فَتى الشِعرِ هَذا مَوطِنُ الصِدقِ وَالهُدى

فَتى الشِعرِ هَذا مَوطِنُ الصِدقِ وَالهُدى

فَلا تَكذِبِ التاريخَ إِن كُنتَ مُنشِدا

فَلا تَكذِبِ التاريخَ إِن كُنتَ مُنشِدا

Young poet, this is the abode of truth and guidance;

O bard, here is the abode of truth and guidance

so do not falsify history if you are to recite.

So do not falsify history if you are a chanter

لَقَد حانَ تَوديعُ العَميدِ وَإِنَّهُ

لَقَد حانَ تَوديعُ العَميدِ وَإِنَّهُ

حَقيقٌ بِتَشييعِ المُحِبّينَ وَالعِدا

حَقيقٌ بِتَشييعِ المُحِبّينَ وَالعِدا

The time has come to bid the chief farewell, and indeed he

The time has come to bid farewell to the leader

deserves a send-off from admirers and enemies alike.

It is right that lovers and enemies bid him farewell

فَوَدِّع لَنا الطَودَ الَّذي كانَ شامِخاً

فَوَدِّع لَنا الطَودَ الَّذي كانَ شامِخاً

وَشَيِّع لَنا البَحرَ الَّذي كانَ مُزبِدا

وَشَيِّع لَنا البَحرَ الَّذي كانَ مُزبِدا

So bid farewell for us to the mountain that stood lofty,

So bid farewell for us to the towering mountain

and see off for us the sea that surged with foam.

And walk with us to the sea that was turbulent

وَزَوِّدهُ عَنّا بِالكَرامَةِ كُلِّها

وَزَوِّدهُ عَنّا بِالكَرامَةِ كُلِّها

وَإِن لَم يَكُن بِالباقِياتِ مُزَوَّدا

وَإِن لَم يَكُن بِالباقِياتِ مُزَوَّدا

And furnish him on our behalf with every honor,

And send him our utmost reverence

even if he is not provisioned with enduring good deeds.

Even if he was not provisioned with eternal possessions

فَلِم لا نَرى الأَهرامَ يا نيلُ مُيَّداً

فَلِم لا نَرى الأَهرامَ يا نيلُ مُيَّداً

وَفِرعَونُ عَن واديكَ مُرتَحِلٌ غَدا

وَفِرعَونُ عَن واديكَ مُرتَحِلٌ غَدا

Why, then, do we not see the pyramids swaying, O Nile,

Why do we not see the pyramids collapsing, O Nile

when Pharaoh leaves your valley tomorrow?

And Pharaoh departing from your valley tomorrow

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَجزَع عَلَيهِ وَلَم تَكُن

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَجزَع عَلَيهِ وَلَم تَكُن

تَرى في حِمى فِرعَونَ أَمناً وَلا جَدا

تَرى في حِمى فِرعَونَ أَمناً وَلا جَدا

As though you had not grieved for him, nor had you

As if you were not saddened by him and did not

found safety or bounty in Pharaoh's protection.

See safety and stability in Pharaoh’s protection

سَلامٌ وَلَو أَنّا نُسيءُ إِلى الأُلى

سَلامٌ وَلَو أَنّا نُسيءُ إِلى الأُلى

أَساؤوا إِلَينا ما مَدَدنا لَهُم يَدا

أَساؤوا إِلَينا ما مَدَدنا لَهُم يَدا

Farewell! Were we to wrong those

Peace, even if we do wrong to the dearest ones

who wronged us, we would not extend them a hand.

They have wronged us, we would not have extended a hand to them

سَنُطري أَياديكَ الَّتي قَد أَفَضتَها

سَنُطري أَياديكَ الَّتي قَد أَفَضتَها

عَلَينا فَلَسنا أُمَّةً تَجحَدُ اليَدا

عَلَينا فَلَسنا أُمَّةً تَجحَدُ اليَدا

We shall praise the favors you have poured

We will fold the hands you extended to us

upon us, for we are not a people who deny a kindness.

For we are not an ungrateful nation

أَمِنّا فَلَم يَسلُك بِنا الخَوفُ مَسلَكاً

أَمِنّا فَلَم يَسلُك بِنا الخَوفُ مَسلَكاً

وَنِمنا فَلَم يَطرُق لَنا الذُعرُ مَرقَدا

وَنِمنا فَلَم يَطرُق لَنا الذُعرُ مَرقَدا

We lived secure, and fear led us along no path;

We felt safe so fear did not take its course

and we slept: terror never visited our resting place.

