صُبّوا المِدادَ وَحَطِّموا الأَقلاما

صُبّوا المِدادَ وَحَطِّموا الأَقلاما

وَاطووا الصَحائِفَ وَاِنزَعوا الأَفهاما

وَاطووا الصَحائِفَ وَاِنزَعوا الأَفهاما

Pour out the ink and shatter the pens,

Pour the ink and break the pens,

And fold up the pages and strip away understanding.

Fold up the pages and clear the minds,

وَخُذوا عَلى الوِجدانِ كُلَّ ثَنِيَّةٍ

وَخُذوا عَلى الوِجدانِ كُلَّ ثَنِيَّةٍ

وَاِقضوا الحَياةَ مُزَمّلينَ نِياما

وَاِقضوا الحَياةَ مُزَمّلينَ نِياما

And bar every mountain pass to conscience,

Take every crookedness upon the heart,

And spend your lives wrapped up, asleep.

And live your life asleep.

غُضّوا العُيونَ وَطَأطِئوا هاماتِكُم

غُضّوا العُيونَ وَطَأطِئوا هاماتِكُم

وَاِرضوا مُقامَ المُستَميتِ مُقاما

وَاِرضوا مُقامَ المُستَميتِ مُقاما

Lower your eyes and bow your heads,

Shut your eyes and bow your heads,

And accept the death-seeker's station as your own.

And stay in the place of the deceased.

وَدَعوا الحَفيظَةَ وَاِغدُروا بِعُهودِهِ

وَدَعوا الحَفيظَةَ وَاِغدُروا بِعُهودِهِ

شَعباً يَرى حِفظَ العُهودِ حَراما

شَعباً يَرى حِفظَ العُهودِ حَراما

And forsake honor and betray its pledges,

Leave the pact and betray the covenants,

As a people that deems keeping pledges forbidden.

A people who see keeping covenants as forbidden.

يا مِصرُ ماذا تَطلُبينَ أَما كَفى

يا مِصرُ ماذا تَطلُبينَ أَما كَفى

أَن تُصبِحي لِلعادِياتِ طَعاما

أَن تُصبِحي لِلعادِياتِ طَعاما

O Egypt, what do you seek? Is it not enough

O Egypt, what more do you want? Is it not enough

That you become food for marauders?

That you have become food for the oppressors?

موتي فَما مَوتُ العَليلِ بِضائِرٍ

موتي فَما مَوتُ العَليلِ بِضائِرٍ

وَكَفى بِآلامِ الحَياةِ حِماما

وَكَفى بِآلامِ الحَياةِ حِماما

Die, for the death of the ailing does no harm,

My death is no loss for the ailing one,

And the pains of life are death enough.

And the pains of life are enough worry.

مَن ذا يَرُدُّ عَلَيكِ عَهدَكِ صالِحاً

مَن ذا يَرُدُّ عَلَيكِ عَهدَكِ صالِحاً

وَيُعيدُ صَوتَكِ عالِياً يَتَرامى

وَيُعيدُ صَوتَكِ عالِياً يَتَرامى

Who will restore to you your days of well-being,

Who can return your pact wholesome,

And bring back your voice, ringing high and far?

And make your voice sound high again?

قُمنا بِنَصرِكِ وَالخِناقُ مُضَيَّقٌ

قُمنا بِنَصرِكِ وَالخِناقُ مُضَيَّقٌ

وَالنَفسُ مُرهَقَةٌ أَذىً وَعُراما

وَالنَفسُ مُرهَقَةٌ أَذىً وَعُراما

We rose to your aid while the noose was drawn tight,

We stood up for you and strangulation tightened,

And the soul was burdened with harm and violence.

The self wearied, hurt and worried.

أَيّامَ لا صَلَفٌ وَلا جَبرِيَّةٌ

أَيّامَ لا صَلَفٌ وَلا جَبرِيَّةٌ

إِلّا لِأَغلَبَ يَصرَعُ الضِرغاما

إِلّا لِأَغلَبَ يَصرَعُ الضِرغاما

In days when arrogance and tyranny belonged

Days with no firmness or compulsion,

Only to a mighty one who could fell the lion.

Except the strongest knocks down the feeblest.

الحَربُ دائِرَةٌ وَجَيشكِ قائِمٌ

الحَربُ دائِرَةٌ وَجَيشكِ قائِمٌ

يَنضي السُيوفَ وَيَرفَعُ الأَعلاما

يَنضي السُيوفَ وَيَرفَعُ الأَعلاما

War is raging, and your army stands,

War is raging and your army standing,

Unsheathing swords and raising banners.

Drawing swords and raising flags.

كَيفَ القَرارُ عَلى الإِساءَةِ وَالأَذى

كَيفَ القَرارُ عَلى الإِساءَةِ وَالأَذى

أَم كَيفَ نَكتُمُ في القُلوبِ ضِراما

أَم كَيفَ نَكتُمُ في القُلوبِ ضِراما

How can we rest under insult and injury?

How can we decide on harm and oppression?

Or how can we conceal a blaze within our hearts?

Or how can we hide rage in our hearts?

هَل أَصلَتَ الصَمصامُ عَمرواً في الوَغى

هَل أَصلَتَ الصَمصامُ عَمرواً في الوَغى

أَم كانَ عَمروٌ يُصلِتُ الصَمصاما

أَم كانَ عَمروٌ يُصلِتُ الصَمصاما

Did the keen sword unsheathe Amr in battle,

Did the swords reach lives in the fray?

Or was it Amr who unsheathed the keen sword?

Or were lives reaching the swords?

أَنَخونُ مِصرَ وَما تَحَوَّلَ نيلُها

أَنَخونُ مِصرَ وَما تَحَوَّلَ نيلُها

سُمّاً وَما اِنقَلَبَ الضِياءُ ظَلاما

سُمّاً وَما اِنقَلَبَ الضِياءُ ظَلاما

Shall we betray Egypt, when her Nile has not turned

Do we betray Egypt while her Nile still turns,

To poison, nor has the light turned to darkness?

Poison, and brightness does not change to darkness?

نَبغي لَها الشَرَفَ الأَشَمَّ مُؤَيَّداً

نَبغي لَها الشَرَفَ الأَشَمَّ مُؤَيَّداً

بِالعِلمِ يوئِسُ صَرحُهُ الهُدّاما

بِالعِلمِ يوئِسُ صَرحُهُ الهُدّاما

We seek for her lofty honor, sustained

We want for her the most honorable glory,

By knowledge, its edifice making the destroyer despair.

Supported by knowledge which disappoints the demolisher.

وَنُعِزُّ رايَتَها وَنَمنَعُ حَوضَها

وَنُعِزُّ رايَتَها وَنَمنَعُ حَوضَها

وَنَزيدُ صادِقَ حُبِّها اِستَحكاما

وَنَزيدُ صادِقَ حُبِّها اِستَحكاما

And we exalt her banner and defend her watering-place,

We strengthen her flag and protect her oasis,

And make our sincere love for her still firmer.

And increase the sincerity of our love for her.

أَيَسوسُ رَيبُ الدَهرِ مِنّا أُمَّةً

أَيَسوسُ رَيبُ الدَهرِ مِنّا أُمَّةً

تَبغي حَياةَ المَجدِ أَم أَنعاما

تَبغي حَياةَ المَجدِ أَم أَنعاما

Do the vicissitudes of time govern us as a nation

Does the vicissitude of fate despair of us,

Seeking a life of glory, or as livestock?

A nation that wants the life of glory or bounties?