فوقabove أرضthe soil of الحمىthe homeland وتحتand beneath سمائِهْits sky
فوق أرض الحمى وتحت سمائِهْ
أبعثI send التهنئاتcongratulations فيthroughout أرجائِهْits reaches
أبعث التهنئات في أرجائِهْ
Above the homeland’s soil and beneath its sky,
Over the land of zeal and under its skies
I send congratulations throughout its reaches.
I send congratulations throughout its horizons
عشتُI lived حتىuntil شهدتُI witnessed فيat مستوىthe stage of العمlife (start of العمر)
عشتُ حتى شهدتُ في مستوى العم
رcompletion of العمر ('life') جلاءَthe withdrawal of العاديthe aggressor وطيَّand the furling of لوائهhis banner
ر جلاءَ العادي وطيَّ لوائه
I lived to witness, at this stage of
I lived to witness in an age of blindness
life, the aggressor’s withdrawal and the furling of his banner.
The return of the sublime standard and the folding of its banners
ورأتand saw مصرُEgypt يومَon the day of ذكرىthe commemoration of عليٍّAli
ورأت مصرُ يومَ ذكرى عليٍّ
عودَthe return of سلطانهِhis sovereignty إلىto أبنائهhis sons
عودَ سلطانهِ إلى أبنائه
And Egypt saw, on the day commemorating Ali,
And Egypt saw on the anniversary of Ali
his sovereignty return to his sons.
The return of its sultan to its people
ردّregained فيهاwithin her حياتَهُits life البائدُwhat had perished الباdecayed (start of البالي)
ردّ فيها حياتَهُ البائدُ البا
ليcompletion of البالي ('decayed') ولاقىand found العليلُthe ailing one نعمىthe blessing of شفائهhis recovery
لي ولاقى العليلُ نعمى شفائه
Within her, what had perished and decayed regained its life,
In it, the withered blossom regained its life
and the ailing one found the blessing of his recovery.
And the ailing found the bliss of his cure
وأطلَّand looked out التاريخُhistory منfrom شرفاتthe balconies of الthe (article of الدهر)
وأطلَّ التاريخُ من شرفات ال
دهرtime فيin تيهِهِits pride وفيand in خُيَلائهits pomp
دهر في تيهِهِ وفي خُيَلائه
And history looked out from the balconies of
And history leaned out from the balconies of time
time, in its pride and its pomp,
Lost in its winding paths and its imaginations
يملأfilling الخافقينeast and west عطراًwith fragrance ونوراًand light
يملأ الخافقين عطراً ونوراً
منfrom أحاديثهits tales ومنand from أنبائهits tidings
من أحاديثه ومن أنبائه
filling east and west with fragrance and light
Filling the horizons with fragrance and light
from its tales and its tidings.
From its conversations and its news
كادتalmost القلعةُthe citadel المنيعةُthe impregnable تسعىhastened
كادت القلعةُ المنيعةُ تسعى
فيin ضحىthe morning light of عيدهاits feast إلىtoward بُشرائهits heralds of glad tidings
في ضحى عيدها إلى بُشرائه
The impregnable citadel all but hastened,
The impregnable citadel almost set out
in its feast’s morning light, toward its heralds of glad tidings.
In the morning of its feast, to give it glad tidings
وهيand it أغلىthe most precious أمانةٍtrust لعليٍّbelonging to Ali
وهي أغلى أمانةٍ لعليٍّ
فيin ذمامthe pledged care of الأبرارthe righteous منamong أمنائهhis trustees
في ذمام الأبرار من أمنائه
It is Ali’s most precious trust,
It is the most precious trust of Ali
in the pledged care of the righteous among his trustees.
Among the righteous leaders of its trustees
وكأنيand as though I أراهsee him فيon هذهthis الليnight (start of الليلة)
وكأني أراه في هذه اللي
لةcompletion of الليلة ('night') بينamong الأطهارthe pure ones منfrom among شهدائهhis martyrs
لة بين الأطهار من شهدائه
And I seem to see him on this
It's as if I can see him on this night
night, among his pure martyrs.
Among the purest of its martyrs
وكأنيand as though I أرىsee فتوحاتهhis conquests اليوtoday (start of اليوم)
وكأني أرى فتوحاته اليو
مَcompletion of اليوم ('today') جميعاًall together فيin ساعةٍan hour منof مَسائهits evening
مَ جميعاً في ساعةٍ من مَسائه
And I seem to see his conquests today,
It's as if I can see all his conquests
all of them, in an hour of its evening.
