دُعاةَ الخَيرِ وَالإِصلاحِ مَرحى
رَضيناكُم وَإِن كُنتُم غِضابا
Advocates of goodness and reform—welcome!
We accept you, though you may be angry;
رَضيناكُم عَلى أَن تُنصِفونا
وَأَلّا تَظلِموا الشَعبَ المُصابا
we accept you, provided that you deal justly with us
and do not oppress the stricken people.
أَفي الإِنصافِ أَلّا تورِدوهُ
عَلى طولِ الصَدى إِلّا سَرابا
Is it justice to lead them—
after thirst drawn long—to nothing but a mirage?
أَفي الإِنصافِ أَن تَتَلَقَّفوهُ
كَما تَتَلَقَّفُ الريحُ الذُبابا
Is it justice to snatch them up
as the wind snatches up flies?
أَفي الإِنصافِ أَن تَتَكَنَّفوهُ
تُريدونَ الخَديعَةَ وَالخِلابا
Is it justice to close in around them,
intent on deceit and beguilement?
أَفي اِستِقلالِكُم يا قَومُ شَيءٌ
سِوى تِلكَ الَّتي تَلوي الرِقابا
Is there anything in your independence, O people,
save that which twists necks?
دُعاةَ الخَيرِ وَالإِصلاحِ إِنّا
لَنَغفِرُ لِلمُسيءِ إِذا أَنابا
Advocates of goodness and reform, indeed we
forgive the wrongdoer when he repents.
زَعَمتُم أَنَّنا حُسّادُ سَعدٍ
وَقُلتُم قَولَ مَن جَهِلَ الصَوابا
You claimed that we envied Saad;
you spoke like one ignorant of the truth.
وَلَو رَكِبَ الجِواءَ بِمصرَ سَعدٌ
لَقُلنا لَيتَهُ رَكِبَ السَحابا
Even if Saad rode the firmament over Egypt,
we would say, “If only he had ridden the clouds!”
كَفى يا قَومُ بُهتاناً وَزوراً
فَقولوا الحَقَّ وَاِجتَنِبوا السِبابا
Enough, O people, of calumny and lies!
Speak the truth, and shun abuse.
لَأَنتُم خَيرُ مَن يُرجى لِمِصرٍ
وَلَكِنّا نَرى العَجَبَ العُجابا
Surely you are the best of those Egypt can look to,
yet we behold a wonder of wonders:
وَفي اِستِقلالِكُم بَعضُ المَزايا
وَلَكِنّا لَمَسناهُ فَذابا
your independence does have some merits,
but when we touched it, it melted away.
Sol 5.6