يا سوءَ ما حَمَلَ البَريدُ وَيا لَها
مِن نَكبَةٍ تَدَعُ النُفوسَ شَعاعا
Oh what ill news the postman brought, and what a calamity that leaves souls as rays,
Oh Lord, what is the sin of those who one after another hasten to their death,
يا رَبِّ ما ذَنبُ الَّذينَ تَتابَعوا
يَستَرسِلونَ إِلى المَنونِ سِراعا
Wounded though they did not bear swords for pillage,
Slain though they did not wrestle with the enemy,
جَرحى وَما حَمَلوا السُيوفَ لِغارَةٍ
صَرعى وَما سَأَلوا العَدُوَّ صِراعا
They said life, so hasten when called by its letters to hear,
Azrael was told what befell their groups, so he hesitated then saw them and shuddered,
قالوا الحَياةُ فَعوجِلوا أَن يَقرَعوا
عِندَ النِداءِ بِتائِها الأَسماعا
A spectacle that strains the eyes and a scene that makes hearts bleed and ribs shatter,
When darkness cast its face on it, it donned from modesty a mask,
عِزريلُ نُبِّئَ ما أَصابَ جُموعَهُم
فَاِرتابَ ثُمَّ رَآهُمو فَاِرتاعا
And called merciful Nero who did not desist until his glance recoiled in disgust,
And they described the tragedy to Dancourt so she made graves for the reformers,
مَرأىً يَشُقُّ عَلى العُيونِ وَمَشهَدٌ
يُدمي القُلوبَ وَيَقصِمُ الأَضلاعا
And was certain that the catastrophe that befell them, they were the most righteous successors and natures,
Oh Egypt your disaster in kingdoms is grave, and the tribulation of your people has exceeded bounds,
لَمّا أَطَلَّ الظُلمُ فيهِ بِوَجهِهِ
أَلقى عَلَيهِ مِنَ الحَياءِ قِناعا
A people terrified by redoubled affliction, and whom the turns of fate strike in succession,
They resorted to beautiful patience until the tempest of events made its pillar collapse,
وَدَعا بِنَيرونَ الرَحيمِ فَما رَنا
حَتّى تَراجَعَ طَرفُهُ اِستِفظاعا
They carried hearts that seethe with what they ignite, and surge with the pain they bear,
If the greed for life drove them, ambitions frightened them that glut ambitions,
وَصَفوا المُصابَ لِدَنشوايَ فَكَبَّرت
لِلمُصلِحينَ مَقابِراً وَرِباعا
And if they wanted a renaissance, red donkeys for them in the valley became beasts,
They shed innocent blood and bullied, assaulting a people unable to defend,
وَاِستَيقَنَت أَنَّ الأُلى نُكِبَت بِهِم
كانوا أَبَرَّ خَلائِفاً وَطِباعا
They took him defenseless, safe, unarmed, casting aside arms and removing armor,
They ordered so he neither rejected submissiveness nor disobeyed,
يا مِصرُ خَطبُكِ في المَمالِكِ فادِحُ
وَمَصابُ أَهلِكِ جاوَزَ المُسطاعا
And they prohibited so he acquiesced in awe and obeyed,
They did not remember when we expend our strength, and remain slain in homes hungry,
قَومٌ يَروعُهُمُ البَلاءُ مُضاعَفاً
وَتُصيبُهُم نِوَبُ الزَمانِ تِباعا
Evil is the recompense, and harm may be justice for one who makes the enemy assault,
They came so some harbored affection, satisfaction, and some harbored deceit,
لاذوا بِحُسنِ الصَبرِ حَتّى زَلزَلَت
هوجُ الحَوادِثِ رُكنَهُ فَتَداعى
Thus the two parties were equal in their states, and the rights of both worlds were lost,
The people cannot be independent, leave their due, and see the countries as goods and possessions,
حَمَلوا القُلوبَ تَفورُ مِمّا تَصطَلي
وَتَمورُ مِمّا تَحملُ الأَوجاعا
They fear the enemy so cannot endure firmness, and cower from him so do not want strife,
Life is for a courageous nation that tires the enemy with valor and conflict,
إِن هاجَهُم طَمَعُ الحَياةِ رَمى بِهِم
خَطبٌ يُرَوِّعُ مِنهُمُ الأَطماعا
It marches to him legions of guards, and erects from him forts and castles,
If he saw in events their disunity, it united against its humiliation,
وَإِذا أَرادوا نَهضَةً نَفَرَت لَهُم
حُمُرٌ خَلا الوادي فَكُنَّ سباعا
And if he wanted their subjugation, it exhausted ambitions that straiten the transgressors,
Oh Lord of Egypt, take care of Egypt and grant it a people who want it courageous life,
سَفَكوا الدِماءَ بَريئَةً وَتَنَمَّروا
يَرمونَ شَعباً لا يُطيقُ دِفاعا
If one day it thought to sell its countries for all the kingdoms of the world, it would not sell,
أَخَذوهُ أَعزَلَ آمِناً مُتَجَرِّداً
يُلقي السِلاحَ وَيَنزَعُ الأَدراعا
أَمَروا فَما نَبَذَ الخُضوعَ وَلا عَصى
وَنَهوا فَأَذعَنَ رَهبَةً وَأَطاعا
لَم يَذكُروا إِذ نَحنُ نَبذُلُ قُوتَنا
وَنَظَلُّ صَرعى في البُيوتِ جِياعا
بِئسَ الجَزاءُ وَرُبَّما كانَ الأَذى
عَدلاً لِمَن يَأَلو العَدُوَّ قِراعا
جاءوا فَقَومٌ يُضمِرونَ مَوَدَّةً
وَرِضىً وَقَومٌ يُضمِرونَ خِداعا
فَتَكافَأَ الحِزبانِ في حالَيهِما
وَمَضَت حُقوقُ العالَمينَ ضَياعا
لا يَستَقِلُّ الشَعبُ يَترُكُ حَقَّهُ
وَيَرى البِلادَ تِجارَةً وَمَتاعا
يَخشى العَدُوَّ فَلا يُطيقُ تَشَدُّداً
وَيُهالُ مِنهُ فَلا يُريدُ نِزاعا
إِنَّ الحَياةَ لِأُمَّةٍ مِقدامَةٍ
تُعيي العَدُوَّ شَجاعَةً وَمَصاعا
تُزجي إِلَيهِ مِنَ الحِفاظِ جَحافِلاً
وَتُقيمُ مِنهُ مَعاقِلاً وَقِلاعا
إِن سامَها في الحادِثاتِ تَفَرُّقاً
عَقَدَت عَلى خِذلانِهِ الإِجماعا
وَإِذا أَرادَ بِها الهَضيمَةَ أَرهَقَت
هِمَماً يَضيقُ بِها الدُهاةُ ذِراعا
يا رَبَّ مِصرَ تَوَلَّ مصرَ وَهَب لَها
شَعباً يُريدُ لَها الحَياةَ شُجاعا
لَو سيمَ يَوماً أَن يَبيعَ بِلادَهُ
بِمَمالِكِ الدُنيا مَعاً ما باعا
