نَبني وَتَهدِمُ أَيدي الجَهلِ دائِبَةً

نَبني وَتَهدِمُ أَيدي الجَهلِ دائِبَةً

فَمَن لَنا بِبِناءٍ غَيرِ مُنهَدِمِ

فَمَن لَنا بِبِناءٍ غَيرِ مُنهَدِمِ

We build, while the hands of ignorance tirelessly destroy.

We build and the hands of ignorance constantly demolish

Who, then, can give us a building that will not collapse?

So who will build for us without demolishing?

يا وَيحَ مِصرَ أَما تَنفَكُّ ثائِرَةً

يا وَيحَ مِصرَ أَما تَنفَكُّ ثائِرَةً

لِحادِثٍ جَلَلٍ أَو نَكبَةٍ عَمَمِ

لِحادِثٍ جَلَلٍ أَو نَكبَةٍ عَمَمِ

Alas for Egypt! Will she never cease her turmoil

Oh woe to Egypt! Will you not stop being rebellious

Over a grave event or an all-encompassing calamity?

For every grave misfortune or sweeping calamity?

يا أُمَّةَ القبطِ وَالأَجيالُ شاهِدَةٌ

يا أُمَّةَ القبطِ وَالأَجيالُ شاهِدَةٌ

بِما لَنا وَلَكُم مِن صادِقِ الذِمَمِ

بِما لَنا وَلَكُم مِن صادِقِ الذِمَمِ

O community of the Copts—the generations bear witness

Oh nation of Copts, generations bear witness

To the faithful covenants between us and you.

To what we and you have of honest covenants

هَذي مَواقِفُنا في الدَهرِ ناطِقَةٌ

هَذي مَواقِفُنا في الدَهرِ ناطِقَةٌ

فَاِستَنبِئوها تُريحونا مِنَ التُهَمِ

فَاِستَنبِئوها تُريحونا مِنَ التُهَمِ

These are our stances through the ages, speaking for themselves;

These are our positions in life speaking

So question them, and you will relieve us of accusations.

So ask them to absolve us of accusations

إِن يَختَلِف مِنكُمو في الأمرِ مُختَلِفٌ

إِن يَختَلِف مِنكُمو في الأمرِ مُختَلِفٌ

فَما لَنا اليَومَ غَيرُ اللَهِ مِن حَكَمِ

فَما لَنا اليَومَ غَيرُ اللَهِ مِن حَكَمِ

If any among you disagrees over the matter,

If there is disagreement amongst you in the matter

Then today we have no arbiter but God.

For us today we have none but God as judge

لا تَظلِموا الدينَ إِنَّ الدينَ يَأَمرُنا

لا تَظلِموا الدينَ إِنَّ الدينَ يَأَمرُنا

بِما عَلِمتُم مِنَ الأَخلاقِ وَالشِيَمِ

بِما عَلِمتُم مِنَ الأَخلاقِ وَالشِيَمِ

Do not wrong religion: religion commands us

Do not wrong religion, for religion commands us

To uphold the morals and virtues you know.

With what you know of morals and decency

مِنّا وَمِنكُم رِجالٌ لا حُلومَ لَهُم

مِنّا وَمِنكُم رِجالٌ لا حُلومَ لَهُم

وَلا يَفيئونَ لِلأَديانِ وَالحُرَمِ

وَلا يَفيئونَ لِلأَديانِ وَالحُرَمِ

Among us and you are men without sound judgment,

Among us and you are men with no restraint

And they do not turn back to faiths and sacred bounds.

Who do not shy from religions or sanctuaries

أَنتُم لَنا إِخوَةٌ لا شَيءَ يُبعِدُنا

أَنتُم لَنا إِخوَةٌ لا شَيءَ يُبعِدُنا

عَنكُم عَلى عَنَتِ الأَقدارِ وَالقِسَمِ

عَنكُم عَلى عَنَتِ الأَقدارِ وَالقِسَمِ

You are our brothers; nothing can separate us

You are to us brothers, nothing separates us

From you, despite the hardships of fate and fortune.

From you despite the hardship of fates and fortunes

لَيسَ اللجاجُ بِمُدنٍ مِن رَغائِبِنا

لَيسَ اللجاجُ بِمُدنٍ مِن رَغائِبِنا

وَلا الشقاقُ بِمُجدينا سِوى النَدَمِ

وَلا الشقاقُ بِمُجدينا سِوى النَدَمِ

Obstinate contention brings us no closer to our desires,

Obstinacy with cities is not our desire

Nor does discord bring us anything but regret.

Nor is discord our glory except for regret

يا وَيحَ مِصرَ لِخُلفٍ لا رُكودَ لَهُ

يا وَيحَ مِصرَ لِخُلفٍ لا رُكودَ لَهُ

إِلّا لِيَعصِفَ بِالأَقطارِ وَالأُمَمِ

إِلّا لِيَعصِفَ بِالأَقطارِ وَالأُمَمِ

Alas for Egypt, for discord that never lies still

Oh woe to Egypt for descendants without stability

Except to rage through lands and nations.

Except to wreak havoc on nations and peoples

مِثلُ البَراكينِ في الحالَينِ ما هَدَأَت

مِثلُ البَراكينِ في الحالَينِ ما هَدَأَت

إِلّا لِتَقذِفَ بِالنيرانِ وَالحِمَمِ

إِلّا لِتَقذِفَ بِالنيرانِ وَالحِمَمِ

Like volcanoes in both states: they never grow quiet

Like volcanoes in both eras, never calming

Except to spew forth fire and lava.

Except to spew fire and embers

وَلَو تَآلَفَ أَهلوها لَما بَقِيَت

وَلَو تَآلَفَ أَهلوها لَما بَقِيَت

مِن حاجَةٍ في ضَميرِ النيلِ وَالهَرَمِ

مِن حاجَةٍ في ضَميرِ النيلِ وَالهَرَمِ

And if her people lived in harmony, there would not remain

If its people reconciled, nothing would remain

A single unfulfilled wish in the heart of the Nile and the Pyramid.

Of need in the conscience of the Nile and the Pyramids

يا قَومِ ماذا يُفيدُ الخُلفُ فَاِتَّفقوا

يا قَومِ ماذا يُفيدُ الخُلفُ فَاِتَّفقوا

وَقَوِّموا أَمرَكُم بِالحَزمِ يَستَقِمِ

وَقَوِّموا أَمرَكُم بِالحَزمِ يَستَقِمِ

O my people, what good is discord? So unite,

Oh people what good is discord? So concur

And put your affairs in order with resolve; they will come right.

And rectify your affairs with wisdom to straighten

صونوا العُهودَ وَكونوا أُمَّةً عَرَفَت

صونوا العُهودَ وَكونوا أُمَّةً عَرَفَت

مَعنى الحَياةِ فَلَم تَعسِف وَلَم تَهِمِ

مَعنى الحَياةِ فَلَم تَعسِف وَلَم تَهِمِ

Safeguard the covenants, and be a nation that has understood

Safeguard the covenants and become a nation that

The meaning of life, and so neither acted blindly nor wandered astray.

Knew the meaning of life, neither did injustice nor wrong

يا قَومِ لا تَغفَلوا إِنَّ العَدُوَّ لَهُ

يا قَومِ لا تَغفَلوا إِنَّ العَدُوَّ لَهُ

عَينٌ تُراقِبُ مِنكُم زَلَّةَ القَدَمِ

عَينٌ تُراقِبُ مِنكُم زَلَّةَ القَدَمِ

O my people, do not be heedless, for the enemy has

Oh people, do not neglect that the enemy has

An eye watching for a slip of your foot.

An eye that watches for your feet to slip