بَكى حَتى بَكَيتُ على بُكَاهُ

بَكى حَتى بَكَيتُ على بُكَاهُ

جَرِيحٌ عينُهُ نَزَفَتْ دِماهُ

جَرِيحٌ عينُهُ نَزَفَتْ دِماهُ

He wept until I wept at his weeping.

He wept until I wept over his weeping.

A wounded man—his eye had shed its blood.

A wounded man whose eye has shed his blood.

يُسائلُ أَينَ حَلَّ رِكابُ لَيلى

يُسائلُ أَينَ حَلَّ رِكابُ لَيلى

ويَنسَى أنَّ لَيلَى في حشاهُ

ويَنسَى أنَّ لَيلَى في حشاهُ

He asks, “Where has Layla's caravan alighted?”

He asks where Layla's caravan has halted,

forgetting that Layla dwells within his breast.

And forgets that Layla is within his breast.

هَوَى قلبٍ تَعَلَّقَهُ اختياراً

هَوَى قلبٍ تَعَلَّقَهُ اختياراً

فَصارَ عَنِ اضطِرارٍ مُنتَهاهُ

فَصارَ عَنِ اضطِرارٍ مُنتَهاهُ

A heart's passion fastened upon her by choice,

A heart's love, embraced by choice,

until, by necessity, she became its final end.

Became, by compulsion, its ultimate end.

ونارُ الحُبِّ يُوقِدُها غُرُورٌ

ونارُ الحُبِّ يُوقِدُها غُرُورٌ

ولكنْ ليسَ يُخمِدُها انتبِاهُ

ولكنْ ليسَ يُخمِدُها انتبِاهُ

The fire of love is kindled by delusion,

And love's fire is kindled by delusion,

yet even awakening cannot put it out.

But awakening does not extinguish it.

تَنُودُ بنا العَواطِفُ راكباتٍ

تَنُودُ بنا العَواطِفُ راكباتٍ

طَريقاً لا تُقيمُ على هُداهُ

طَريقاً لا تُقيمُ على هُداهُ

The passions sway us as they ride,

Our passions sway us as they ride

down a road whose guidance they will not keep.

A road whose guidance they do not follow.

فنَهوَى مَن تراهٌ العينُ طَوراً

فنَهوَى مَن تراهٌ العينُ طَوراً

ونَهَوى تارةً مَن لا تَراهُ

ونَهَوى تارةً مَن لا تَراهُ

So now we love someone the eye can see,

So sometimes we love one whom the eye sees,

and now, in turn, someone it cannot see.

And sometimes we love one whom it does not.

هَوِيتُ النازلَينِ دِيارَ مِصرٍ

هَوِيتُ النازلَينِ دِيارَ مِصرٍ

وقلبي قد أَحَلَّهما حِماهُ

وقلبي قد أَحَلَّهما حِماهُ

I came to love the two who dwell in Egypt,

I loved the two who settled in the lands of Egypt,

and my heart has lodged them in its sanctuary.

And my heart has lodged them in its sanctuary.

هُما القَمَرانِ في أكنافِ أَرضٍ

هُما القَمَرانِ في أكنافِ أَرضٍ

يَغارُ النَجْمُ منها في سَماهُ

يَغارُ النَجْمُ منها في سَماهُ

They are two moons within the bounds of earth;

They are the two moons in the reaches of a land

the star, high in its heaven, envies them.

That the star, in its sky, envies.

كِلا الرَجُلَينِ من أَفرادِ عَصرِ

كِلا الرَجُلَينِ من أَفرادِ عَصرِ

يُقصِّرُ كُلُّ عصرٍ عن مَداهُ

يُقصِّرُ كُلُّ عصرٍ عن مَداهُ

Each of the two men stands alone in his age;

Each of the two men is a singular figure of an age

every age falls short of his furthest reach.

Whose reach every age falls short of.

وكُلُّهما حُسامٌ مَشرَفيٌّ

وكُلُّهما حُسامٌ مَشرَفيٌّ

تَلُوحُ إذا استُطِيرَ بهِ المِياهُ

تَلُوحُ إذا استُطِيرَ بهِ المِياهُ

Both men are keen Mashrafi swords,

And each of them is a Mashrafi sword,

their watered sheen flashing when they are brandished.

Its watered sheen gleaming when it is swept aloft.

أَصابا كُلَّ مَحمِدَةٍ وفَضلٍ

أَصابا كُلَّ مَحمِدَةٍ وفَضلٍ

لهُ بينَ الوَرَى شَرَفٌ وجاهُ

لهُ بينَ الوَرَى شَرَفٌ وجاهُ

They have attained every praiseworthy virtue and excellence

They attained every praiseworthy quality and merit

that bears honor and standing among humankind.

That wins honor and standing among humankind.

فذاكَ مُحمَّدٌ يُثنَى جميلاً

فذاكَ مُحمَّدٌ يُثنَى جميلاً

عليهِ وذاكَ مِن حَمدٍ ثَناهُ

عليهِ وذاكَ مِن حَمدٍ ثَناهُ

The one is Muhammad, beautifully praised;

So that one is Muhammad, and beautiful praise is bestowed

the other too—praise itself supplies his praise.

Upon him; and that one's praise springs from praise.

