أَتَرى الكِنانَةَ كَيفَ تَبعَثُ بِالدَمِ
اللَهَ لِلشُهَداءِ إِن لَم تَرحَمِ
Can you see how she inspires with blood
My God for the martyrs if you have no mercy
أَدنى المَراتِبِ في الصَبابَةِ عِندَها
تَلَفُ المُحِبِّ وَطولُ وَجدِ المُغرَمِ
The lowest ranks in chivalry are hers
The lover's union and the longing of the enamoured
تُزجي تَحِيَّتَها فَيَكذِبُ دونَها
أَمَلُ المَلولِ وَمَطمَعُ المُتَبَرِّمِ
She offers her greetings so he denies anything less
The hope of the hopeless and the desire of the desperate
ضَلَّ اِمرُؤٌ قَتَلَتهُ مِصرُ فَلَم يَصُن
عَهدَ الوَلِيِّ لَها وَحَقَّ المُنعِمِ
A man gone astray, killed by Egypt without
Keeping the ally’s pact or the benefactor’s right
مَعشوقَةٌ يَجري مَعَ الدَمِ حُبُّها
في قَلبِ نَصرانِيِّها وَالمُسلِمِ
A beloved who along with blood her love
Flows in the heart of her Christian and Muslim
المُستَبِدُّ بِنا يُريدُ فَنَرتَضي
وَيَسومُنا خَوضَ الحُتوفِ فَنَرتَمي
The tyrant over us wants so we accept
And drives us into the pits so we dive in
الآخِذُ الشُهَداءَ أَخذَ مُناجِزٍ
وَالمُستَبيحُ دَمَ الشَهيدِ الأَعظَمِ
He who takes the martyrs has taken the resolute
And the violator of the Greatest Martyr’s blood
بَعثَتهُ مِصرُ مُجاهِداً وَرَمَت بِهِ
فَرَمَت بِجَيشٍ لِلفُتوحِ عَرَمرَمِ
She made him a fighter and threw him
As an army for the openings fully armed
خاضَ الغِمارَ يَهُدُّ كُلَّ كَتيبَةٍ
وَيَهُزُّ راياتِ الكَمِيِّ المُعلَمِ
He plunged into the darkness to guide each brigade
And shake the banners of the blueprint starry sky
مُتَجَرِّداً لِلَهِ يَطلُبُ حَقَّهُ
وَيُقيمُ جانِبَ شَعبِهِ المُتَهَدِّمِ
With only God he seeks what is his
And holds his people’s side collapsed
فَإِذا القَياصِرُ بِالأَرائكِ تَتَّقي
وَإِذا الأَرائِكُ بِالقَياصِرِ تَحتَمي
And behold the Caesars behind the couches hiding
As the couches behind the Caesars hiding
كُلٌّ لَهُ فَزَعٌ وَكُلٌّ جازِعٌ
يَبغي القَرارَ وَلا قَرارَ لِمُجرِمِ
Each has their own panic and each is wary
Seeking peace but no peace for the sinner
الظُلمُ أَجمَعُ وَالإِساءَةُ كُلُّها
بَغيُ القَوِيِّ عَلى الضَعيفِ المُرغَمِ
Oppression altogether and harm altogether
Are the tyranny of the strong over the weak coerced
وَمِنَ البَلِيَّةِ أَن يُقالَ لِأُمَّةٍ
تَبغي الحَياةَ حَذارِ أَن تَتَقَدَّمي
And of tribulation that it be said to a nation
Seeking life, beware lest you progress
أَعدى الذِئابِ عَلى المَمالِكِ مَن يَرى
أَنَّ الشُعوبَ فَريسَةُ المُتَهَجِّمِ
The wolves’ greatest enemies are those who see
That nations are the prey of the invaders
وَيَرى الشَرائِعَ في عَظيمِ جَلالِها
سَيفَ المُغيرِ وَمِخلَبَ المُتَحَكِّمِ
And consider religions in their great glory
The raider’s sword and the dictator’s claws
قُل لِلحَضارَةِ بَعدَ حُكمِ دُعاتِها
بَرِئَت دُعاتُكِ مِنكِ إِن لَم تَظلِمي
Say to civilisation after its advocates’ rule
Its advocates are innocent of you if you do no wrong
زولي فَإِن رُمتِ البَقاءَ لِحاجَةٍ
تَبغينَ بَعدُ قَضاءَها فَتَلَثَّمي
Be gone, for if you sought survival for a need
You would afterwards persist then wither away
هَل تَملِكينَ مِنَ الحَياةِ عُلالَةً
أَم تَأخُذينَ مِنَ الحِفاظِ بِمَيسِمِ
Can you provide life’s trappings
Or take from fate with a blade?
