أَلا لا أَرى في مِصرَ إلّا دَعاوِياً

أَلا لا أَرى في مِصرَ إلّا دَعاوِياً

وَإِلّا صَدىً يُشجي الرِياحَ الذَوارِيا

وَإِلّا صَدىً يُشجي الرِياحَ الذَوارِيا

Lo, in Egypt I see nothing but pretensions,

Alas! I see in Egypt naught but empty claims,

and nothing but an echo that saddens the scattering winds.

And but echoing shouts that stir the raging winds.

أَرى هِمَماً يَعصِفَنَّ بِالنَجمِ رِفعَةً

أَرى هِمَماً يَعصِفَنَّ بِالنَجمِ رِفعَةً

وَهُنَّ جِثِيٌّ ما رَفَعنَ النَواصِيا

وَهُنَّ جِثِيٌّ ما رَفَعنَ النَواصِيا

I see ambitions that sweep the star aside in their loftiness,

I see ambitions that vainly storm the stars,

yet they kneel, never raising their forelocks.

While in truth they have not raised their heads on high.

أَرى شِيَماً تُفني الأَماديحَ كُلَّها

أَرى شِيَماً تُفني الأَماديحَ كُلَّها

وَما بَرَحَت تُملي عَلَيَّ الأَهاجِيا

وَما بَرَحَت تُملي عَلَيَّ الأَهاجِيا

I see virtues that exhaust all praise,

I see morals that destroy all praise utterly,

yet they have never ceased dictating satires to me.

Ceaselessly dictating fabrications to me.

أَرى ذِمَماً يُنسينَ في الدَهرِ مَن وَفى

أَرى ذِمَماً يُنسينَ في الدَهرِ مَن وَفى

وَيُولِعنَ بِالغَدرِ الذِئابَ الضَوارِيا

وَيُولِعنَ بِالغَدرِ الذِئابَ الضَوارِيا

I see pledges that make one forget all who ever kept faith,

I see disgraces that in time make one forget,

and make ravening wolves enamored of treachery.

Those faithful, igniting in the wolves savage flames.

أَرى أُمَّةً لا يُخطِئُ المَجدَ سَعيُها

أَرى أُمَّةً لا يُخطِئُ المَجدَ سَعيُها

وَلَكِنَّها لا تَستَطيعُ المَساعِيا

وَلَكِنَّها لا تَستَطيعُ المَساعِيا

I see a nation whose striving never misses glory,

I see a nation whose endeavor never fails glory,

yet she is incapable of striving.

Yet has not the strength to strive for it steadfastly.

وَلَولا رِجالٌ جاهَدوا لِبَقائِها

وَلَولا رِجالٌ جاهَدوا لِبَقائِها

لَما تَرَكتَ مِنها يَدُ الدَهرِ باقِيا

لَما تَرَكتَ مِنها يَدُ الدَهرِ باقِيا

And were it not for men who struggled for her survival,

And were it not for the men who fought for its survival,

the hand of Time would have left nothing of her remaining.

Time’s hand would have left naught of it remaining.

أولَئِكَ رُوّادُ الحَياةِ رَمَت بِهِم

أولَئِكَ رُوّادُ الحَياةِ رَمَت بِهِم

مَطايا المُنى في الخافِقَينِ المَرامِيا

مَطايا المُنى في الخافِقَينِ المَرامِيا

Those are life's pioneers, cast forth

They are life’s pioneers whom the steeds of fate bore

by the mounts of hope toward goals in east and west.

To the far horizons, lofty and unbending.

يُنادونَ في الأَقطارِ إِنّا نُريدُها

يُنادونَ في الأَقطارِ إِنّا نُريدُها

حَياةً تَرُدُّ النيلَ رَيّانَ صافِيا

حَياةً تَرُدُّ النيلَ رَيّانَ صافِيا

They cry throughout the lands: We want it—

They call out in the lands: we desire it

a life that restores the Nile, brimming and clear.

A life restoring the Nile’s waters pure and free.

فَلَسنا حماة النيل حتى نعزَّهُ

فَلَسنا حماة النيل حتى نعزَّهُ

وحتى نرى ملكَ الكنانة عاليا

وحتى نرى ملكَ الكنانة عاليا

For we are not the Nile's defenders until we make it mighty,

We are not guards of the Nile to be content

and until we see al-Kinana's sovereignty exalted.

