رَسمٌ تَعَلَّمَ مِنهُ ناظِري الوَلَعا

رَسمٌ تَعَلَّمَ مِنهُ ناظِري الوَلَعا

كَأَنَّ طَرفِيَ قَلبي فيهِ قَد وُضِعا

كَأَنَّ طَرفِيَ قَلبي فيهِ قَد وُضِعا

A drawing from which my eye learned fascination,

A drawing my passionate viewers learned from

A sketch from which my gaze has learned passion,

As though my heart had been placed within my eye.

As if my heart's eyes in it were placed

As if my eye were my heart, placed therein.

يَمثِلُ البيضَ حَولَ الصين قَد وَقَفوا

يَمثِلُ البيضَ حَولَ الصين قَد وَقَفوا

وَذَلِكَ الدُبُّ في مَنشوريا رَتَعا

وَذَلِكَ الدُبُّ في مَنشوريا رَتَعا

It depicts the whites standing around China,

It depicts the eggs around China standing

Depicting the Whites as they stood around China,

And that bear grazing freely in Manchuria.

And that bear in Manchuria grazing

While that Bear grazed freely in Manchuria.

مَشى بِهِ نَحوَها في نَفسِهِ أَمَلٌ

مَشى بِهِ نَحوَها في نَفسِهِ أَمَلٌ

وَراحَ يَمشي إِلى ما بَعدَها جَشَعا

وَراحَ يَمشي إِلى ما بَعدَها جَشَعا

A hope within him led him toward her,

He walked towards it with hope in his soul

He marched toward it, hope stirring in his soul,

And he walked on toward what lay beyond her, out of greed,

And went on walking beyond it greedily

And went on to what lay beyond, driven by greed.

كَالنارِ تَأكُلُ أَكلاً ما يُصادِفُها

كَالنارِ تَأكُلُ أَكلاً ما يُصادِفُها

وَالسَيلُ يَجرُفُ ما يَلقاهُ مِندَفِعا

وَالسَيلُ يَجرُفُ ما يَلقاهُ مِندَفِعا

Like fire that devours whatever comes its way,

Like fire that eats whatever it encounters

Like fire devouring whatever it encounters,

And a torrent rushing onward, sweeping away whatever it meets.

And floods that sweep away whatever surges

And the torrent sweeping away what it meets in its rush.

فَقامَ بِالصُفرِ داعٍ مِن حَليفَتِهِم

فَقامَ بِالصُفرِ داعٍ مِن حَليفَتِهِم

مَليكَةِ الهِندِ أَن هُبّوا فَقَد طَمِعا

مَليكَةِ الهِندِ أَن هُبّوا فَقَد طَمِعا

Then a herald arose among the yellow peoples, from their ally,

So he stood with the Manchus calling on

Then among the Yellows rose a caller from their ally,

The Queen of India: 'Rise up, for he has grown covetous!'

Their ally, the Queen of India, to give in, for he coveted

The Queen of India, urging, "Rise, for he has grown covetous!"

قالَت أُحَذِّرُكُم مَن يُخادِعُكُم

قالَت أُحَذِّرُكُم مَن يُخادِعُكُم

فَطالَما خُدِعَ الإِنسانُ فَاِنخَدَعا

فَطالَما خُدِعَ الإِنسانُ فَاِنخَدَعا

She said, 'I warn you against whoever deceives you,

She said, I warn you against one who deceives you

She said, "I warn you of the one who deceives you,"

For often has man been deceived, and so been taken in.

For man has often been duped and misled

"For often has man been deceived and led astray."

مَحَضتُكُمُ نُصحَ الصَديقِ عَسى

مَحَضتُكُمُ نُصحَ الصَديقِ عَسى

خَيراً يُفيدُكُمُ فَالنُصحُ كَم نَفَعا

خَيراً يُفيدُكُمُ فَالنُصحُ كَم نَفَعا

I have offered you a friend's sincere counsel; perhaps

I advised you out of a friend's sincerity

"I have given you the sincere advice of a friend, that perhaps"

It will do you good, for how often counsel has helped!

Hoping some good may benefit you, for advice has often helped

"Good may avail you, for how often has counsel been of use!"

وَغَيرُ مُنتَفِعٍ غَيرُ فَتىً

وَغَيرُ مُنتَفِعٍ غَيرُ فَتىً

إِذا تَحَدَّثَ ذو عَقلٍ صَغى وَوَعى

إِذا تَحَدَّثَ ذو عَقلٍ صَغى وَوَعى

And none benefits but a young man

And the unbenefited is no man

And none benefits but the noble youth who,

Who listens and understands when a man of sense speaks.'

When one of wisdom speaks, he listens and understands

When a person of intellect speaks, listens and understands.

سارَت إِلَيهِم فَتاةٌ وَاِنثَنَت

سارَت إِلَيهِم فَتاةٌ وَاِنثَنَت

رَجُلاً وَما رَأى أَحَدٌ هَذا وَلا سَمِعا

رَجُلاً وَما رَأى أَحَدٌ هَذا وَلا سَمِعا

A young woman went to them and returned

A girl came to them and bowed

A maiden journeyed to them, but returned

A man—no one had ever seen or heard of such a thing.

A man that none had seen or heard

As a man, and no one saw this nor heard.

حَتّى إِذا ما رَأَت مَشوريا اِختَنَقَت

حَتّى إِذا ما رَأَت مَشوريا اِختَنَقَت

بِالقَومِ وَخِرقُ الشَرِّ مُتَّسِعا

بِالقَومِ وَخِرقُ الشَرِّ مُتَّسِعا

Until, when she saw Manchuria choked

Until when she saw Manchuria she choked

Until, when she saw Manchuria choked

With people, and evil's breach widening,

With anguish, and the rending of evil was vast

With the enemy, and the breach of evil widening,

كادَت تَطيرُ سُروراً بَِلنَجاحِ وَقَد

كادَت تَطيرُ سُروراً بَِلنَجاحِ وَقَد

كادَت عَلى الهِندِ تَقضي قَبلَ ذا جَزَعا

كادَت عَلى الهِندِ تَقضي قَبلَ ذا جَزَعا

She nearly flew with joy at success, though

She almost flew with joy at the success, and had

She nearly flew with joy at the success, though

Before this she had nearly perished in anguish over India.

Nearly gained India before that with dismay

She had nearly died of anxiety for India before that.

نُبِّثتُ أَنَّ الوَغى في الصينِ دائِرَةٌ

نُبِّثتُ أَنَّ الوَغى في الصينِ دائِرَةٌ

فَما لَها صادَفتُ في النيلِ مُرتَبَعا

فَما لَها صادَفتُ في النيلِ مُرتَبَعا

I was told that war is raging in China;

I was told that turmoil in China was swirling

I was told that war is circling in China,

Then why did I find a grazing ground for it on the Nile?

Yet I found myself settled by the Nile

So why has it found a dwelling place here in the Nile?