كوني كَعَهدِكِ بَينَ قَومِكِ إِنَّهُم
تَرَكوكِ غَرقى في الحَديدِ وَفي الدَمِ
Be as you were among your people, they
Abandoned you drowned in iron and blood
مَضَتِ الحَضارَةُ في جَلالِ حُماتِها
وَمَضوا بِأُبَّهَةِ الزَمانِ الأَقدَمِ
Civilisation passed in the glory of its defenders
And they passed in the prime of time’s forefathers
الرافِعينَ مِنَ المَمالِكِ شَأوَها
البالِغينَ بِها مَكانَ الأَنجُمِ
Those who raised kingdoms to prominence
And brought them to the place of stars
المُتَّقينَ اللَهَ في ضُعَفائِها
المانِعينَ حِمى الذَليلِ المُسلِمِ
Godfearing amongst its weak
Preserving the sanctuary of the subdued Muslim
الجامِعينَ عَلى الهِدايَةِ أَهلَها
الصادِعينَ غَياهِبَ الزَمَنِ العَمي
Uniting its people to guidance
Pouring out the darkness of the blind age
المُمطِرينَ الأَرضَ عَدلاً كُلَّها
المُنبِتينَ بِها كِبارَ الأَنعُمِ
Watering all the land with justice
Growing blessings great as boons
في دَولَةٍ لِلَهِ عالِيَةِ الذُرى
دُعِمَت بِآياتِ الكِتابِ المُحكَمِ
In a state for God, the horizons all sublime
Supported by the Decisive Book’s signs
سَطَعَ الزَمانُ بِها وَحُمَّ قَضاؤُها
فَرَمى المَمالِكَ بِالزَمانِ المُظلِمِ
The age shone because of it and its destiny prevailed
Casting the dark age into darkness
يَضرِبنَ في سُبُلِ الغِوايَةِ وَالعَمى
لا يَهتَدينَ إِلى السَبيلِ الأَقوَمِ
Striking in ways of misguidance and blindness
Not guided to the most upright path
شَعبٌ عَلى شَعبٍ يَجورُ وَأُمَّةٌ
تُلقي عَلى أُخرى مَخالِبَ ضَيغَمِ
A people tyrannising others and a nation
Casting another’s claws stripped bare
يَشكو الجَريحُ إِلى الجَريحِ وَجُهدُهُ
بَثُّ الأَسى وَتَوَجُّعُ المُتَأَلِّمِ
The wounded complains to the wounded, his strength
Venting sorrow and the agony of the suffering
فَالأَرضُ تَسبَحُ في زَلازِلَ رُجَّفٍ
وَالجَوُّ يَغرَقُ في صَواعِقَ رُجَّمِ
The earth glorifying amidst tremors’ shivers
The sky drowning in thunderbolts’ stone-throws
مَهلاً دُعاةَ العَدلِ في الأُمَمِ الَّتي
صاحَ الغُزاةُ بِشِلوِها المُتَقَسَّمِ
Wait, advocates of justice amongst nations
Whose invaders with weapons divided call
نُكِبَت بِكُم وَأَصابَها مِن ظُلمِكُم
بَطشُ العَسوفِ وَغَضبَةُ المُتَهَضِّمِ
You disappointed them and because of your injustice
The cruelty of the brutal and wrath of the chewing befell them
هِجتُم عَلَيها الحادِثاتِ مُلِحَّةً
تَلوي بِأَعرافِ الجِمالِ الجُشَّمِ
You roused misfortunes insistently against them
Twisting the virtuous forms of Beauty-Peak
رُدّوا الأَسِنَّةَ عَن حُشاشَةِ أُمَّةٍ
غَضبى الفُتوحِ إِلى الأَسِنَّةِ تَنتَمي
Hold back your tongues from provoking a nation
Whose battle-cries to the tongues lead
زَأَرَت فَرَوَّعَتِ الشُعوبُ وَإِنَّما
ذَكَرَت مَفاخِرَ عَهدِها المُتَصَرِّمِ
It roared so the nations startled, and only
