قُمrise سابِقِrace الساعَةَthe Hour وَاِسبِقand outrun وَعدَهاits promise
قُم سابِقِ الساعَةَ وَاِسبِق وَعدَها
الأَرضُthe earth ضاقَتhas grown narrow عَنكَfor you فَاِصدَعso split غِمدَهاits sheath
الأَرضُ ضاقَت عَنكَ فَاِصدَع غِمدَها
Rise, race the Hour, and outrun its promise.
Arise, outrun time and forestall its promise
The earth has grown too narrow for you—split its sheath.
The earth has narrowed for you, so split open its sheath
وَاِملَأand fill رِماحاًwith spears غَورَهاits lowlands وَنَجدَهاand its highlands
وَاِملَأ رِماحاً غَورَها وَنَجدَها
وَاِفتَحand conquer أُصولَthe sources of النيلِthe Nile وَاِستَرِدَّهاand reclaim them
وَاِفتَح أُصولَ النيلِ وَاِستَرِدَّها
And fill its lowlands and highlands with spears.
And fill its interior and its plateau with spears
And conquer the Nile's headwaters and reclaim them:
And unlock the sources of the Nile and reclaim them
شَلّالَهاits cataract وَعَذبَهاand its fresh water وَعِدَّهاand its perennial spring
شَلّالَها وَعَذبَها وَعِدَّها
وَاِصرِفand turn إِلَيناtoward us جَزرَهاits ebb وَمَدَّهاand its flow
وَاِصرِف إِلَينا جَزرَها وَمَدَّها
its cataract, its fresh water, and its perennial spring.
Its cataracts, its sweetness, and its course
And turn its ebb and flow toward us.
And divert its islands and its flood back to us
تِلكَthose الوُجوهُfaces لاmay ... not شَكَوناwe mourn فَقدَهاtheir loss
تِلكَ الوُجوهُ لا شَكَونا فَقدَها
بَيَّضَتِhas whitened القُربىkinship لَناfor us مُسوَدَّهاtheir blackened faces
بَيَّضَتِ القُربى لَنا مُسوَدَّها
Those faces—may we never mourn their loss!
Those are the faces we have long missed
Kinship has whitened their blackened faces for us.
Our kin have whitened their darkened faces for us
سُلِلَتwere drawn forth مِنfrom واديthe Valley of المُلوكِthe Kings فَاِزدَهىso it grew splendid
سُلِلَت مِن وادي المُلوكِ فَاِزدَهى
وَأَلقَتِand cast الشَمسُthe sun عَلَيهِupon it رَأدَهاits morning light
وَأَلقَتِ الشَمسُ عَلَيهِ رَأدَها
They were drawn from the Valley of the Kings, and it grew splendid,
Extracted from the valley of kings, it rose high
and the sun cast its morning light upon it.
And the sun cast its first rays upon it
وَاِستَرجَعَتand recovered دَولَتُهُhis realm إِفرِندَهاits gleaming sword
وَاِستَرجَعَت دَولَتُهُ إِفرِندَها
أَبيَضَwhite رَيّانَfull-fleshed المُتونِin the flanks وَردَهاits lion
أَبيَضَ رَيّانَ المُتونِ وَردَها
And his realm recovered its gleaming sword,
Its rule regained its magnificence
white and full-flanked—its lion.
It whitened the meadows and restored its freshness
أَبلىwore out ظُبىthe blades of الدَهرِTime وَفَلَّand blunted حَدَّهاtheir edge
أَبلى ظُبى الدَهرِ وَفَلَّ حَدَّها
وَأَخلَقَand wore out العُصورَthe ages وَاِستَجَدَّهاand renewed them
وَأَخلَقَ العُصورَ وَاِستَجَدَّها
He wore down the blades of Time and blunted their edge,
It wore out the lions of time and broke its edge
and wore out the ages and made them new.
