بِاللَهِ يا نَسَماتِ النيلِ في السَحَرِ

بِاللَهِ يا نَسَماتِ النيلِ في السَحَرِ

هَل عِندَكُنَّ عَنِ الأَحبابِ مِن خَبَرِ

هَل عِندَكُنَّ عَنِ الأَحبابِ مِن خَبَرِ

By God, O breezes of the Nile in the hour before dawn,

By Allah, O breezes of the Nile at dawn

Have you any news of the loved ones?

Do you have any news of the loved ones?

عَرَفتُكُنَّ بِعَرفٍ لا أُكَيِّفُهُ

عَرَفتُكُنَّ بِعَرفٍ لا أُكَيِّفُهُ

لا في الغَوالي وَلا في النَورِ وَالزَهَرِ

لا في الغَوالي وَلا في النَورِ وَالزَهَرِ

I recognized you by a fragrance I cannot describe,

I know you with a knowledge I do not alter

Found neither in costly perfumes nor in blossoms and flowers,

Neither in darkness, nor in light and blossoms

مِن بَعضِ ما مَسَحَ الحُسنُ الوُجوهَ بِهِ

مِن بَعضِ ما مَسَحَ الحُسنُ الوُجوهَ بِهِ

بَينَ الجَبينِ وَبَينَ الفَرقِ وَالشَعَرِ

بَينَ الجَبينِ وَبَينَ الفَرقِ وَالشَعَرِ

A trace of what beauty anointed the faces with,

From some of what beauty has touched the faces with

Between the brow, the parting, and the hair.

Between the brow, the hairline, and the hair

فَهَل عَلِقتُنَّ أَثناءَ السُرى أَرَجاً

فَهَل عَلِقتُنَّ أَثناءَ السُرى أَرَجاً

مِنَ الغَدائِرِ أَو طيباً مِنَ الطُرَرِ

مِنَ الغَدائِرِ أَو طيباً مِنَ الطُرَرِ

Did you, then, catch a fragrance during your night journey

So have you caught, during your wandering, some fragrance

From the braids, or perfume from the forelocks?

From the braids, or perfume from the hairpins?

هِجتُنَّ لي لَوعَةً في القَلبِ كامِنَةً

هِجتُنَّ لي لَوعَةً في القَلبِ كامِنَةً

وَالجُرحُ إِن تَعتَرِضهُ نَسمَةٌ يَثُرِ

وَالجُرحُ إِن تَعتَرِضهُ نَسمَةٌ يَثُرِ

You stirred an anguish hidden in my heart;

You arouse in me a dormant anguish in my heart

And a wound, if touched by a breeze, flares up.

And if a breeze irritates the wound, it festers

ذَكَرتُ مِصرَ وَمَن أَهوى وَمَجلِسَنا

ذَكَرتُ مِصرَ وَمَن أَهوى وَمَجلِسَنا

عَلى الجَزيرَةِ بَينَ الجِسرِ وَالنَهَرِ

عَلى الجَزيرَةِ بَينَ الجِسرِ وَالنَهَرِ

I remembered Egypt, the one I love, and our gathering

I recalled Egypt, and whom I love, and our gathering

On the island, between the bridge and the river.

On the island, between bridge and river

وَاليَومُ أَشيَبُ وَالآفاقُ مُذهَبَةٌ

وَاليَومُ أَشيَبُ وَالآفاقُ مُذهَبَةٌ

وَالشَمسُ مُصفَرَةٌ تَجري لِمُنحَدَرِ

وَالشَمسُ مُصفَرَةٌ تَجري لِمُنحَدَرِ

And the day was gray-haired, and the horizons gilded,

And today I grew gray, and the horizons are faded

And the yellowing sun was running toward its descent;

And the sun grows yellowish, flowing downhill

وَالنَخلُ مُتَّشِحٌ بِالغَيمِ تَحسَبُهُ

وَالنَخلُ مُتَّشِحٌ بِالغَيمِ تَحسَبُهُ

هيفَ العَرائِسِ في بيضٍ مِنَ الأَزُرِ

هيفَ العَرائِسِ في بيضٍ مِنَ الأَزُرِ

And the palms were mantled in cloud; you would have thought them

And the palms are clad in clouds, you'd think them

Slender-waisted brides in white wraps.