In an hour of his evenings
حبذاhow welcome العامthe year بعدafter ستينsixty عاماًyears
حبذا العام بعد ستين عاماً
جاءَcame يمحوerasing شقاءَهاtheir misery بهنائهwith its joy
جاءَ يمحو شقاءَها بهنائه
How welcome the year that, after sixty years,
Blessed be the year after sixty years
came to erase their misery with its joy.
That came to erase its misery with its bliss
مهَّدَتْprepared صيفَهُits summer المقاديرُthe fates للعزfor glory (start of للعزة)
مهَّدَتْ صيفَهُ المقاديرُ للعز
زةcompletion of للعزة ('glory') والخيرand goodness والرضاand contentment فيduring شتائهits winter
زة والخير والرضا في شتائه
Fate readied its summer for
Fate paved its summer for glory, good, and consent in its winter
glory, goodness, and contentment, during its winter.
And the victorious beloved came in his shyness after his old age and defiance
وأتىand came الظافرُthe victor المُدلَّلُthe pampered فيin خَشfear (start of خشيته)
وأتى الظافرُ المُدلَّلُ في خَش
يتهcompletion of خشيته ('his fear') بعدafter كبرهhis arrogance وإبائهand his defiance
يته بعد كبره وإبائه
And the pampered victor came in
Accepting the peace of one who accepts reconciliation and imposes peace among his peers
fear, after his arrogance and defiance,
Not avenging nor doubting, but the reckoner among his resolute men is upon him
يترضَّىseeking to appease أجلthe noblest of منthose who يقبلaccept الصلreconciliation (start of الصلح)
يترضَّى أجل من يقبل الصل
حَcompletion of الصلح ('reconciliation') وفرضَand the imposition of السلامpeace فيamong أكفائهhis peers
حَ وفرضَ السلام في أكفائه
seeking to appease the noblest of those who accept reconciliation
Whoever's intention is forgiveness and truth, the enemy returns as a friend to him
and the imposition of peace among his peers.
And of his grace and favor upon him, is to see Egypt's people as his allies
ماnot تجنيacted unjustly ولاnor استرابharbored suspicion ولكنbut (continues as ولكنّ)
ما تجني ولا استراب ولكن
نcompletion of ولكنّ ('but') عليهover him الحسيبone who holds to account منamong عزمائهhis resolute men
ن عليه الحسيب من عزمائه
He neither acted unjustly nor harbored suspicion, yet
Other than being ungrateful to the ally, if his pact and loyalty do not avail
among his resolute men is one who holds him to account.
The Nile made a nation that secured it
منwhoever تكنhas نيةُthe intention of السماحgenerosity لهas his own والand the (before الحق)
من تكن نيةُ السماح له وال
حقِjustice عادbecomes العدوُّthe enemy منone of أصدقائهhis friends
حقِ عاد العدوُّ من أصدقائه
Whoever intends generosity and
In its springs and all its parts
justice finds the enemy become one of his friends.
And existence extended from its banks
ومنand among الفضلfavors والجميلand kindness عليهbestowed on him
ومن الفضل والجميل عليه
أنthat يرىhe sees أهلَthe people of مصرَEgypt منamong حلفائهhis allies
أن يرى أهلَ مصرَ من حلفائه
And it is a favor and a kindness to him
The harvest of its planting and the surplus of its water
to find the people of Egypt among his allies.
And the people concluded their great issue with the destined judgment of his rule and decree
غيرnot مغنٍavailing بأسthe might of الحليفthe ally إذاif لمnot
غير مغنٍ بأس الحليف إذا لم
يُغنavail ميثاقُهhis covenant وصدقُand the sincerity of وفائهhis loyalty
يُغن ميثاقُه وصدقُ وفائه
The ally’s might avails nothing if
With the throbbing of hearts, he came to revive in the fluttering of the banner the spirit of its hope
his covenant and sincere loyalty do not avail.
The valley gathered its unity and its powers of leadership met
ألفbefriended النيلُthe Nile أمةًa nation أمَّنَتْهُthat kept it safe
ألف النيلُ أمةً أمَّنَتْهُ
فيat ينابيعهits sources وفيand in أجزائهits parts
في ينابيعه وفي أجزائه
The Nile befriended a nation that kept it safe
In its arenas, and with him they extended to what its tears and blood longed for
at its sources and throughout its reaches.