And to see the reign of Kananah triumphant.

أنتركها لِلغاصِبينَ وَنَبتَغي

أنتركها لِلغاصِبينَ وَنَبتَغي

لَنا وَطَناً فَوقَ البَسيطَةِ ثانِيا

لَنا وَطَناً فَوقَ البَسيطَةِ ثانِيا

Shall we leave her to the usurpers and seek

Shall we leave it to the usurpers and seek

a second homeland for ourselves upon the earth?

For ourselves a new home atop the hills another?

غَضِبنا لِمِصرٍ غَضبَةً ما نَرُدُّها

غَضِبنا لِمِصرٍ غَضبَةً ما نَرُدُّها

إِلى أَن نَرى المُختارَ في القَبرِ راضِيا

إِلى أَن نَرى المُختارَ في القَبرِ راضِيا

We have raged for Egypt with a wrath we will not restrain

We were angered for Egypt with lasting ire

until we see al-Mukhtar content in the grave.

Until we see the Chosen One pleased in the grave.

فَلَسنا ذَويهِ إِن أَضَعنا تُراثَهُ

فَلَسنا ذَويهِ إِن أَضَعنا تُراثَهُ

وَلَسنا بَنيها إِن أَطَعنا الأَعادِيا

وَلَسنا بَنيها إِن أَطَعنا الأَعادِيا

For we are not his kin if we squander his legacy,

We are not its protectors if we forfeit its heritage,

nor are we her sons if we obey the enemies.

Nor are we its children if we obey its enemies.

أَنُمسي عَبيداً يَملِكونَ نُفوسَنا

أَنُمسي عَبيداً يَملِكونَ نُفوسَنا

وَأَموالَنا مِن دونِنا وَالذَرارِيا

وَأَموالَنا مِن دونِنا وَالذَرارِيا

Shall we become slaves, while they possess our souls,

Shall we become slaves possessing our souls

and our wealth and offspring, to our exclusion?

And wealth without our approval, we and our seed?

أَما يَسأَلونَ الدَهرَ إِذ نَحنُ أُمَّةٌ

أَما يَسأَلونَ الدَهرَ إِذ نَحنُ أُمَّةٌ

نَسوسُ الوَرى ساداتِهِم وَالمَوالِيا

نَسوسُ الوَرى ساداتِهِم وَالمَوالِيا

Do they not ask Time about when we were a nation

Do they not ask fate, while we are a nation

ruling humankind, its lords and its dependents?

That rules the earth’s domains, lords and servants?

رَفَعنا عَلى هامِ المَمالِكِ حُكمَنا

رَفَعنا عَلى هامِ المَمالِكِ حُكمَنا

فَكانَ لَها تاجاً مِنَ العَدلِ غالِيا

فَكانَ لَها تاجاً مِنَ العَدلِ غالِيا

We raised our rule upon the heads of kingdoms,

We raised our rule on the crown of kingdoms,

so it became for them a precious crown of justice.

So it had a crown of precious justice.

وَكُنّا إِذا هَزَّ المُلوكَ عُرامُها

وَكُنّا إِذا هَزَّ المُلوكَ عُرامُها

هَزَزنا لَهُم أَسيافَنا وَالعَوالِيا

هَزَزنا لَهُم أَسيافَنا وَالعَوالِيا

And whenever their fury shook the kings,

Whenever their grandees were shaken,

we brandished our swords and long spears at them.

Our swords and steeds did shake them in turn.

أَفَالآنَ لَمّا غَيَّرَ الدَهرُ عَهدَهُ

أَفَالآنَ لَمّا غَيَّرَ الدَهرُ عَهدَهُ

يُريدُ الأَعادي أَن نُطيلَ التَغاضِيا

يُريدُ الأَعادي أَن نُطيلَ التَغاضِيا

Is it now, then, when Time has changed its covenant,

Now that fate has changed its epoch,

that the enemies want us to prolong our forbearance?

Do enemies wish that we remain complacent?

سَيَنسِفُ بَغيُ القَومِ شامِخَ عِزِّنا

سَيَنسِفُ بَغيُ القَومِ شامِخَ عِزِّنا

إِذا نَسَفَ الوَهمُ الجِبالَ الرَواسِيا

إِذا نَسَفَ الوَهمُ الجِبالَ الرَواسِيا

Those people's aggression will blast away our towering might

Their arrogant ambition will demolish our towering glory

if delusion blasts away the firmly rooted mountains.

