سَأَلْتَ نَجِيَّتِي شَيْئاً يُقَالُ

فَلَمْ تَأْبَهُ وَلَمْ يُجَبِ السُّؤَالُ

You asked my darling something to say

But she did not respond, nor was the question answered

مُخَدَّرَةٌ أَبَتْ لاَ عَنْ دَلاَلٍ

وَلَوْ فَعَلَتْ لَحَقِّ لَهَا الدَّلاَلُ

Numbed, she refused, not out of coyness

And had she done so, she would have rightly done so

وَلَكِنْ مَسَّهَا ضُرٌّ عرَاَنِي

فَفِيهَا مِنْ تَبَارِيِحي كَلاَلُ

But she was hurt by my naked affliction

Of which my laments to her are telling

إِذَا مَا الدَّاءُ أَقْعَدَ جِسْمَ حَيٍّ

أَتَنْشَطُ رُوحُهُ وَبِهَا عِقَالُ

When an illness makes the body of one alive immobile

Does their spirit become lively while it has them incapacitated?

عَلَيَّ لِصَفْوَةٍ نُجُبٍ حُقُوقٌ

أَنوءُ بِهَا وَأَعْبَاءٌ ثِقَالُ

I have, for the elite and the noble, rights

I stoop under, and burdens heavy to bear

لَقُونِي زَائِراً وَلَقُوا صَدِيقِي

بِأُنْسٍ فَاقَ مَا كُنْا نَخَالُ

They found me a visitor, and found my friend

With a warmth beyond what we were used to

وَأَولُوْنَا القَلاَئدَ فِي حِلاَهَا

تَنَافَسَ الاِرْتِجَالُ وَالاِحْتِفَالُ

And we competed in praising them

Improvisation and celebration vied

فَمَا أَنَا فِي الوَفَاءِ وَمَا رَفِيقِي

إِذَا مَا أَعْجَزَ الشُّكْرَ النَّوَالُ

So neither I in loyalty, nor my friend

When gratitude fails to reward

قَضَى مَا اسْطَاعَ يُوسُفُ عَنْ أَخِيهِ

وَنِعْمَ العَوْنُ يُوسُفُ وَالثِّمَالِ

Yusuf fulfilled what he could for his brother

And excellent is Yusuf's support and worth

لَهُ بِمَوَدَّةِ السُّودَانِ عَهْدٌ

وَثِيقٌ لاَ تَرِثُّ لَهُ حِبَالُ

He has, with the Sudanese's affection, a pact

Firm, not corroded by time

تَيَمَّمْنَا مَرَابِعَهُمْ فَمَاذَا

جَلاَ فِيهَا لَنَا السِّحْرُ الحَلاَلُ

We toured their dwellings, so what

Magic captivated us in them, pure and beautiful?

