جَعَلتُI made حُلاهاher adornments وَتِمثالَهاand her statue
جَعَلتُ حُلاها وَتِمثالَها
عُيونَthe gems القَوافيof rhyme وَأَمثالَهاand its proverbs
عُيونَ القَوافي وَأَمثالَها
I made her adornments and her statue
I made its necklaces and its statues
The gems of rhyme and its proverbs.
The eyes of rhymes and their examples
وَأَرسَلتُهاand I sent her فيinto سَماءِthe sky الخَيالِof imagination
وَأَرسَلتُها في سَماءِ الخَيالِ
تَجُرُّshe trails عَلىover النَجمِthe stars أَذيالَهاher trailing skirts
تَجُرُّ عَلى النَجمِ أَذيالَها
And sent her into the sky of imagination,
And I sent it into the sky of imagination
Trailing her skirts over the stars.
Dragging its train upon the stars
وَإِنّيand indeed I لِغِرّيدُsurely a songbird هَذيthese البِطاحِplains
وَإِنّي لِغِرّيدُ هَذي البِطاحِ
تَغَذّىfed on جَناهاtheir fruit وَسَلسالَهاand their clear water
تَغَذّى جَناها وَسَلسالَها
Indeed, I am the songbird of these plains,
And I chirp this plain
Fed on their fruit and their limpid water.
Its branches grew and its chains jingled
تَرىyou see مِصرَEgypt كَعبَةَthe Kaaba أَشعارِهِof his poems
تَرى مِصرَ كَعبَةَ أَشعارِهِ
وَكُلِّand every مُعَلَّقَةٍode قالَهاhe composed it
وَكُلِّ مُعَلَّقَةٍ قالَها
You see Egypt as the Kaaba of his poems,
You see Egypt like the Kaaba of poetry
And of every ode he has composed.
And every suspended piece said it
وَتَلمَحُand you glimpse بَينَamong بُيوتِthe houses القَصيدof verse
وَتَلمَحُ بَينَ بُيوتِ القَصيد
حِجالَcurtained chambers العَروسِof the bride وَأَحجالَهاand her anklets
حِجالَ العَروسِ وَأَحجالَها
And glimpse among the houses of verse
And you glimpse between the houses of poetry
The bride's curtained chambers and her anklets.
The ornaments of the bride and her anklets
أَدارَhe directed النَسيبَlove poetry إِلىtoward حُبِّهاlove of her
أَدارَ النَسيبَ إِلى حُبِّها
وَوَلّىand directed المَدائِحَpraises إِجلالَهاto honoring her
وَوَلّى المَدائِحَ إِجلالَها
He turned his love verses toward love of her,
Al-Nasib turned to his love for her
And devoted his praises to honoring her.
And the eulogies turned to her majesty
أَرَنَّsang aloud بِغابِرِهاof her past العَبقَرِيُّthe genius
أَرَنَّ بِغابِرِها العَبقَرِيُّ
وَغَنّىand sang بِمِثلِin something like البُكاweeping حالَهاher plight
وَغَنّى بِمِثلِ البُكا حالَها
The genius sang aloud of her past,
Al-Abkariyy sang of her past glory
And sang of her plight in tones like weeping.
And sang the likes of crying her state
وَيَرويand he recounts الوَقائِعَbattles فيin شِعرِهِhis poetry
وَيَروي الوَقائِعَ في شِعرِهِ
يَروضُhe trains عَلىin البَأسِvalor أَطفالَهاher children
يَروضُ عَلى البَأسِ أَطفالَها
He recounts battles in his poetry,
And he recounts events in his poetry
Training her children in valor.
Training cubs on valor its lads
وَماand not لَمَحواthey glimpsed بَعدُyet ماءَthe sheen السُيوفof swords
وَما لَمَحوا بَعدُ ماءَ السُيوف
فَماso what ضَرَّharm لَوif لَمَحواthey glimpsed آلَهاtheir mirage
فَما ضَرَّ لَو لَمَحوا آلَها
They have not yet glimpsed the sheen of swords;
And they have not yet seen the water of swords
What harm, then, if they glimpse their mirage?
