ما جال في خاطري أنّي سأرثيها

ما جال في خاطري أنّي سأرثيها

بعد الذي صُغتُ من أشجى أغانيها

بعد الذي صُغتُ من أشجى أغانيها

It never crossed my mind that I would elegize her,

I never thought that I would eulogize her

After composing some of her most poignant songs.

After I was composed from her most woeful songs

قد كنتُ أسمعها تشدو فتُطربني

قد كنتُ أسمعها تشدو فتُطربني

واليومَ أسمعني أبكي وأبكيها

واليومَ أسمعني أبكي وأبكيها

I used to hear her sing, and she would enrapture me;

I used to hear her sing, so I was delighted

And today I hear myself weeping, and mourn her.

And today I hear myself crying and bewailing her

صحبتُها من ضحى عمري وعشتُ لها

صحبتُها من ضحى عمري وعشتُ لها

أدفُّ شهدَ المعاني ثمّ أهديها

أدفُّ شهدَ المعاني ثمّ أهديها

I kept her company from the morning of my life, and lived for her,

I accompanied her from the dawn of my life and lived for her

Blending the honey of meanings, then offering her

To pour the honey of meanings and then dedicate them to her

سُلافةً من جنى فكري وعاطفتي

سُلافةً من جنى فكري وعاطفتي

تُديرها حول أرواحٍ تُناجيها

تُديرها حول أرواحٍ تُناجيها

Choice wine from the harvest of my thought and feeling,

A charm from the harvest of my mind and emotions

Which she passed among souls with whom she communed,

That circulates around souls confiding in her

لحناً يدبُّ إلى الأسماع يَبْهَرُها

لحناً يدبُّ إلى الأسماع يَبْهَرُها

بما حوى من جمالٍ في تغنيّها

بما حوى من جمالٍ في تغنيّها

As a melody that creeps into ears and dazzles them

A melody that creeps into ears, dazzling them

With the beauty it holds in her singing,

With the beauty it contains in its singing

ومنطقاً ساحراً تسري هواتفُهُ

ومنطقاً ساحراً تسري هواتفُهُ

إلى قلوب مُحبّيها فتَسبيها

إلى قلوب مُحبّيها فتَسبيها

And as enchanting speech whose calls flow

And an enchanting eloquence, its whispers

Into the hearts of her admirers and captivate them.

Flow to the hearts of those who love her, captivating them

وبي من الشَّجْوِ.. من تغريد ملهمتي   

وبي من الشَّجْوِ.. من تغريد ملهمتي

ما قد نسيتُ بهِ الدنيا وما فيها

ما قد نسيتُ بهِ الدنيا وما فيها

And my muse's warbling fills me with such yearning

And I have from the passion.. from my inspiration's singing

That through it I have forgotten the world and all it holds.

What made me forget the world and all that is in it

وما ظننْتُ وأحلامي تُسامرني

وما ظننْتُ وأحلامي تُسامرني

أنّي سأسهر في ذكرى لياليها

أنّي سأسهر في ذكرى لياليها

And I never thought, while my dreams kept me company by night,

And I never imagined, as my dreams conversed with me

That I would lie awake remembering her nights.

That I would stay up late in memory of her nights

يا دُرّةَ الفنِّ.. يا أبهى لآلئهِ

يا دُرّةَ الفنِّ.. يا أبهى لآلئهِ

سبحان ربّي بديعِ الكونِ باريها

سبحان ربّي بديعِ الكونِ باريها

O pearl of art, O most radiant of its pearls!

O pearl of art.. O most splendid of its pearls

Glory to my Lord, the universe's Originator, her Maker.

Glory to my Lord, Originator of the universe, its Maker

مهما أراد بياني أنْ يُصوّرها

مهما أراد بياني أنْ يُصوّرها

لا يستطيع لها وصفاً وتشبيها

لا يستطيع لها وصفاً وتشبيها

However much my eloquence seeks to portray her,

No matter how my eloquence wishes to depict her

It cannot describe her or find a likeness for her.