And created eras anew and renewed them
سافَرَtraveled أَربَعينَforty قَرناًcenturies عَدَّهاhe counted them
سافَرَ أَربَعينَ قَرناً عَدَّها
حَتّىuntil أَتىhe reached الدارَhome فَأَلفىand found عِندَهاat it
حَتّى أَتى الدارَ فَأَلفى عِندَها
He traveled forty centuries, counting them,
It traveled forty centuries counting them
until he came home and found there
Until it reached the house and found next to it
إِنجِلتِراEngland وَجَيشَهاand her army وَلوردَهاand her lord
إِنجِلتِرا وَجَيشَها وَلوردَها
مَسلولَةَunsheathed الهِندِيِّthe Indian blade تَحميguarding هِندَهاher India
مَسلولَةَ الهِندِيِّ تَحمي هِندَها
England, her army, and her lord,
England, its army, and its lords
her Indian blade drawn, guarding her India.
Weakened India protecting its India
قامَتshe stood عَلىover السودانِSudan تَبنيbuilding سَدَّهاher dam
قامَت عَلى السودانِ تَبني سَدَّها
وَرَكَزَتand planted دونَbefore القَناةِthe Canal بَندَهاher banner
وَرَكَزَت دونَ القَناةِ بَندَها
She stood over Sudan, building her dam,
Standing over Sudan building its dam
and planted her banner before the Canal.
And planted at the Canal its crops
فَقالَthen he said وَالحَسرَةُand the anguish ماhow أَشَدَّهاintense it is
فَقالَ وَالحَسرَةُ ما أَشَدَّها
لَيتَwould that جِدارَthe wall of القَبرِthe tomb ماnot تَدَهدَهاhad tumbled down
لَيتَ جِدارَ القَبرِ ما تَدَهدَها
Then he said—how fierce the anguish!
So it said while the deepest regrets consumed it
Would that the tomb wall had never tumbled down,
Would that the grave's wall had not crumbled
وَلَيتَand would that عَينيmy eye لَمnot تُفارِقhad forsaken رَقدَهاits slumber
وَلَيتَ عَيني لَم تُفارِق رَقدَها
قُمrise نَبِّنيtell me ياO بَنتَؤورُPentaur ماwhat دَهاhas happened
قُم نَبِّني يا بَنتَؤورُ ما دَها
and would that my eye had never forsaken its slumber!
Would that my eyes had not left its sleep
Rise, tell me, O Pentaur, what has happened?
Arise, my lady, what has passed is past
مِصرُEgypt فَتاتيmy girl لَمnot تُوَقِّرrevered جَدَّهاher grandfather
مِصرُ فَتاتي لَم تُوَقِّر جَدَّها
دَقَّتshe played وَراءَbehind مَضجَعيmy resting place جازَبَندَهاher jazz band
دَقَّت وَراءَ مَضجَعي جازَبَندَها
Egypt, my girl, has not revered her grandfather.
Egypt, my girl, did not respect its ancestors
She struck up her jazz band behind my resting place,
It knocked behind my resting place, driving its poles
وَخَلَطَتand mingled ظِباءَهاher gazelles وَأُسدَهاand her lions
وَخَلَطَت ظِباءَها وَأُسدَها
وَسَكَبَand poured الساقيthe cupbearer الطِلاthe wine وَبَدَّهاand distributed it
وَسَكَبَ الساقي الطِلا وَبَدَّها
and mingled her gazelles with her lions.
And confused its gazelles and its lions
And the cupbearer poured the wine and shared it out.
And the cupbearer spilled the wine, wasting it
قَدindeed سَحَبَتshe dragged عَلىover جَلاليmy majesty بُردَهاher mantle
قَد سَحَبَت عَلى جَلالي بُردَها
لَيتَwould that جَلالَthe majesty of المَوتِdeath كانَhad صَدَّهاheld her back
لَيتَ جَلالَ المَوتِ كانَ صَدَّها
She has dragged her mantle over my majesty.
It dragged over my glory its curtain
Would that death's majesty had held her back!
Would that the glory of death had blocked it
فَقُلتُthen I said ياO ماجِدَهاher noble one وَجَعدَهاand her sturdy one
فَقُلتُ يا ماجِدَها وَجَعدَها
لَوif لَمnot تَكُyou were اِبنَthe son of الشَمسِthe sun كُنتَyou would have been رِئدَهاits peer
لَو لَم تَكُ اِبنَ الشَمسِ كُنتَ رِئدَها
Then I said: O her noble and sturdy one,
So I said: O you, its glory and its wound
had you not been the sun's son, you would have been its peer.
