هَاlook! هُناhere الأعلامُthe flags كانتwere تُنْصَبُbeing raised
هَا هُنا الأعلامُ كانت تُنْصَبُ
هَاlook! هُناhere بالأمسِyesterday كانwas الملعبُthe arena
هَا هُنا بالأمسِ كان الملعبُ
Look, here the flags were being raised.
A speaker interrupted the voice and became confused
Look, here was the arena yesterday.
A phone we saw it ringing
قَطعَcut off الصَّوتَthe voice خَطِيبٌan orator وَارْعَوَىand came to his senses
قَطعَ الصَّوتَ خَطِيبٌ وَارْعَوَى
هاتِفٌa shouter كُنّاwe were نَراهُwe see him يَنعبُhe caws
هاتِفٌ كُنّا نَراهُ يَنعبُ
An orator silenced the voice, and back to his senses came
The mind cheered and the truth stood up
A shouter whom we used to see cawing.
In its high glory as an imam giving a speech
هَتَفَcried out العقلُreason وقامَand arose الحَقُّtruth فيin
هَتَفَ العقلُ وقامَ الحَقُّ في
جَاههِits dignity العَاليlofty إماماًas an imam يَخطبُhe preaches
جَاههِ العَالي إماماً يَخطبُ
Reason cried out, and Truth arose in
Every glory that does not come from it disappears
Its lofty dignity, an imam preaching.
Every authority other than it goes away
كُلُّevery جاهٍprestige ليسis not مِنهُfrom it يَنْقَضِيcomes to an end
كُلُّ جاهٍ ليس مِنهُ يَنْقَضِي
كُلُّevery سُلطانٍpower سِواهُother than it يذهبُpasses away
كُلُّ سُلطانٍ سِواهُ يذهبُ
All prestige not derived from it comes to an end;
And the most misguided opinion is that of a provocateur
Every power other than it passes away.
Sometimes raving and sometimes lying
وأَضَلُّand the most misguided النّاسِof people رَأياًin judgment مُرجِفٌa rumor-monger
وأَضَلُّ النّاسِ رَأياً مُرجِفٌ
تارةًsometimes يَهذِيhe raves وَحِيناًand at other times يكذِبُhe lies
تارةً يَهذِي وَحِيناً يكذِبُ
And the most misguided of people in judgment is a rumor-monger:
He rides the opinion foolishly stubborn
Sometimes he raves, and at other times he lies.
Leading the person astray, what is he riding?
يركبhe rides الرّأيَopinion غويّاًmisguided جَامحاًunbridled
يركب الرّأيَ غويّاً جَامحاً
ضِلَّةًmisguidance لِلمرءِfor a man ماذاwhat يركبُhe rides
ضِلَّةً لِلمرءِ ماذا يركبُ
He rides opinion, misguided and unbridled—
The people asked for a good leader
What folly for a man! What is he riding?
For the public and benefit was sought
سَألَasked القومُthe people أَخيرٌis any good? يُبْتَغَىis sought
سَألَ القومُ أَخيرٌ يُبْتَغَى
للجماهيرِfor the masses ونَفْعٌand benefit يُطلَبُis sought
للجماهيرِ ونَفْعٌ يُطلَبُ
The people asked: Is any good being sought
Or was it just a parade with no purpose?
For the masses, and any benefit pursued,
If it was said, what was the purpose?
أَمْor هُوit الموكبُthe procession ماthere is no مِنْany مأربٍaim
أَمْ هُو الموكبُ ما مِنْ مأربٍ
غَيرُهother than it إنif قيلَit is said ماذاwhat المأربُthe aim
غَيرُه إن قيلَ ماذا المأربُ
Or is it the procession, with no aim
The rulers persist in their needs
Beyond it, if asked what the aim is?
And the peasants, every day they persist
يَدأبُtoil persistently الحُكّامُthe rulers فيover حاجاتِهمtheir needs
يَدأبُ الحُكّامُ في حاجاتِهم
والعَوادِيand calamities كُلَّevery يومٍday تَدْأبُtoil persistently
والعَوادِي كُلَّ يومٍ تَدْأبُ
The rulers toil over their needs,
They mentioned the constitution in their anger
And calamities toil every day.
Yet it angers them all the time
ذَكرواthey mentioned الدُّستورَthe constitution فيin غَضْبَتِهمْtheir wrath
ذَكروا الدُّستورَ في غَضْبَتِهمْ
وَهْوَwhile it مِنهمwith them كُلَّevery حينٍmoment يَغْضَبُis angry
وَهْوَ مِنهم كُلَّ حينٍ يَغْضَبُ
They mentioned the constitution in their wrath,
May God have mercy on the men who knew
While it is always angry with them.
The law of truth and what it entails
رَحِمَmay have mercy on اللهُGod رِجالاًmen عَرَفواthey knew
رَحِمَ اللهُ رِجالاً عَرَفوا
شِرعةَthe law الحقِّof truth وماذاand what تُوجِبُit requires
شِرعةَ الحقِّ وماذا تُوجِبُ
May God have mercy on men who knew
Woe to Egypt, do you see in it anything but
The law of Truth and what it requires.
A nation that is hurt and a people that stumbles?
وَيْحَalas for مِصرٍEgypt هَلْdo ...? تَرىyou see فيهاin it سِوَىother than
وَيْحَ مِصرٍ هَلْ تَرى فيها سِوَى
أُمةٍa nation تُؤذَىis harmed وشَعبٍand a people يُنْكَبُis stricken
أُمةٍ تُؤذَى وشَعبٍ يُنْكَبُ
Alas for Egypt! Do you see in it anything but
An uproar comes and goes.
A nation harmed, and a people stricken?
Did you see how the parade disappeared?
ضَجَّةٌan uproar تَمضِيpasses وأخرَىand another تَذهبُgoes away
ضَجَّةٌ تَمضِي وأخرَى تَذهبُ
أَرأَيتُمْdid you all see? كيفَhow ذَابَmelted away الموكبُthe procession
أَرأَيتُمْ كيفَ ذَابَ الموكبُ
One uproar passes, and another fades away.
Did you see how the procession melted away?
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.