هَلis there فيin جُفونِكُماthe eyelids of you both دَمعٌtears لِمُمتاحِfor a water-drawer
هَل في جُفونِكُما دَمعٌ لِمُمتاحِ
لَمnot يَبقَremain مِنof دَمعِهِhis tears رِيٌّa quenching draught لِمُلتاحِfor a parched person
لَم يَبقَ مِن دَمعِهِ رِيٌّ لِمُلتاحِ
Have you both tears in your eyelids for one who would draw them?
Is there a tear in your eyes for one who cries
No quenching draught remains in his tears for one athirst.
For a crying man whose tears are all dried?
فيin كُلِّevery يَومٍday لِقَوميfor my people مَأتَمٌa mourning gathering جَلَلٌgrievous
في كُلِّ يَومٍ لِقَومي مَأتَمٌ جَلَلٌ
يوديdestroys بِمَجهودِthe utmost strength of بَكّاءٍa great weeper وَنَوّاحِand a wailer
يودي بِمَجهودِ بَكّاءٍ وَنَوّاحِ
Each day my people have a grievous mourning gathering,
Every day for my people is a huge mourning
that lays waste the strength of weeper and wailer.
With the efforts of crying and wailing.
لَمnot يَبقَremain غَيرُother than سَوادِthe black of العَينِthe eye أَسفَحُهُI pour it out
لَم يَبقَ غَيرُ سَوادِ العَينِ أَسفَحُهُ
دَمعاًas tears لِعادٍfor an assailant مِنَfrom الحِدثانِtime's calamities مُجتاحِravaging
دَمعاً لِعادٍ مِنَ الحِدثانِ مُجتاحِ
Nothing remains but the black of my eye, which I pour out
Nothing is left but the blackness of my eyes overflowing
as tears for a ravaging assailant from time's calamities.
With tears for the past youth that is departing.
رَمىcast down الشِهابَينِthe two shooting stars مِنfrom أُفقَيهِماtheir two horizons وَسَماand rose aloft
رَمى الشِهابَينِ مِن أُفقَيهِما وَسَما
لِلطائِرَينِtoward the two birds بِظُفرٍwith a talon مِنهُof its own جَرّاحِlacerating
لِلطائِرَينِ بِظُفرٍ مِنهُ جَرّاحِ
It cast the two shooting stars down from their horizons, and rose
He shot two meteors from their horizons, aiming
toward the two birds with its own lacerating talon.
At two birds, wounding them with injuries and gashes.
رَماهُماstruck them both نَسرُهُits vulture مِنfrom بَعدِماafter اِحتَكَماthey both held sway
رَماهُما نَسرُهُ مِن بَعدِما اِحتَكَما
فيamong الطَيرِthe birds مِنof كُلِّevery غَدّاءٍmorning-goer وَرَوّاحِand evening-returner
في الطَيرِ مِن كُلِّ غَدّاءٍ وَرَوّاحِ
Its vulture struck them both after they had held sway
After arbitration among the birds of every forest and copse
over all birds that go forth at dawn and return at dusk.
He hit them. The eagles held back from the piercing glances.
مَرّاthey both passed بِهاby it وَهيَwhile it was فَوضىin disorder فيin مَسارحِهاits roaming grounds
مَرّا بِها وَهيَ فَوضى في مَسارحِها
فَاِهتاجَthen stirred غافِلُهاits heedless one وَاِستَوفَزَand sprang alert الصاحيthe wakeful one
فَاِهتاجَ غافِلُها وَاِستَوفَزَ الصاحي
They passed by the flock, disordered in its roaming grounds;
And nations came to the birds thronging
then its heedless ones stirred, and the wakeful sprang alert.
To declare allegiance with bodies and souls.
حَيّاهُماgreeted them both كُلُّevery نَعّابٍcawing bird وَحَفَّهُماand surrounded them both
حَيّاهُما كُلُّ نَعّابٍ وَحَفَّهُما
إِجلالٌreverence كُلِّevery رَخيمِmellow الصَوتِin voice صَدّاحِringing songster
إِجلالٌ كُلِّ رَخيمِ الصَوتِ صَدّاحِ
Every cawing bird greeted them, and they were encircled
They dominated the atmosphere until it was said they took
by the reverence of every sweet-voiced, full-throated songster.
The manner of controlling water with wind.
رَدَّdrew back العُقابُthe eagle جَناحَيthe two wings of نافِذٍa darting flier عَجِلٍhasty
رَدَّ العُقابُ جَناحَي نافِذٍ عَجِلٍ
وَأَمسَكَand restrained النَسرُthe vulture مِنsome of أَلحاظِthe glances of طَمّاحِan aspiring gazer
وَأَمسَكَ النَسرُ مِن أَلحاظِ طَمّاحِ
The swift, impetuous eagle drew back its wings,
When the messenger of the wind called them, they approached.
and the vulture restrained its aspiring glances.