Brides in dresses of blue

وَما شَجانِيَ إِلّا صَوتُ ساقِيَةٍ

وَما شَجانِيَ إِلّا صَوتُ ساقِيَةٍ

تَستَقبِلُ اللَيلَ بَينَ النَوحِ وَالعَبَرِ

تَستَقبِلُ اللَيلَ بَينَ النَوحِ وَالعَبَرِ

And nothing saddened me but a waterwheel's voice,

And nothing saddened me except the sound of a waterwheel

Greeting the night amid lamentation and tears.

Greeting the night with lament and tears

لَم يَترُكِ الوَجدُ مِنها غَيرَ أَضلُعِها

لَم يَترُكِ الوَجدُ مِنها غَيرَ أَضلُعِها

وَغَيرَ دَمعٍ كَصَوبِ الغَيثِ مُنهَمِرِ

وَغَيرَ دَمعٍ كَصَوبِ الغَيثِ مُنهَمِرِ

Longing had left nothing of it but its ribs,

Passion left of it only its ribs

And tears streaming like a downpour of rain.

And tears like rain pouring heavily

بَخيلَةٌ بِمَآقيها فَلَو سُئِلَت

بَخيلَةٌ بِمَآقيها فَلَو سُئِلَت

جَفناً يُعينُ أَخا الأَشواقِ لَم تُعِرِ

جَفناً يُعينُ أَخا الأَشواقِ لَم تُعِرِ

Miserly with its eyes—if it were asked

Stingy with her water, if asked

For an eyelid to aid a man of longing, it would not lend one.

To help a brother of longing, she would not consent

في لَيلَةٍ مِن لَيالي الدَهرِ طَيِّبَةٍ

في لَيلَةٍ مِن لَيالي الدَهرِ طَيِّبَةٍ

مَحا بِها كُلَّ ذَنبٍ غَيرِ مُغتَفَرِ

مَحا بِها كُلَّ ذَنبٍ غَيرِ مُغتَفَرِ

On a pleasant night among the nights of time,

On a night of the days of time, blessed

Through which every unforgiven sin was erased.

Erasing all sin except the unforgiven

عَفَّت وَعَفَّ الهَوى فيها وَفازَ بِها

عَفَّت وَعَفَّ الهَوى فيها وَفازَ بِها

عَفُّ الإِشارَةِ وَالأَلفاظِ وَالنَظَرِ

عَفُّ الإِشارَةِ وَالأَلفاظِ وَالنَظَرِ

It was chaste, and love within it was chaste; it was won

She was chaste, and passion in it was chaste, and was won by

By one chaste in gesture, words, and gaze.

The chastity of hints, words, and glances

بِتنا وَباتَت حَناناً حَولَنا وَرِضاً

بِتنا وَباتَت حَناناً حَولَنا وَرِضاً

ثَلاثَةٌ بَينَ سَمعِ الحُبِّ وَالبَصَرِ

ثَلاثَةٌ بَينَ سَمعِ الحُبِّ وَالبَصَرِ

We spent the night, and it lingered around us as tenderness and contentment—

She stayed and stayed tenderly about us and pleased

Three, within love's hearing and sight.

Three between hearing of love and sight

لا أَكذِبُ اللَهَ كانَ النَجمُ رابِعَنا

لا أَكذِبُ اللَهَ كانَ النَجمُ رابِعَنا

لَو يُذكَرُ النَجمُ بَعدَ البَدرِ في خَبَرِ

لَو يُذكَرُ النَجمُ بَعدَ البَدرِ في خَبَرِ

I do not lie to God: the star was our fourth,

By Allah, the star was our fourth

If the star may be mentioned after the full moon in a tale.

Had the star been mentioned after the moon in the story

وَأَنصَفَتنا فَظُلمٌ أَن تُجازِيَها

وَأَنصَفَتنا فَظُلمٌ أَن تُجازِيَها

شَكوى مِنَ الطولِ أَو شَكوى مِنَ القِصَرِ

شَكوى مِنَ الطولِ أَو شَكوى مِنَ القِصَرِ

And it treated us fairly, so it would be unjust to repay it

And she was fair to us, so it's unfair to reprimand her

With a complaint of length or a complaint of brevity.

