يا أُمَّةً أَودَت بِها الأَحلامُ
وَهَوَت بِباذِخِ مَجدِها الأَوهامُ
O nation whose dreams have perished,
Whose glories have collapsed into ruin.
تَهفو إِلى نَزَواتِ كُلِّ مُضَلِّلٍ
حَجَبَ الهُدى عَن ناظِرَيهِ ظَلامُ
You are misled by the deceits of every misguided one,
The darkness has veiled understanding from their eyes.
يَرمي بِها أَجوازَ كُلِّ مَضَلَّةٍ
غَبراءَ يُحمَدُ عِندَها الإِحجامُ
He casts you into every perilous illusion-
You think withdrawal is praiseworthy there.
هَذا السَبيلُ إِلى الحَياةِ وَهَذِهِ
سُنَنُ الهُدى لَو ترشدُ الأَفهامُ
This is the path to life, and these
Are the beacons of guidance, if only minds would be guided.
يا قَومِ هَل نَسَفَ الجِبالَ تَوَهُّمٌ
وَأَخافَ آسادَ العَرينِ كَلامُ
O my people, can a whimsy move mountains,
Or empty words frighten lions in their lairs?
يا قَومِ هَل أَحيا الشُعوبَ تَعَلُّلٌ
وَحَمى البِلادَ تَفَرُّقٌ وَخِصامُ
O my people, do disputes and divisions
Give life to nations and protect their lands?
يا قَومِ هَل تَشأى السَوابِقَ ظُلَّعٌ
وَيَفوتُ شَأوَ المُدلِجينَ نِيامُ
O my people, does a sluggard attain glory?
Does sleep lead to triumph in the race?
يا قَومِ هَل تَهدي الأَكُفَّ سَواعِدٌ
تَهفو المَناكِبُ فَوقَها وَالهامُ
O my people, are hands with no strength able
To build, when the shoulders above them weary?
إيهٍ بَني مِصرٍ أَما وَعَظتكُمُ
ما تَصنَعُ الأَحداثُ وَالأَيّامُ
Woe unto you, O children of Egypt!
Is this how events and days instruct you?
إيهٍ فَقَد طَمَتِ الخُطوبُ وَهالَنا
مِنها رُكامٌ يَعتَليهِ رُكامُ
Alas, disasters have attacked us.
Thickly they have descended upon thickening ruin.
إيهٍ فَقَد أَشقى النُفوسَ جِماحُها
وَأَضَلَّها التَمويهُ وَالإيهامُ
Alas, their violence has tormented our souls.
Deception and trickery have led them astray.
خُلُقٌ يَهُبُّ الشَرُّ مِنهُ وَتَرتَمي
فِتَنٌ تَروعُ الآمِنينَ جِسامُ
A character yielding only evil, from which pour
Calamities to frighten those living in security.
سوسوا أُمورَكُمُ سِياسَةَ حازِمٍ
فَلَعَلَّ مُعوَجَّ الأُمورِ يُقامُ
Tackle your affairs through the policy of one prudent,
Perhaps what is corrupt can thereby be set right.
أَسَفي عَلى المُتَباغِضينَ وَقَد رَأَوا
أَنَّ الفَلاحَ تَوَدُّدٌ وَوِئامُ
I grieve over those mutually hostile. Have they not seen
That cordiality and harmony are grace and delight?
شَرَعوا العَداوَةَ بَينَهُم لَم يوصِهِم
دينُ المَسيحِ بِها وَلا الإِسلامُ
They have initiated enmity amongst themselves, though
Neither Christ's nor Islam's religion commanded them this.
عَوَتِ الثَعالِبُ أَمسَ حَولَ عِرينِهِم
وَاليَومَ يَزَأَرُ حَولَهُ الضِرغامُ
But yesterday the foxes frolicked round their lair,
And today wolves growl maliciously about it.
جَثموا بِمُستَنِّ الهَوانِ وَما دَرَوا
أَنَّ الحَياةَ تَدافُعٌ وَزِحامُ
They have squatted in the mire of disgrace, not realizing
That life is conflict and peril and war.
