أَطَلْت نَأْيَكَ عَنِّي
وَسُمْتَنِي البُعْدَ شَهْرَا
You prolonged your distance from me
And made me endure a month of separation
أَلشَّهرُ بَعْضُ اللَّيَالِي
وَرُبَّما كَانَ عُمْرَا
A month is but some nights
And may sometimes be a lifetime
كَمْ فِي تَدَاوُلِ شَهْرٍ
يُجَدّدُ اللهُ أَمْرا
How much in the cycle of a month
Does God renew things
كَمْ أُمَّة تَتَسَامَى
فِي حِينِ تَسْقُطُ أُخْرَى
How many a nation rises high
While another falls
كَمْ لَيْلَةٍ تَتَقَضَّى
وَلَيْسَ تُعْقِبُ فَجْرَا
How many a night passes
With no dawn to follow
كَمْ حَالةٍ يَتَوَالَى
مَا سَاءَ مِنْهَا وَسَرَّا
How many a state comes and goes
Both the good and the bad
كمْ أَزْمَة تتَوَلَّى
فَتُتْبِعُ العُسرَ يسْرَا
How many a crisis passes
To be followed by ease after hardship
أَلَسْتَ فِي الشَّهرِ تَشْدُو
صَوْتاً فَتُطرِبُ دَهْرَا
Are you not, in this month, singing
A voice that brings joy to the times
كمْ فِي ثَلاَثِينَ يَوْماً
أَكْسَبْتَ مِصْرَكَ فخْرَا
How much in thirty days
Have you brought glory to your Egypt
كَمْ صُغْتَ آيَةَ وَحْيٍ
يُعِيدُهَا النَّاسُ شِعْرَا
How much have you recited a verse of revelation
That people repeat as poetry
وكَمْ بَعَثْتَ حَيَاةً
فِي قَلْبِ صَخْرٍ فَدَرّا
And how much life have you breathed
Into a barren rock to bloom
وَكَمْ نَسفْتَ بِنَاءً
لِلظالِمِينَ فَخَرَّا
How many an oppressor's edifice
Have you toppled to the ground
وَكَمْ بَكَيْتَ فَأَبْكيْتَ
وَادِي النِّيلِ نَهْرَا
How much have you wept and made
The Nile valley flow as a river
وَكَمْ حَثَثْتَ فَأَذْكَيْتَ
مُزْبَدَ المَاءِ جَمْرَا
How much have you stirred to flame
The cold water's embers
وَكَمْ رَفَعْتَ لِقَوْمٍ
ذِكْراً وقَوَّضْتَ ذِكرَا
And how much have you raised and razed
The repute of a people
فِي نَادِيَاتٍ ذَوَاكٍ
لاَ تُعْقِبُ الشَّرْبَ سُكْرَا
In intimate gatherings where drinking
Does not bring drunkenness after
مِنَ القَوَافِي اللَّوَاتِي
مُلِئْنَ أُنْساً وَسِحْرَا
Of lyrics that fill with intimacy and magic
That shine with light and clear elation
ترِقُّ فِيهَا فَتَصْفُو
نُوراً وَتَخْلُصُ نَشْرَا
My friend, my longing and your estrangement suffice me
If you assess my patience, nothing remains of it
فيَا أَخَا الوُدِّ حَسْبِي
أَسىً وَحَسْبُكَ هَجْرَا
Or if you seek reward for me, suffice what has passed as reward
إِنْ كُنْتَ تُخْبِرُ صَبْرِي
لَمْ يُبْقِ لِي الشَّوْقُ صَبْرَا
أَوْ تَبْتَغِي لِيَ أَجْراً
كَفَى بِمَا فَاتَ أَجْرَا
