دعوتم فلبَّى كلُّ حرٍّ وأقدما

دعوتم فلبَّى كلُّ حرٍّ وأقدما

وما هي إلا دعوة اللّه والحمى

وما هي إلا دعوة اللّه والحمى

You called, and every free man answered and advanced.

You called and every free man responded,

It is nothing but the call of God and the homeland.

It was nothing but Allah's call and zeal.

فيا رسل التوفيقِ والخلفُ هائلٌ

فيا رسل التوفيقِ والخلفُ هائلٌ

يكاد يرد الواديين جهنما

يكاد يرد الواديين جهنما

So, O envoys of concord, discord is dreadful,

O messengers of accord, losses loom ahead,

nearly turning the two valleys into Hell.

Almost returning the two valleys into hell.

تعالوا رفاقاً أوفياء أعزة

تعالوا رفاقاً أوفياء أعزة

إلى غاية أضحت من الحج أقوما

إلى غاية أضحت من الحج أقوما

Come as loyal, noble companions,

Come loyal, dear friends

toward a goal now more righteous than the pilgrimage.

To a goal made more pious than Hajj.

خذوا الحزم في أمر تكبد مثله

خذوا الحزم في أمر تكبد مثله

نبيُّكُمُ في قومه وتجشما

نبيُّكُمُ في قومه وتجشما

Be resolute in a task the like of which

Take resolve in a matter your prophet

your Prophet endured among his people, taking on its hardships.

Bore among his people with perseverance.

وإن الحكيم الباذل النصح مخلصاً

وإن الحكيم الباذل النصح مخلصاً

لأفضل ممن يبذل المال والدما

لأفضل ممن يبذل المال والدما

And indeed, the wise man who sincerely offers counsel

The wise counselor sincerely offering advice

is surely better than one who offers wealth and blood.

Is better than one giving wealth and blood.

بصدري من الأحزاب ما لو كتمتُه

بصدري من الأحزاب ما لو كتمتُه

عصاني وما لو قلته كان مؤلما

عصاني وما لو قلته كان مؤلما

In my breast is something about the parties that, if I concealed it,

My chest hides from the factions what if concealed

would defy me, and something that, if I spoke it, would cause pain.

Would disobey me, and if said, would hurt.

إذا فرقتْ بين الشقيقين فتنةٌ

إذا فرقتْ بين الشقيقين فتنةٌ

عضال فويل الأم والأب منهما

عضال فويل الأم والأب منهما

If strife divides two brothers,

When discord separates two brothers,

strife hard to cure—woe to their mother and father because of them!

Woe to their mother and father from them.

وما الخل آذى الخل إلا كحارس

وما الخل آذى الخل إلا كحارس

إلى الخصم أفضى بالذمام وسلَّما

إلى الخصم أفضى بالذمام وسلَّما

A friend who harms his friend is only like a guard

Vinegar harms not vinegar, but like a guard

who gives his charge to the enemy and surrenders it.

Who betrayed his opponent and surrendered the fort.

أتحمل نفس في البلاد ضغينةً

أتحمل نفس في البلاد ضغينةً

لمن بات صبّاً بالبلاد متيما

لمن بات صبّاً بالبلاد متيما

Can any soul in the land harbor rancor

Does a soul in the country harbor resentment

toward one who has become enamored of the land, enslaved by love?

To one who spent his youth there generously?

وترضى عن الأحزاب مصر وما رأت

وترضى عن الأحزاب مصر وما رأت

بها صائحاً إلا ليدرك مغنما

بها صائحاً إلا ليدرك مغنما

And can Egypt be pleased with the parties, when she has seen

And be content with the factions, while Egypt saw

no one crying out within her except to secure some gain?

No one crying out except to gain spoils.

وأي جزاء يستحق مجاهد

وأي جزاء يستحق مجاهد

إذا صنع المعروف فيها ليحكما

إذا صنع المعروف فيها ليحكما

And what reward does one who strives deserve

What reward deserves a fighter

if he does good within her only so that he may rule?

If he does good, so he may rule there?

وكم قائل من أهل مصر وعامل

وكم قائل من أهل مصر وعامل

ولم أر حرّاً نزه اليد والفما

ولم أر حرّاً نزه اليد والفما

And how many speakers and workers there are among Egypt's people!

How many speakers of Egypt's people and workers

Yet I have seen no free man untainted in hand and mouth.

Have I not seen with hands and mouths pure?

وهل سلمت من أهلها مصر ليلة

وهل سلمت من أهلها مصر ليلة

فتنجوَ من بطش الغريب وتسلما

فتنجوَ من بطش الغريب وتسلما

And has Egypt been safe from her own people for a single night,

Did Egypt rest safe from its people a night

that she might escape the foreigner's brutality and be safe?