So no harm if they saw its kin
وَيَومٍand a day ظَليلِshaded الضُحىin the forenoon مِنin بَشنَسَBashans
وَيَومٍ ظَليلِ الضُحى مِن بَشنَسَ
أَفاءَrestored عَلىto مِصرَEgypt آمالَهاher hopes
أَفاءَ عَلى مِصرَ آمالَها
And a day in Bashans, its forenoon shaded,
And a day with shaded forenoon from Bashenas
Restored to Egypt her hopes.
Brought over Egypt its hopes
رَوىspoke ظُلُّهُits shade عَنof شَبابِthe youth الزَمانِof time
رَوى ظُلُّهُ عَن شَبابِ الزَمانِ
رَفيفَfluttering الحَواشيfringes وَإِخضالَهاand their dewy freshness
رَفيفَ الحَواشي وَإِخضالَها
Its shade spoke of the youth of time,
Its shade narrated of the youth of time
With fluttering fringes and their dewy freshness.
The rustling of margins and their bending
مَشَتwalked مِصرُEgypt فيهِthrough it تُعيدُbringing back العُصورَthe ages
مَشَت مِصرُ فيهِ تُعيدُ العُصورَ
وَيَغمُرُand floods ذِكرُthe memory الصِباof youth بالَهاher mind
وَيَغمُرُ ذِكرُ الصِبا بالَها
Egypt walked through it, bringing the ages back,
Egypt walked in it, retracing eras
While memories of youth flooded her mind.
And the mention of youth overwhelms its mindlessness
وَتَعرِضُand she displays فيat المِهرَجانِthe festival العَظيمِgrand
وَتَعرِضُ في المِهرَجانِ العَظيمِ
ضُحاهاher forenoons الخَواليbygone وَآصالَهاand her evenings
ضُحاها الخَوالي وَآصالَها
And displayed at the grand festival
And it displays in the grand festival
Her bygone mornings and her evenings.
Its ornaments the diadems and its finery
وَأَقبَلَand approached رَمسيسُRamses جَمَّabundant in الجَلالِmajesty
وَأَقبَلَ رَمسيسُ جَمَّ الجَلالِ
سَنِيَّsplendid المَواكِبِin processions مُختالَهاstrutting amid them
سَنِيَّ المَواكِبِ مُختالَها
And Ramses approached, full of majesty,
And Ramses of perfect majesty came
Splendid in his processions, strutting amid them.
Ancient of processions pretentiously walking
وَماand not دانَhe ruled إِلّاexcept بِشورىby consultation الأُمورِin affairs
وَما دانَ إِلّا بِشورى الأُمورِ
وَلاand not اِختالَhe swaggered كِبراًin arrogance وَلاnor اِستالَهاusurped them
وَلا اِختالَ كِبراً وَلا اِستالَها
He governed only by consultation in affairs,
And he did not rule except by the council of affairs
Nor swaggered in arrogance or usurped power.
Nor was arrogant nor haughtily ruled
فَحَيّاthen he greeted بِأَبلَجَwith a radiant face مِثلِlike الصِباحِthe morning
فَحَيّا بِأَبلَجَ مِثلِ الصِباحِ
وُجوهَthe dignitaries البِلادِof the country وَأَرسالَهاand its throngs
وُجوهَ البِلادِ وَأَرسالَها
Then, with a radiant face like morning, he greeted
So he greeted in most eloquent
The country's dignitaries and its throngs.
The faces of the countries and their messengers
وَأَوماand he gestured إِلىtoward ظُلُماتِthe darkness القُرونِof the centuries
وَأَوما إِلى ظُلُماتِ القُرونِ
فَشَقَّthen he tore عَنِaway from الفَنِّart أَسدالَهاtheir curtains
فَشَقَّ عَنِ الفَنِّ أَسدالَها
And gestured toward the darkness of the centuries,
And he plunged into the darkness of centuries
Then tore their curtains away from art.