Had you not been the son of the sun you would have been its monkey
لَحدُكَyour tomb وَدَّتهُwished it النُجومُthe stars لَحدَهاtheir tomb
لَحدُكَ وَدَّتهُ النُجومُ لَحدَها
أَرَيتَناyou showed us الدُنياthe world بِهِthrough it وَجِدَّهاand its earnestness
أَرَيتَنا الدُنيا بِهِ وَجِدَّها
The stars wished your tomb were their tomb.
Your rule, the stars desired its rule
Through it you showed us the world and its earnestness,
You showed us the world through it, and we loved it
سُلطانَهاits power وَعِزَّهاand its glory وَرَغدَهاand its plenty
سُلطانَها وَعِزَّها وَرَغدَها
وَكَيفَand how يُعطىare granted المُتَّقونَthe pious خُلدَهاits immortality
وَكَيفَ يُعطى المُتَّقونَ خُلدَها
its power, its glory, and its plenty,
Its sultanate, its honor, and its prosperity
and how the pious are granted its immortality.
And how can the pious be granted its eternity?
آثارُكُمyour monuments يُخطيmiscounts الحِسابُarithmetic عَدَّهاtheir number
آثارُكُم يُخطي الحِسابُ عَدَّها
اِنهَدَمَhas crumbled الدَهرُTime وَلَمand has not يَهُدَّهاdemolished them
اِنهَدَمَ الدَهرُ وَلَم يَهُدَّها
Arithmetic errs in counting your monuments;
Your deeds, counting surpasses their count
Time has crumbled, yet has not brought them down.
Time collapsed, and you did not support it
أَبوابُكَyour doors اللاتيwhich قَصَدناwe sought قَصدَهاthe way to them
أَبوابُكَ اللاتي قَصَدنا قَصدَها
كارتِرُCarter فيin وَجهِthe face of الوُفودِthe delegations رَدَّهاclosed them
كارتِرُ في وَجهِ الوُفودِ رَدَّها
Your doors, which we sought to approach,
Your doors, which we frequented, frequented them
Carter closed in the faces of the delegations.
Carter turned away the delegations from them
لَولاbut for جُهودٌefforts لاnot نُريدُwe wish جَحدَهاto deny them
لَولا جُهودٌ لا نُريدُ جَحدَها
وَحُرمَةٌand reverence مِنfrom قُربِكَcloseness to you اِستَمَدَّهاhe drew it
وَحُرمَةٌ مِن قُربِكَ اِستَمَدَّها
But for efforts we do not wish to deny,
Were it not for efforts we do not want to deny
and the reverence he drew from his closeness to you,
And sanctity, from your proximity we drew it
قُلتُI would have said لَكَto you اِضرِبstrike يَدَهُhis hand وَقُدَّهاand split it
قُلتُ لَكَ اِضرِب يَدَهُ وَقُدَّها
وَاِبعَثand send لَهُto him مِنَfrom among البَعوضِthe mosquitoes نُكدَهاtheir troublesome ones
وَاِبعَث لَهُ مِنَ البَعوضِ نُكدَها
I would have said to you: Strike his hand and split it,
I said to you: Strike his hand and drive him
and send him the troublesome ones among the mosquitoes.
And send him some flies to vex him
مِصرُEgypt الفَتاةُthe maiden بَلَغَتhas reached أَشُدَّهاher maturity
مِصرُ الفَتاةُ بَلَغَت أَشُدَّها
وَأَثبَتَand proved الدَمُthe blood الزَكِيُّpure رُشدَهاher sound judgment
وَأَثبَتَ الدَمُ الزَكِيُّ رُشدَها
Egypt, the maiden, has come of age,
Egypt, the girl, has come of age
and pure blood has proved her sound judgment.
