ذكرتك والذكر الذي أنت تارك

ذكرتك والذكر الذي أنت تارك

هو الخلد في الدنيا لمن ترك الدنيا

هو الخلد في الدنيا لمن ترك الدنيا

I remember you—and the remembrance you are leaving behind

I remembered you, and the remembrance you leave behind

is immortality in this world for one who has left the world.

is immortality in this world for one who has left this world.

أطالع من عطر ونور صحيفة

أطالع من عطر ونور صحيفة

لسيرتك العظمى وغايتك العليا

لسيرتك العظمى وغايتك العليا

I behold a page fashioned of fragrance and light,

I read a page of fragrance and light

telling of your noble life and your loftiest purpose.

of your great life and your lofty aim.

وأنشر شعري فيك بعثاً ولم يكن

وأنشر شعري فيك بعثاً ولم يكن

لك اليوم تأبيناً معاداً ولا نعيا

لك اليوم تأبيناً معاداً ولا نعيا

And I spread my poetry about you as a resurrection; it was not

And I publish my verse about you as a resurrection; it was not

for you today a repeated eulogy, nor an obituary.

a repeated eulogy for you today, nor an announcement of death.

وأفتقد الحر الشهيد لعله

وأفتقد الحر الشهيد لعله

يعود إلى الوادي بنضرته حيا

يعود إلى الوادي بنضرته حيا

I miss the free man, the martyr—perhaps

And I miss the free man, the martyr; perhaps he

he may return to the Valley, alive in all his freshness.

will return to the valley in his radiance, alive.

وليس وفائي للفقيد رثاءه

وليس وفائي للفقيد رثاءه

ولكنه في أن أتابعه رأيا

ولكنه في أن أتابعه رأيا

My faithfulness to the departed does not lie in elegizing him,

And my loyalty to the departed is not a lament for him,

but in following him in conviction.

but lies in following him in thought.

وقد كنت في محياك لي موضع المنى

وقد كنت في محياك لي موضع المنى

فأمسيت في مثواك لي موضع الرؤيا

فأمسيت في مثواك لي موضع الرؤيا

In your lifetime, you were for me the abode of hopes;

And in your lifetime you were the focus of my hopes;

now, in your resting place, you have become the abode of visions.

and now, in your resting place, you have become the focus of my dreams.

وعندي لك العهد القديم أزيده

وعندي لك العهد القديم أزيده

على الدهر ميثاقاً وإن زدتني نأيا

على الدهر ميثاقاً وإن زدتني نأيا

I still hold the old pledge I made to you, and strengthen it

And I keep the old pledge to you, strengthening it

against time as a covenant, though you have grown still farther from me.

into a covenant for all time, though you have grown farther from me.

تنازع أهل الأرض بغياً فما لقوا

تنازع أهل الأرض بغياً فما لقوا

سوى الرمم المرعى وغير الدم الريّا

سوى الرمم المرعى وغير الدم الريّا

The peoples of the earth fought one another in wanton aggression, and found

The people of the earth fought one another in unjust aggression, and found nothing

nothing but carrion for food and blood to quench their thirst.

but corpses for pasture and blood to quench their thirst.

ومن مكنته ناره وحديده

ومن مكنته ناره وحديده

من الخلق بأساً أطلق الأمر والنهيا

من الخلق بأساً أطلق الأمر والنهيا

Whoever was empowered by his fire and iron

And whoever is empowered by his fire and his iron

to dominate creation by force let loose his commands and prohibitions.

to wield might over humankind unleashes commands and prohibitions.

وأين المنجِّي من أذى الحرب أهلها

وأين المنجِّي من أذى الحرب أهلها

وفي الشرق ما أوهى وفي الغرب ما أعيا

وفي الشرق ما أوهى وفي الغرب ما أعيا

And where is the savior who will deliver war’s victims from its harm,

And where is the one to save those in war from its harm,

when in the East there is what has enfeebled, and in the West what has defied all remedy?

while in the East is what weakens, and in the West what exhausts?

وهل يلتقي أبناء مصر تألُّفاً

وهل يلتقي أبناء مصر تألُّفاً

ويطوون صحف الخلف بينهمُ طيا

ويطوون صحف الخلف بينهمُ طيا

Will the children of Egypt come together in harmony

And will the sons of Egypt meet in harmony

and fold away the pages of discord between them once and for all?

and fold shut the pages of discord between them?

وإني أرى للقوم في الخير نية

وإني أرى للقوم في الخير نية

وإني لأرجو أن أرى العزم والسعيا

وإني لأرجو أن أرى العزم والسعيا

I see among the people an intention to do good,

And I see among the people an intention toward good,

and I truly hope to see resolve and striving.

and I do hope to see resolve and effort.