1. أَغيثوا مِصرَ وَاِستَبِقوا بَنيها

    فَقَد ضاقَت وُجوهُ العَيشِ فيها

    Come to Egypt's aid and keep her sons alive,

    For the means of livelihood within her have grown scant.

  2. أَتَلقى الحَتفَ لا حامٍ فَيَحمي

    مَقاتِلَها وَلا واقٍ يَقيها

    Must she meet death with no defender to shield

    Her vital parts, and no guardian to protect her?

  3. أَغيثوها فَما شَقِيَت بِلادٌ

    بَنو السَكسونِ أَكبَرُ مُصلِحيها

    Help her, for no land has suffered

    Whose foremost reformers are the sons of the Saxons.

  4. أَلَستُم أَعدَلَ الأَقوامِ حُكماً

    وَأَعوَزَهُم إِذا اِفتَخَروا شَبيها

    Are you not the most just of peoples in judgment,

    And, when they boast, the hardest among them to match?

  5. أَغيثوا أُمَّةً تَشكو إِلَيكُم

    أَذى الحِدثانِ وَالعَيشَ الكَريها

    Help a nation that complains to you

    Of time's ravages and a hateful life.

  6. نَعوذُ بِعَدلِكُم أَن تُسلِمونا

    إِلى نارِ الخَصاصَةِ نَصطَليها

    We seek refuge in your justice, lest you abandon us

    To the fire of destitution, to burn within it.

  7. رُعاةُ البَهمِ تَكفي ما يَليها

    فَإيهاً يا بَني السَكسونِ إيها

    Shepherds of lambs and kids provide for those in their care;

    Enough, then, sons of the Saxons, enough!

  8. تَرَدَّدَ في الدُجى نَفَسٌ لَهيفٌ

    تَعَلَّقَ بِالمَدامِعِ يَمتَريها

    An anguished sigh echoed in the darkness,

    Clinging to the tear ducts, drawing tears from them.

  9. نَفَضتُ لَهُ الكَرى عَن ذاتِ قَرحٍ

    أُكاتِمُها الغَليلَ وَأَتَّقيها

    For that sigh I shook sleep from a wounded soul,

    I hide my burning anguish from it and am wary of it.

  10. وَقُمتُ أَجُرُّ أَوصالاً ثِقالاً

    تُعاني المَوتَ مِمّا يَعتَريها

    And I rose, dragging heavy limbs,

    Suffering death from what afflicts them.

  11. نَصَبتُ السَمعَ ثُمَّ بَعَثتُ طَرفي

    وَراءَ البابِ أَعتَرِفُ الوُجوها

    I strained my hearing, then cast my gaze

    Beyond the door, trying to recognize the faces.

  12. رَأَيتُ الهَولَ يَنبَعِثُ اِرتِجالاً

    فَتَنصَدِعُ القُلوبُ لَهُ بَديها

    I saw terror rise up without warning,

    And hearts split at once before it.

  13. رَأَيتُ البُؤسَ يَركُضُ في جُلودٍ

    يُجانِبُها النَعيمُ وَيَحتَميها

    I saw misery gallop within skins

    That comfort shuns and keeps clear of.

  14. رَأَيتُ نُيوبَ ساغِبَةٍ تَلَوّى

    كَأَمثالِ الأَراقِمِ مِلءَ فيها

    I saw a starving woman's fangs writhe,

    Like speckled serpents, filling her mouth.

  15. تُريدُ طَعامَها وَالبَيتُ مُقوٍ

    فَتوشِكُ أَن تَميلَ عَلى بَنيها

    She wants her food, while the house is bare,

    So she is close to turning upon her sons.

  16. مَوالِيها اصدَعوا الأَزَماتِ عَنها

    فَإِنَّ العَجزَ أَلّا تَصدَعوها

    Her masters, drive the crises away from her;

    For helplessness lies in not dispelling them.

  17. فَأَينَ المُصلِحونَ أَلا حَفِيٌّ

    بِمِصرَ مِنَ النَوائِبِ يَفتَديها

    Where, then, are the reformers? Is there none devoted

    To Egypt, who would ransom her from calamities?

  18. مَواليها اصدَعوا الأَزَماتِ عَنها

    كَفاها ما تَتابَعَ مِن سِنيها

    Her masters, drive the crises away from her;

    Enough for her is the succession of her years.

  19. رَعَينا الجَدبَ في تلَعاتِ مِصرٍ

    وَخَلَّينا الرِياضَ لِمُرتِعيها

    We grazed on barrenness in Egypt's valleys,

    And left the meadows to those who graze in them.

  20. لَقَد أَعيَت مَوارِدُها عَلَينا

    وَما أَعيَت عَلى مَن يَجتَويها

    Her resources have indeed proved beyond our reach,

    But not beyond the reach of those who loathe her.

  21. هِبونا مِثلَكُم غُرَباءَ فيها

    أَما نَرجو الحَياةَ وَنَبتَغيها

    Suppose us, like you, strangers in her;

    Do we not hope for life and seek it?

  22. أَلَيسَ النَصفُ أَلّا تَمنَعونا

    مَرافِقَها وَلَو كُنتُم ذَويها

    Is it not just that you should not deny us

    Her benefits, even if you were her own people?

  23. أَنيلوا سُؤرَكُم هَلكى نُفوسٍ

    نَعوذُ بِبِرِّكُم أَن تُرهِقوها

    Give your leavings to perishing souls;

    We seek refuge in your kindness, lest you overburden them.

  24. حُماةَ النيلِ كَم بِالنيلِ طاوٍ

    يُريدُ عُلالَةً ما يَحتَويها

    Guardians of the Nile, how many a hungry man by the Nile

    Wants a little sustenance he does not have!

  25. وَصادي النَفسِ لَو أَنَّ المَنايا

    جَرَت ماءً لَأَقبَلَ يَحتَسيها

    And one parched in soul—if deaths

    Flowed as water, he would come to sip them.

  26. وَعاري الجَنبِ يُغضي مِن هَوانٍ

    وَكانَ لِباسُهُ صَلفاً وَتيها

    And one bare of flank lowers his gaze in humiliation,

    Though once his clothing was arrogance and pride.

  27. حُماةَ النيلِ كَم نُفسٍ تُعاني

    مَنِيَّتَها وَتَدعو مُنقِذيها

    Guardians of the Nile, how many a soul suffers

    Its death throes, and calls upon its rescuers!

  28. أَنيلونا الدِيّاتِ وَلا تَكونوا

    كَمَن يُردي النُفوسَ وَلا يَديها

    Give us blood-money, and do not be

    Like one who slays souls and pays no blood-money for them.

  29. زَعَمتُم أَنَّنا شَعبٌ سَفيهٌ

    صَدَقتُم عَلِّموا الشَعبَ السَفيها

    You claimed that we are a foolish people;

    You spoke the truth—teach the foolish people!

  30. أَيَومَ الحَشرِ مَوعِدُنا إِذا ما

    تَلَمَّسَتِ الشَعوبُ مُعَلِّميها

    Is our appointed time the Day of Judgment, when

    The nations seek out their teachers?

  31. أَسَأتُم في سياسَتِكُم إِلَينا

    وَتِلكَ سِياسَةٌ لا نَرتَضيها

    You have mistreated us in your governance,

    And that is a policy we do not accept.