أَمُهجَةَ مِصرَ يَضرِبُ كُلُّ رامِ

أَمُهجَةَ مِصرَ يَضرِبُ كُلُّ رامِ

لَقَد بَغَتِ الرُماةُ عَلى السِهامِ

لَقَد بَغَتِ الرُماةُ عَلى السِهامِ

Is it Egypt's heart that every archer strikes?

The archers of Egypt shoot every archer

The archers have indeed wronged the arrows.

The archers have indeed rebelled against the arrows

رَموا بِالنَبعِ حَتّى قيلَ أَودى

رَموا بِالنَبعِ حَتّى قيلَ أَودى

فَما أَنفوا الرِمايَةَ بِالبَشامِ

فَما أَنفوا الرِمايَةَ بِالبَشامِ

They shot with nabʿ-wood until it was said, 'It has perished';

They shot at the spring until it was said to have perished

so they did not disdain shooting with bashām-wood.

Yet they did not refrain from shooting with arrows

وَصاغوها سِهاماً مِن نُضارٍ

وَصاغوها سِهاماً مِن نُضارٍ

تُمَزِّقُ مُهجَةَ البَطَلِ المُحامي

تُمَزِّقُ مُهجَةَ البَطَلِ المُحامي

And they fashioned them into arrows of pure gold,

And made them arrows from fresh, slender branches

that tear apart the heart of the defending hero.

That tear apart the intestines of the warrior in combat

لَئِن وَجَدوا السِهامَ وَهُنَّ شَتّى

لَئِن وَجَدوا السِهامَ وَهُنَّ شَتّى

فَما وَجَدَ الرَمِيُّ سِوى الحِمامِ

فَما وَجَدَ الرَمِيُّ سِوى الحِمامِ

Even if they found arrows of many kinds,

If they found the arrows scattered and broken

yet the one shot at found nothing but death.

The archer found nothing but doves

رَأَيتُ كِنانَةَ اللَهِ اِستُبيحَت

رَأَيتُ كِنانَةَ اللَهِ اِستُبيحَت

وَكانَت مَعقِلَ البَيتِ الحَرامِ

وَكانَت مَعقِلَ البَيتِ الحَرامِ

I saw God's quiver laid open to plunder,

I saw the sanctuary of God violated

and it was the stronghold of the Sacred House.

Though it had been an impenetrable fortress

فَأَينَ الحافِظونَ لَها حِماها

فَأَينَ الحافِظونَ لَها حِماها

وَأَينَ القائِمونَ عَلى الذِمامِ

وَأَينَ القائِمونَ عَلى الذِمامِ

Where, then, are those who guard her sanctuary?

So where are its protectors who defended it

And where are those who uphold the pledge of protection?

And where are those holding its reins

فَمَن يَكُ نائِماً مِنهُم فَإِنّي

فَمَن يَكُ نائِماً مِنهُم فَإِنّي

نَهَضتُ أُهيبُ بِالقَومِ النِيامِ

نَهَضتُ أُهيبُ بِالقَومِ النِيامِ

So if any of them is asleep, then I

As for any who slumber among them, I

have risen, calling out to the sleeping people.

Have risen to rouse the sleeping people

سَأُفزِعُ في المَضاجِعِ كُلَّ حَيٍّ

سَأُفزِعُ في المَضاجِعِ كُلَّ حَيٍّ

وَأَعصِفُ بِالقُبورِ وَبِالعِظامِ

وَأَعصِفُ بِالقُبورِ وَبِالعِظامِ

I shall startle every living soul in bed,

I will startle in their beds every living soul

and storm against the graves and the bones.

And shake the graves and the bones