ
Lebanon’s firm-rooted mountains reeled with sorrow at the news,
Lebanon's firm roots were bent in grief,
And in Ghouta the willow and broom withered.
And the willow and tamarisk of Al-Ghouta were sere,
وَفِيand in السَّوَادِal-Sawad (Iraq) عُيُونٌeyes بِالسَّوَادِwith blackness جَرَتْstreamed
وَفِي السَّوَادِ عُيُونٌ بِالسَّوَادِ جَرَتْ
وَفِيand in الحِجَازِthe Hejaz وَand نَجْدٍNajd لِلْجَوَىof anguish ضَرَمُa blaze
وَفِي الحِجَازِ وَ نَجْدٍ لِلْجَوَى ضَرَمُ
And in al-Sawad, eyes streamed black tears,
In the darkness eyes did flow with darkness,
And in the Hejaz and Najd, anguish blazed.
And in Hejaz and Najd agony took hold,
مَاwhat حَالُthe plight قَوْمٍa people بِمِصْرٍin Egypt شَمسُهُمْtheir sun كُسِفَتْwas eclipsed
مَا حَالُ قَوْمٍ بِمِصْرٍ شَمسُهُمْ كُسِفَتْ
وَتَسْتَهِلُّand pour down فَمَاyet do not تُغْنِهِمُavail them الديَمُthe steady rains
وَتَسْتَهِلُّ فَمَا تُغْنِهِمُ الديَمُ
What is the plight of a people in Egypt whose sun has been eclipsed,
What is the state of a people whose sun was eclipsed?
While steady rains pour down, yet bring them no relief?
The new moon rises but cannot avail them,
أُمُّthe mother المَدَائِنِof cities تُمْشِيwalks وَهْيَwhile she is جضازَعَةٌanguished
أُمُّ المَدَائِنِ تُمْشِي وَهْيَ جضازَعَةٌ
بِالنَّعْشِwith the bier مَشْيَthe gait ثَكُولٍa bereaved mother مَسَّهَاtouched her الْعَقَمُbarrenness
بِالنَّعْشِ مَشْيَ ثَكُولٍ مَسَّهَا الْعَقَمُ
The mother of cities walks, grief-stricken,
Mother of cities walks as a barren woman
With the bier, walking like a bereaved mother stricken with barrenness.
Bearing the bier with the gait of one whom sterility has struck,
ذِيدَتْshe was kept away عَنِfrom الرُّكْنِthe corner لَمْdid not تُلْمِمْmake contact بِهِwith it يَدُهَاher hand
ذِيدَتْ عَنِ الرُّكْنِ لَمْ تُلْمِمْ بِهِ يَدُهَا
فَأَقْبَلَتْso she approached بِضِيَاءِwith the light الْعَيْنِof the eye تَسْتَلِمُto touch reverently
فَأَقْبَلَتْ بِضِيَاءِ الْعَيْنِ تَسْتَلِمُ
She was kept from the corner; her hand had not touched it,
She turned from the Holy Place, her hands did not complete their task,
So she approached to touch it with the light of her eyes.
So she came with the radiance of the eye to take charge,
دِيَارُهَاher dwellings كَالطلُولِlike the ruins السُّحْمِdark مُوحَشَةٌdesolate
دِيَارُهَا كَالطلُولِ السُّحْمِ مُوحَشَةٌ
وَفِيand in الرِّحَابِthe squares وَفُودُdelegations الْخَلْقِof people تَزْدَحِمُcrowd together
وَفِي الرِّحَابِ وَفُودُ الْخَلْقِ تَزْدَحِمُ
Her dwellings are desolate as dark ruins,
Her dwellings are desolate like the stony tracts of Suhm,
And in the squares, delegations of people crowd together.
And in the expanses the throngs of mankind cram,
وَفِيand in البِلادِthe lands بِتَعْدَادِas numerous as الْبِلادِthe lands عَلَتْrose
وَفِي البِلادِ بِتَعْدَادِ الْبِلادِ عَلَتْ
مَنَاحَةٌa lamentation مَاnever رَأَتْhad seen أَمْثَالَهَاits like الأمَمُthe nations
مَنَاحَةٌ مَا رَأَتْ أَمْثَالَهَا الأمَمُ
And throughout the lands, in each and every one, rose
And in the lands with as many dirges as there are lands
A lamentation whose like the nations had never seen.
A wailing arose the like of which nations never saw,
وَرَاءَbehind كلِّevery سَرِيرٍbier مَثَّلُوهُthey represented him بِهِwith it
وَرَاءَ كلِّ سَرِيرٍ مَثَّلُوهُ بِهِ
مِنَof الجَمَاعَاتِthe crowds مَاwhat لَمْdid not يَجْمَعِencompass الرَّقَمُthe tally
مِنَ الجَمَاعَاتِ مَا لَمْ يَجْمَعِ الرَّقَمُ
Behind every bier with which they represented him
And behind each curtain they mime his death
Were crowds no tally could encompass.
Of parties more than number can count,
لَمْdid not تَشْهِدَwitness الْعُرْبُthe Arabs يَوْماًa day فِيamid فَوَادِحِهَاtheir grievous calamities
لَمْ تَشْهِدَ الْعُرْبُ يَوْماً فِي فَوَادِحِهَا
كَذَلِكَlike that الْيَوْمِday مَشْهُوداًwidely attended وَلاnor الْعَجَمُthe non-Arabs
كَذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ مَشْهُوداً وَلا الْعَجَمُ
The Arabs had never witnessed, amid their grievous calamities, a day
The Arabs never witnessed in their calamities
As widely attended as that day—nor had the non-Arabs.
A day like this one witnessed, nor the non-Arabs,
Sol 6.1