Ripping for art its concealments
فَمَنwho then يُبلِغُbrings word to الكَرنَكَKarnak الأَقصُرِيَّof Luxor
فَمَن يُبلِغُ الكَرنَكَ الأَقصُرِيَّ
وَيُنبِئُand informs طَيبَةَThebes أَطلالَهاits ruins
وَيُنبِئُ طَيبَةَ أَطلالَها
Who, then, will bring word to Karnak of Luxor,
So who can reach El Karnak the Luxorian
And inform the ruins of Thebes,
And inform Thebes its ruins
وَيُسمِعُand makes hear ثَمَّthere بِواديin the Valley المُلوكِof the Kings
وَيُسمِعُ ثَمَّ بِوادي المُلوكِ
مُلوكَthe kings الدِيارِof the land وَأَقيالَهاand its princes
مُلوكَ الدِيارِ وَأَقيالَها
And give word there, in the Valley of the Kings, to
And make hear then in the Valley of the Kings
The kings of the land and its princes,
The kings of the abode and their pyramids
وَكُلَّand every مُخَلَّدَةٍimmortalized figure فيamong الدُمىthe statues
وَكُلَّ مُخَلَّدَةٍ في الدُمى
هُنالِكَthere لَمnot نُحصِwe have reckoned أَحوالَهاits aspects
هُنالِكَ لَم نُحصِ أَحوالَها
And every immortalized figure among the statues
And all immortalized in the mounds
There, whose aspects we have not fully reckoned?
There we did not enumerate their conditions
عَلَيهاupon it مِنَfrom الوَحيِinspiration ديباجَةٌa brocade
عَلَيها مِنَ الوَحيِ ديباجَةٌ
أَلَحَّpressed hard الزَمانُtime فَماyet not اِزدالَهاstripped it away
أَلَحَّ الزَمانُ فَما اِزدالَها
Upon it lies a brocade of inspiration;
Upon them is a brocade of revelation
Time pressed hard, yet never stripped it away.
Time insisted but did not wear it away
تَكادُit almost وَإِنalthough هِيَit لَمnot تَتَّصِلhas been joined
تَكادُ وَإِن هِيَ لَم تَتَّصِل
بِروحٍto a spirit تُحَرِّكُit moves أَوصالَهاits limbs
بِروحٍ تُحَرِّكُ أَوصالَها
It almost, though it has not been joined
They almost, even if not attached
To a spirit, moves its limbs.
To a spirit that moves their joints
وَماand not الفَنُّart إِلّاexcept الصَريحُthe pure الجَميلُthe beautiful
وَما الفَنُّ إِلّا الصَريحُ الجَميلُ
إِذاwhen خالَطَit mingles with النَفسَthe soul أَوحىit inspires لَهاto it
إِذا خالَطَ النَفسَ أَوحى لَها
Art is nothing but pure beauty;
Art is only the beautiful shrine
When it mingles with the soul, it inspires it.
When it mingles with the soul it suggests to it
وَماand not هُوَit إِلّاexcept جَمالُthe beauty العُقولِof minds
وَما هُوَ إِلّا جَمالُ العُقولِ
إِذاwhen هِيَthey أَولَتهُbestow upon it إِجمالَهاtheir grace
إِذا هِيَ أَولَتهُ إِجمالَها
It is nothing but the beauty of minds,
It is only the beauty of minds
When they bestow their grace upon it.
When they dedicate to it their totality
لَقَدindeed بَعَثَrevived اللَهُGod عَهدَthe age الفُنونِof the arts
لَقَد بَعَثَ اللَهُ عَهدَ الفُنونِ
وَأَخرَجَتِand brought forth الأَرضُthe earth مَثّالَهاher sculptor
وَأَخرَجَتِ الأَرضُ مَثّالَها
God has indeed revived the age of the arts,
God sent the age of arts
And the earth has brought forth her sculptor.
And the earth brought forth its examples
تَعالَواcome نَرىlet us see كَيفَhow سَوّىhe shaped الصَفاةَthe rock
تَعالَوا نَرى كَيفَ سَوّى الصَفاةَ
فَتاةًa maiden تُلَملِمُgathering up سِربالَهاher robe
فَتاةً تُلَملِمُ سِربالَها
Come, let us see how he shaped the rock
Come let us see how he fashioned Al-Safa
Into a maiden gathering up her robe.
