فوا أَسَفاهُ يا وطنِي

فوا أَسَفاهُ يا وطنِي

وإنْ أَوْدَى بيَ الأَسَفُ

وإنْ أَوْدَى بيَ الأَسَفُ

Oh, alas, my homeland!

Ah, my sorrow, O my homeland,

Though grief itself should be my death.

even if sorrow should be my death!

عَدِمتُك حينَ مالي من

عَدِمتُك حينَ مالي من

كَ مُعْتاض ولا خَلَف

كَ مُعْتاض ولا خَلَف

I lost you when I had no

I lost you when I had no

one to replace you, nor any successor.

replacement for you, nor any substitute.

فعيِشي مذ سَباني البي

فعيِشي مذ سَباني البي

نُ منكَ جميعُه كُلَف

نُ منكَ جميعُه كُلَف

Since separation from you took me captive, my life

So my life, since separation took me captive

has been suffering, every part of it.

from you, is hardship through and through.

تكاد نِياطُ قلبي عن

تكاد نِياطُ قلبي عن

د ذِكْرِك منه تُخْتَطَف

د ذِكْرِك منه تُخْتَطَف

The heartstrings in my breast are nearly snatched

My heartstrings are almost, at

from it whenever you are remembered.

the thought of you, plucked from my heart.

وتَمْثُل لي فيجرِي الدم

وتَمْثُل لي فيجرِي الدم

عُ من عيني ويَنْذَرِف

عُ من عيني ويَنْذَرِف

You take shape before me, and tears flow

You appear before me, and tears flow

from my eyes and stream down.

from my eye and stream down.

كأني عند بُعْدِك لل

كأني عند بُعْدِك لل

خُطوبِ جميِعها هَدف

خُطوبِ جميِعها هَدف

It is as though, in your absence, I am

It is as though, when far from you,

the target of every calamity.

I am a target for every calamity.

وحَقَّك إنه قَسَمٌ

وحَقَّك إنه قَسَمٌ

يَبَرُّ بمِثله الحَلِف

يَبَرُّ بمِثله الحَلِف

By your claim upon me—this is an oath,

And by your worth—indeed, it is an oath

one whose like a swearer faithfully keeps—

by the like of which an oath proves true—

لأنت الدر والدنيا

لأنت الدر والدنيا

سواك جميعها صدف

سواك جميعها صدف

you alone are the pearl, while all the world

you are indeed the pearl, and the world

apart from you is nothing but shell.

apart from you is all shells.

سقت زمني بك الانوا

سقت زمني بك الانوا

ء والهطالة الوطف

ء والهطالة الوطف

May the rain-bearing stars water my days with you,

May my days with you be watered by the rain-bearing stars

together with the pouring, rain-laden clouds:

and the thick, low-hanging, downpouring clouds.

زمانٌ خِلْتُه هِبَةً

زمانٌ خِلْتُه هِبَةً

لنا وإذا به سَلَف

لنا وإذا به سَلَف

a time I thought was a gift

A time I thought was a gift

to us—then behold, it proved a loan.

to us—yet behold, it was a loan.

فكان كأنما الساعا

فكان كأنما الساعا

ت في اثنائه تُحَف

ت في اثنائه تُحَف

It was as though the hours

So it was as though the hours

within it were precious treasures.

within it were precious gifts.

عسى عيني لها في ثغ

عسى عيني لها في ثغ

رِ ذاك الثغرِ مُرْتَشَف

رِ ذاك الثغرِ مُرْتَشَف

Perhaps my eye may yet find, at the mouth

May my eye have, at the mouth

of that harbor, a draught to sip,

of that port, a draught to sip,

فيرجعَ ما انقضى ومضت

فيرجعَ ما انقضى ومضت

به أيامُنا السَّلَف

به أيامُنا السَّلَف

so that what has ended may return—the time in which

so that what has passed may return—what

our bygone days passed.

our bygone days carried away.

وبالإسكندرية لي

وبالإسكندرية لي

هَوىً كهوائها تَرِف

هَوىً كهوائها تَرِف

And in Alexandria I have

And in Alexandria I have

a passion as luxuriant as her air.

a love as delicate as her air.

توغّل في سواد القل

توغّل في سواد القل

ب فهْو بحبها كَلِف

ب فهْو بحبها كَلِف

It has penetrated the black core of the heart,

It has sunk deep into my heart's dark core,

for it is passionately enamored of her.

so my heart is consumed with love for her.

يُطَمِّع فيه فَرْطُ الحُسْ

يُطَمِّع فيه فَرْطُ الحُسْ

ن لكنْ يُوئِس الصَّلَف

ن لكنْ يُوئِس الصَّلَف

Her abundance of beauty invites hope,

Surpassing beauty inspires hope of it,

but haughtiness makes one despair.

but haughtiness brings despair.