قمrise سعدُSaad تشهدyou witness ماwhat دهاهاbefell her
قم سعدُ تشهد ما دهاها
البغيtyranny منتهكٌviolating حماهاher sanctuary
البغي منتهكٌ حماها
Rise, Saad, and witness what has befallen her.
Rise Saad, witness what misfortunes have befallen her
Tyranny violates her sanctuary.
The tyrant violated her sanctity
لماwhen رآكhe saw you تنامyou sleep شدذcharged (likely intended as شدّ)
لما رآك تنام شدذ
علىupon الحبيبةthe beloved واستباهاand took her captive
على الحبيبة واستباها
When he saw you sleeping, he charged
When he saw you asleep, he pounced
at the beloved and took her captive.
Upon the beloved and subjugated her
هيshe مصرEgypt فيin الأغلالchains بعafter you (first fragment)
هي مصر في الأغلال بع
دكafter you (final fragment) يضربstrikes السابيthe captor قفاهاthe back of her neck
دك يضرب السابي قفاها
She is Egypt, in chains after
She is Egypt bound in shackles, crying
you; her captor strikes the back of her neck.
After you, as the usurper strikes her nape
عقدhe fastened الحديدiron علىupon يديtwo hands of
عقد الحديد على يدي
هاher بالحديدwith iron وكمand gagged فاهاher mouth
ها بالحديد وكم فاها
He locked her hands in iron,
He clasped iron cuffs around her wrists
and with iron gagged her mouth.
With iron has he bound her, so much did he wrong her
واقتادهاand led her away كالعبدةlike a female slave الthe
واقتادها كالعبدة ال
خرساءmute نازفةًbleeding دماهاher blood
خرساء نازفةً دماها
And he led her away like a slave,
And led her like a mute slave girl
mute, her blood flowing.
Bleeding, her blood trickling
ياO ويحهwoe to him لماwhen ثناhe bent
يا ويحه لما ثنا
هاher بالغدائرby the braids وامتطاهاand mounted her
ها بالغدائر وامتطاها
Oh, woe to him when he bent her
Woe to him! When he bent
by her braids and mounted her.
Her with misfortunes and rode her
الشرقthe East ضجcried out عليهagainst him باللعناتwith curses
الشرق ضج عليه باللعنات
واسترعاand sought protection from الآلهاthe gods (irregular spelling)
واسترعا الآلها
The East cried out against him with curses,
The East roared at him with curses
and sought the gods' protection.
And its gods trembled
اتموتwill she die? مصرEgypt ولاand not يلاmeet (first fragment)
اتموت مصر ولا يلا
قيmeet (final fragment) الموتdeath اهلوهاher people فداهاas her ransom
قي الموت اهلوها فداها
Will Egypt die, and will not
Does Egypt have to die without
her people face death to ransom her?
Meeting death? Sacrifice yourself for her
قسماًI swear بلبنانيby my Lebanon وهذاand this
قسماً بلبناني وهذا
منof يمينيmy oath منتهاهاits utmost limit
من يميني منتهاها
I swear by my Lebanon—and this
I swear by my Lebanese soul and this
is the utmost of my oath:
Is my solemn oath until the end
روحيmy soul فدىa ransom for مصرٍEgypt وتسلمand may be safe
روحي فدى مصرٍ وتسلم
روحهاher soul مماfrom what دهاهاbefell her
روحها مما دهاها
My soul is Egypt's ransom; and may
My soul redeems Egypt, handing
her soul be safe from what has befallen her.
Over itself for the wrongs done to her
وبجاهand with the glory of ارزيmy cedar افتديI redeem
وبجاه ارزي افتدي
فيat جانبthe side of الهرمينthe two pyramids جاهاa glory
في جانب الهرمين جاها
And with my cedar's glory I redeem
And for the sanctity of her pyramids, redeem
a glory beside the two pyramids.
Her from the side of the two pyramids
انindeed الكنانةthe Quiver (Egypt) مهجةٌlifeblood
ان الكنانة مهجةٌ
للشرقof the East لاnot يحياit lives بلاهاwithout her
للشرق لا يحيا بلاها
Indeed, the Quiver is the lifeblood
Verily, Cairo is a burning wound
of the East, which cannot live without her.
For the East - it cannot live without her
ومنand part of البليةthe calamity أنthat منthe one who
ومن البلية أن من
افتىdecreed بنكبتهاfor her downfall فتاهاher young man
افتى بنكبتها فتاها
And part of the calamity is that the one
And the calamity is that he who
who decreed her ruin was her own son.
Betrayed her became her jurist
اخذhe took السهامthe arrows سهامهاher arrows
اخذ السهام سهامها
مسنونةًsharpened وبهاand with them رماهاhe shot at her
مسنونةً وبها رماها
He took the arrows—her own arrows—
He took the arrows of her arrows
sharpened, and with them shot at her.
Poisoned, and with them he struck her
اصمىhe struck dead أمانيهاher hopes وقوضand demolished
اصمى أمانيها وقوض
ماwhat بنتهshe built it منof علاهاher grandeur
ما بنته من علاها
He struck her hopes dead and demolished
He suppressed her hopes and destroyed
what she had built of her grandeur.
All the glory she had built
فارائكso the seats of النوابthe deputies كالاطلالlike ruins
فارائك النواب كالاطلال
موحشةًdesolate تراهاyou see them
موحشةً تراها
So the deputies' seats are like ruins;
So her parliament is like ruins
you see them desolate.
