دُعاةَ الخَيرِ وَالإِصلاحِ مَرحى

دُعاةَ الخَيرِ وَالإِصلاحِ مَرحى

رَضيناكُم وَإِن كُنتُم غِضابا

رَضيناكُم وَإِن كُنتُم غِضابا

Advocates of goodness and reform—welcome!

Advocates of goodness and reform, bravo!

We accept you, though you may be angry;

We have accepted you, even if you are angry.

رَضيناكُم عَلى أَن تُنصِفونا

رَضيناكُم عَلى أَن تُنصِفونا

وَأَلّا تَظلِموا الشَعبَ المُصابا

وَأَلّا تَظلِموا الشَعبَ المُصابا

we accept you, provided that you deal justly with us

We have accepted you on condition that you do us justice,

and do not oppress the stricken people.

And that you do not wrong the afflicted people.

أَفي الإِنصافِ أَلّا تورِدوهُ

أَفي الإِنصافِ أَلّا تورِدوهُ

عَلى طولِ الصَدى إِلّا سَرابا

عَلى طولِ الصَدى إِلّا سَرابا

Is it justice to lead them—

Is it justice to lead them to no watering place,

after thirst drawn long—to nothing but a mirage?

Despite their long thirst, save a mirage?

أَفي الإِنصافِ أَن تَتَلَقَّفوهُ

أَفي الإِنصافِ أَن تَتَلَقَّفوهُ

كَما تَتَلَقَّفُ الريحُ الذُبابا

كَما تَتَلَقَّفُ الريحُ الذُبابا

Is it justice to snatch them up

Is it justice to snatch them up,

as the wind snatches up flies?

As the wind snatches up flies?

أَفي الإِنصافِ أَن تَتَكَنَّفوهُ

أَفي الإِنصافِ أَن تَتَكَنَّفوهُ

تُريدونَ الخَديعَةَ وَالخِلابا

تُريدونَ الخَديعَةَ وَالخِلابا

Is it justice to close in around them,

Is it justice to hem them in,

intent on deceit and beguilement?

While seeking deception and beguilement?

أَفي اِستِقلالِكُم يا قَومُ شَيءٌ

أَفي اِستِقلالِكُم يا قَومُ شَيءٌ

سِوى تِلكَ الَّتي تَلوي الرِقابا

سِوى تِلكَ الَّتي تَلوي الرِقابا

Is there anything in your independence, O people,

Is there anything in your independence, O people,

save that which twists necks?

Other than that which twists necks?

دُعاةَ الخَيرِ وَالإِصلاحِ إِنّا

دُعاةَ الخَيرِ وَالإِصلاحِ إِنّا

لَنَغفِرُ لِلمُسيءِ إِذا أَنابا

لَنَغفِرُ لِلمُسيءِ إِذا أَنابا

Advocates of goodness and reform, indeed we

Advocates of goodness and reform, we

forgive the wrongdoer when he repents.

Surely forgive the wrongdoer when he repents.

زَعَمتُم أَنَّنا حُسّادُ سَعدٍ

زَعَمتُم أَنَّنا حُسّادُ سَعدٍ

وَقُلتُم قَولَ مَن جَهِلَ الصَوابا

وَقُلتُم قَولَ مَن جَهِلَ الصَوابا

You claimed that we envied Saad;

You claimed that we were envious of Saad,

you spoke like one ignorant of the truth.

And spoke the words of one ignorant of what is right.

وَلَو رَكِبَ الجِواءَ بِمصرَ سَعدٌ

وَلَو رَكِبَ الجِواءَ بِمصرَ سَعدٌ

لَقُلنا لَيتَهُ رَكِبَ السَحابا

لَقُلنا لَيتَهُ رَكِبَ السَحابا

Even if Saad rode the firmament over Egypt,

And were Saad to ride the air over Egypt,

we would say, “If only he had ridden the clouds!”

We would say: "Would that he rode the clouds!"

كَفى يا قَومُ بُهتاناً وَزوراً

كَفى يا قَومُ بُهتاناً وَزوراً

فَقولوا الحَقَّ وَاِجتَنِبوا السِبابا

فَقولوا الحَقَّ وَاِجتَنِبوا السِبابا

Enough, O people, of calumny and lies!

Enough, O people, of slander and falsehood!

Speak the truth, and shun abuse.

So speak the truth and avoid abusive speech.

لَأَنتُم خَيرُ مَن يُرجى لِمِصرٍ

لَأَنتُم خَيرُ مَن يُرجى لِمِصرٍ

وَلَكِنّا نَرى العَجَبَ العُجابا

وَلَكِنّا نَرى العَجَبَ العُجابا

Surely you are the best of those Egypt can look to,

You are surely the best hope for Egypt,

yet we behold a wonder of wonders:

Yet we see the most astonishing wonders.

وَفي اِستِقلالِكُم بَعضُ المَزايا

وَفي اِستِقلالِكُم بَعضُ المَزايا

وَلَكِنّا لَمَسناهُ فَذابا

وَلَكِنّا لَمَسناهُ فَذابا

your independence does have some merits,

And in your independence are some merits,

but when we touched it, it melted away.

But we touched it, and it melted away.