مَنَحتُكُمُ يا أَهلَ مِصرَ نَصيحَتي

مَنَحتُكُمُ يا أَهلَ مِصرَ نَصيحَتي

أَلا فَخُذوا مِن ناصِحٍ بِنَصيبِ

أَلا فَخُذوا مِن ناصِحٍ بِنَصيبِ

I have given you, O people of Egypt, my counsel.

My advice to you, O people of Egypt

I have offered you, O people of Egypt, my counsel,

Take heed, then: take a share from a sincere adviser.

So take the advice of one who counsels you well

So accept your due share from a sincere advisor;

وَلا تَثِبوا وَثبَ السِفاهِ فَتَركَبوا

وَلا تَثِبوا وَثبَ السِفاهِ فَتَركَبوا

عَلى حَدِّ حامي الظَهرِ غَيرِ رَكوبِ

عَلى حَدِّ حامي الظَهرِ غَيرِ رَكوبِ

And do not leap as fools leap, lest you ride

And do not leap with the leap of fools and find

And do not leap with the rashness of fools, lest you find yourselves mounted

Upon the edge of one who guards his back and cannot be ridden.

Yourselves riding bareback on swords' sharp edges

Upon the back of a fierce defender who was never meant to be ridden.

فَإِن يَكُ فيكُم إِفكُ فِرعَونَ باقِياً

فَإِن يَكُ فيكُم إِفكُ فِرعَونَ باقِياً

فَإِنَّ عَصا موسى بِكَفِّ خَصيبِ

فَإِنَّ عَصا موسى بِكَفِّ خَصيبِ

So if Pharaoh’s falsehood still remains among you,

For if any trace of Pharaoh still remains in you

For if the deceit of Pharaoh still lingers among you,

Then indeed Moses’ staff is in Khasib’s palm.

Moses' staff is still held in noble hands

Then know that the staff of Moses rests in the palm of Khasib.

رَماكُم أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِحَيَّةٍ

رَماكُم أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِحَيَّةٍ

أَكولٍ لِحَيّاتِ البِلادِ شَروبِ

أَكولٍ لِحَيّاتِ البِلادِ شَروبِ

The Commander of the Faithful has hurled a serpent at you,

And the Commander of the Faithful has cast at you

The Commander of the Faithful has cast a serpent against you,

A voracious devourer of the land’s serpents, a prodigious drinker.

A serpent that swallows the land's serpents whole

Voracious, devouring and drinking up the vipers of the land.