لئن ظهرت لنا رَغَباتُ قومٍ

لقد ضاقَ التحفّظُ بالبقايا

If the desires of a people appeared to us

Reserve has certainly been straitened by the remains

تَلوذُ بموضعِ الكِتمانِ حَيْرى

وتَقذِفُها الضّمائرُ والطّوايا

It takes refuge in the place of concealment, confused,

And the consciences pelt it, and the desires.

ومَن زَعمَ الزُّجاجَ يكون حُجباً

فقد زَعَمَ الشُّموسَ من الخفايا

And whoever claimed glass to be veils

He has claimed that suns are from obscurities.

فقل للوفدِ كيف سُحِرتَ حتّى

ذَهلتَ عن الحوادثِ والوصايا

So say to the delegation, how were you enchanted until

You were heedless of events and advice?

ألا لله دَرُّكَ حين تمشي

على الجِسرِ المُقامِ من الضّحايا

Verily your esteem when you walk

On the bridge erected from victims.

وما الزّعماءُ إلا في ضلالٍ

إذا جعلوا الشُّعوبَ لهم مطايا

And the leaders are not but in misguidance

When they make the nations mounts for them.

إذا طلبوا المغانم لم يبالوا

بما تَلْقَى البلادُ من الرّزايا

When they sought spoils, they did not care

About what the countries encounter from afflictions.

وَفَيْنَا بالعُهودِ فضجَّ قومٌ

يَعُدّونَ الوفاءَ من الخطايا

And we broke pacts so a people clamored

Who count loyalty among sins.

تتابعتِ السِّهامُ فما رأينا

سِوَى مُهجِ الرُّماةِ لها رمايا

Arrows followed so we did not see

Except the bowstrings of their shooters, their targets.

كأنَّ الحقَّ مَقْتَلُ كلِّ نفسٍ

فمن يَضرِبْهُ لا يُوقَ المنايا

As if the truth is the killing of every soul

So whoever hits it does not escape death.

وليس الشُّؤمُ فيما نال علمي

سوى شُؤمِ الضّرائبِ والسّجايا

And my misfortune in what my knowledge attained

Is only the misfortune of levies and prisons.

وما نكبت مواليَها المعالي

كما نكبت مواليَها الدَّنايا

Its glories did not suffer misfortune

As its lowliness suffered misfortune.

نريد الغايةَ القُصوى لمصرٍ

ويطلبُ غيرُنا بعضَ المزايا

We want the highest purpose for Egypt

And others seek some of the gains.

أتسألُ فيمَ تختلف المساعي

وتَعجبُ كيف تَلتبِسُ القضايا

Do I ask about the differing endeavors

And wonder how the cases become confused?

رُويدَك سوف تُنبِئُكَ اللّيالي

فتعلمَ ما تُكِنُّ من البلايا

Restrain yourself, the nights will inform you

So you may know what calamities they conceal.