And we slept so terror did not disturb our slumber

وَكُنتَ رَحيمَ القَلبِ تَحمي ضَعيفَنا

وَكُنتَ رَحيمَ القَلبِ تَحمي ضَعيفَنا

وَتَدفَعُ عَنّا حادِثَ الدَهرِ إِن عَدا

وَتَدفَعُ عَنّا حادِثَ الدَهرِ إِن عَدا

You were tenderhearted, protecting our weak,

You were kind-hearted, protecting our weak

and warding off time's calamity when it assailed us.

And averting the vicissitudes of fate if they harmed

وَلَولا أَسىً في دِنشِوايَ وَلَوعَةٌ

وَلَولا أَسىً في دِنشِوايَ وَلَوعَةٌ

وَفاجِعَةٌ أَدمَت قُلوباً وَأَكبُدا

وَفاجِعَةٌ أَدمَت قُلوباً وَأَكبُدا

Were it not for sorrow at Dinshaway, and anguish,

If not for the sorrow in Dinshaway and anguish

and a tragedy that bloodied hearts and livers,

And tragedy that saddened hearts and livers

وَرَميُكَ شَعباً بِالتَعَصُّبِ غافِلاً

وَرَميُكَ شَعباً بِالتَعَصُّبِ غافِلاً

وَتَصويرُكَ الشَرقِيَّ غِرّاً مُجَرَّدا

وَتَصويرُكَ الشَرقِيَّ غِرّاً مُجَرَّدا

and your charging an unsuspecting people with fanaticism,

And your depiction of the East as a naked savage

and your portrayal of the Easterner as naive and stripped bare,

And making the people zealously biased

لَذُبنا أَسىً يَومَ الوَداعِ لِأَنَّنا

لَذُبنا أَسىً يَومَ الوَداعِ لِأَنَّنا

نَرى فيكَ ذاكَ المُصلِحَ المُتَوَدِّدا

نَرى فيكَ ذاكَ المُصلِحَ المُتَوَدِّدا

we would have melted in sorrow on farewell day, for we

We would have felt sorrow on the day of farewell

see in you that kindly reformer.

For we see in you that reconciling reformer

تَشَعَّبَتِ الآراءُ فيكَ فَقائِلٌ

تَشَعَّبَتِ الآراءُ فيكَ فَقائِلٌ

أَفادَ الغِنى أَهلَ البِلادِ وَأَسعَدا

أَفادَ الغِنى أَهلَ البِلادِ وَأَسعَدا

Opinions about you have diverged: one says,

Opinions diverged regarding you, one says

He brought the country's people wealth and happiness,

You enriched the people of the country and made them prosper

وَكانَت لَهُ في المُصلِحينَ سِياسَةٌ

وَكانَت لَهُ في المُصلِحينَ سِياسَةٌ

تَرَخَّصَ فيها تارَةً وَتَشَدَّدا

تَرَخَّصَ فيها تارَةً وَتَشَدَّدا

and had a policy toward reformers

And you had a policy with reformers

in which he was sometimes lenient, sometimes stern.

Where sometimes you were lenient, other times firm

رَأى العِزَّ كُلَّ العِزِّ في بَسطَةِ الغِنى

رَأى العِزَّ كُلَّ العِزِّ في بَسطَةِ الغِنى

فَحارَبَ جَيشَ الفَقرِ حَتّى تَبَدَّدا

فَحارَبَ جَيشَ الفَقرِ حَتّى تَبَدَّدا

He saw dignity, all dignity, in abundant wealth,

He saw all glory in enriching the people

so he fought poverty's army until it scattered.

So he fought the army of poverty until it scattered

وَأَمتَعَكُم بِالنيلِ فَهوَ مُبارَكٌ

وَأَمتَعَكُم بِالنيلِ فَهوَ مُبارَكٌ

عَلى أَهلِهِ خِصباً وَرِيّاً وَمَورِدا

عَلى أَهلِهِ خِصباً وَرِيّاً وَمَورِدا

He let you enjoy the Nile, which is a blessing

And he provided you with the blessed Nile

to its people in fertility, irrigation, and water supply.

Fertile, quenching, and purveying for its people

وَسَنَّ لَكُم حُرِّيَّةَ القَولِ عِندَما

وَسَنَّ لَكُم حُرِّيَّةَ القَولِ عِندَما

رَأى القَولَ في أَسرِ السُكوتِ مُقَيَّدا

رَأى القَولَ في أَسرِ السُكوتِ مُقَيَّدا

And he established freedom of speech for you when

And allowed freedom of speech when

he saw speech shackled in silence's captivity.