A girl gathering up her garb
دَنَتshe drew near مِنto أَبيFather الهَولِof Terror مَشيَwith the gait الرَؤومِof a tender mother
دَنَت مِن أَبي الهَولِ مَشيَ الرَؤومِ
إِلىtoward مُقعَدٍa cripple هاجَstirred بَلبالَهاher anguish
إِلى مُقعَدٍ هاجَ بَلبالَها
She approached the Sphinx as a tender mother walks
She approached Abu Al-Haul walking the pace of the willowy
Toward a cripple who had stirred her anguish.
To a seat raging with her thrashing
وَقَدand indeed جابَhe traversed فيin سَكَراتِthe stupors الكَرىof sleep
وَقَد جابَ في سَكَراتِ الكَرى
عُروضَthe breadths اللَياليof nights وَأَطوالَهاand their lengths
عُروضَ اللَيالي وَأَطوالَها
And he had traversed, in the stupors of sleep,
And he had traversed in the intoxications of destinies
The breadths of nights and their lengths.
The meters of nights and their lengths
وَأَلقىand laid عَلىupon الرَملِthe sand أَرواقَهُhis bulk
وَأَلقى عَلى الرَملِ أَرواقَهُ
وَأَرسىand anchored عَلىupon الأَرضِthe earth أَثقالَهاits burdens
وَأَرسى عَلى الأَرضِ أَثقالَها
And laid his bulk upon the sand,
And cast upon the sands his corridors
And anchored the earth's burdens upon it.
And anchored upon the ground their burdens
يُخالُhe is taken for لِإِطراقِهِfor his bowed head فيin الرِملِthe sand
يُخالُ لِإِطراقِهِ في الرِملِ
سَطيحَSatih العُصورِof the ages وَرَمّالَهاand their sand-diviner
سَطيحَ العُصورِ وَرَمّالَها
For his bowed head in the sand, he is taken for
He imagines for his collapse in the sands
The ages' Satih and their sand-diviner.
The downfall of eras and their sweepers
فَقالَتthen she said تَحَرَّكmove! فَهمَso it made to stir الجَمادthe lifeless form
فَقالَت تَحَرَّك فَهمَ الجَماد
كَأَنَّas though الجَمادَthe lifeless form وَعىunderstood قالَهاher words
كَأَنَّ الجَمادَ وَعى قالَها
Then she said, 'Move!' and the lifeless form made to stir,
She said, move, so the inert understood
As though it had understood her words.
As if the inert comprehended her saying
فَهَلdid she then سَكَبَتpour فيinto تَجاليدِهِhis frame
فَهَل سَكَبَت في تَجاليدِهِ
شُعاعَthe radiance الحَياةِof life وَسَيّالَهاand its flowing current
شُعاعَ الحَياةِ وَسَيّالَها
Did she then pour into his frame
Did she pour into his wrinkles
The radiance of life and its flowing current?
The rays of life and its runnels?
أَتَذكُرُdo you remember? إِذwhen غَضِبَتshe raged كَاللُباةِlike a lioness
أَتَذكُرُ إِذ غَضِبَت كَاللُباةِ
وَلَمَّتand gathered مِنَfrom الغيلِthe thicket أَشبالَهاher cubs
وَلَمَّت مِنَ الغيلِ أَشبالَها
Do you remember when she raged like a lioness
Do you remember when she raged like a lioness
And gathered her cubs from the thicket,
And whipped from the darkness her cubs?
