ظَبيَ الحِمى بِاللَهِ ما ضَرَّكا

إِذا رَأَينا في الكَرى طَيفَكا

The zebras roam freely, by God what harm could befall them,

If we saw your figure wandering in the ruins,

وَما الَّذي تَخشاهُ لَو أَنَّهُم

قالوا فُلانٌ قَد غَدا عَبدَكا

And what is it that you fear, if they were to say:

"So-and-so has become your slave."

قَد حَرَّموا الرِقَّ وَلَكِنَّهُم

ما حَرَّموا رِقَّ الهَوى عِندَكا

They have forbidden slavery, but they have not forbidden,

The slavery of passion that holds you in its grasp,

وَأَصبَحَت مِصرُ مُراحاً لَهُم

وَأَنتَ في الأَحشا مُراحٌ لَكا

And Egypt has become a place of comfort for them,

While you are in the thickets, a comfort for yourself,

ما كانَ سَهلاً أَن يَرَوا نيلَها

لَو أَنَّ في أَسيافِنا لَحظَكا

It would not have been easy for them to see its Nile,

If in our swords there was a glimpse of you.