لهفَalas نفسيmy soul والمناياand deaths تلتظىblaze
لهفَ نفسي والمنايا تلتظى
ماno لجمراتِfor the embers المناياdeath منany خمودِdying down
ما لجمراتِ المنايا من خمودِ
Alas for my soul, while death blazes!
My soul burns with yearning, and death's fires blaze,
Death's embers never die down.
No respite for death's embers that glow and raise,
صهرتهاthey melted it وهيwhile it was كالغيمlike a cloud ندىdew
صهرتها وهي كالغيم ندى
فيin لظىblaze الحسرةgrief أبناءsons الصعيدUpper Egypt
في لظى الحسرة أبناء الصعيد
My soul, dewy as a cloud, was melted
Melted by tears, like the dew's morning haze,
In grief's blaze by the sons of Upper Egypt.
The Sa'id's children in grief's flame ablaze,
معشرa people كانواthey were كأزهارlike flowers الرباthe hills
معشر كانوا كأزهار الربا
رضعواthey suckled فيin المهدthe cradle منfrom أثداءbreasts جودgenerosity
رضعوا في المهد من أثداء جود
A people who were like blossoms on the hills,
A clan who once bloomed like the meadow's flowers,
Who suckled in the cradle at generosity's breasts.
Suckled on generosity's milk in life's hours,
دهمsuddenly invaded الموتdeath عليهمupon them دورهمtheir homes
دهم الموت عليهم دورهم
وأراهمand showed them بطشviolent might جبارa tyrant عنيدobstinate
وأراهم بطش جبار عنيد
Death burst upon them in their homes,
Death swooped down on them in fury and power,
And showed them an obstinate tyrant's violence.
An obstinate tyrant with pitiless glower,
شرعَhe brandished المنجلَthe sickle فيin راحاتهِhis palms
شرعَ المنجلَ في راحاتهِ
وانبرىand set about يعصفravaging بالنبتِthrough the vegetation الحصيدmown
وانبرى يعصف بالنبتِ الحصيد
He brandished the sickle in his palms,
The sickle was raised and cut down each flower,
And set about ravaging the mown crop.
Destroying the harvest in that evil hour,
كمhow many فتاةa maiden هدهَدَتcradled آمالهاher hopes
كم فتاة هدهَدَت آمالها
وفتىand a youth عاشlived علىon حلمa dream سعيدhappy
وفتى عاش على حلم سعيد
How many a maiden who cradled her hopes,
How many a maiden's hopes were dashed,
And a youth who lived on a happy dream,
How many youths from sweet dreams were lashed,
وعروسٍand a bride كُفّنتwas shrouded فيin ثوبهاher gown
وعروسٍ كُفّنت في ثوبها
وعريسand a bridegroom أدرجوهthey wrapped him فيin البرودthe striped cloaks
وعريس أدرجوه في البرود
And a bride shrouded in her gown,
How many brides in their gowns were cached,
And a bridegroom they wrapped in striped cloaks!
How many grooms to the grave were dispatched,
نصبset الموتdeath لهمfor them أشراكهhis snares
نصب الموت لهم أشراكه
ودهاهمand overwhelmed them منfrom قريبnear أوor بعيدfar
ودهاهم من قريب أو بعيد
Death set his snares for them,
Death had set up his traps far and wide,
And overwhelmed them, from near or far.
No difference between old man and child bride,
لمdid not يفرقdistinguish بينbetween شيخan old man هرمdecrepit
لم يفرق بين شيخ هرم
ورضيعand a suckling فيin حمىthe shelter المهدthe cradle وليدnewborn
ورضيع في حمى المهد وليد
He did not distinguish between a decrepit old man
Between the starving, death-seeking ill,
And a newborn suckling sheltered by the cradle.
And the naked wanderer, lost and chilled,
فهمso they بينamong مريضa sick person جائعhungry
فهم بين مريض جائع
يطلبseeks الموتdeath وعريانand a naked person شريدhomeless
يطلب الموت وعريان شريد
So among them are the sick and hungry,
And wished him promises, dreams beguiled,
Seeking death, and the naked and homeless.
Whenever his eyes were heavy with sleep,
فهناso here أمa mother تناغىcoos to طفلهاher child
فهنا أم تناغى طفلها
وتمنيهand gives him hope بخلّابwith beguiling الوعودpromises
وتمنيه بخلّاب الوعود
Here, then, a mother coos to her child,
She feared his journey into the abyss deep,
And gives him hope with beguiling promises.
And when he sought her breast, she would bend
كلماwhenever راودcourted جفنيهhis eyelids الكرىslumber
كلما راود جفنيه الكرى
أشفقتshe feared منof سفرa journey فيهwithin it مديدlong
أشفقت من سفر فيه مديد
Whenever slumber courts his eyelids,
And plead to God, the Mighty Friend,
She fears a long journey within it.
Fever makes his cheeks quiver and seep,
وإذاand when تاقhe longed إلىfor الثدىthe breast انحنتshe bent
وإذا تاق إلى الثدى انحنت
فوقهover him تضرعsupplicating للَهto God المجيدthe Glorious
فوقه تضرع للَه المجيد
And when he longs for the breast, she bends
No cradle is near, though the babe doth weep,
Over him, imploring God, the Glorious.
