أَوْقَدَ الصَّيْفُ فِي الصَّعيدِ لَظَاهُ

فَأَجَفَّ الحُقُولَ والآجَامَا

Summer lit its fierce flames in the countryside,

Parching the fields and meadows.

وَغَدَا النَّاسُ بَيْنَ جَوٍّ كَثِيفٍ

مُتَرّدٍ مِنَ الْغُبَارِ غَمَامَا

People walked in dense, swirling dust storms

Billowing clouds of sand and gloom.

وَفَلاَةٍ كَأَنَّمَا الرَّمْلُ فِيهَا

شَرَرٌ مُدَّ لَمْعَةً وَاضْطِرَامَا

The desert where the sands glared

With flashes and bursts of flame.

وَكَأَنَّ المِيَاهِ فِي النِّيلِ تَجْرِي

بِخُطىً أَبْطَأَتْ وَوَجْهٍ تَعَامَى

The Nile water seemed to flow

At a slower pace, its face darkened.

شِبْهَ ذَوْبِ الرَّصَاصِ فِي الكِيرِ يَطْغَى

فإذَا مَا طَغَى بِرِفْقٍ تَرَامَى

Like molten lead overflowing the pot,

Surging up then subsiding gently.

وَعَرَا الأَعْيُنَ الْكَلالُ فَأَنَّى

نَظَرَتْ حُمْرَةً رَأَتْ وَقَتَامَا

Eyes grew tired and visions dimmed,

Seeing a reddish haze and darkness.

وَكَأَنَّ النُّعَاسَ فِي عَصَبِ اللأَرْ

ضِ تَمَشَّى فَكُلُّ مَا دَبَّ نَامَا

Drowsiness crept through the land’s sinews,

Everything alive fell asleep.

وَكَأَنَّ الدُّمَى الَّتِي صَنَعْتَهَا

أُمَّةُ القِبْطِ مُتْعَبَاتٌ قِيَامَا

The pyramids built by the Copts

Seemed exhausted from standing.

بَلَدٌ طُفْتِهِ جديباً كَئِيباً

فَارْتَوَى مِنْكِ نَضْرَةً وَابْتِسَامَا

A country whose charm was bleak and barren

Drew from you freshness and smiles.