And the sacred valley drew from its shepherd the means of its prosperity and comfort
وأمدّand supplied الوجودthe world منfrom شاطئيهits two banks
وأمدّ الوجود من شاطئيه
بِجَنَىwith the fruit of غرسهits planting وفائضand the overflow of مائهits water
بِجَنَى غرسه وفائض مائه
And from its two banks it supplied the world
And the faithful shepherd was reassured by the pillars of its pillars and the elevations of its structure
with the fruit of its planting and its overflowing water.
The ruler of the people is one who wins the hearts of the people, not one who delves into its entrails
وانتهىand finished الشعبthe people منwith قضيتهtheir cause الكبgreat (start of الكبرى)
وانتهى الشعب من قضيته الكب
رىcompletion of الكبرى ('great') بمحتومwith the irrevocability of حكمهtheir verdict وقضائهand their decree
رى بمحتوم حكمه وقضائه
And the people settled their great
And when authority is established, justice is the guarantor of its extension and permanence
cause with their irrevocable verdict and decree.
My poetry is little, and the right of this day to me
بِخُفُوقِwith the beating of القلوبhearts جاءthey came يُحيِّيto salute
بِخُفُوقِ القلوب جاء يُحيِّي
فيin خفوقthe fluttering of اللواءthe banner روحَthe spirit of رجائهtheir hope
في خفوق اللواء روحَ رجائه
With beating hearts they came to salute,
Is the valley's fullness and the fullness of its space
in the fluttering banner, the spirit of their hope.
Illness preoccupied me from my duty to it
جمعunited الواديthe valley شملهَits ranks وتلاقتْand converged
جمع الوادي شملهَ وتلاقتْ
فيin ميادينهits squares قوىthe forces of زعمائهits leaders
في ميادينه قوى زعمائه
The valley united its ranks, and there converged
And that's my excuse to its father of poets
in its squares the forces of its leaders.
وتمادتْand pressed onward بهwith it إلىtoward ماwhat تمناit wished for (start of تمناه)
وتمادتْ به إلى ما تمنا
هُit (object suffix) غواليِّthe precious drops of دمعهِits tears ودمائهand its blood
هُ غواليِّ دمعهِ ودمائه
And it was borne onward toward what it had longed for
by the precious drops of its tears and blood.
واستمدand drew الواديthe valley المقدسُthe sacred منfrom راshepherd (start of راعيه)
واستمد الوادي المقدسُ من را
عيهcompletion of راعيه ('its shepherd') أسبابَthe means of رغدهits comfort ورخائهand its prosperity
عيه أسبابَ رغده ورخائه
And the sacred valley drew from its
shepherd the means of its comfort and prosperity.
واطمأنand put his trust الراعيthe shepherd الأمينthe faithful إلىin مُحْone who strengthens (start of مُحْكِم)
واطمأن الراعي الأمين إلى مُحْ
كمcompletion of مُحْكِم ('one who strengthens') أركانهits pillars ومُعليand the one who raises بنائهits edifice
كم أركانه ومُعلي بنائه
And the faithful shepherd put his trust in the one
who strengthens its pillars and raises its edifice.
حاكمthe ruler of الشعبthe people منone who ينالwins قلوبthe hearts of الthe (article of الشعب)
حاكم الشعب من ينال قلوب ال
شعبpeople لاnot منone who يخوضwades فيthrough أحشائهtheir entrails
شعب لا من يخوض في أحشائه
The ruler of the people is he who wins the hearts of
the people, not he who wades through their entrails.
وإذاand when ماemphatic particle تمكنis firmly established الحكمrule فالعدthen justice (start of فالعدل)
وإذا ما تمكن الحكم فالعد
لcompletion of فالعدل ('justice') ضمينُthe guarantor of امْتدادهits continuance وبقائهand its survival
ل ضمينُ امْتداده وبقائه
And when rule is firmly established, then
justice guarantees its continuance and survival.
قلَّis scant شعريmy verse وحقُّand the due of ذاthis اليومday عنديin my view
قلَّ شعري وحقُّ ذا اليوم عندي
منهof it ملءُenough to fill الواديthe valley وملءُand enough to fill فضائهits sky
منه ملءُ الوادي وملءُ فضائه
My verse is scant, though this day, to my mind, deserves
enough of it to fill the valley and fill its sky.
أقعدتنيincapacitated me السقامillness عنfrom واجبيهthe two duties owed it
أقعدتني السقام عن واجبيه
وهيand it عذريmy excuse إلىbefore أبيthe father of شعرائهits poets
وهي عذري إلى أبي شعرائه
Illness has kept me from the two duties owed it,
and is my excuse before the father of its poets.
Partial English translation: 45 of 60 Arabic lines translated.