For being too long or too brief

دَع بَعدَ ريقَةِ مَن تَهوى وَمَنطِقِهِ

دَع بَعدَ ريقَةِ مَن تَهوى وَمَنطِقِهِ

ما قيلَ في الكَأسِ أَو ما قيلَ في الوَتَرِ

ما قيلَ في الكَأسِ أَو ما قيلَ في الوَتَرِ

After the saliva and speech of the one you love, forget

Leave after the saliva of one you love and his words

What was said of the cup, or what was said of the string.

What's said of the wineglass or what's said of the lute strings

وَلا تُبالِ بِكِنزٍ بَعدَ مَبسِمِهِ

وَلا تُبالِ بِكِنزٍ بَعدَ مَبسِمِهِ

أَغلى اليَواقيتُ ما أُعطيتَ وَالدُرَرِ

أَغلى اليَواقيتُ ما أُعطيتَ وَالدُرَرِ

And care nothing for treasure after his smiling mouth;

And don't mind a treasure after its smile

What you were given is the most precious of rubies and pearls.

The most precious jewels are those you were given as gifts

وَلَم يَرُعني إِلّا قَولُ عاذِلَةٍ

وَلَم يَرُعني إِلّا قَولُ عاذِلَةٍ

ما بالُ أَحمَدَ لَم يَحلُم وَلَم يَقِرِ

ما بالُ أَحمَدَ لَم يَحلُم وَلَم يَقِرِ

And nothing startled me but the words of a reproving woman:

And nothing kept me in check except the words of a critic

“What is the matter with Ahmad? He has neither grown wise nor settled down.

"What's with Ahmad, no composure and no settling?"

هَلّا تَرَفَّعَ عَن لَهوٍ وَعَن لَعِبٍ

هَلّا تَرَفَّعَ عَن لَهوٍ وَعَن لَعِبٍ

إِنَّ الصَغائِرَ تُغري النَفسَ بِالصَغَرِ

إِنَّ الصَغائِرَ تُغري النَفسَ بِالصَغَرِ

Why has he not risen above amusement and play?

Why not rise above foolishness and play

Indeed, trifles lure the soul into pettiness.”

Small things entice the soul into smallness

فَقُلتُ لِلمَجدِ أَشعاري مُسَيَّرَةً

فَقُلتُ لِلمَجدِ أَشعاري مُسَيَّرَةً

وَفي غَواني العُلا لا في المَها وَطَري

وَفي غَواني العُلا لا في المَها وَطَري

So I said: “My poems are sent forth toward glory,

So I said to glory my poems are led

And in the fair maidens of lofty glory, not the oryx, lies my desire.”

And in my madness is loftiness, not baseness or flightiness

مِصرُ العَزيزَةُ ما لي لا أُوَدِّعُها

مِصرُ العَزيزَةُ ما لي لا أُوَدِّعُها

وَداعَ مُحتَفِظٍ بِالعَهدِ مُدَّكِرِ

وَداعَ مُحتَفِظٍ بِالعَهدِ مُدَّكِرِ

Beloved Egypt—why should I not bid her farewell

Precious Egypt, why can't I bid her farewell

With the farewell of one who keeps the pledge and remembers it?

A farewell preserving the pact, reminding

خَلَّفتُ فيها القَطا ما بَينَ ذي زَغَبٍ

خَلَّفتُ فيها القَطا ما بَينَ ذي زَغَبٍ

وَذي تَمائِمَ لَم يَنهَض وَلَم يَطِرِ

وَذي تَمائِمَ لَم يَنهَض وَلَم يَطِرِ

I left the sandgrouse in her—some still downy,

I left in her the kittens between Zaghrab

And some wearing amulets, who had neither risen nor flown.

And amulets, never to rise or take flight

أَسلَمتُهُم لِعُيونِ اللَهِ تَحرُسُهُم

أَسلَمتُهُم لِعُيونِ اللَهِ تَحرُسُهُم

وَأَسلَموني لِظِلِّ اللَهِ في البَشَرِ

وَأَسلَموني لِظِلِّ اللَهِ في البَشَرِ

I entrusted them to God's eyes, which guard them,

I entrusted them to God's eyes to guard them

And they entrusted me to God's shadow among humankind.

And they entrusted me to God's shade among mankind