She witnesses his pain throughout the night
ترعشmakes tremble الحمىthe fever حناياهhis ribs فلاso not
ترعش الحمى حناياه فلا
تجدfind المهدthe cradle وأنّىand how بالمهودwith cradles
تجد المهد وأنّى بالمهود
Fever shakes his ribs, yet she cannot
And the earth is watered with tears moonlit,
Find a cradle—and how could cradles be had?
But when dawn comes with hope in its light,
تشهدcalls to witness الليلthe night علىconcerning آلامهاher pains
تشهد الليل على آلامها
وتروّىand waters الأرضthe earth بالدمعwith tears النضيدstrung together
وتروّى الأرض بالدمع النضيد
She calls the night to witness her pains,
For the weary refugee, a hint of respite,
And waters the earth with tears strung in rows.
Death comes, and with its coming blight,
فإذاthen when ماemphatic particle أقبلcame الصبحthe morning وفيand in
فإذا ما أقبل الصبح وفي
نورهits light أمنيةُthe hope العانيthe afflicted الطريدthe outcast
نوره أمنيةُ العاني الطريد
Then, when morning comes, and in
Hopes for life are shattered in sad defeat,
Its light lies the hope of the suffering outcast,
In her shock, she collapses like dead meat,
أقبلcame الموتdeath وفيand in إقبالهhis coming
أقبل الموت وفي إقباله
تدبرretreat الآمالhopes منfrom عيشlife الفقيدthe deceased
تدبر الآمال من عيش الفقيد
Death comes, and with his coming
Bearing her child to his final retreat,
Hopes retreat from the life of the departed.
On her, the demons of grief swirl and sweep,
فترىthen you see منfrom هولهاher terror مصروعةstruck down
فترى من هولها مصروعة
تحملshe carries الطفلthe child إلىto القبرthe grave الجديدnew
تحمل الطفل إلى القبر الجديد
Then you see her struck down by her terror,
Dancing on shards of ice that make her freeze,
Carrying the child to the new grave.
Her steps are shackled, a prisoner with no keys,
وعليهاand upon her منfrom تهاويلterrors الأسىgrief
وعليها من تهاويل الأسى
مسحةa tinge ترقصmakes dance أحشاءinnards الجليدice
مسحة ترقص أحشاء الجليد
And upon her, from grief's terrors, lies
On the hillsides, death plays his masterpiece,
A tinge that sets the innards of ice dancing.
A drunken melody's destructive unease,
خبّلتbewildered أقدامهاher feet فيin خطوهاher steps
خبّلت أقدامها في خطوها
فهيso she تمشيwalks كأسيرlike a captive فيin قيودfetters
فهي تمشي كأسير في قيود
It has bewildered her feet as she steps,
No pleadings deter his arrows' release,
So she walks like a captive in fetters,
My brothers in God, faith and nation,
فيon سفوحslopes يعزفplays music الموتdeath بهاon them
في سفوح يعزف الموت بها
لحنهhis melody المخمورdrunken منfrom عصفthe fury الرعودthunderclaps
لحنه المخمور من عصف الرعود
On slopes where Death plays
Who've suffered the worst tribulation,
His melody, drunk on the fury of thunder.
In God lies richness of spirit and mind,
ويحهwoe to him ماnot حطمتshattered أسهمهhis arrows
ويحه ما حطمت أسهمه
دعواتprayers الثكلbereavement منfrom قبلbefore ثمودThamud
دعوات الثكل من قبل ثمود
Woe to him! His arrows have not been shattered
Beyond my words, efforts, or any mankind,
By bereavement's prayers, since before Thamud.
If my soul itself I don't surrender,
إخوتيmy brothers فيin اللَهGod والدينand faith وفيand in
إخوتي في اللَه والدين وفي
وطنa homeland عانsuffering منfrom الخطبcalamity جهيدexhausted
وطن عان من الخطب جهيد
My brothers in God and faith, and in
As price for protecting kith and kin tender,
A homeland suffering, worn down by calamity,
Egypt's hope in my heart will always burn,
لكمfor you اللَهGod وفيand in اللَهGod غنىًsufficiency
لكم اللَه وفي اللَه غنىً
عنwithout بيانيmy eloquence ولسانيand my tongue وجهوديand my efforts
عن بياني ولساني وجهودي
You have God, and in God is sufficiency,
Despite time's hardships and life's blunt spurn.
Without my eloquence, my tongue, or my efforts.
أناI إنif لمdo not أبذلoffer freely الروحthe soul لمdo not
أنا إن لم أبذل الروح لم
وأفدىand I ransom بطريفيwith my newly acquired wealth وتليديand my inherited wealth
وأفدى بطريفي وتليدي
I—if I do not give my soul, nor
Offer ransom with my newly acquired and inherited wealth,
لاmay not رَعَتnurture مصرEgypt لقلبيfor my heart أملاًa hope
لا رَعَت مصر لقلبي أملاً
ورمانيand may strike me الدهرtime البرزءwith calamity (apparent typo) الشديدsevere
ورماني الدهر البرزء الشديد
May Egypt nurture no hope for my heart,
And may time strike me with grievous calamity.
Partial English translation: 47 of 52 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1