بِلاد تَصْطَبِي الأَحْلاَمَ فيهَا

حَقِيقَتهَا وَيَسْبِيهَا الخَيَالُ

A land where dreams in it

Become reality, and imagination captures it

لِمَجْرَى نِيلِهَا وَلضَفَّتَيْهِ

جَمَالٌ لاَ يُبَاهِيهِ جَمَالُ

For the course of its Nile and its two banks

A beauty unmatched in splendor

وَلِلْبِيدِ السْحِيقَةِ وَالرَّوَاسِي

جَلاَلٌ لاَ يُضَاهِيهِ جَلاَلُ

And for its thick palms and meadows

A majesty unparalleled in grandeur

وَلَيْسَ كَأَيْكِهَا أَيْكٌ يُغَنِّي

وَلاَ كَدِحَالِهَا زَأَرَتْ دِحَالُ

And none of its maidens sing like another

Nor roar as unique as its waterfalls

فَإِنْ يَكُ شَعْبُهَا كَرَماً وَبَأْساً

يُمَثِّلُها فَقَدْ رَاعَ المِثَالُ

So if its people represent valor and might

Then the example has been observed

شَمَائِلُ حُلْوَةٌ طَابَتْ وُرُوداً

عَلَى مَرِّ الزِّمَانِ وَمَا تَزَالُ

Of beautiful traits, roses have thrived

Despite the bitterness of time, and still thrive

وَإِقْدَامٌ عَلَى الجُلَّى وَعَزْمٌ

لَهُ إِنْ مَسَّهُ الضَّيْمُ اشْتِعَالُ

And boldness for family, and resolve

That flames if oppressed

بَنِي السُّودَانِ حَيَّا الله قَوْماً

بِهِمْ هَذِي الفَضائِلُ وَالخِصَالُ

O people of Sudan, may God protect a people

In whom these virtues and merits exist

لَقَدْ عَبَرَتْ بِكَمْ مِحَنٌ كِبَارٌ

بِهَا أَبْطَالُكُمْ جَالُوا وَصَالوا

Many great tribulations your heroes have crossed

They roamed and journeyed through them

وَأَعْقَبَهَا تِرَاكٌ لَمْ تَذِلُّوا

لِحُكْمِ الدَّهْر فِيهِ وَلَمْ تُذَالُوا

And periods of respite followed, in which you did not humiliate

Yourselves to the judges of fate in them, and were not weakened

فَأَمَّا فِي الغَدَاةِ وَقَدْ نَهَضْتُمْ

فَمَا مِنْ عَثْرَةٍ إِلاَّ تُقَالُ

And now as you rise in the morn

No stumbling block remains but is removed

شَبَابٌ أَذْكِيَاءُ تَلُوحُ فِيهِمْ

لِكُلِّ عَظِيمَةٍ تُرْجَى خِلاَلُ

Sharp youths, in whom

Flashes of each lofty hope are seen

وَأَشْيَاخٌ مَيَامِينٌ حِصَافٌ

تُزَكِّي مَا يَقُولُونَ الفِعَالُ

And wise elders, judicious

Purifying what they say by action

فِهيَّا فِي نَوَاحِي المَجْدِ هَيَّا

وَلاَ يَعْدَمْ سَوَابِقَكُمْ مَجَالُ

Onwards, to realms of glory onwards!

Your precedents will not lack a domain

أَعِدُّوا لِلْحِمَى الغَالِي حُمَاةً

إِذَا قَالَ الحِمَى أَيْنَ الرِّجَالُ

Prepare for the precious zeal, defenders

When zeal asks: where are the men?

بَنِي السُّودَانِ حَاجَةُ كلِّ قَوْمٍ

لِيَعْلو شَأَنُهُمْ عِلْمٌ وَمَالُ

O people of Sudan, each people's need

To raise their stature is knowledge and wealth

فَإِنْ قَرِنَتْ شَجَاعَتُهُمْ بِقَصْدٍ

وَتَثْقِيفٍ فَقَدْ ضمِنَ المَآلُ

For if their courage combines with purpose

And education, then destiny is ensured

وَكُلُّ مُحَاوِلٍ إِدْرَاكَ حَقٍ

سُيدْرِكُهُ وَإِنْ طَالَ المِطَالُ

And each attempter of attaining a right

Will attain it, though long the course

وَهَلْ حَقّ إِلَيْهِ الشَّعْبُ يَسْعَى

بِإِيمَانٍ وَصَبْرٍ لاَ يُنَالُ

And does a people striving with faith and patience

For their due seek what cannot be attained?

لَكمْ فِي مِصْرَ إِخْوَانٌ ثِقَاتٌ

هَوَاهُمْ لاَ تُغَيِّرُ مِنْهُ حَالُ

In Egypt, you have trusted brethren

Whose passion time does not change

وَبَيْنَكُمُ وَبَيْنَهُمُ قَدِيماً

وَشَائِجُ لَنْ يُلِمَّ بِهَا انْحِلاَلُ

And between you and them, longstanding

Are ties that will not fray with separation

فَمَا عَنْ أَمْرِكمْ بِهِمْ اشْتِغَالُ

وَمَا عَنْ أَمْرِهِمْ بِكُمْ اشْتِغَالُ

So they are not preoccupied with your affairs

Nor you with theirs preoccupied

وَلَيْسَ لِمِصْرَ وَالسُّودَانِ إِلاَّ

وَرِيدٌ كَيْفَ بَيْنَهُمَا يُحَالُ

Egypt and Sudan share only

A will for accord between them to endure

وَهَذَا النَّيلُ نِيلُهُمَا جَمِيعاً

كَفَى سَبَباً لِيَخْلُدَ الاِتِّصَالُ

And this Nile is the Nile of both

Enough cause for the bond to be eternal

أَمَا الوَادِي وَمَجَرَاهُ جَنُوبٌ

هُوَ الوَادِي وَمَجْرَاهُ شَمَالُ

As for the valley and its channel, south

It is the valley and its channel, north

هُمَا دَارَانِ فِي وَطَنٍ عَزِيزٍ

وَفِي الدَّارَيْنِ إِخْوانٌ وَآلُ

They are two lands in one dear homeland

And in the two lands, brethren and family