Should illusion topple the firmly standing mountains.

دَرَجنا عَلى أَنّا نَكونُ أَعِزَّةً

دَرَجنا عَلى أَنّا نَكونُ أَعِزَّةً

نَصولُ فَنَجتاحُ العَدُوَّ المُناوِيا

نَصولُ فَنَجتاحُ العَدُوَّ المُناوِيا

We grew up accustomed to being mighty.

We have resolved to remain most noble,

We charge, then sweep away the opposing foe.

To charge and defeat the hostile adversary.

نَدينُ بِأَلّا تُستَباحَ بِلادُنا

نَدينُ بِأَلّا تُستَباحَ بِلادُنا

وَأَلّا نَرى فيها مَدى الدَهرِ غازِيا

وَأَلّا نَرى فيها مَدى الدَهرِ غازِيا

We hold as our creed that our country must not be violated,

We believe that our lands must not be defiled,

and that we see no invader there for as long as time endures.

Never to see an invader pass through them in our time.

وَلَن يَقضِيَ الإِنسانُ حَقَّ بِلادِهِ

وَلَن يَقضِيَ الإِنسانُ حَقَّ بِلادِهِ

إِذا هُوَ لَم يَبذُل لَها النَفسَ فادِيا

إِذا هُوَ لَم يَبذُل لَها النَفسَ فادِيا

And no man will ever fulfill his duty to his country

Man cannot fulfill his duty to his country

if he does not offer it his life as ransom.

Unless he offers his soul to ransom it.

شُغِفنا بِوادي النيلِ إِذ نَحنُ أَهلُهُ

شُغِفنا بِوادي النيلِ إِذ نَحنُ أَهلُهُ

فَأَحبِب بِنا أَهلاً وَبِالنيلِ وادِيا

فَأَحبِب بِنا أَهلاً وَبِالنيلِ وادِيا

We are enamored of the Nile Valley, for we are its people;

We yearned for the Nile Valley as we are its people,

how dear, then, we are as a people, and the Nile as a valley!

So love it as a people, and as a valley love it!

أَما ودُموعِ المُدَّعينَ بِهِ الهَوى

أَما ودُموعِ المُدَّعينَ بِهِ الهَوى

لَقَد كِدنَ يُضحِكنَ القُلوبَ البَواكِيا

لَقَد كِدنَ يُضحِكنَ القُلوبَ البَواكِيا

Ah, by the tears of those who claim love for it,

By the tears of those who falsely claim to love it,

they have indeed almost made weeping hearts laugh.

They almost make hearts mourning with sorrow laugh.

أَلَحَّت تَباريحُ الغَرامِ فَمَيَّزَت

أَلَحَّت تَباريحُ الغَرامِ فَمَيَّزَت

أَخا الصِدقِ مِنّا وَالدَعِيَّ المُرائِيا

أَخا الصِدقِ مِنّا وَالدَعِيَّ المُرائِيا

Love's torments persisted, and so distinguished

The nights of passion have distinguished

the man of truth among us from the hypocritical pretender.

The brother sincere from the pretentious liar.

جَزى اللَهُ في ذاتِ الإِلَهِ جِهادَنا

جَزى اللَهُ في ذاتِ الإِلَهِ جِهادَنا

وَرَوَّحَ هاتيكَ النُفوسَ العَوانِيا

وَرَوَّحَ هاتيكَ النُفوسَ العَوانِيا

May God reward our striving for His sake,

May God reward from His Divine Self our striving,

and bring relief to those captive souls.

And exhilarate those high-aspiring souls.

أَلا إِنَّهُ خَيرٌ مُثيباً وَجازِياً

أَلا إِنَّهُ خَيرٌ مُثيباً وَجازِياً

وَلَن يَخذِلَ الهُدّامُ مَن كانَ بانِيا

وَلَن يَخذِلَ الهُدّامُ مَن كانَ بانِيا

Lo, He is the best at rewarding and recompensing,

Behold, He is Best at rewarding and recompensing,

and no destroyer will ever thwart a builder.

And will not let the destroyer defeat the builder!