It cannot sufficiently describe and compare her

فريدةٌ من عطاياهُ يجود بها

فريدةٌ من عطاياهُ يجود بها

على براياه ترويحاً وترفيها

على براياه ترويحاً وترفيها

A peerless gift among His gifts, which He bestows

She is uniquely among His gifts that He generously bestows

Upon His creatures for solace and delight,

Upon His wilds, for their comfort and amusement

وآيةٌ من لُدُنْهُ لا يمنُّ بها

وآيةٌ من لُدُنْهُ لا يمنُّ بها

إلا على نادرٍ منْ مُستحقّيها

إلا على نادرٍ منْ مُستحقّيها

And a wonder from Him, which He grants

And a sign from Him, believed in only

Only upon a rare soul among those worthy of it.

By the rare ones among those deserving of her

صوتٌ بعيدُ المدى.. ريَّا مناهلهُ

صوتٌ بعيدُ المدى.. ريَّا مناهلهُ

به من النبرات الغرِّ صافيها

به من النبرات الغرِّ صافيها

A voice of far-reaching range, its wellsprings brimming;

A far-reaching voice.. its springs overflowing

Within it are pure, radiant tones.

With the pure, strange melodies within it

وآهةٌ من صميم القلبِ تُرسلها

وآهةٌ من صميم القلبِ تُرسلها

إلى جراحِ ذوي الشكوى فتشفيها

إلى جراحِ ذوي الشكوى فتشفيها

And a sigh she sends from the depths of her heart

And a sigh from the heart's core that she sends

To the wounds of those who suffer, healing them.

To the wounds of those who complain, healing them

وفطنةٌ لمعاني ما تردّدهُ

وفطنةٌ لمعاني ما تردّدهُ

تجلو بترنيمها أسرارَ خافيها

تجلو بترنيمها أسرارَ خافيها

And insight into the meanings of what she recites:

And a discernment for the meanings she repeats

Through her singing, she unveils their hidden secrets.

That illuminate their mysteries with her singing

تشدو فتَسمع نجوى روحِ قائلها

تشدو فتَسمع نجوى روحِ قائلها

وتستبينُ جمالَ اللحنِ من فِيها

وتستبينُ جمالَ اللحنِ من فِيها

She sings, and you hear the intimate whisper of the poet's soul,

She sings, so you hear the whisper of her soul's speaker

And discern the beauty of the melody from her mouth.

And you perceive the beauty of the melody from within her

كأنما جَمعتْ إبداعَ ناظمها

كأنما جَمعتْ إبداعَ ناظمها

شِعراً وواضعِها لحناً لشاديها

شِعراً وواضعِها لحناً لشاديها

As though she brought together the lyricist's artistry

As if she combined the creativity of her composer

In verse, and the composer's in melody, for the singer.

In poetry and melody for her chanter

يا بنتَ مصرٍ ويا رمزَ الوفاء لها

يا بنتَ مصرٍ ويا رمزَ الوفاء لها

قدّمتِ أغلى الذي يُهدَى لواديها

قدّمتِ أغلى الذي يُهدَى لواديها

O daughter of Egypt, and O symbol of loyalty to her,

O daughter of Egypt, symbol of loyalty to it

You offered the most precious gift bestowed upon her valley.

You gave it the most precious gift that can be given to its valleys

كنتِ الأنيسَ لها.. أيّامَ بهجتها

كنتِ الأنيسَ لها.. أيّامَ بهجتها

وكنتِ أصدقَ باكٍ.. في مآسيها

وكنتِ أصدقَ باكٍ.. في مآسيها

You were her companion in the days of her joy,

You were its companion.. in the days of its bliss

And you were the sincerest mourner in her tragedies.

And you were its most truthful weeper.. in its tragedies

أخذتِ منذ الصِّبا تطوينَ شقَّتَها   

أخذتِ منذ الصِّبا تطوينَ شقَّتَها

وتبعثين الشَّجا في روح أهليها

وتبعثين الشَّجا في روح أهليها

From childhood you began traversing her expanse,

You have, since childhood, shouldered its burdens

And stirring yearning in the soul of her people,

And sent agony into the souls of its people

حتى رفعتِ على أرجائها عَلَماً

حتى رفعتِ على أرجائها عَلَماً

يرفُّ باسمكِ في أعلى روابيها

يرفُّ باسمكِ في أعلى روابيها

Until you raised a banner over her lands,

Until you raised over its horizons a flag

Fluttering in your name upon her highest hills.