They found their mounts in the shining procession.
وَأَقبَلَتand came أُمَمٌnations لِلطَيرِof birds حاشِرَةًflocking together
وَأَقبَلَت أُمَمٌ لِلطَيرِ حاشِرَةً
تُصفيoffer sincerely الوَلاءَallegiance بِأَجسامٍwith bodies وَأَرواحِand souls
تُصفي الوَلاءَ بِأَجسامٍ وَأَرواحِ
And nations of birds came flocking together,
Two martyred kings fell from their thrones and their rule
offering pure allegiance with their bodies and souls.
Fell between pains and wounds.
تَمَلَّكاthey both possessed الجَوَّthe sky حَتّىuntil قيلَit was said قَدindeed أَخَذاthey both took
تَمَلَّكا الجَوَّ حَتّى قيلَ قَد أَخَذا
جَوَّthe sky of الكنانَةِal-Kinana (Egypt) أَخذَthe taking of الماءِwater بِالراحِwith the palms
جَوَّ الكنانَةِ أَخذَ الماءِ بِالراحِ
They possessed the sky, until it was said they had taken
Rule belongs to God - how many a kingdom
the sky of al-Kinana as one scoops water with one's palms.
Has perished between morning and evening!
لَمّاwhen دَعاهاcalled her بَشيرُthe herald of الريحُthe wind فَاِزدَلَفَتso she drew near
لَمّا دَعاها بَشيرُ الريحُ فَاِزدَلَفَت
تَلقىto meet رِكابَهُماtheir mounts فيin المَوكِبِthe procession الضاحيsunlit
تَلقى رِكابَهُما في المَوكِبِ الضاحي
When the wind's herald called her, she drew near
The calamity of the Caliphate - Egypt felt its bitterness.
to meet their mounts in the sunlit procession.
She does not awake, nor listen to the ardent.
خَرّاthey both fell شَهيدَينِas two martyrs عَنfrom عَرشَيهِماtheir two thrones وَهَوىand fell
خَرّا شَهيدَينِ عَن عَرشَيهِما وَهَوى
مُلكاهُماtheir two kingdoms بَينَamid آلامٍpains وَأَتراحِand sorrows
مُلكاهُما بَينَ آلامٍ وَأَتراحِ
They fell as martyrs from their two thrones, and down came
It erased joy and made every winged creature weep,
their two kingdoms amid pains and sorrows.
Yet in the heart it left no trace of solace.
المُلكُsovereignty لِلَهِbelongs to God كَمhow many أَهوىHe cast down بِمَملَكَةٍa kingdom
المُلكُ لِلَهِ كَم أَهوى بِمَملَكَةٍ
شَمّاءَlofty ماthe interval بَينَbetween إِمساءٍnightfall وَإِصباحِand dawn
شَمّاءَ ما بَينَ إِمساءٍ وَإِصباحِ
Sovereignty is God's: how many a kingdom He has cast down,
Continued mourning by the clan of Othman after which
lofty, between nightfall and dawn!
They saw naught but festivals and joy.
رُزءُthe calamity of الخِلافَةِthe Caliphate ذاقَتtasted مِصرُEgypt لَوعَتَهُits anguish
رُزءُ الخِلافَةِ ذاقَت مِصرُ لَوعَتَهُ
فَماso not تُفيقُshe recovers وَلاnor تُصغيshe listens إِلىto اللّاحيthe reproacher
فَما تُفيقُ وَلا تُصغي إِلى اللّاحي
Egypt has tasted the anguish of the Caliphate's calamity,
The two martyrs built their glory high among the stars
so she neither recovers nor heeds the reproacher.
In a shining place of pure honor and brilliance.
مَحاerased العَزاءَconsolation وَأَدمىand made bleed كُلَّevery جانِحَةٍrib
مَحا العَزاءَ وَأَدمى كُلَّ جانِحَةٍ
فَماso there is no لِرَوعَتِهِfor its terror فيin القَلبِthe heart مِنany ماحِeraser
فَما لِرَوعَتِهِ في القَلبِ مِن ماحِ
It erased consolation and made every rib bleed;
My sublime people know their abode
so nothing can erase its terror from the heart.
In the meeting place of treasures and illuminations.
مَآتِمٌmourning rites مِنamong بَنيthe sons of عُثمانَUthman لاmay not شَهِدواthey witness
مَآتِمٌ مِن بَني عُثمانَ لا شَهِدوا
مِنfrom بَعدِهاafter them غَيرَother than أَعيادٍfestivals وَأَفراحِand joys
مِن بَعدِها غَيرَ أَعيادٍ وَأَفراحِ
Mourning rites among the sons of Uthman—may they never witness
They shone in the orbits of meteors and were revived
anything afterward but festivals and joys.