Remembered the glories of its age long-decayed
بَعَثَت إلى أمم السلام رسولَها
فأثارها كالمارجِ المتضرِّمِ
It sent its messenger to the nations of peace
So he stirred them like sparks bursting out
حَرباً عَلى المُتَمَرِّدينَ شَديدَةً
تَرمي بِأَسرابِ المَنايا الحُوَّمِ
A harsh war against the rebels
Which throws swarms of disasters swirling
جَوّالَةَ الغَمَراتِ ذائِبَةَ القُوى
تَأتي وَتَذهَبُ بِالقَضاءِ المُبرَمِ
The darkness’ wanderer, the powerful melter
Coming and going with decisive fate
هَزَّت يَمينُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِلِوائِها
رُكنَ السماحِ وَطَوَّحتَ بِالمِرزَمِ
Muhammad’s right shook its banners
The pillar of tolerance and razed tyranny
حَتّى إِذا هَمَّ الأَمينُ بِنَفسِهِ
دَفَعَ اللِواءَ إِلَيهِ غَيرَ مُذَمَّمِ
Until al-Amin himself intended
To hand over the banner flawless
يا سَيِّدَ الشُهَداءِ بَعدَ رَفيقِهِ
أَرضَيتَ رَبَّكَ في جِهادِكَ فَاِغنَمِ
O Master of Martyrs after his companion
You pleased your Lord in your jihad so triumph
لَيسَ الَّذي بَدَأَ الجِهادَ فَلَم يَمُت
إِلّا كَبادِئِحِجَّةٍ لَم تُختَمِ
Not one who began jihad then did not die
But like the first of a case not yet sealed
وَأَجَلُّ ما رُزِقَ الرِجالُ هَمامَةٌ
تَنفي عُرامَ المَطلَبِ المُتَجَهِّمِ
And the best thing men of resolve gained is boldness
Which averts the shame of requests pressing
تَتَجَشَّمُ الصَعبَ المَخوفَ وَعِندَها
أَنَّ المَنِيَّةَ مَركَبُ المُتجَشِّمِ
It takes on the dangerous and fearful, and it sees
That death is the vessel of the bold
مَأوى المَمالِكِ وَالشُعوبِ وَمالَهُم
وَصَفوَكَ ظُلماً بِالغَريبِ المُعدِمِ
The refuge of kingdoms and nations, what they own
They wrongly called you a ruinous foreigner
لَكَ مِن يَقينِكَ ثَروَةٌ إِن قُدِّرَت
قيسَت كُنوزُ العالَمينَ بِدَرهَمِ
From your certainty you have wealth, if fate grants it
The two worlds’ treasures by its value gauged
إيمانُ ذي الإيمانِ أَعظَمُ ثَروَةٍ
وَيَقينُ ذي الوِجدانِ أَفضَلُ مَنجَمِ
The faithful’s faith is greatest wealth
And the certain one’s conviction the best star
ضَجَّ النُعاةُ فَضَجَّ كُلُّ مُوَحِّدٍ
وَاِرتَجَّ ما بَينَ الحَطيمِ وَزَمزَمِ
Cairo’s scholars roared so all monotheists roared
And what’s between the rubble and Zamzam shuddered
وَتَلَفَّتَت مِصرٌ لِتَنظُرَ ما جَنَت
بَرلينُ مِن حَدَثٍ عَميمِ المَأتَمِ
And Egypt looked around to see what it had perpetrated
Against Berlin, a great mourning calamity
صَدَعَت بِبَرقٍ كَالصَواعِقِ هائِلٍ
وَرَمَت بِطَيرٍ في المَشارِقِ أَشأَمِ
It cracked with lightning bolts like enormous thunder
And cast birds in the horizons inauspicious
وَاِستَأثَرَت بِكَ وَهيَ تَعرِفُ ضَيفَها
عِرفانَ مُحتَفِلٍ بِمِثلِكَ مُكرِمِ
And it took you uniquely though it knew its guest
