رَسمٌ تَعَلَّمَ مِنهُ ناظِري الوَلَعا

كَأَنَّ طَرفِيَ قَلبي فيهِ قَد وُضِعا

A drawing my passionate viewers learned from

A sketch from which my gaze has learned passion,

As if my heart's eyes in it were placed

As if my eye were my heart, placed therein.

يَمثِلُ البيضَ حَولَ الصين قَد وَقَفوا

وَذَلِكَ الدُبُّ في مَنشوريا رَتَعا

It depicts the eggs around China standing

Depicting the Whites as they stood around China,

And that bear in Manchuria grazing

While that Bear grazed freely in Manchuria.

مَشى بِهِ نَحوَها في نَفسِهِ أَمَلٌ

وَراحَ يَمشي إِلى ما بَعدَها جَشَعا

He walked towards it with hope in his soul

He marched toward it, hope stirring in his soul,

And went on walking beyond it greedily

And went on to what lay beyond, driven by greed.

كَالنارِ تَأكُلُ أَكلاً ما يُصادِفُها

وَالسَيلُ يَجرُفُ ما يَلقاهُ مِندَفِعا

Like fire that eats whatever it encounters

Like fire devouring whatever it encounters,

And floods that sweep away whatever surges

And the torrent sweeping away what it meets in its rush.

فَقامَ بِالصُفرِ داعٍ مِن حَليفَتِهِم

مَليكَةِ الهِندِ أَن هُبّوا فَقَد طَمِعا

So he stood with the Manchus calling on

Then among the Yellows rose a caller from their ally,

Their ally, the Queen of India, to give in, for he coveted

The Queen of India, urging, "Rise, for he has grown covetous!"

قالَت أُحَذِّرُكُم مَن يُخادِعُكُم

فَطالَما خُدِعَ الإِنسانُ فَاِنخَدَعا

She said, I warn you against one who deceives you

She said, "I warn you of the one who deceives you,"

For man has often been duped and misled

"For often has man been deceived and led astray."

مَحَضتُكُمُ نُصحَ الصَديقِ عَسى

خَيراً يُفيدُكُمُ فَالنُصحُ كَم نَفَعا

I advised you out of a friend's sincerity

"I have given you the sincere advice of a friend, that perhaps"

Hoping some good may benefit you, for advice has often helped

"Good may avail you, for how often has counsel been of use!"

وَغَيرُ مُنتَفِعٍ غَيرُ فَتىً

إِذا تَحَدَّثَ ذو عَقلٍ صَغى وَوَعى

And the unbenefited is no man

And none benefits but the noble youth who,

When one of wisdom speaks, he listens and understands

When a person of intellect speaks, listens and understands.

سارَت إِلَيهِم فَتاةٌ وَاِنثَنَت

رَجُلاً وَما رَأى أَحَدٌ هَذا وَلا سَمِعا

A girl came to them and bowed

A maiden journeyed to them, but returned

A man that none had seen or heard

As a man, and no one saw this nor heard.

حَتّى إِذا ما رَأَت مَشوريا اِختَنَقَت

بِالقَومِ وَخِرقُ الشَرِّ مُتَّسِعا

Until when she saw Manchuria she choked

Until, when she saw Manchuria choked

With anguish, and the rending of evil was vast

With the enemy, and the breach of evil widening,

كادَت تَطيرُ سُروراً بَِلنَجاحِ وَقَد

كادَت عَلى الهِندِ تَقضي قَبلَ ذا جَزَعا

She almost flew with joy at the success, and had

She nearly flew with joy at the success, though

Nearly gained India before that with dismay

She had nearly died of anxiety for India before that.

نُبِّثتُ أَنَّ الوَغى في الصينِ دائِرَةٌ

فَما لَها صادَفتُ في النيلِ مُرتَبَعا

I was told that turmoil in China was swirling

I was told that war is circling in China,

Yet I found myself settled by the Nile

So why has it found a dwelling place here in the Nile?