أَلِي في الهَوى ما لي وَلِلّائِمِ العُذرُ

أَلِي في الهَوى ما لي وَلِلّائِمِ العُذرُ

أَما يَعلَمُ اللُوّامُ أَنَّ الهَوى مِصرُ

أَما يَعلَمُ اللُوّامُ أَنَّ الهَوى مِصرُ

Is this to be my lot in love, while the reproacher has his excuse?

My passion, for which blame I bear unashamed,

Do the reproachers not know that love is Egypt?

Don't censors know that passion rules the heart?

فَإِن يَسأَلوا ما حُبُّ مِصرَ فَإِنَّهُ

فَإِن يَسأَلوا ما حُبُّ مِصرَ فَإِنَّهُ

دَمي وَفُؤادي وَالجَوانِحُ وَالصَدرُ

دَمي وَفُؤادي وَالجَوانِحُ وَالصَدرُ

So if they ask what love of Egypt is, it is

If asked, "What is Egypt's love?" say it's my soul,

My blood, my heart, my ribs, and my breast.

My heart, my being, my breast that feels the smart.

لِنَفسي وَفائي إن وَفَيتُ بِعَهدِها

لِنَفسي وَفائي إن وَفَيتُ بِعَهدِها

وَبي لا بِها إِن خُنتُ حُرمَتَها الغَدرُ

وَبي لا بِها إِن خُنتُ حُرمَتَها الغَدرُ

My loyalty is to myself, if I keep her covenant;

My soul it is! My faith, if I keep faith with her.

And in me, not in her, lies treachery if I violate her sanctity.

But, if betray, dishonor me athwart.

أَخافُ وَأَرجو وَهيَ جُهدُ مَخافَتي

أَخافُ وَأَرجو وَهيَ جُهدُ مَخافَتي

وَمَرمى رَجائي لا خَفاءٌ وَلا نُكرُ

وَمَرمى رَجائي لا خَفاءٌ وَلا نُكرُ

I fear and hope, and she is the full measure of my fear,

I fear, I hope, my fear and hope the bounds

And the goal of my hope—there is no concealment or denial.

Of dread and wish no hiding can subvert.

هِيَ العيشُ وَالمَوتُ المُبَغَّضُ وَالغِنى

هِيَ العيشُ وَالمَوتُ المُبَغَّضُ وَالغِنى

لِأَبنائِها وَالفَقرُ وَالأَمنُ وَالذُعرُ

لِأَبنائِها وَالفَقرُ وَالأَمنُ وَالذُعرُ

She is life, hated death, and wealth

My life and death, whom I despise and cherish!

For her sons, and poverty, security, and dread.

My wealth and want, my calm and dread convulsions!

هِيَ القَدَرُ الجاري هِيَ السُخطُ وَالرِضى

هِيَ القَدَرُ الجاري هِيَ السُخطُ وَالرِضى

هِيَ الدينُ وَالدُنيا هِيَ الناسُ وَالدَهرُ

هِيَ الدينُ وَالدُنيا هِيَ الناسُ وَالدَهرُ

She is fate running its course; she is wrath and contentment.

Fate, pleasure, wrath, religion and world’s gain!

She is religion and worldly life; she is humankind and time.

People and time and turning revolutions!

بِذَلِكَ آمَنّا فَيا مَن يَلومُنا

بِذَلِكَ آمَنّا فَيا مَن يَلومُنا

لَنا في الهَوى إيمانُنا وَلَكَ الكُفرُ

لَنا في الهَوى إيمانُنا وَلَكَ الكُفرُ

In this we have believed; so, you who reproach us,

So we believe. Blame not our hearts that to her

In love, we have our faith, and you have unbelief.

Give faith. Yours the unfaith, if you assert.

تَدَفَّقَ فيها الوَحيُ شِعراً وَإِنَّما

تَدَفَّقَ فيها الوَحيُ شِعراً وَإِنَّما

سَقانا بِه النيلُ الَّذي كُلُّهُ شِعرُ

سَقانا بِه النيلُ الَّذي كُلُّهُ شِعرُ

In her, inspiration poured forth as poetry, and it was only

In it did revelation pour its streams

The Nile, all of it poetry, that gave it to us to drink.

Of verse, by Nile whose floods are but pure verse.

تَحَيَّرَ فيهِ الواصِفونَ نَفاسَةً

تَحَيَّرَ فيهِ الواصِفونَ نَفاسَةً

فأَوصافُهُ شَتّى وَأَلقابُهُ كُثرُ

فأَوصافُهُ شَتّى وَأَلقابُهُ كُثرُ

Those describing it were bewildered by its preciousness;

Describers are bewildered by its charm,

So its descriptions are diverse, and its titles many.