Bleak, you can see it
والوفدand the Wafd كالاسدlike the lion المكبلfettered
والوفد كالاسد المكبل
بالحديدin iron علىupon ثراهاher soil
بالحديد على ثراها
And the Wafd is like a lion fettered
And the delegation like a lion shackled
in iron upon her soil.
With iron chains in its den
منعواthey forbade الكلامspeech فانand if تحركstirred
منعوا الكلام فان تحرك
مقولٌa tongue خاطواthey stitched الشفاهاthe lips
مقولٌ خاطوا الشفاها
They forbade speech; and if there stirred
They silenced speech, so if a word stirs
a tongue, they stitched the lips shut.
They stitch up the lips
منعواthey prevented المغنيthe singer انto يغنيsing
منعوا المغني ان يغني
والسميعand the listener يقولsays آهاAh!
والسميع يقول آها
They kept the singer from singing,
They stopped the singer from singing
and the listener from saying 'Ah!'
And the hearing from saying "ah!"
سجنواthey imprisoned الخواطرthoughts فيin الضماthe inner selves (first fragment)
سجنوا الخواطر في الضما
ئرthe inner selves (final fragment) كالقصائرlike secluded women فيin خباهاtheir tents
ئر كالقصائر في خباها
They imprisoned thoughts in the inner
They imprisoned thoughts in graves
selves, like secluded women in their tents.
Like pariahs in their hiding places
سامواthey made endure الصحافةthe press ذلةًhumiliation
ساموا الصحافة ذلةً
لوif سيمهاwere made to endure it عبدٌa slave أباهاhe would refuse it
لو سيمها عبدٌ أباها
They subjected the press to humiliation
They branded the press with humiliation
that a slave would refuse if made to endure it.
If a slave were so branded, he would disown it
ومحمدٌand Muhammad فيin دستهhis seat of power
ومحمدٌ في دسته
يقسوis cruel ومصرٌand Egypt فيin اساهاher grief
يقسو ومصرٌ في اساها
And Muhammad, upon his seat of power,
And Muhammad with his hands
is cruel; and Egypt, in her grief—
Oppresses, while Egypt beneath him
تبكيweeps صفيتهاher Safiyya (chosen woman) دماًblood
تبكي صفيتها دماً
وتذوبand melts مهجةthe heart of مصطفاهاher Mustafa (chosen one)
وتذوب مهجة مصطفاها
her Safiyya weeps blood,
Weeps blood for her loved ones
and the heart of her Mustafa melts.
And melts for the agony of her dear Mustafa
لبنانLebanon لاnot يرضىaccepts الحياlife (first fragment)
لبنان لا يرضى الحيا
ةlife (final fragment) ومصرand Egypt تدمعshed tears مقلتاهاher two eyes
ة ومصر تدمع مقلتاها
Lebanon will not accept life
Lebanon will not accept life
while Egypt's two eyes shed tears.
While Egypt's eyelids shed their tears
ماذاwhat يلاقيwill encounter اللوردthe lord فيin
ماذا يلاقي اللورد في
ارضٍa land اذاwhen جفتdried up مياهاits waters
ارضٍ اذا جفت مياها
What will the lord encounter in
What will the Lord find in a land
a land when its waters run dry?
Once its waters have dried up?
فالنيلfor the Nile ينضبruns dry ماؤهits water
فالنيل ينضب ماؤه
انif ذلare humiliated اهلوهits people جباهاbrows
ان ذل اهلوه جباها
For the Nile's water runs dry
The Nile will run dry of water
if its people's brows are bowed in humiliation.
If they disgrace its people
قلtell للفؤادِto Fuad (the heart) مليكهاher king
قل للفؤادِ مليكها
انthat العيونthe eyes نفتhave banished كراهاtheir sleep
ان العيون نفت كراها
Tell Fuad, her king,
Say to the heart of its queen
that the eyes have banished their sleep.
That the eyes have rejected despotism
مهماhowever much تطلlast long هذيthese اللياthe nights (first fragment)
مهما تطل هذي الليا
ليthe nights (final fragment) فالضحىthen the morning light آتٍcoming وراهاafter them
لي فالضحى آتٍ وراها
However long these nights may last,
No matter how long these nights linger
still, morning light is coming after them.
The dawn will come after them
والتاجand the crown يسلمremains safe للذيfor the one who
والتاج يسلم للذي
انif روعتis terrified مصرٌEgypt حماهاhe protects her
ان روعت مصرٌ حماها
And the crown remains safe for the one
And the crown will go to the one
who shields Egypt when she is terrified;
Who protected Egypt if she called for help
واذاand if بكتshe weeps لملمةٍat a calamity
واذا بكت لملمةٍ
هاجstirs البكاءweeping لهin him بكاهاher weeping
هاج البكاء له بكاها
and if she weeps at a calamity,
And if a protected one cried,
her weeping stirs him to tears.
Her crying provoked his crying for her
هيهاتfar from possible يرضىis content with العيشlife فيهاin her
هيهات يرضى العيش فيها
منwhoever تنكبturns aside عنfrom رضاهاher satisfaction
من تنكب عن رضاها
Never will life in her satisfy
Never can he who shunned her consent live in her
one who turns away from pleasing her.
Partial English translation: 61 of 62 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1