The welcome of a celebrant for your like honoured
برلينُ لا تَدَعي لِضَيفِكِ حاجَةً
إِلّا اِنبَعَثتِ لَها بِغَيرِ تَلَوُّمِ
Berlin, do not leave any need for your guest
Except springing for it without reluctance
إِن يَغتَبِط بِكِ لا يُشِع لَكِ قَومُهُ
حَقَّ الحَفيِّ وَلا يَدَ المُتَكَرِّمِ
If it rejoices in you do not give it rights
Of kindness, or the hand of the honoured
أَرَأَيتِ مَطمَعَ فاتِحٍ لَم يَنقَلِب
وَشَهِدتِ مَصرَعَ فارِسٍ لَم يُهزَمِ
Did you see an undefeated conqueror
And witness the death of a knight undefeated
لا تَجحَديهِ عَلى التَغَرُّبِ حَقَّهُ
فَإِذا جَهِلتِ مَكانَهُ فَتَعَلَّمي
Do not deny it its rights in exile
And if you do not know its place then ask
إِن كُنتِ مِلءَ الجَحفَلَينِ فَإِنَّهُ
مِلءُ الأَسِنَّةِ وَالظُبى وَالأَسهُمِ
If you are filled horizons then it fills
Tongues, wild beasts, and arrows
مِصرُ اللُبانَةُ لا أَصابَكِ ما بِها
مِن مَأتَمٍ جَلَلٍ وَعَيشٍ عَلقَمِ
Egypt the frankincense – no calamity that befell it
Of deep mourning, dire lives, and bitterness touched you
سَئِمَت مُصابَرَةَ الخُطوبِ وَمَن يَكُن
غَرَضَ الحَوادِثِ كُلَّ يَومٍ يَسأَمِ
It grew tired of enduring tribulations, and whoever
Is the purpose of events each day grows tired
ظَمآى إِلى وِردِ الحَياةِ فَإِن تَرِد
تَرِدِ المَنِيَّةَ في لُعابِ الأَرقَمِ
Thirsty for the spring of life, so if you want it
You want death in the drivel of spit
وَإِذا المَمالِكُ أَشرَقَت أَجواؤُها
نُكِبَت جَوانِبُها بِجَوٍّ أَقتَمِ
When kingdoms’ atmospheres shine
Their sides are bent by darker air
خَطِرِ المَهَبِّ يَموجُ في مُتَنَفَّسٍ
يَرمي بِآجالِ النُفوسِ مُسَمَّمِ
The sparks of death flare in a breath
Casting souls’ lifespans hostage
يَستَعصِمُ الحُرُّ الأَبِيُّ وَقَد مَشى
عِزريلُ بَينَ جَوانِحِ المُستَعصِمِ
The free and dignified strive though he walked on
Death creeping between the ribs of the protected
بَعَثوا بِصاحِبِهِم يُسائِلُ ما لَنا
فَثَوى بِمَنزِلَةِ الأَصَمِّ الأَبَكَمِ
They sent their companion to ask what we have
So he dwelled in the position of the deaf mute
يَبغي البَيانَ وَقَد مَضى مَأثورُهُ
وَمِنَ القَضاءِ بَيانُ ما لَم يُكتَمِ
Seeking eloquence though his quoted words passed
And from fate the expression of what is not hid
إِنَّ الحَديثَ لَوِ اِستَطَعنا مَنعَهُ
حَولَينِ مَوصولَينِ لَم نَتَكَلَّمِ
If we could forbid this talk
For two connected years we would not speak
يا مِصرُ حَسبُكِ ما رَضيتِ مِنَ الأَذى
وَبَرِئتِ مِن ماضيكِ إِن لَم تَنقَمِ
Oh Egypt, enough what you accepted of harm
And you are innocent of your past if you do not avenge
ذَهَبَت عُهودُ المُستَبِدِّ ذَميمَةً
وَمَضى زَمانُ العاجِزِ المُستَسلِمِ
The eras of tyranny are gone, rotten,
And the age of the helpless submissive passed
إِنَّ الَّتي رَمَتِ المَمالِكَ باعَدَت
بَينَ المَضاجِعِ وَالشُعوبِ النُوَّمِ