He saw speech bound and shackled in silence

وَآخَرُ لَم يَقصِر عَلى المالِ هَمَّهُ

وَآخَرُ لَم يَقصِر عَلى المالِ هَمَّهُ

يَرى أَنَّ ذاكَ المالَ لا يَكفُلُ الهُدى

يَرى أَنَّ ذاكَ المالَ لا يَكفُلُ الهُدى

Another, who does not confine his concern to wealth,

Another did not focus only on wealth

believes that such wealth cannot ensure right guidance.

He sees that wealth alone does not ensure guidance

فَلا يَحمَدُ الإِثراءَ حَتّى يَزينَهُ

فَلا يَحمَدُ الإِثراءَ حَتّى يَزينَهُ

بِعِلمٍ وَخَيرُ العِلمِ ما كانَ مُرشِدا

بِعِلمٍ وَخَيرُ العِلمِ ما كانَ مُرشِدا

He will not praise enrichment until it is adorned

So he does not praise enriching

with learning; the best learning is that which guides.

Unless adorned with knowledge, and the best knowledge guides

يُناديكَ قَد أَزرَيتَ بِالعِلمِ وَالحِجا

يُناديكَ قَد أَزرَيتَ بِالعِلمِ وَالحِجا

وَلَم تُبقِ لِلتَعليمِ يا لُردُ مَعهَدا

وَلَم تُبقِ لِلتَعليمِ يا لُردُ مَعهَدا

He calls to you: you have disparaged learning and intellect,

He calls out to you, you have aided with knowledge and proof

and left no institution for education, O Lord.

And did not leave any institute for education intact

وَأَنَّكَ أَخصَبتَ البِلادَ تَعَمُّداً

وَأَنَّكَ أَخصَبتَ البِلادَ تَعَمُّداً

وَأَجدَبتَ في مِصرَ العُقولَ تَعَمُّدا

وَأَجدَبتَ في مِصرَ العُقولَ تَعَمُّدا

You deliberately made the land fertile,

And you willfully made the country fertile

and deliberately made Egypt's minds barren.

Yet willfully made minds barren in Egypt

قَضَيتَ عَلى أُمِّ اللُغاتِ وَإِنَّهُ

قَضَيتَ عَلى أُمِّ اللُغاتِ وَإِنَّهُ

قَضاءٌ عَلَينا أَو سَبيلٌ إِلى الرَدى

قَضاءٌ عَلَينا أَو سَبيلٌ إِلى الرَدى

You put an end to the mother of languages, and that

You destroyed the mother of all languages, and that

is our doom, or a road to ruin.

Is ruin upon us or a path to demise

وَوافَيتَ وَالقُطرانِ في ظِلِّ رايَةٍ

وَوافَيتَ وَالقُطرانِ في ظِلِّ رايَةٍ

فَما زِلتَ بِالسودانِ حَتّى تَمَرَّدا

فَما زِلتَ بِالسودانِ حَتّى تَمَرَّدا

You arrived when the two lands were under one banner,

You met your end under the banner of darkness

and persisted with Sudan until it rebelled.

So you continued to rebel in the Sudan until you fell

فَطاحَ كَما طاحَت مُصَوَّعُ بَعدَهُ

فَطاحَ كَما طاحَت مُصَوَّعُ بَعدَهُ

وَضاعَت مَساعينا بِأَطماعِكُم سُدى

وَضاعَت مَساعينا بِأَطماعِكُم سُدى

So it fell, as Massawa fell after it,

Just as your successor fell afterwards

and our efforts were wasted through your ambitions.

And our efforts were lost due to your greed

حَجَبتَ ضِياءَ الصُحفِ عَن ظُلُماتِهِ

حَجَبتَ ضِياءَ الصُحفِ عَن ظُلُماتِهِ

وَلَم تَستَقِل حَتّى حَجَبتَ المُؤَيَّدا

وَلَم تَستَقِل حَتّى حَجَبتَ المُؤَيَّدا

You barred the newspapers' light from its darkness,

You obscured the light of journalism from its darkness

and did not resign until you had barred al-Mu'ayyad.