وَأَلقَتand she cast بِهِمwith them فيinto غِمارِthe depths الخُطوبِof calamities
وَأَلقَت بِهِم في غِمارِ الخُطوبِ
فَخاضواso they plunged into الخُطوبَordeals وَأَهوالَهاand their terrors
فَخاضوا الخُطوبَ وَأَهوالَها
And cast them into the depths of calamities,
And she threw them into the thick of perils
So they plunged into those ordeals and their terrors,
And they waded through perils and terrors
وَثارواand they rose فَجُنَّso went mad جُنونُthe frenzy الرِياحِof the winds
وَثاروا فَجُنَّ جُنونُ الرِياحِ
وَزُلزِلَتِand was shaken الأَرضُthe earth زِلزالَهاwith its quake
وَزُلزِلَتِ الأَرضُ زِلزالَها
And rose, and the winds went mad with frenzy,
And they revolted so the madness of winds raged
And the earth was shaken with its quake,
And the earth quaked its quaking
وَباتَand became تَلَمُّسُهُمtheir search for شَيخَهُمtheir elder
وَباتَ تَلَمُّسُهُم شَيخَهُم
حَديثَthe talk الشُعوبِof peoples وَأَشغالَهاand their preoccupations
حَديثَ الشُعوبِ وَأَشغالَها
And their search for their elder became
And their chief felt them in the dark
The talk of peoples and their preoccupation?
The discourse of nations and their preoccupations
وَمَنand who ذاis it who رَأىhas seen غابَةًa forest كافَحَتthat fought
وَمَن ذا رَأى غابَةً كافَحَت
فَرَدَّتand brought back مِنfrom الأَسرِcaptivity رِئبالَهاits lion
فَرَدَّت مِن الأَسرِ رِئبالَها
Who has ever seen a forest fight
And who has seen a jungle that struggled
And bring its lion back from captivity?
And repelled from captivity its dens
وَأَهيَبُand most fearsome ماwhat كانَwas يَأسُthe despair الشُعوبِof peoples
وَأَهيَبُ ما كانَ يَأسُ الشُعوبِ
إِذاwhen سَلَّحَarms الحَقُّjustice أَعزالَهاtheir unarmed
إِذا سَلَّحَ الحَقُّ أَعزالَها
Most fearsome of all is the despair of peoples,
And I fear what was the despair of nations
When justice arms their unarmed.
When right arms its vulnerable
فُوادُFuad اِرفَعِlift السِترَthe veil عَنfrom نَهضَةٍa renaissance
فُوادُ اِرفَعِ السِترَ عَن نَهضَةٍ
تَقَدَّمَled جَدُّكَyour grandfather أَبطالَهاits heroes
تَقَدَّمَ جَدُّكَ أَبطالَها
Fuad, lift the veil from a renaissance
My heart, lift the veil from a renaissance
Whose heroes your grandfather led.
Your ancestors led its heroes
وَرُبَّand many a اِمرِئٍman لَمnot تَلِدهُbore him البِلادُthe country
وَرُبَّ اِمرِئٍ لَم تَلِدهُ البِلادُ
نَماهاnurtured her وَنَبَّهَand awakened أَنسالَهاher offspring
نَماها وَنَبَّهَ أَنسالَها
And many a man whom the country did not bear
And the son of many a man the countries did not birth
Nurtured her and awakened her offspring.
He nurtured it and roused its progeny
وَلَيسَand are not اللَآلِئُpearls مِلكَthe property البُحورِof the seas
وَلَيسَ اللَآلِئُ مِلكَ البُحورِ
وَلَكِنَّهاbut they are مِلكُthe property مَنof whoever نالَهاobtained them
وَلَكِنَّها مِلكُ مَن نالَها
Pearls are not the property of the seas,
And pearls are not owned by the seas
But the property of whoever obtains them.
But owned by those who attained them
وَماand none كَعَلِيٍّlike Ali وَلاnor جيلِهِhis generation
وَما كَعَلِيٍّ وَلا جيلِهِ
إِذاwhen عَرَضَتdisplays مِصرُEgypt أَجيالَهاher generations
إِذا عَرَضَت مِصرُ أَجيالَها
None is like Ali or his generation,
Neither Ali nor his generation
When Egypt displays her generations.
If Egypt paraded its generations
بَنَواthey built دَولَةًa state مِنfrom بَناتِthe daughters الأَسِنَّthe spearheads (continued)
بَنَوا دَولَةً مِن بَناتِ الأَسِنَّ
ةِending of 'spearheads' لَمnot يَشهَدِhad seen النيلُthe Nile أَمثالَهاits equals
ةِ لَم يَشهَدِ النيلُ أَمثالَها
They built a state—a daughter of spear-
Built a state from the daughters of spears
heads—the Nile had never seen its like.