She who threw kingdoms made distant
The beds from the drowsy nations
الأَرضُ تَركُضُ بِالشُعوبِ حَثيثَةً
فَاِمشي عَلى آثارِها وَتَرَسَّمي
The earth runs with the nations hurriedly
So walk in its tracks and be guided
إِن كانَ قَيدُكِ لَم يُحَلَّ فَإِنَّهُ
خُلُقُ المُريبِ وَشيمَةُ المُتَوَهِّمِ
If your shackle is not undone then it is
The ethics of the doubtful and qualities of the delusional
سيري فَما بِكَ غَيرُ تِلكَ وَلابِنا
إِلّا مُراقَبَةُ العِدى وَاللُوَّمِ
Go on, for you have nothing else nor children
But observing enmity and defects
يا نازِحاً لَم نَقضِ حَقَّ بَلائِهِ
اللَهُ جارَكَ فَاِغتَبِط وَتَنَعَّمِ
You who fled we did not break the duty of his affliction
God is your neighbour so rejoice and delight
وَاِنفُض هُمومَكَ عَن فُؤادِكَ إِنَّنا
نَلقى الهُمومَ بِكُلِّ أَغلَبَ أَضخَمِ
Relieve your worries from your heart, we
Meet worries with every greater calamity
إِنَّ المَناكِبَ وَالنُفوسَ بِأَسرِها
لَفِداءُ مِصرَ مِنَ المُهِمِّ المُؤلِمِ
The shoulders and souls absolutely
Are Egypt’s redemption from the painful agony
ماذا حَفِظتَ لَأَهلِها مِن حُرمَةٍ
وَقَضَيتَ مِن حَقٍّ عَلَيكَ مُحَتَّمِ
What dignity did you preserve for its people
And fulfil what right against you obliged?
حَيَّتكَ مِصرُ عَلى البِعادِ فَحَيِّها
وَدَعَت مُسَلِّمَةً عَلَيكَ فَسَلِّمِ
Its greetings far away, so greet it
And it bid you protected peace
جاوَزتَ حُسنَ الصُنعِ في خُدّامِها
وَكَفيتَ سوءَ الذِكرِ مَن لَم يَخدُمِ
You exceeded goodness in serving it
And avoided vilification from those who did not serve
كَذَبَ المُضَلَّلُ لَن يَنالَكَ سَعيُهُ
إِلّا إِذا نالَ السَماءَ بِسُلَّمِ
The misguided lies, his efforts will not reach you
Unless he reaches the sky with a ladder
أَقسَمتُ مالَكَ في جِهادِكَ مُشبِهٌ
وَالحُرُّ مُؤتَمَنٌ وَإِن لَم يُقسِمِ
I swore your possession striving while the free
Is entrusted even if he does not swear
ما زِلتَ تُسرِفُ في المَغارِمِ دائِباً
حَتّى جَعَلتَ النَفسَ آخِرَ مَغرَمِ
You persist in being open-handed to the last
Until you made the self the final desire
أَيُّ القَواضِبِ بَعدَما قَطَعَ الظُبى
وَلَوى الأَسِنَّةَ في الوَغى لَم يُثلَمِ
After crossing the wilds which boat
Bent tongues amidst tumult without bending
رَدَّدتُ صَوتي في الرِثاءِ وَإِنَّما
رَدَّدتُ مِن صَوتِ الكِنانَةِ في فَمي
I echoed my voice in elegy but only
Echoed the voice of the lyre in my mouth
حَيَّتكَ في المَلَأِ العَلِيِّ وَأَزلَفَت
حورُ الجِنانِ إِلَيكَ شَعرَ مُحَرَّمِ
Greetings amongst the highest company, and the
Houris of Heaven approached you a forbidden poem
أَسَفي لَأَوبَةِ راحِلٍ لَم تَقضِها
عِدَةُ المُنى وَتَحِيَّةٍ لَم تُنظَمِ
My regrets for a traveller’s saddle not
Contained by the days of joy and undesigned greetings