And did not have independence until you obscured the supported one

وَأَودَعتَ تَقريرَ الوَداعِ مَغامِزاً

وَأَودَعتَ تَقريرَ الوَداعِ مَغامِزاً

رَأَينا جَفاءَ الطَبعِ فيها مُجَسَّدا

رَأَينا جَفاءَ الطَبعِ فيها مُجَسَّدا

You placed insinuations in your farewell report,

And deposited your farewell concealing ridicule

in which we saw harshness of nature embodied.

We saw the coldness of your nature embodied in it

غَمَزتَ بِها دينَ النَبِيِّ وَإِنَّنا

غَمَزتَ بِها دينَ النَبِيِّ وَإِنَّنا

لَنَغضَبُ إِن أَغضَبتَ في القَبرِ أَحمَدا

لَنَغضَبُ إِن أَغضَبتَ في القَبرِ أَحمَدا

Through them you disparaged the Prophet's faith, and we

You ridiculed the religion of the Prophet, and we

will surely be angered if you anger Ahmad in his grave.

Will be angry if you angered Ahmad in his grave

يُناديكَ أَينَ النابِغونَ بِعَهدِكُم

يُناديكَ أَينَ النابِغونَ بِعَهدِكُم

وَأَيُّ بِناءٍ شامِخٍ قَد تَجَدَّدا

وَأَيُّ بِناءٍ شامِخٍ قَد تَجَدَّدا

He calls to you: where are the gifted minds of your tenure,

He calls out to you, where are the brilliant poets in your time

and what lofty edifice has risen anew?

And which lofty constructions were renewed

فَما عَهدُ إِسماعيلَ وَالعَيشُ ضَيِّقٌ

فَما عَهدُ إِسماعيلَ وَالعَيشُ ضَيِّقٌ

بِأَجدَبَ مِن عَهدٍ لَكُم سالَ عَسجَدا

بِأَجدَبَ مِن عَهدٍ لَكُم سالَ عَسجَدا

For Ismail's reign, when life was straitened,

The days of Ismail and living straitened

was no more barren than your reign, which flowed with gold.

Are more fertile than your days which flowed with misery

يُناديكَ وَلَّيتَ الوِزارَةَ هَيئَةً

يُناديكَ وَلَّيتَ الوِزارَةَ هَيئَةً

مِنَ الصُمِّ لَم تَسمَع لِأَصواتِنا صَدى

مِنَ الصُمِّ لَم تَسمَع لِأَصواتِنا صَدى

He calls to you: you entrusted the ministry to a body

He calls out, you appointed the ministry an assembly

of deaf men that heard no echo of our voices.

Of the deaf who did not hear our voices echo

فَلَيسَ بِها عِندَ التَشاوُرِ مِن فَتىً

فَلَيسَ بِها عِندَ التَشاوُرِ مِن فَتىً

أَبِيٍّ إِذا ما أَصدَرَ الأَمرَ أَورَدا

أَبِيٍّ إِذا ما أَصدَرَ الأَمرَ أَورَدا

Among them, in deliberation, there is no young man

It does not have among its members in consultation

of proud spirit who could counter an order once issued.

An eloquent man who utters or enforces a decree

بِرَبِّكَ ماذا صَدَّنا وَلَوى بِنا

بِرَبِّكَ ماذا صَدَّنا وَلَوى بِنا

عَنِ القَصدِ إِن كانَ السَبيلُ مُمَهَّدا

عَنِ القَصدِ إِن كانَ السَبيلُ مُمَهَّدا

By your Lord, what held us back and turned us

By your Lord, what distracted us and bent us

from our purpose, if the road was paved?

Away from propriety, if the path was paved

أَشَرتَ بِرَأيٍ في كِتابِكَ لَم يَكُن

أَشَرتَ بِرَأيٍ في كِتابِكَ لَم يَكُن

سَديداً وَلَكِن كانَ سَهماً مُسَدَّدا

سَديداً وَلَكِن كانَ سَهماً مُسَدَّدا

You proposed an opinion in your book that was not

You presented an opinion in your book which was not

sound, but was a well-aimed arrow.

Upright, but it was an arrow aimed straight

وَحاوَلتَ إِعطاءَ الغَريبِ مَكانَةً

وَحاوَلتَ إِعطاءَ الغَريبِ مَكانَةً

تَجُرُّ عَلَينا الوَيلَ وَالذُلَّ سَرمَدا

تَجُرُّ عَلَينا الوَيلَ وَالذُلَّ سَرمَدا

You sought to grant the foreigner a position

And you tried to give the foreigner a status

that would bring us misery and humiliation forever.