Its qualities so various none can rehearse,

رَئيسٌ وَذو تاجٍ وَشاعِرُ أُمَّةٍ

رَئيسٌ وَذو تاجٍ وَشاعِرُ أُمَّةٍ

وَنابِغَةٌ غَمرٌ وَداهِيَةٌ نُكرُ

وَنابِغَةٌ غَمرٌ وَداهِيَةٌ نُكرُ

A leader, a wearer of a crown, and a nation's poet,

A chief with crown, a people’s poet he,

And a richly gifted genius, and a formidable mastermind.

A genius, perfect bard none can traverse,

مُلوكٌ وَأَبطالٌ يَروعُكَ مِنهُمو

مُلوكٌ وَأَبطالٌ يَروعُكَ مِنهُمو

شِهابُ الوَغى سَعدٌ وَصاحِبُهُ عَمرُو

شِهابُ الوَغى سَعدٌ وَصاحِبُهُ عَمرُو

Kings and heroes—among them, you are awed by

As kings and warriors who affright mankind,

Sa'd, the meteor of battle, and his companion Amr.

Sa‘d and ‘Amr, wild battle's meteor’s disperse.

إِذا جالَ ماءُ النيلِ في جَوفِ شارِبٍ

إِذا جالَ ماءُ النيلِ في جَوفِ شارِبٍ

فَلَيسَ لَهُ إِن خانَ أَبناءَهُ عُذرُ

فَلَيسَ لَهُ إِن خانَ أَبناءَهُ عُذرُ

When the Nile's water courses through a drinker's belly,

When Nile's pure water fills a drinking throat,

He has no excuse if he betrays its sons.

Betraying it, no excuse his sons can proffer.

هُوَ العَهدُ عهدُ اللَهِ وَالرُسُلِ كُلِّهُم

هُوَ العَهدُ عهدُ اللَهِ وَالرُسُلِ كُلِّهُم

رِعايَتُهُ تَقوى وَتَوكيدُهُ بِرُّ

رِعايَتُهُ تَقوى وَتَوكيدُهُ بِرُّ

It is the covenant, the covenant of God and all the messengers;

God's pact it is, the prophets' ancient troth.

Observing it is piety, and affirming it is righteousness.

To keep it, pious act; to break, a stir.

وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً يَبغي لِمِصرَ خِيانَةً

وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً يَبغي لِمِصرَ خِيانَةً

وَيَرجو بِها حُسنَ الثَوابِ لُمغتَرُّ

وَيَرجو بِها حُسنَ الثَوابِ لُمغتَرُّ

And a man who seeks to betray Egypt

Whoever seeks betrayal and expects

And hopes through it for a good reward is surely deluded.

Fair guerdon, grossly errs in his demur.

مَحَبَّتُها يُمنٌ وَطاعَتُها رِضىً

مَحَبَّتُها يُمنٌ وَطاعَتُها رِضىً

وَخِدمَتُها غُنمٌ وَمَرضاتُها ذُخرُ

وَخِدمَتُها غُنمٌ وَمَرضاتُها ذُخرُ

Love for her is good fortune, and obedience to her is contentment;

To love it, blessing; serving it, God's grace;

And service to her is gain, and her approval a treasure in store.

Its goodwill, gain; its favors, benefits confer.

لِكُلٍّ حِسابٌ لا يُجاوِزُ سَعيَهُ

لِكُلٍّ حِسابٌ لا يُجاوِزُ سَعيَهُ

فَلا الخَيرُ مَصروفُ الجَزاءِ وَلا الشَرُّ

فَلا الخَيرُ مَصروفُ الجَزاءِ وَلا الشَرُّ

For each is a reckoning that does not exceed his striving;

Each has his reckoning; none exceeds his worth.

So neither good nor evil is denied its recompense.

No good or evil changes just deserts.

أَرى للفَتى أَمراً يُعَجَّلُ في الدُنى

أَرى للفَتى أَمراً يُعَجَّلُ في الدُنى

فَإِن يَكُ يَومُ الدينِ كانَ لَهُ أَمرُ

فَإِن يَكُ يَومُ الدينِ كانَ لَهُ أَمرُ

I see a man's reckoning hastened in this world;

I see the youth has matter to settle fast

Then, if the Day of Judgment comes, a reckoning awaits him.

Before his death. Dies he, it is deterred.

