سَكَتُّ فَأَصغَروا أَدَبي

سَكَتُّ فَأَصغَروا أَدَبي

وَقُلتُ فَأَكبَروا أَرَبي

وَقُلتُ فَأَكبَروا أَرَبي

I kept silent, so they belittled my literary worth;

I was silent, so they lessened my respect,

And I spoke, so they deemed my desire too great.

And I spoke, so they increased their folly,

وَما أَرجوهُ مِن بَلَدٍ

وَما أَرجوهُ مِن بَلَدٍ

بِهِ ضاقَ الرَجاءُ وَبي

بِهِ ضاقَ الرَجاءُ وَبي

And what can I hope for from a country

And I have no hope in a country,

Where hope has dwindled—for it and for me?

Where aspirations are frustrated, and vile.

وَهَل في مِصرَ مَفخَرَةٌ

وَهَل في مِصرَ مَفخَرَةٌ

سِوى الأَلقابِ وَالرُتَبِ

سِوى الأَلقابِ وَالرُتَبِ

And is there any source of pride in Egypt

Is there anything in Egypt to be proud of,

Except titles and ranks,

Other than titles and ranks?

وَذي إِرثٍ يُكاثِرُنا

وَذي إِرثٍ يُكاثِرُنا

بِمالٍ غَيرِ مُكتَسَبِ

بِمالٍ غَيرِ مُكتَسَبِ

And an heir who vies with us

And one who boasts of inherited wealth,

With wealth he has not earned?

Not earned by his own efforts?

وَفي الرومِيِّ مَوعِظَةٌ

وَفي الرومِيِّ مَوعِظَةٌ

لِشَعبٍ جَدَّ في اللَعِبِ

لِشَعبٍ جَدَّ في اللَعِبِ

And in the European there is a lesson

And in the Roman, there is an admonition,

For a people earnest in play:

For a people immersed in frivolity,

يُقَتِّلُنا بِلا قَوَدٍ

يُقَتِّلُنا بِلا قَوَدٍ

وَلا دِيَةٍ وَلا رَهَبِ

وَلا دِيَةٍ وَلا رَهَبِ

He slaughters us without retaliation,

They kill us without reason,

And without blood money or fear.

No wergild or refuge for us.

وَيَمشي نَحوَ رايَتِهِ

وَيَمشي نَحوَ رايَتِهِ

فَتَحميهِ مِنَ العَطَبِ

فَتَحميهِ مِنَ العَطَبِ

And he walks toward his flag,

And he walks towards his banner,

So it shields him from destruction.

Which shields him from affliction.

فَقُل لِلفاخِرينَ أَما

فَقُل لِلفاخِرينَ أَما

لِهَذا الفَخرِ مِن سَبَبِ

لِهَذا الفَخرِ مِن سَبَبِ

So tell those who boast: Is there no

So say to the boasters - what is the cause,

Reason for this pride?

Of this empty boasting?

أَروني بَينَكُم رَجُلاً

أَروني بَينَكُم رَجُلاً

رَكيناً واضِحَ الحَسَبِ

رَكيناً واضِحَ الحَسَبِ

Show me a man among you,

Show me among you an upstanding man,

Steadfast, of evident honor.

Of clear and noble lineage.

أَروني نِصفَ مُختَرِعٍ

أَروني نِصفَ مُختَرِعٍ

أَروني رُبعَ مُحتَسِبِ

أَروني رُبعَ مُحتَسِبِ

Show me half an inventor;

Show me half an inventor,

Show me a quarter of one who seeks God's reward.

Show me a quarter of a guardian of morals.

أَروني نادِياً حَفلاً

أَروني نادِياً حَفلاً

بِأَهلِ الفَضلِ وَالأَدَبِ

بِأَهلِ الفَضلِ وَالأَدَبِ

Show me an assembly thronged

Show me one who hosts gatherings,

With people of merit and letters.

Of people of merit and literature.

وَماذا في مَدارِسِكُم

وَماذا في مَدارِسِكُم

مِنَ التَعليمِ وَالكُتُبِ

مِنَ التَعليمِ وَالكُتُبِ

And what is there in your schools

And what is in your schools,

Of teaching and books?

Of education and books?

وَماذا في مَساجِدِكُم

وَماذا في مَساجِدِكُم

مِنَ التِبيانِ وَالخُطَبِ

مِنَ التِبيانِ وَالخُطَبِ

And what is there in your mosques

And what is in your mosques,

Of clear exposition and sermons?

Of elucidation and sermons?

وَماذا في صَحائِفِكُم

وَماذا في صَحائِفِكُم

سِوى التَمويهِ وَالكَذِبِ

سِوى التَمويهِ وَالكَذِبِ

And what is there in your newspapers

And what is in your newspapers,

Except deception and lies?

Other than deception and lies?

حَصائِدُ أَلسُنٍ جَرَّت

حَصائِدُ أَلسُنٍ جَرَّت

إِلى الوَيلاتِ وَالحَرَبِ

إِلى الوَيلاتِ وَالحَرَبِ

Harvests of tongues that have led

The harvest of tongues that have led,

To calamities and ruin.

To misery and war.

فَهُبّوا مِن مَراقِدِكُم

فَهُبّوا مِن مَراقِدِكُم

فَإِنَّ الوَقتَ مِن ذَهَبِ

فَإِنَّ الوَقتَ مِن ذَهَبِ

So rise from your beds,

So rise from your slumber,

For time is gold.

For time is made of gold.

فَهَذي أُمَّةُ اليابا

فَهَذي أُمَّةُ اليابا

نِ جازَت دارَةَ الشُهُبِ

نِ جازَت دارَةَ الشُهُبِ

For here is the nation of Japa-

This is a nation that has passed,

n, which has passed beyond the meteors' circle.

The prime of its youth.

فَهامَت بِالعُلا شَغَفاً

فَهامَت بِالعُلا شَغَفاً

وَهِمنا بِاِبنَةِ العِنَبِ

وَهِمنا بِاِبنَةِ العِنَبِ

So she fell passionately in love with the heights,

It was passionate for the heights,

And we fell in love with the daughter of the grape.

And dreamed of a daughter of grapes.