To escape the grip of the foreigner and be secure?

تفرق شملُ العاملين ومن لهم

تفرق شملُ العاملين ومن لهم

بمن يجمع الشمل البعيد المقسما

بمن يجمع الشمل البعيد المقسما

The ranks of those who strive have scattered; who can provide them

The unity of the workers is split, and for them

with someone to reunite their far-flung, divided ranks?

One who can unite the distant, divided whole.

إذا اعترضت ركباً وصدته أزمة

إذا اعترضت ركباً وصدته أزمة

فأولى بركب غيره أن يُتَمِّما

فأولى بركب غيره أن يُتَمِّما

If a crisis blocks a caravan and holds it back,

If you intercept a caravan and it meets distress,

then another caravan should all the more see it through.

It is best for another caravan to complete it.

أرى سبب استقلالكم جمع شملكم

أرى سبب استقلالكم جمع شملكم

إلى ملك فيكم أبر وأرحما

إلى ملك فيكم أبر وأرحما

I see the means to your independence in uniting your ranks

I see the cause of your independence is the unity of your ranks

around a king most benevolent and merciful toward you.

To a king among you, more dutiful and merciful.

أقام على الأعداء حجة شعبه

أقام على الأعداء حجة شعبه

فكانت على الأعداء جيشاً عرمرما

فكانت على الأعداء جيشاً عرمرما

He established his people's case against the enemies,

He established for the enemies the case of his people,

so it became a vast army against those enemies.

And it became against the enemies a torrential army.

وليس وفاء النيل إلا سجيةً

وليس وفاء النيل إلا سجيةً

تناولها من رفقة وتعلما

تناولها من رفقة وتعلما

And the Nile's faithfulness is nothing but a trait

The Nile's flooding is but a trait,

it acquired and learned through companionship.

Which he acquired through companionship and learning.

أمنّا وقد حاط الرعية عدله

أمنّا وقد حاط الرعية عدله

صروف الليالي أن تجور وتظلما

صروف الليالي أن تجور وتظلما

We are secure, his justice having sheltered his subjects,

Do you feel safe while his justice surrounds the masses,

against the turns of the nights, should they oppress and do us wrong.

The nights' passages that they would tyrannize and wrong?

خذوا من أياديه ضمان مصيركم

خذوا من أياديه ضمان مصيركم

كما اخترتمُ في العالمين معظما

كما اخترتمُ في العالمين معظما

Take from his favors a guarantee of your destiny,

Take from his hands the guarantee of your fate,

as you have chosen one revered among all peoples.

As you have chosen the greatest in both worlds.

أليس عليٌّ واهب الملك حقه

أليس عليٌّ واهب الملك حقه

وقوته فيما أنال وأنعما

وقوته فيما أنال وأنعما

Is not Ali the one who gave kingship its due

Is not Ali the rightful owner of the kingdom

and its strength through what he bestowed and granted?

While his strength is in what he attained and bestowed?

عرفنا الذي ينوي الغريم وحسبكم

عرفنا الذي ينوي الغريم وحسبكم

محاذرة مما نوى ما تقدما

محاذرة مما نوى ما تقدما

We know what the adversary intends; sufficient for you,

We recognized what the enemy intends, and it suffices you

as warning against his designs, is what has gone before.

To be wary of what he planned to put forth.

إذا ائتلف الوادي جعلتم شروطكم

إذا ائتلف الوادي جعلتم شروطكم

على الخصم للوادي قضاء محتما

على الخصم للوادي قضاء محتما

If the valley unites, you will make your terms

If the valley was allied, you made your conditions

a binding decree upon the adversary in the valley's favor.

Upon the opponent, a compulsory judgment for the valley.

كفى شرفاً أني ابن حَيِّكُمُ الذي

كفى شرفاً أني ابن حَيِّكُمُ الذي

تقرب بالنجوى إلى الحي وانتمى

تقرب بالنجوى إلى الحي وانتمى

It is honor enough that I am a son of your clan, one who

It is honor enough that I am the son of your protector

drew near to the clan in private counsel and affirmed his kinship.

Who approached the alive with whispers and sought kinship.

توسم فيكم كل خير وصدقت

توسم فيكم كل خير وصدقت

فراسته الأيام فيما توسما

فراسته الأيام فيما توسما

He discerned every good in you, and borne out

He foresaw all good in you and his insight

by the days was his insight in all that he had discerned.

Into the days has proven true in what it foresaw.