نَخْرُجُwe go out أوor نَدْخُلُwe enter فيin مصْرناour city
نَخْرُجُ أو نَدْخُلُ في مصْرنا
فيin ذِمَّةٍa pledge of protection للْبَدْوِof the Bedouins لاَnot تُخْفَرُis violated
في ذِمَّةٍ للْبَدْوِ لاَ تُخْفَرُ
We leave or enter our city,
We go out or we enter into our Egypt
Under the Bedouins’ pledge of protection, which is not violated.
Under the protection of the Bedouins, not to be violated
حَتّىto the point that كأنَّاas though we were لَهُمْbelonging to them نسْوَةٌwomen
حَتّى كأنَّا لَهُمْ نسْوَةٌ
لاnot تَعْرِفُunderstand الأمْرَthe matter ولاand not تُنْكرُobject
لا تَعْرِفُ الأمْرَ ولا تُنْكرُ
So much so that we seem to be their women,
As if we are their women
Who neither understand the matter nor object.
Who know not of matters and recognize them not
والْمَلِكُand the king الأَكْبرُthe greatest فيin مصْرِناour city
والْمَلِكُ الأَكْبرُ في مصْرِنا
والْخَيْلُand the cavalry الرَّجْلُthe infantry لناfor us تنْصْرُprovide support
والْخَيْلُ الرَّجْلُ لنا تنْصْرُ
And the supreme king is in our city,
And the Greatest King is in our Egypt
And the cavalry and infantry come to our aid.
And the cavalry on foot are our allies
أَيْنَwhere بَنوthe sons of جبرJabr طوالُlong اللّحَىthe beards
أَيْنَ بَنو جبر طوالُ اللّحَى
لوْif only كانَwere عِنْديwith me مِنْهُمُfrom among them معْشرُa band
لوْ كانَ عِنْدي مِنْهُمُ معْشرُ
Where are the sons of Jabr, with their long beards?
Where are the sons of Jabir, the long-bearded
If only I had a band of them with me!
If only I had a group of them with me
Sol 6.1