يَصُولُ يَراعُ كلٍّ في يَدَيهِ

يَصُولُ يَراعُ كلٍّ في يَدَيهِ

بأَنفَذِ ما تَصُولُ بهِ قَناهُ

بأَنفَذِ ما تَصُولُ بهِ قَناهُ

In each man's hands the pen charges forth

Each man's reed pen charges in his hands,

more piercingly than any lance can charge,

With the keenest thrust his spear can deliver,

وأَبلغِ ما تُقَلِّبُهُ قُلوبٌ

وأَبلغِ ما تُقَلِّبُهُ قُلوبٌ

وأفَصَحِ ما تَفُوهُ بهِ الشِفاهُ

وأفَصَحِ ما تَفُوهُ بهِ الشِفاهُ

with the most expressive thoughts that hearts can ponder

And the most eloquent thoughts that hearts turn over,

and the most eloquent words that lips can utter.

And the clearest words that lips utter.

أَطاعَهُما القَرِيضُ فكانَ عَبداً

أَطاعَهُما القَرِيضُ فكانَ عَبداً

بأَسهارِ الليالي مُشتَراهُ

بأَسهارِ الليالي مُشتَراهُ

Verse obeyed them and became a slave,

Poetry obeyed them both and became a slave,

purchased with their vigils through the nights.

Purchased with nights of wakefulness.

ولو عَرَفَتْهُما الأَعرابُ قِدْماً

ولو عَرَفَتْهُما الأَعرابُ قِدْماً

لَخرَّتْ نحوَ شِعِرِهِما الجِباهُ

لَخرَّتْ نحوَ شِعِرِهِما الجِباهُ

Had the ancient Arabs known them,

And had the Bedouins known them long ago,

foreheads would have bowed before their poetry.

Foreheads would have bowed before their poetry.

على الإسكَندَريّةِ كلَّ يومٍ

على الإسكَندَريّةِ كلَّ يومٍ

سَلامُ اللهِ مُعتنِقاً رِضاهُ

سَلامُ اللهِ مُعتنِقاً رِضاهُ

Upon Alexandria, every day,

Upon Alexandria, every day,

be God's peace, embracing His good pleasure.

May God's peace rest, embracing His favor.

لَئِنْ يكُ فاتَها جَبَلٌ ففيها

لَئِنْ يكُ فاتَها جَبَلٌ ففيها

جِبالٌ في معارِجِها يُتاهُ

جِبالٌ في معارِجِها يُتاهُ

Though she may have lost a mountain, within her are

Though it may lack a mountain, it holds

mountains upon whose steep ascents one loses the way.

Mountains in whose ascents one loses one's way.

بها الجَبَلانِ من عِلمٍ وحِلمٍ

بها الجَبَلانِ من عِلمٍ وحِلمٍ

وحَزمٍ قد أَقامَهُما الإِلهُ

وحَزمٍ قد أَقامَهُما الإِلهُ

There stand the two mountains of knowledge and forbearance—

There are the two mountains of learning and forbearance

and firm resolve—whom God established.

And resolve, which God has raised.

علَينا قام ظِلُّهما مديداً

علَينا قام ظِلُّهما مديداً

ونورُ الشمسِ يَسطَعُ من وَراهُ

ونورُ الشمسِ يَسطَعُ من وَراهُ

Long has their shade stood over us,

Their shadow stretches far over us,

while sunlight shines from behind it.

And sunlight shines from behind it.

نَهيمُ إلى ضِفافِ النِيلِ شَوقاً

نَهيمُ إلى ضِفافِ النِيلِ شَوقاً

وإِنْ بَعُدَتْ علينا ضِفَّتاهُ

وإِنْ بَعُدَتْ علينا ضِفَّتاهُ

We yearn in longing for the banks of the Nile,

We pine with longing for the banks of the Nile,

though its two shores lie far from us.

Though its two banks lie far from us.

ونَرصُدُ كلَّ غاديةٍ عَساها

ونَرصُدُ كلَّ غاديةٍ عَساها

ترَشَّفَتِ المَواطِرَ مِن صَفاهُ

ترَشَّفَتِ المَواطِرَ مِن صَفاهُ

We watch each passing rain cloud, hoping

And we watch for every morning cloud, hoping it

it has sipped its showers from that limpid stream.

Has sipped rainwater from its clear waters.

هِيَ الدُنيا تَغُرُّ بِها الأماني

هِيَ الدُنيا تَغُرُّ بِها الأماني

وأَينَ مِنَ الذي غَرَّتْ مُناهُ

وأَينَ مِنَ الذي غَرَّتْ مُناهُ

This is the world: its hopes deceive;

Such is the world: hopes beguile through it,

where now is the man whom his desires beguiled?

And how far it is from the one whose wishes deceived him!

أَماتَتْ في هَواها كلَّ نفسٍ

أَماتَتْ في هَواها كلَّ نفسٍ

وكلَّ فُؤَادِ صَبٍّ في هَواهُ

وكلَّ فُؤَادِ صَبٍّ في هَواهُ

In love of itself it has killed every soul,

It has slain every soul in love with it,

and every ardent heart enamored of it.

And every lovesick lover's heart in his passion.

تَدورُ بنا على عَجَلٍ رَحاها

تَدورُ بنا على عَجَلٍ رَحاها

وداعي الموتِ قد دارتْ رَحاهُ

وداعي الموتِ قد دارتْ رَحاهُ

Its millstone spins us round in haste,

Its millstone whirls us round in haste,

while the herald of death has set his millstone turning.

And the millstone of death's caller has already turned.

إذا غَرَسَ الفَتَى فيها رَجاءً

إذا غَرَسَ الفَتَى فيها رَجاءً

فلا يرجو الحَياةَ إلى جَناهُ

فلا يرجو الحَياةَ إلى جَناهُ

When a young man plants a hope within it,

If a youth plants a hope within it,

let him not expect to live until he gathers its fruit.

Let him not hope to live until its harvest.