مَضى الرَأيُ حَتّى ما لَنا مُتَرَدَّدُ

فَجِدُّوا وَلَمّا يَمضِ لِلجِدِّ مَوعِدُ

The opinion has passed, we have no more hesitation

So be serious, before the time of seriousness expires

هِيَ الحادِثاتُ اِستَوفَضَت تَتَمَرَّدُ

فَلا تَذَرُنَّ اليَومَ يَتبَعُهُ الغَدُ

Events have rebelled, going out of control

So do not leave today to be followed by tomorrow

أَنَسكُنُ وَالأَهرامُ مُرتَجَّةُ الذُرى

وَنَرضى وَأَمرُ النيلِ فَوضى مُبَدَّدُ

Shall we be complacent, while the pyramids are shaken?

Shall we be satisfied, while the Nile is in chaos?

رَمى جَدَّهُ قَومٌ تَظَلُّ سِهامُهُم

بِأَحشائِهِ مِنها مُصيبٌ وَمُقصِدُ

A people have cast their grandfather aside, while their arrows

Wound his entrails, some hit and some miss

إِذا ما اِستَقَرَّت في الجَوانِحِ هاجَها

بُكاءُ الثَكالى وَالرَنينُ المُرَدَّدُ

When sorrow settles deeply in the souls

The weeping of widows and the cries echo

أَلا إِنَّهُ الشَعبُ الجَريحُ المُصفَّدُ

فَمَن يَكُ ذا جِدٍّ فَقَد أَقصَرَ الدَدُ

Indeed it is the wounded and shackled people

So who will have enough diligence? The debt is great

لَعَمرُكَ ما يَعتامُ ذو الحَزمِ خُطَّةً

فَيَعمَدُ إِلّا لِلَّتي هِيَ أَرشَدُ

By your life, one with wisdom does not scheme

Except for that which is most proper

أَما وَالأُسارى اللاعِبينَ لَقَد بَكَت

قُيودُهُمُ اللاتي تُغارُ وَتُحصَدُ

Indeed, the shackles of the playful prisoners have wept

Bonds which they envy and harvest

يَرَونَ وُجوهَ الأَمرِ يُمناً وَقَد جَرى

بهِ الطَيرُ نَحساً فَهوَ أَشأَمُ أَنكَدُ

They see the face of affairs auspiciously, though which

Birds have flown inauspiciously, and it is most ominous

إِذا بَشَّرَ الأَقوامَ بِالوَيلِ صائِحٌ

فَماذا يَقولُ المُنذِرُ المُتَهَدِّدُ

When a herald warns the people of woe

What does the threatening warner say?

أَبَينا فَما نَرضى مِنَ الأَمرِ ما رَضوا

وَإِنّا لَنَستَعلي فَنَأبى وَنَحرَدُ

Our fathers, we are not content with what they were content with

And we still rebel, refuse, and recoil

أَنُذعِنُ لِلحُكمَينِ أَمّا الَّذي لَهُم

فَجَمٌّ وَأَمّا ما لَنا فَمُصَرَّدُ

Shall we surrender to the two rulers? As for theirs,

It is compulsion, and as for ours, it is rejection

عَذيري مِنَ المَحروبِ يُسلِمُ نَفسَهُ

فَلا عِرضُهُ يَبقى وَلا هُوَ يُحمَدُ

My excuse to the warring one who surrenders himself

Is that neither his honor remains nor is he praiseworthy