In the highest view of the discerning and perceptive.
بَنىbuilt الشَهيدانِthe two martyrs فَوقَabove النَجمِthe stars مَجدَهُمُtheir glory
بَنى الشَهيدانِ فَوقَ النَجمِ مَجدَهُمُ
فيin مُشرِقٍa radiant realm مِنfrom صَميمِthe very heart of العِزِّhonor لَمّاحِgleaming
في مُشرِقٍ مِن صَميمِ العِزِّ لَمّاحِ
The two martyrs built their glory above the stars,
They came when the world adorned itself with necklaces
in a radiant realm, gleaming from the very heart of honor.
And they adorned it with swords and spears.
قَوميmy people الأُلىthose who تَعرِفُknows العَلياءُlofty glory مَوضِعَهُمtheir station
قَومي الأُلى تَعرِفُ العَلياءُ مَوضِعَهُم
فيat مُلتَقىthe meeting of غُرَرٍbright blazes مِنهاof it وَأَوضاحِand radiant markings
في مُلتَقى غُرَرٍ مِنها وَأَوضاحِ
My people are those whose station lofty glory knows,
If glory were asked, “To whom are you affiliated?”
where its bright blazes and radiant markings meet.
Glory would eloquently declare their elocution.
تَأَلَّقواthey shone فيin مَساريthe courses of الشُهبِthe shooting stars وَاِنبَعَثواand spread forth
تَأَلَّقوا في مَساري الشُهبِ وَاِنبَعَثوا
فيin عَرفِthe fragrance of كُلِّevery ذَكِيِّstrong العَرفِin scent فَوّاحِfragrance-exuding
في عَرفِ كُلِّ ذَكِيِّ العَرفِ فَوّاحِ
They shone along the courses of shooting stars and spread forth
No closed blindness did people suffer
in the fragrance of all that is sweet-scented and aromatic.
Except my people treated it with a key.
جاءواthey came وَقَدand already نَضَتِcast off الدُنياthe world قَلائِدَهاher necklaces
جاءوا وَقَد نَضَتِ الدُنيا قَلائِدَها
فَقَلَّدوهاso they adorned her neck بِأَسيافٍwith swords وَأَرماحِand spears
فَقَلَّدوها بِأَسيافٍ وَأَرماحِ
They came when the world had cast off her necklaces,
They freed the universe from the shackles of corruption,
so they hung swords and spears about her neck.
And administered affairs, so they reformed them.
لَوif قيلَit were said لِلمَجدِto Glory فيمَنamong whom أَنتَyou مُنتَسِبٌclaiming descent
لَو قيلَ لِلمَجدِ فيمَن أَنتَ مُنتَسِبٌ
لَأَفصَحَwould surely speak clearly المَجدُGlory عَنهُمof them أَيَّthe utmost إِفصاحِeloquence
لَأَفصَحَ المَجدُ عَنهُم أَيَّ إِفصاحِ
If Glory were asked, "To whom do you trace your lineage?"
I have not come to them with winding rhymes in praise
Glory would speak of them with the utmost eloquence.
Except I found them above my praises.
ماnever عالَجَtackled الناسُpeople مِنany عَمياءَobscure problem مُقفَلَةٍlocked
ما عالَجَ الناسُ مِن عَمياءَ مُقفَلَةٍ
إِلّاexcept وَعاجَلَهاand swiftly addressed it قَوميmy people بِمِفتاحِwith a key
إِلّا وَعاجَلَها قَومي بِمِفتاحِ
No dark, locked problem have people ever tackled
but my people hastened to it with a key.
هُمُthey أَطلَقواfreed الدَّهرَTime مِنfrom أَسرِthe captivity of الفَسادِcorruption وَهُمand they
هُمُ أَطلَقوا الدَّهرَ مِن أَسرِ الفَسادِ وَهُم
ساسواgoverned الأُمورَaffairs فَزانوهاso they adorned them بِإِصلاحِwith reform
ساسوا الأُمورَ فَزانوها بِإِصلاحِ
They freed Time from corruption's bondage, and they
governed affairs, adorning them with reform.
ماnever جِئتُهُمI came to them بِالقَوافيwith rhymes الغُرِّradiant مُمتَدِحاًin praise
ما جِئتُهُم بِالقَوافي الغُرِّ مُمتَدِحاً
إِلّاexcept وَجَدتُهُموand I found them مِنfrom فَوقِabove تَمداحيmy praise
إِلّا وَجَدتُهُمو مِن فَوقِ تَمداحي
Never have I come to them with radiant rhymes in praise
but I have found them above my praise.
Partial English translation: 42 of 48 Arabic lines translated.