That would bring upon us endless woe and humiliation

فَيا وَيلَ مِصرٍ يَومَ تَشقى بِنَدوَةٍ

فَيا وَيلَ مِصرٍ يَومَ تَشقى بِنَدوَةٍ

يَبيتُ بِها ذاكَ الغَريبُ مُسَوَّدا

يَبيتُ بِها ذاكَ الغَريبُ مُسَوَّدا

Woe, then, to Egypt on the day she suffers under a council

Woe to Egypt on the day it suffers with yearning

where that foreigner spends his nights as master!

In which that foreigner spends the night empowered

أَلَم يَكفِنا أَنّا سُلِبنا ضِياعَنا

أَلَم يَكفِنا أَنّا سُلِبنا ضِياعَنا

عَلى حينِ لَم نَبلُغ مِنَ الفِطنَةِ المَدى

عَلى حينِ لَم نَبلُغ مِنَ الفِطنَةِ المَدى

Was it not enough that we were robbed of our estates

Is it not enough that our lands were taken from us

while we had not reached the utmost discernment?

While we had not yet reached the peak of awareness

وَزاحَمَنا في العَيشِ كُلُّ مُمارِسٍ

وَزاحَمَنا في العَيشِ كُلُّ مُمارِسٍ

خَبيرٍ وَكُنّا جاهِلينَ وَرُقَّدا

خَبيرٍ وَكُنّا جاهِلينَ وَرُقَّدا

And every practiced man jostled us for a livelihood,

And every proficient practitioner crowded us out of livelihood

experienced, while we were ignorant and asleep.

While we were ignorant and dormant

وَما الشَرِكاتُ السودُ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

وَما الشَرِكاتُ السودُ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

سِوى شَرَكٍ يُلقي بِهِ مَن تَصَيَّدا

سِوى شَرَكٍ يُلقي بِهِ مَن تَصَيَّدا

The black companies in every town are nothing

And what are the foreign corporations in every town

but a snare cast by whoever goes hunting.

Except shares that enable the cunning to hunt

فَهَذا حَديثُ الناسِ وَالناسُ أَلسُنٌ

فَهَذا حَديثُ الناسِ وَالناسُ أَلسُنٌ

إِذا قالَ هَذا صاحَ ذاكَ مُفَنِّدا

إِذا قالَ هَذا صاحَ ذاكَ مُفَنِّدا

Such is the people's talk, and the people are tongues:

This is people's discourse, and people are tongues

when this one speaks, that one cries out to refute him.

If this one spoke, that one refuted invigorated

وَلَو كُنتُ مِن أَهلِ السِياسَةِ بَينَهُم

وَلَو كُنتُ مِن أَهلِ السِياسَةِ بَينَهُم

لَسَجَّلتُ لي رَأياً وَبُلِّغتُ مَقصِدا

لَسَجَّلتُ لي رَأياً وَبُلِّغتُ مَقصِدا

Had I been among their men of politics,

If I were of the politicians among them

I would have recorded my own view and been brought to my goal.

I would have recorded an opinion and conveyed a purpose

وَلَكِنَّني في مَعرِضِ القَولِ شاعِرٌ

وَلَكِنَّني في مَعرِضِ القَولِ شاعِرٌ

أَضافَ إِلى التاريخِ قَولاً مُخَلَّدا

أَضافَ إِلى التاريخِ قَولاً مُخَلَّدا

But I am, in the arena of speech, a poet

But I am disposed to poetry, a poet

who has added an immortal utterance to history.

Who adds to history immortal words

فَيا أَيُّها الشَيخُ الجَليلُ تَحِيَّةً

فَيا أَيُّها الشَيخُ الجَليلُ تَحِيَّةً

وَيا أَيُّها القَصرُ المُنيفُ تَجَلُّدا

وَيا أَيُّها القَصرُ المُنيفُ تَجَلُّدا

So, venerable elder, accept a greeting;

O venerable Elder, greetings

and you, lofty palace, be steadfast.

And O splendid palace, endure

لَئِن غابَ هَذا اللَيثُ عَنكَ لِعِلَّةٍ

لَئِن غابَ هَذا اللَيثُ عَنكَ لِعِلَّةٍ

لَقَد لَبِثَت آثارُهُ فيكَ شُهَّدا

لَقَد لَبِثَت آثارُهُ فيكَ شُهَّدا

Though this lion has departed from you because of an illness,

If this lion is absent from you due to illness

his traces have indeed remained in you as witnesses.

His impact remains fixed in you eternally