دعوتم فلبَّى كلُّ حرٍّ وأقدما
وما هي إلا دعوة اللّه والحمى
You called, and every free man answered and stepped forward.
You called, and every free man answered and stepped forward.
It was nothing but the call of God and the homeland.
And it is nothing but the call of God and the homeland.
فيا رسل التوفيقِ والخلفُ هائلٌ
يكاد يرد الواديين جهنما
O messengers of concord—the breach is dreadful,
O messengers of success, while discord is dreadful,
nearly plunging the two Valleys into Hell.
it nearly turns the two valleys into hell.
تعالوا رفاقاً أوفياء أعزة
إلى غاية أضحت من الحج أقوما
Come as loyal and proud companions
Come as loyal, honored companions
toward a goal now more righteous than pilgrimage.
toward a goal now more righteous than pilgrimage.
خذوا الحزم في أمر تكبد مثله
نبيُّكُمُ في قومه وتجشما
Take firm resolve in a matter whose like
Take up resolve in a matter whose like was endured
your Prophet endured among his people, bearing its hardships.
by your Prophet among his people, who bore its hardship.
وإن الحكيم الباذل النصح مخلصاً
لأفضل ممن يبذل المال والدما
Indeed, the wise man who sincerely offers counsel
And indeed the wise man who sincerely offers counsel
is better than one who expends wealth and blood.
is better than one who gives wealth and blood.
بصدري من الأحزاب ما لو كتمتُه
عصاني وما لو قلته كان مؤلما
Within my breast, concerning the factions, is something that, if concealed,
My breast holds thoughts concerning the parties that, if I concealed them,
would defy me, yet if spoken would cause pain.
would defy me, and thoughts that, if spoken, would cause pain.
إذا فرقتْ بين الشقيقين فتنةٌ
عضال فويل الأم والأب منهما
When an incurable sedition divides two brothers,
If strife divides two brothers,
woe through them to mother and father alike.
an incurable strife—woe to their mother and father because of them!
وما الخل آذى الخل إلا كحارس
إلى الخصم أفضى بالذمام وسلَّما
A friend never harms a friend except like a guardian
A friend who harms his friend is just like a guard
who delivers his sacred charge to the foe and surrenders it.
who yielded his charge to the enemy and surrendered it.
أتحمل نفس في البلاد ضغينةً
لمن بات صبّاً بالبلاد متيما
Can any soul harbor within the land a grudge
Does a soul in this land harbor a grudge
against one who remains passionately enamored of the land?
against one who has become lovesick for the land, utterly enthralled?
وترضى عن الأحزاب مصر وما رأت
بها صائحاً إلا ليدرك مغنما
Can Egypt be pleased with the factions, when she has seen
And is Egypt pleased with the parties, though she has seen
no herald among them except one seeking spoils?
no one clamoring within her except to secure some gain?
وأي جزاء يستحق مجاهد
إذا صنع المعروف فيها ليحكما
And what reward does a fighter deserve
And what reward does a fighter deserve
if he does good within her only so that he may rule?
if he does good within her only to rule?
وكم قائل من أهل مصر وعامل
ولم أر حرّاً نزه اليد والفما
How many an orator and worker there are among Egypt’s people—
And how many speakers and doers there are among Egypt's people,
yet I have seen no free man pure of hand and mouth.
yet I have seen no free man pure in hand and mouth.
وهل سلمت من أهلها مصر ليلة
فتنجوَ من بطش الغريب وتسلما
Has Egypt ever been safe from her own people for a single night,
And has Egypt been safe from her own people for a single night,
that she might escape the foreigner’s violence and remain unharmed?
so that she might escape the foreigner's violence and be secure?
تفرق شملُ العاملين ومن لهم
بمن يجمع الشمل البعيد المقسما
The workers’ unity has been scattered—and who can provide them
The workers' ranks are scattered; who will find them
with one who will reunite their far-flung, divided ranks?
someone to gather their far-flung, divided ranks?
إذا اعترضت ركباً وصدته أزمة
فأولى بركب غيره أن يُتَمِّما
When a crisis blocks a caravan and turns it back,
If a crisis confronts a caravan and blocks it,
another caravan is all the more bound to complete the journey.
then another caravan is better suited to complete the journey.
أرى سبب استقلالكم جمع شملكم
إلى ملك فيكم أبر وأرحما
I see the cause of your independence in your gathering together
I see the means to your independence in uniting your ranks
around a king among you more dutiful and merciful than any.
around a king more benevolent and more merciful toward you.
أقام على الأعداء حجة شعبه
فكانت على الأعداء جيشاً عرمرما
He established his people’s case against the enemies,
He established his people's case against the enemies,
and against those enemies it became a mighty army.
and it became a vast army against those enemies.
وليس وفاء النيل إلا سجيةً
تناولها من رفقة وتعلما
The Nile’s fidelity is nothing but an inborn trait
And the Nile's faithfulness is nothing but a trait
that he acquired through companionship and learned.
it acquired through companionship and learned.
أمنّا وقد حاط الرعية عدله
صروف الليالي أن تجور وتظلما
We are secure, since his justice has encompassed his subjects,
We are safe—his justice having sheltered his subjects—
from the vicissitudes of time acting unjustly and oppressing.
from the turns of the nights and the oppression and injustice they may bring.
خذوا من أياديه ضمان مصيركم
كما اخترتمُ في العالمين معظما
Take from his favors a guarantee of your destiny,
Take from his benefactions a guarantee of your future,
just as you chose one exalted among all peoples.
just as you chose one honored among the peoples of the world.
أليس عليٌّ واهب الملك حقه
وقوته فيما أنال وأنعما
Is Ali not the one who endowed kingship with its due
Is not Ali the one who grants the king his due,
and its strength through all that he bestowed and graciously granted?
and his strength through what he bestowed and granted?
عرفنا الذي ينوي الغريم وحسبكم
محاذرة مما نوى ما تقدما
We know what the adversary intends; sufficient for you
We know what the adversary intends; enough for you,
as a precaution against his intent is what has already been set forth.
as a warning against his intent, is what has gone before.
إذا ائتلف الوادي جعلتم شروطكم
على الخصم للوادي قضاء محتما
When the Valley unites, you will impose your terms
If the valley unites, you will make your terms
upon the foe; the Valley’s will shall be an inevitable decree.
a binding judgment upon the adversary in the valley's favor.
كفى شرفاً أني ابن حَيِّكُمُ الذي
تقرب بالنجوى إلى الحي وانتمى
Enough honor for me that I am a son of your clan—one who
It is honor enough that I am a son of your community, one who
drew close to the people through intimate counsel and joined their ranks.
drew near to the community through private counsel and affirmed his belonging.
توسم فيكم كل خير وصدقت
فراسته الأيام فيما توسما
He discerned every good in you, and the days confirmed
He discerned every good in you, and confirmed
his insight in all that he discerned.
by the days was his insight into all he had discerned.
Sol 6.1