يا قادماً يحمل الآراء هائلة

من الدهاة وقد ناءت بها السفنُ

O you who come bearing weighty opinions

From the wise, their ships have sailed with them

رسول قومك عدت اليوم أم حكماً

بين الفريقين تبلونا وتمتحن

Are you a messenger of your people, returned today,

To test and try us as an arbiter between the two parties?

أم سيداً ليناً أقبلت ملتمساً

ما لم تنله وأنت القائد الخشن

Or a gentle master who came seeking

What you did not attain, though you were a harsh commander?

هان الذي أنت مخفيه ومظهره

فقد تساوى لدينا السر والعلن

That which you conceal is worthless, as is its appearance,

For us the hidden and the open are equal.

واعرض على مصر ما شاءت سياستهم

فما تؤيدك الأقدار والزمن

Present to Egypt whatever their politics desired,

For neither fate nor time support you.

لمصر شرط على شتى شروطهمُ

وما لها بدل منه ولا ثمن

Egypt has a condition for all their conditions,

She has no alternative to it, nor price.

رد المظالم قبل الصلح لو صدقوا

لا يذهب الشر حتى يذهب الضغن

Return the injustices before making peace, if they were truthful,

Evil will not leave until rancor leaves.

وحبذا العود ترضينا عواقبه

لو عاد من غرَّبوا منا ومن سجنوا

It would be good if we approved its consequences,

If those who were exiled and imprisoned returned.

حق أصرَّ عليه عزمُ صاحبه

وإن ظننت وظنوا أنه شجن

A right that its determined owner insisted upon,

Even if you and they thought it was impassioned.

فهل يريدون يوماً أن نحبهمُ

ومن نحب بعيد الدار مرتهن

Do they one day want us to love them,

While the one we love is far away, hostage?

كيف السبيل إلى مهوى النفوس وقد

نأت بكل هوىً سيشيلُ واليمن

How is the path to the soul's desires when

Sicily and Yemen have seized every desire?

فصلت كل عظيم من أمورهمُ

وأين رأيك فيمن قُيِّدت عدن

They severed every great thing from their matters,

Where is your view regarding those Aden was shackled?

فهل تخاطب قوماً ليس بينهمُ

من وكّلوه بما يرجون وائتمنوا

Are you addressing a people among whom

Is none they entrusted with what they hoped and trusted?

جئهم بأيِّ رداء ترتديه فما

للسيف دانوا ولا للزهرة افتتنوا

Come to them wearing any cloak you wish,

They bowed neither to the sword nor were infatuated with the flower.

فهم وأنت لدى الأمر الأخير فإن

أسأت ضجوا وإن أحسنته سكنوا

For with the final matter, they and you,

If you do evil, they roar, and if you do good, they are silent.

وما لهم منكمُ يوماً وما لكمُ

منهم سوى ما قضاه اللّه والوطن

They have nothing from you and you have nothing from them

Except what God and the homeland have ordained.

لا تعتذر بالذي للناس عندهم

فلست صاحب ما أدوا وما ضمنوا

Do not apologize for what they think of people,

You are not responsible for what they did and guaranteed.

أحق بالعذر أحرار بلوتهمُ

بكل بأس فما هانوا ولا وهنوا

The freemen who endured the test deserve the excuse,

With all might—they neither disgraced nor weakened.

فإن عرفت لوادي النيل غايته

فكل ما أنت مبدٍ طيِّبٌ حسن

If you know the Nile valley's purpose,

Then whatever you initiate is good and beautiful.

فما يعيش بلا حريةٍ وطنٌ

وهل يعيش بغير المهجة البدن

No homeland can live without freedom,

Can a body live without its pulse?