لا تُحَدِّث سِواكَ نَفسٌ بِفَضلٍ

لا تُحَدِّث سِواكَ نَفسٌ بِفَضلٍ

ذاكَ رَجعٌ عَنِ الأَماني بَعيدُ

ذاكَ رَجعٌ عَنِ الأَماني بَعيدُ

No soul speaks to anyone but you of excellence.

Do not speak to yourself of any merit,

That is an echo far removed from hopes.

That is far from desires.

وَاِنجَلَت مِصرُ إِذ تَجَلّى عَروساً

وَاِنجَلَت مِصرُ إِذ تَجَلّى عَروساً

وَكَأَنَّ الأَهرامَ فيها نُهودُ

وَكَأَنَّ الأَهرامَ فيها نُهودُ

And Egypt unveiled herself as a bride when he appeared,

And Egypt shone when she appeared as a bride,

And the pyramids within her seemed like breasts.

As if her pyramids were breasts.

وَسَرى في سَحابَةٍ مِن عَجاجٍ

وَسَرى في سَحابَةٍ مِن عَجاجٍ

بَينَ كَفَّيهِ غَيثُها المَورودُ

بَينَ كَفَّيهِ غَيثُها المَورودُ

And he journeyed by night in a cloud of swirling dust,

And he rode on a cloud of dense fog,

Between his palms lay its rain, sought for drink.

Between his hands its pouring rain.

وَمِن الريحِ في يَدَيهِ عِنانٌ

وَمِن الريحِ في يَدَيهِ عِنانٌ

وَعَلَيهِ مِنَ النُجومِ عُقودُ

وَعَلَيهِ مِنَ النُجومِ عُقودُ

And in his hands was a rein of wind,

And in his hands he held the reins of the wind,

And upon him were necklaces of stars.

And the stars were strung on him as necklaces.

وَاِنثَنى وَالزَمانُ يُنشِدُ فيهِ

وَاِنثَنى وَالزَمانُ يُنشِدُ فيهِ

هكَذا تَخدِمُ المُلوكَ السُعودُ

هكَذا تَخدِمُ المُلوكَ السُعودُ

And he turned back, while Time sang of him:

And time sang of him when he bent down

'Thus do good fortunes serve kings.'

Thus do the noble serve kings.

أَنا مِن قائِمِ الحُسامِ نَذيرٌ

أَنا مِن قائِمِ الحُسامِ نَذيرٌ

فَهوَ إِن قامَ فَالرُؤوسُ حَصيدُ

فَهوَ إِن قامَ فَالرُؤوسُ حَصيدُ

I bring warning from the sharp sword's hilt:

I am the warner of the swords' rising,

For if it rises, heads are reaped.

So if it rises, heads will be harvested.

هُوَ كَأسٌ وَسَكرَةُ المَوتِ قالَت

هُوَ كَأسٌ وَسَكرَةُ المَوتِ قالَت

ذاكَ مِنّي ما كُنتَ مِنهُ تَحيدُ

ذاكَ مِنّي ما كُنتَ مِنهُ تَحيدُ

It is a cup, and death's intoxication said:

It is a cup, and death's intoxication said

'That, from me, is what you used to shun.'

That is of me what you were trying to avoid.

وَمَتى يَلفِظُ العَدُوُّ بِقَولٍ

وَمَتى يَلفِظُ العَدُوُّ بِقَولٍ

فَعَلَيهِ مِنهُ رَقيبٌ عَتيدُ

فَعَلَيهِ مِنهُ رَقيبٌ عَتيدُ

And whenever the enemy utters a word,

And whenever the enemy utters a word,

Then over him stands a ready watcher from it.

A watcher lies in wait for him.

وَإِذا رِشتَ بِالأَيادي جَناحي

وَإِذا رِشتَ بِالأَيادي جَناحي

فَمعَاني العَلاءِ مِمّا أَصيدُ

فَمعَاني العَلاءِ مِمّا أَصيدُ

And when you feather my wing with favors,

And when you wave with your hands my wings,

Then the meanings of glory are among my quarry.

The meanings of the sublime are what I hunt.