يا قادماً يحمل الآراء هائلة

يا قادماً يحمل الآراء هائلة

من الدهاة وقد ناءت بها السفنُ

من الدهاة وقد ناءت بها السفنُ

O you who come bearing formidable plans

O you who come bearing weighty opinions

From the cunning—plans beneath whose weight the ships have strained.

From the wise, their ships have sailed with them

رسول قومك عدت اليوم أم حكماً

رسول قومك عدت اليوم أم حكماً

بين الفريقين تبلونا وتمتحن

بين الفريقين تبلونا وتمتحن

Have you returned today as your people's envoy, or as an arbiter

Are you a messenger of your people, returned today,

Between the two sides, putting us to trial and testing us?

To test and try us as an arbiter between the two parties?

أم سيداً ليناً أقبلت ملتمساً

أم سيداً ليناً أقبلت ملتمساً

ما لم تنله وأنت القائد الخشن

ما لم تنله وأنت القائد الخشن

Or have you come as a gentle master, seeking

Or a gentle master who came seeking

What you could not attain when you were the harsh commander?

What you did not attain, though you were a harsh commander?

هان الذي أنت مخفيه ومظهره

هان الذي أنت مخفيه ومظهره

فقد تساوى لدينا السر والعلن

فقد تساوى لدينا السر والعلن

What you hide and what you reveal matters little;

That which you conceal is worthless, as is its appearance,

For the secret and the open are alike to us.

For us the hidden and the open are equal.

واعرض على مصر ما شاءت سياستهم

واعرض على مصر ما شاءت سياستهم

فما تؤيدك الأقدار والزمن

فما تؤيدك الأقدار والزمن

And offer Egypt whatever their policy dictates;

Present to Egypt whatever their politics desired,

For neither fate nor time supports you.

For neither fate nor time support you.

لمصر شرط على شتى شروطهمُ

لمصر شرط على شتى شروطهمُ

وما لها بدل منه ولا ثمن

وما لها بدل منه ولا ثمن

Egypt has one condition above their many conditions,

Egypt has a condition for all their conditions,

And for her it has no substitute and no price:

She has no alternative to it, nor price.

رد المظالم قبل الصلح لو صدقوا

رد المظالم قبل الصلح لو صدقوا

لا يذهب الشر حتى يذهب الضغن

لا يذهب الشر حتى يذهب الضغن

Redress of wrongs before reconciliation, if they are sincere.

Return the injustices before making peace, if they were truthful,

Evil will not pass until rancor passes.

Evil will not leave until rancor leaves.

وحبذا العود ترضينا عواقبه

وحبذا العود ترضينا عواقبه

لو عاد من غرَّبوا منا ومن سجنوا

لو عاد من غرَّبوا منا ومن سجنوا

And how welcome a return whose consequences would please us,

It would be good if we approved its consequences,

If those they exiled from our midst and those they jailed came back.

If those who were exiled and imprisoned returned.

حق أصرَّ عليه عزمُ صاحبه

حق أصرَّ عليه عزمُ صاحبه

وإن ظننت وظنوا أنه شجن

وإن ظننت وظنوا أنه شجن

A right on which its holder's resolve stands firm,

A right that its determined owner insisted upon,

Even if you and they think it a sorrow.

Even if you and they thought it was impassioned.

فهل يريدون يوماً أن نحبهمُ

فهل يريدون يوماً أن نحبهمُ

ومن نحب بعيد الدار مرتهن

ومن نحب بعيد الدار مرتهن

Do they then hope that one day we will love them,

Do they one day want us to love them,

While those we love are held captive far from home?

While the one we love is far away, hostage?

كيف السبيل إلى مهوى النفوس وقد

كيف السبيل إلى مهوى النفوس وقد

نأت بكل هوىً سيشيلُ واليمن

نأت بكل هوىً سيشيلُ واليمن

How can one reach the hearts' desire, when

How is the path to the soul's desires when

Seychelles and Yemen have borne all we love far away?

Sicily and Yemen have seized every desire?

فصلت كل عظيم من أمورهمُ

فصلت كل عظيم من أمورهمُ

وأين رأيك فيمن قُيِّدت عدن

وأين رأيك فيمن قُيِّدت عدن

You have settled all their weighty affairs;

They severed every great thing from their matters,

But what is your judgment on those in Aden's chains?

Where is your view regarding those Aden was shackled?

فهل تخاطب قوماً ليس بينهمُ

فهل تخاطب قوماً ليس بينهمُ

من وكّلوه بما يرجون وائتمنوا

من وكّلوه بما يرجون وائتمنوا

Do you then address a people among whom is absent

Are you addressing a people among whom

The one they charged with their hopes and trusted?

Is none they entrusted with what they hoped and trusted?

جئهم بأيِّ رداء ترتديه فما

جئهم بأيِّ رداء ترتديه فما

للسيف دانوا ولا للزهرة افتتنوا

للسيف دانوا ولا للزهرة افتتنوا

Come to them in whatever robe you wear, for

Come to them wearing any cloak you wish,

They have neither bowed to the sword nor been beguiled by the flower.

They bowed neither to the sword nor were infatuated with the flower.

فهم وأنت لدى الأمر الأخير فإن

فهم وأنت لدى الأمر الأخير فإن

أسأت ضجوا وإن أحسنته سكنوا

أسأت ضجوا وإن أحسنته سكنوا

For they and you face the final issue: if

For with the final matter, they and you,

You do wrong, they cry out; if you do it well, they grow quiet.

If you do evil, they roar, and if you do good, they are silent.

وما لهم منكمُ يوماً وما لكمُ

وما لهم منكمُ يوماً وما لكمُ

منهم سوى ما قضاه اللّه والوطن

منهم سوى ما قضاه اللّه والوطن

They shall never have anything from you, nor you

They have nothing from you and you have nothing from them

From them, save what God and the homeland have decreed.

Except what God and the homeland have ordained.

لا تعتذر بالذي للناس عندهم

لا تعتذر بالذي للناس عندهم

فلست صاحب ما أدوا وما ضمنوا

فلست صاحب ما أدوا وما ضمنوا

Do not use what they owe to others as an excuse,

Do not apologize for what they think of people,

For what they have paid and guaranteed is not yours.

You are not responsible for what they did and guaranteed.

أحق بالعذر أحرار بلوتهمُ

أحق بالعذر أحرار بلوتهمُ

بكل بأس فما هانوا ولا وهنوا

بكل بأس فما هانوا ولا وهنوا

More deserving of excuse are free men you have tested

The freemen who endured the test deserve the excuse,

With every hardship, yet they were neither humbled nor weakened.

With all might—they neither disgraced nor weakened.

فإن عرفت لوادي النيل غايته

فإن عرفت لوادي النيل غايته

فكل ما أنت مبدٍ طيِّبٌ حسن

فكل ما أنت مبدٍ طيِّبٌ حسن

If, then, you acknowledge the Nile Valley's goal,

If you know the Nile valley's purpose,

All that you put forward is good and fair.

Then whatever you initiate is good and beautiful.

فما يعيش بلا حريةٍ وطنٌ

فما يعيش بلا حريةٍ وطنٌ

وهل يعيش بغير المهجة البدن

وهل يعيش بغير المهجة البدن

For no homeland lives without freedom;

No homeland can live without freedom,

And can the body live without its lifeblood?

Can a body live without its pulse?