أَشْهَدُهُ وَالقِطَارُ يَفْرِي
بِسُرْعَةِ البَارِقِ الظَّلامَا
I witness as the train speeds
Like a flash of lightning in the dark
بَيْنَاهُ يَمْضِي عُلْواً وَسُفْلاً
يَنْتَهِبُ القَاعَ وَالإِكْامَا
Passing high and low
Plundering the plains and hills
إِذِ التَقَاهُ وَلَنْ يَرَاهُ
مُعْتِرِضٌ دَكَّهُ صِدَامَا
When it met, and he would not see it
An obstinate one, it crushed him with a crash
تَنَاطَحَ المُوغِلانِ عَدْواً
فَانْحَطَمَا فِي الدُّجَى انْحِطَامَا
The two opposites clashed as enemies
And shattered in the gloom a violent shattering
ذَابَ جِهَازُ الحَدِيدِ صَهْراً
إِلاَّ أَضَالِيعَهُ الضِّخَامَا
The iron vehicle melted away
Except for its massive ribs
وَالخُشُبُ المُضْرَمَاتُ أَجْلَتْ
عَنْ فَحَمٍ مُبْطِنٍ ضِرَامَا
And the kindling wood revealed
Scorching embers within
هُنَالِكُمْ لَحْظَةٌ نَسِيتُمْ
حِيَالَهَا الرَّوْعِ وَالسَّقَامَا
In that moment you forgot
The horror and the illness
مُدَّكِرِينَ الحِمَى وَأَهْلاً
فُطِمْتُمْ عَنْهُمُو فِطَامَا
Remembering loved ones
You were weaned from them, weaned
دَاعِينَ تَحْيَا مِصْرْ فَصَرْعَى
تُكَابِدُونَ المَوْتَ الزُّؤَامَا
Calling “Long live Egypt,” you fell
Enduring gruesome death
فَيَا لَهَا اللهُ مِنْ ثَوَانٍ
أَقْصَرُهَا طَاوَلَ الدَّوَامَا
Oh, what fleeting seconds
The shortest extended forever
وَاحَرَّ قَلْبَا عَلَى شَبَابٍ
كَانُوا جُسُوماً صَارُوا عِظَامَا
And set a heart aflame for youths
Who were bodies and became bones
كَانُوا وُجُوهاً مُنَوَّرَاتٍ
تَكَدَّسُوا أَرْجُلاً وَهَامَا
They were glowing faces
Piled up feet and shoulders
كَانُوا ابْتِسَامَ الرَّجَاءِ أَمْسَوْا
وَلا رَجَاءً وَلا ابْتِسَامَا
Yesterday they were the smile of hope
Now, no hope or smile
فِي ذِمَّةِ اللهِ يَا فَريقاً
عَاشُوا كِرَاماً وَمَاتُوا كِرَامَا
In God’s safekeeping, O company
They lived with honor and died with honor
مُصَابُكُمْ شَفَّ مِصْرَ حُزْناً
ورَوَّعَ البَيْتَ وَالشَّآمَا
Your affliction healed Egypt’s sorrow
And startled the homeland and Damascus
فِي كلِّ قَلْبٍ ثُكْلٌ عَلَيْكُمْ
نَفَى مِنَ المُقْلَةِ المَنَامَا
In every heart a throbbing for you
Banished sleep