That flutters with your name at its highest minarets

وحين أَحدَقَ بالأرضِ التي نَشَرتْ   

وحين أَحدَقَ بالأرضِ التي نَشَرتْ

عليكِ أفياءها شرٌّ يُعنّيها

عليكِ أفياءها شرٌّ يُعنّيها

And when there closed around the land that had spread

And when evil that concerned it loomed over the land

Its shades over you an evil that tormented her,

That bestowed its kindness upon you

أهبتِ بالشعبِ أنْ يسعى لنجدتها

أهبتِ بالشعبِ أنْ يسعى لنجدتها

بالمال والجهد.. إحياءً لماضيها

بالمال والجهد.. إحياءً لماضيها

You called upon the people to strive to rescue her,

You called on the people to strive for its salvation

With money and effort, to revive her past.

With wealth and effort.. restoring its past

وطُفْتِ بالعُرْبِ تبغين النصيرَ لها

وطُفْتِ بالعُرْبِ تبغين النصيرَ لها

والمستعانَ على إقصاء عاديها

والمستعانَ على إقصاء عاديها

And you traveled among the Arabs, seeking a supporter for her,

And you toured the Arabs seeking aid for it

And aid in driving her aggressor away.

And help against banishing its enemies

حتى إذا صدقتْ في العون همّتُهم

حتى إذا صدقتْ في العون همّتُهم

وجاءها النصرُ وانجابتْ غواشيها

وجاءها النصرُ وانجابتْ غواشيها

Until, when their resolve to help proved true,

Until, when their determination for support was sincere

And victory came to her, and the veils over her lifted,

And it was granted victory and its darkness receded

عاد الصفاء لها وارتاح خاطرها

عاد الصفاء لها وارتاح خاطرها

بعد القضاءِ على ما كان يُضنيها

بعد القضاءِ على ما كان يُضنيها

Serenity returned to her, and her mind found rest,

Serenity returned to it and its conscience was comforted

After an end was put to what had worn her down.

After overcoming what had distressed it

وأقبل الغربُ يسعى في مودّتها

وأقبل الغربُ يسعى في مودّتها

لما رأى من طموحٍ في أمانيها

لما رأى من طموحٍ في أمانيها

And the West came seeking her friendship,

And the West began pursuing its friendship

For the ambition it saw in her aspirations.

When it saw the ambition in its wishes

يا من أسِيتُم عليها بعد غيبتها

يا من أسِيتُم عليها بعد غيبتها

لا تجزعوا فلها ذِكرٌ سيُبقيها

لا تجزعوا فلها ذِكرٌ سيُبقيها

O you who grieved for her after her departure,

O you who reproached it after its absence

Do not be distraught, for her memory will keep her alive.

Do not despair, for it has a memory that will perpetuate it

وكيف تُنسى؟ وهذا صوتُها غَرِدٌ

وكيف تُنسى؟ وهذا صوتُها غَرِدٌ

يرنُّ في مسمع الدنيا ويُشجيها

يرنُّ في مسمع الدنيا ويُشجيها

And how can she be forgotten? Here is her melodious voice,

And how can it be forgotten? When this is its voice warbling,

Ringing in the world's ear and stirring its sorrow.

Resonating in the hearing of the world and moving it

أضفى إلهي عليها ظِلَّ رحمتهِ

أضفى إلهي عليها ظِلَّ رحمتهِ

وظَلَّ من منهل الرضوانِ يسقيها

وظَلَّ من منهل الرضوانِ يسقيها

My God has spread over her the shade of His mercy,

My God, bestow on it the shade of Your mercy

And has kept giving her drink from the spring of His favor.

And the shade of the spring of bliss that waters it

تبلى العظامُ وتبقى الروحُ خالدةً

تبلى العظامُ وتبقى الروحُ خالدةً

حتى تُردَّ إليها يومَ يُحييها

حتى تُردَّ إليها يومَ يُحييها

The bones decay, but the soul remains immortal,

Bones decay but the soul remains immortal

Until it is returned to them on the day He brings them to life.

Until it returns to her the day He brings her to life