أَلا رُبَّما قامَت قِيامَةُ مَعشَرٍ

أَلا رُبَّما قامَت قِيامَةُ مَعشَرٍ

وَلَمّا يَضُمُّ الناسَ بَعثٌ وَلا حَشرُ

وَلَمّا يَضُمُّ الناسَ بَعثٌ وَلا حَشرُ

Take heed: sometimes a people's Judgment Day has come,

Full oft a band breathes its last breath and dies

While neither resurrection nor gathering has yet brought humankind together.

Ere comes renewal or the time of mustering.

فَلا تَكُ إِلّا مُحسِناً تُؤثِرُ الَّتي

فَلا تَكُ إِلّا مُحسِناً تُؤثِرُ الَّتي

أَوائِلُها حَمدٌ وَأَعقابُها أَجرُ

أَوائِلُها حَمدٌ وَأَعقابُها أَجرُ

So be only a doer of good, choosing the deed whose

Do nothing but good! Choose what is most choice,

Beginnings are praise, and whose outcomes are reward.

Whose first is praise, and end reward deferring.

جَزيتُ بَني مِصرٍ وَفاءً وَنَجدَةً

جَزيتُ بَني مِصرٍ وَفاءً وَنَجدَةً

كَذَلِكَ يَجزي قَومَهُ الماجِدُ الحُرُّ

كَذَلِكَ يَجزي قَومَهُ الماجِدُ الحُرُّ

I repaid the sons of Egypt with loyalty and aid;

I paid Egypt's sons their wage and succor due.

Thus does the noble, free man repay his people.

So pays the valiant freeborn his own folk.

عَلَيَّ لَهُم حَقٌّ وَلي عِندَهُم هَوىً

عَلَيَّ لَهُم حَقٌّ وَلي عِندَهُم هَوىً

تَتابَعَ ما بَيني وَبَينَهُما العُمرُ

تَتابَعَ ما بَيني وَبَينَهُما العُمرُ

I owe them their due, and they hold affection for me;

Their due o'er me; mine o'er them passion's reign.

Life has gone on between me and them both.

My life between the two hard-pressed and spurring

طَوَيتُ هُمومَ الأَربَعينَ وَرُبَّما

طَوَيتُ هُمومَ الأَربَعينَ وَرُبَّما

عَناني لِلخَمسينَ مِن بَعدِها نَشرُ

عَناني لِلخَمسينَ مِن بَعدِها نَشرُ

I folded away the cares of forty; and sometimes

Forty life-sorrows have I lived. And yet

Their unfolding at fifty troubled me thereafter.

Fifty may strain me from their flood recurring.

وَمَن يَجعَلُ الإِصلاحَ في الناسِ هَمَّهُ

وَمَن يَجعَلُ الإِصلاحَ في الناسِ هَمَّهُ

يَكُن ذا هُمومٍ كُلَّ آوِنَةٍ تَعرو

يَكُن ذا هُمومٍ كُلَّ آوِنَةٍ تَعرو

And whoever makes reform among people his concern

Whose thoughts are bent on bettering humankind

Will have cares that assail him at every turn.

Has ever cares, each hour renewing.

هَنيئاً لِذي الخَفضِ المُتارِكِ عَيشُهُ

هَنيئاً لِذي الخَفضِ المُتارِكِ عَيشُهُ

وَإِن كانَ لا نَفعٌ لَدَيهِ وَلا ضُرُّ

وَإِن كانَ لا نَفعٌ لَدَيهِ وَلا ضُرُّ

Happy be the life of the man of ease who keeps aloof,

Happy whose life humility did guide,

Even if there is neither benefit nor harm in him.

Though nothing owned he, nothing losing!

وَإِنّي لَفي أَسرٍ مِنَ الهَمِّ موجِعٍ

وَإِنّي لَفي أَسرٍ مِنَ الهَمِّ موجِعٍ

وَغَمرَةِ وَجدٍ ما يُهَوِّنُها الصَبرُ

وَغَمرَةِ وَجدٍ ما يُهَوِّنُها الصَبرُ

And I am indeed in a painful captivity of care,

Grief-plunged am I and drowned in seas of care.

And in a flood of anguish that patience does not ease.

No patience makes the billows less perturbing.

فَيا لائِمي وَالنَفسُ وَلهى لِما بِها

فَيا لائِمي وَالنَفسُ وَلهى لِما بِها

حَنانَكَ إِنَّ الحُرَّ يوجِعُهُ الأَسرُ

حَنانَكَ إِنَّ الحُرَّ يوجِعُهُ الأَسرُ

So, my reproacher, while my soul is distraught with what afflicts it,

My censurer! Let my soul its fancy take.

Have mercy, for captivity pains the free man.

Grief is the free man's cage, his curb and curbing.