And the pure blood has proven her maturity
وَلَعِبَتand performed عَلىon الحِبالِthe ropes وَحدَهاby herself
وَلَعِبَت عَلى الحِبالِ وَحدَها
وَجَرَّبَتand tried إِرخائَهاloosening them وَشَدَّهاand tightening them
وَجَرَّبَت إِرخائَها وَشَدَّها
And she performed on the ropes alone,
She played on the ropes alone
and tried loosening them and pulling them taut.
She tried its loosening and its pulling
فَأَرسَلَتso she sent دُهاتَهاher shrewd men وَلُدَّهاand her fierce debaters
فَأَرسَلَت دُهاتَها وَلُدَّها
فيin الغَربِthe West سَدّواthey filled عِندَهُbefore it مَسَدَّهاher place
في الغَربِ سَدّوا عِندَهُ مَسَدَّها
So she sent her shrewd men and her fierce debaters;
So she sent her troops and her children
in the West they stood before it in her stead.
In the West, they closed to him its closure
وَبَعَثَتand sent لِلبَرلَمانِto parliament جُندَهاher troops
وَبَعَثَت لِلبَرلَمانِ جُندَها
وَحَشَدَتand mustered لِلمِهرَجانِfor the festival حَشدَهاher throng
وَحَشَدَت لِلمِهرَجانِ حَشدَها
And she sent her troops to parliament,
And she sent to Parliament her soldiers
and mustered her throng for the festival.
And she mobilized for the festival her masses
حَدَتshe led with song إِلَيهِtoward it شيبَهاher graybeards وَمُردَهاand her beardless youths
حَدَت إِلَيهِ شيبَها وَمُردَها
وَأَبرَزَتand brought forth كِعابَهاher full-breasted maidens وَخَودَهاand her tender young women
وَأَبرَزَت كِعابَها وَخَودَها
She led her graybeards and beardless youths toward it with song,
She marched to it her elderliness and her refusal
and brought forth her full-breasted maidens and her tender young women,
And showed her dimples and her cheeks
وَنَثَرَتand scattered فَوقَover الطَريقِthe road وَردَهاher roses
وَنَثَرَت فَوقَ الطَريقِ وَردَها
وَاِستَقبَلَتand welcomed فُؤادَهاher Fuad وَوَفدَهاand her delegation
وَاِستَقبَلَت فُؤادَها وَوَفدَها
and scattered her roses over the road,
And scattered roses over the road
and welcomed her Fuad and her delegation—
And welcomed its heart and its delegation
مَوئِلَهاher refuge وَكَهفَهاand her shelter وَرِدَّهاand her support
مَوئِلَها وَكَهفَها وَرِدَّها
وَاِبنَand the son of الَّذينَthose who قَوَّمواstraightened مَقَدَّهاher stature
وَاِبنَ الَّذينَ قَوَّموا مَقَدَّها
her refuge, her shelter, and her support,
Its shelters, its caves, and its pasture
and the son of those who set her stature straight,
And the son who straightened its tilting pillar
وَأَلَّفواand reassembled بَعدَafter اِنفِراطٍa scattering عِقدَهاher necklace
وَأَلَّفوا بَعدَ اِنفِراطٍ عِقدَها
وَجَعَلواand made صَحراءَthe desert of ليبياLibya حَدَّهاher frontier
وَجَعَلوا صَحراءَ ليبيا حَدَّها
and restrung her necklace after it had come apart,
And united after separation its knot
and made the desert of Libya her frontier,
And made Libya's desert its boundary
وَبَسَطواand extended عَلىover الحِجازِthe Hijaz أَيدَهاher might
وَبَسَطوا عَلى الحِجازِ أَيدَها
وَصَيَّرواand made العاتِيَthe defiant one فيهِin it عَبدَهاher slave
وَصَيَّروا العاتِيَ فيهِ عَبدَها
and extended her might over the Hijaz,
And spread over Hijaz its hands
and made the defiant one there her slave—
And made the rebel in it its slave
حَتّىuntil أَتىhe came to الدارَthe house الَّتيwhich أَعَدَّهاhe prepared it
حَتّى أَتى الدارَ الَّتي أَعَدَّها
لِمِصرَfor Egypt تَبنيshe builds فيin ذَراهاits shelter مَجدَهاher glory
لِمِصرَ تَبني في ذَراها مَجدَها
until he reached the house he had prepared
Until it reached the house it had prepared
for Egypt to build her glory in its shelter.
