كم مرضَتْ صبوتي فجاءَتْ

كم مرضَتْ صبوتي فجاءَتْ

جزيرةُ النّيلِ بالشِّفاءِ

جزيرةُ النّيلِ بالشِّفاءِ

How often my youthful passion fell ill, and then came

How many times my youth fell ill,

the Nile's island with a cure.

Then the Nile's island brought healing,

في ليلةٍ ما يزالُ فيها

في ليلةٍ ما يزالُ فيها

ريٌّ لأكبادِنا الظِّماءِ

ريٌّ لأكبادِنا الظِّماءِ

On a night in which there still remains

In a night whose downpour still flows,

refreshment for our thirsty livers.

Quenching our thirsty livers.

كاد لفرطِ السرورِ منّا

كاد لفرطِ السرورِ منّا

أن يعثُرَ الصُبحُ بالمساءِ

أن يعثُرَ الصُبحُ بالمساءِ

From our overwhelming joy, it nearly came to pass

From overwhelming joy we almost

that dawn stumbled over evening.

Tripped the dawn with dusk.

وهبْتُ فيها الغِنى وليّي

وهبْتُ فيها الغِنى وليّي

لحُسْنِ صوتٍ من الغِناءِ

لحُسْنِ صوتٍ من الغِناءِ

There I bestowed wealth on my friend

In it I gave my heart's content and patron

for the beauty of a voice in song,

To a fair singing voice.

ومجلسٍ ما أشُكّ أني

ومجلسٍ ما أشُكّ أني

منه على راحةِ السّماءِ

منه على راحةِ السّماءِ

and a gathering—I have no doubt that I

And a gathering I scarcely doubt

am, through it, upon the palm of heaven.

Grants me heaven's comfort.

نادَمْتُ فيه بحورَ مالٍ

نادَمْتُ فيه بحورَ مالٍ

تلقّتِ النيلَ نهرَ ماءِ

تلقّتِ النيلَ نهرَ ماءِ

There I drank with seas of wealth

I enjoyed therein seas of wealth

that welcomed the Nile, a river of water.

That met the Nile, a sea of water.

والريحُ قد هزّ منه سيفاً

والريحُ قد هزّ منه سيفاً

حسّنه رونَقُ الجِلاءِ

حسّنه رونَقُ الجِلاءِ

And the wind had brandished from it a sword

The wind shook from it a sword

beautified by the lustre of polishing.

Beautified by the sheen of polish.

منطقه الجسر إذ رآه

منطقه الجسر إذ رآه

من بهجة البدرِ في قَباءِ

من بهجة البدرِ في قَباءِ

The bridge girdled it when it saw it

Its bridge, when it saw it, praised it

in a robe of the full moon's splendour.

For the radiance of full moon at dusk.

واختلفَتْ سُفنُه فجاءت

واختلفَتْ سُفنُه فجاءت

مع اختلافٍ على استِواءِ

مع اختلافٍ على استِواءِ

Its boats moved to and fro, coming

Its ships came differentiated

in differing directions, yet all on one level:

Though level in their sailing.

فمن مُجدٍّ الى انحدارٍ

فمن مُجدٍّ الى انحدارٍ

ومن مُجدٍّ الى ارتقاءِ

ومن مُجدٍّ الى ارتقاءِ

some hastening downstream,

Some rose, some descended,

and some hastening upstream.

All from glory to glory.

طيرٌ له جانبا ظلامٍ

طيرٌ له جانبا ظلامٍ

قادِمَتاه من الضّياءِ

قادِمَتاه من الضّياءِ

A bird with two sides of darkness,

A bird whose sides are dark

its two foremost wing-feathers made of light.

With its guides being made of light.

والسّرْجُ في الجانبَيْنِ يُلقي

والسّرْجُ في الجانبَيْنِ يُلقي

فيه سَنا أنجُم السماءِ

فيه سَنا أنجُم السماءِ

And the lamps on either side cast

And the glow on both flanks casts

into it the radiance of heaven's stars.

Upon it rays of heaven's stars.

والمَعبَرُ المُستمَدُّ منه

والمَعبَرُ المُستمَدُّ منه

كالرّقْمِ في جانب المُلاءِ

كالرّقْمِ في جانب المُلاءِ

And the crossing stretched out from it

The paved path stretching from it

is like embroidery at the edge of cloaks.

Is like writing on the side of scripture.

تحكي قرافاتُه انتظاماً

تحكي قرافاتُه انتظاماً

صفّ خيولٍ على رواءِ

صفّ خيولٍ على رواءِ

Its ferryboats, in their ordered array, resemble

Its arches tell of rhythm

a rank of horses at their watering.

Like steeds aligned at a drinking place.