Claude 2

  1. ضاقَت بِكَ الأَرض وَضَج الفَضاء

    وَزاحَمت دُنياكَ دُنيا القَدَر

    The earth grew narrow for you, and the sky roared,

    And your fate jostled with destiny,

  2. يا نَيل يا آية ما لِلقَضاء

    مِن جبرة تَدفع شَتّى الصُوَر

    O Nile, O sign of fate,

    With no cure to withstand diverse forms,

  3. تَفور ما تَبرح مِن ذي مَضاء

    غَضبان في موقى وَفي مُنحَدر

    You seethe, never ceasing, from a glowing place,

    Angry in channel and slope,

  4. تَسلك في سَفر النُجوم الوضاء

    وَمَوكب الشَمس وَرَكب القَمَر

    You travel the luminous path of stars,

    And the procession of the sun and the march of the moon,

  5. رِفقاً بِمَن آواك الهامه

    وَصاغَ في صَدرك وَحي الجَمال

    Be gentle with the one who inspired you the care,

    And crafted in your heart the inspiration of beauty,

  6. طَغى بِشَطآن الهَوى جامه

    دَهراً وَغناك وَغنى الرِمال

    His chalice of passion overflowed,

    A lifetime, and your singing and the singing of the sands,

  7. آماله يا نَيل أَحلامه

    شَبابه الغَض الوَريف الظَلال

    His hopes, O Nile, his dreams,

    His fresh, verdant youth and shadows,

  8. أَهكَذا تنضب أَيامه

    وَأَنتَ ما تَبرح ضافي الجَلال

    Is this how his days run out,

    While you never cease, pouring magnificence?

  9. هبك اِبتَلعت الزَورَق الوادعا

    في مَوجة مِنك فمن يَبلعك

    In a wave of yours, you swallowed the farewell boat,

    So who will swallow you?

  10. أَوهبك أَطعمت بِهِ جائِعاً

    في جَوفك الضَخم فَهَل يُشبعك

    In your vast belly, you fed the hungry,

    Does that sate you?

  11. رِفقاً بِهِ وَاِستَبقه يانِعاً

    إِن ضمنت أَضلعهُ أَضلُعُك

    Be gentle with him, keep him intact,

    If his ribs are lodged in your ribs,

  12. أَقم لَهُ بَينَ الربى مَأتَماً

    وَاستعبر البُنيان حر الأَسف

    Build him a funeral house among the grasses,

    And let the structure weep from the heat,

  13. وَصَغ لَهُ الأَصداف قَبراً فَما

    يَستَبطن الدرة غَير الصَدف

    Shape him shells as a grave, for who

    Would conceal the pearl but the oyster shell?

  14. وَاِسكُب عَلى قَبر النُبوغ الدما

    وَاِنثُر عَلى قَبر الشَباب الطَرف

    Pour out on the grave of genius blood,

    Scatter on the grave of youth, censure,

  15. وَاِختَر بَواكير الربا أَنجُما

    وَأَجمَع لِمَجد الشعر مَجد التَرَف

    And gather for the glory of poetry, the glory of lyricism,

    The first fruits of the Lord, stars.