For Egypt to build in its lands its glory
فَثَبَّتَso he established الشورىconsultative rule وَشَدَّand strengthened عَقدَهاits bond
فَثَبَّتَ الشورى وَشَدَّ عَقدَها
وَقَلَّدَand entrusted الجيلَthe generation السَعيدَfortunate عَهدَهاits charge
وَقَلَّدَ الجيلَ السَعيدَ عَهدَها
So he secured consultative rule and strengthened its bond,
So it established the council and tied its bond
and entrusted the fortunate generation with its charge.
And empowered the blessed generation with its era
سُلطَتُهُhis authority إِلىto بَنيناour sons رَدَّهاhe returned it
سُلطَتُهُ إِلى بَنينا رَدَّها
He returned his authority to our sons.
Its authority it restored to our children
O Lord, strengthen its hand and embolden it
ياO رَبِّLord قَوِّstrengthen يَدَهاher hand وَشُدَّهاand make it firm
يا رَبِّ قَوِّ يَدَها وَشُدَّها
وَاِفتَحand open لَهاfor her السُبلُthe paths وَلاand do not تَسُدَّهاblock them
وَاِفتَح لَها السُبلُ وَلا تَسُدَّها
O Lord, strengthen her hand and make it firm.
And pave for it the paths, do not obstruct them
And open the paths for her; do not bar them.
And for each step measure what comes after it
وَقِسand gauge لِكُلِّfor every خُطوَةٍstep ماwhat بَعدَهاcomes after it
وَقِس لِكُلِّ خُطوَةٍ ما بَعدَها
وَعَنand from صَغيراتِthe trifles of الأُمورِaffairs حُدَّهاkeep her away
وَعَن صَغيراتِ الأُمورِ حُدَّها
And gauge, for every step, what lies beyond it,
And turn it away from trivial matters
and keep her from petty affairs,
And divert it to the essence of matters
وَاِصرِفand direct إِلىtoward جِدِّthe seriousness of الشُؤونِaffairs جَدَّهاher diligence
وَاِصرِف إِلى جِدِّ الشُؤونِ جَدَّها
وَلاand do not تُضِعwaste عَلىon الضَحاياthe victims جُهدَهاher effort
وَلا تُضِع عَلى الضَحايا جُهدَها
and direct her striving toward serious affairs.
And do not overburden the victims with their efforts
And do not squander her effort on victims.
And curb the soul's whims and break its hatred
وَاِكبَحand curb هَوىthe passions of الأَنفُسِsouls وَاِكسِرand break حِقدَهاtheir rancor
وَاِكبَح هَوى الأَنفُسِ وَاِكسِر حِقدَها
وَاِجمَعand gather عَلىaround الأُمِّthe mother الرَؤومِloving وِلدَهاher children
وَاِجمَع عَلى الأُمِّ الرَؤومِ وِلدَها
And curb the passions of souls and shatter their rancor,
And unite upon the merciful mother her children
and gather her children around the loving mother.
And fill her breast with the milk of brilliance
وَاِملَأand fill بِأَلبانِwith the milk of النُبوغِgenius نَهدَهاher breast
وَاِملَأ بِأَلبانِ النُبوغِ نَهدَها
وَلاand do not تَدَعهاlet her تُحيِrevive مُستَبِدَهاher despot
وَلا تَدَعها تُحيِ مُستَبِدَها
And fill her breast with the milk of genius,
And do not let an autocrat revive to rule her
and do not let her revive her despot,
Or stamp with its feet and drive away its individuals
وَتَنتَحِتand carve for herself بِراحَتَيهاwith her two palms فَردَهاher sole ruler
وَتَنتَحِت بِراحَتَيها فَردَها
and carve herself a sole ruler with her own two hands.
Partial English translation: 77 of 78 Arabic lines translated.