The Nile never witnessed its like
لَئِنif indeed جَلَّلَmantled البَحرَthe sea أُسطولُهاits fleet
لَئِن جَلَّلَ البَحرَ أُسطولُها
لَقَدindeed لَبِسَwore البَرُّthe land قِسطالَهاits battle-dust
لَقَد لَبِسَ البَرُّ قِسطالَها
If its fleet mantled the sea,
If its fleet adorned the sea
The land indeed wore its battle-dust.
The land wore its coat of mail
فأَمّاand as for أَبوكَyour father فَدُنياthen a world الحَضاof civilization (continued)
فأَمّا أَبوكَ فَدُنيا الحَضا
رَةِending of 'civilization' لَوif سالَمَmade peace with الدَهرُtime إِقبالَهاits rise
رَةِ لَو سالَمَ الدَهرُ إِقبالَها
As for your father—a world of civiliza-
As for your father, the world of civilization, if fate were friendly to its prosperity
tion, had Time made peace with its rise.
Africa chose its crown
تَخَيَّرhe chose إِفريقياAfrica تاجَهُas his crown
تَخَيَّر إِفريقيا تاجَهُ
وَرَكَّبَand set فيin التاجِthe crown صومالَهاits Somalia
وَرَكَّبَ في التاجِ صومالَها
He chose Africa as his crown,
And embedded in the crown its Somalia
And set its Somalia into the crown.
Your steeds, O son of al-Muizz, are succor
رِكابُكَyour mounts ياO اِبنَson المُعِزِّof al-Mu'izz الغُيوثُthe bountiful rains
رِكابُكَ يا اِبنَ المُعِزِّ الغُيوثُ
وَيَفضُلنَand they surpass فيin الخَيرِgenerosity مِنوالَهاtheir example
وَيَفضُلنَ في الخَيرِ مِنوالَها
Your mounts, O son of al-Mu'izz, are bountiful rains,
And excel in good their grants
And outdo their example in generosity.
If they walked the land they made it forget
إِذاwhen سِرنَthey journey فيacross الأَرضِthe earth نَسَّينَهاthey make her forget
إِذا سِرنَ في الأَرضِ نَسَّينَها
رِكابَthe mounts السَماءِof heaven وَأَفضالَهاand their favors
رِكابَ السَماءِ وَأَفضالَها
When they journey across the earth, they make her forget
The steeds of the sky and their grants
The mounts of heaven and their favors.
So you did not leave the palace except having healed
فَلَمand never تَبرِحِyou left القَصرَthe palace إِلّاexcept شَفيتَyou cured
فَلَم تَبرِحِ القَصرَ إِلّا شَفيتَ
جُدوبَthe drought العُقولِof minds وَإِمحالَهاand their barrenness
جُدوبَ العُقولِ وَإِمحالَها
You have never left the palace without curing
The wounds of minds and their impairments
The drought of minds and their barrenness.
God has surely placed in your arms
لَقَدindeed رَكَّبَset اللهُGod فيin ساعِدَيكَyour two forearms
لَقَد رَكَّبَ اللهُ في ساعِدَيكَ
يَمينَthe right hand الجُدودِof the ancestors وَشيمالَهاand their left hand
يَمينَ الجُدودِ وَشيمالَها
God has indeed set in your two forearms
The right of ancestors and their left
The ancestors' right hand and their left.
You draft and build citadels of knowledge
تَخُطُّyou draw وَتَبنيand build صُروحَthe edifices العُلومِof learning
تَخُطُّ وَتَبني صُروحَ العُلومِ
وَتَفتَحُand you open لِلشَرقِfor the East أَقفالَهاtheir locks
وَتَفتَحُ لِلشَرقِ أَقفالَها
You draw and build the edifices of learning,
And you open for the East its locks
And open their locks for the East.
Partial English translation: 101 of 102 Arabic lines translated.