المرءa person يسعىstrives والمنيةand death أسرعswifter
المرء يسعى والمنية أسرع
والدهرand time بينهماbetween them يسرgladdens ويفجعand bereaves
والدهر بينهما يسر ويفجع
Man strives, but death is swifter,
Man strives, yet death is swifter
And time, between the two, brings joy and bereavement.
And fate brings joy and sorrow in between
قدرdestiny يسيرهdirects it المهيمنthe Sovereign حيثمwherever
قدر يسيره المهيمن حيثم
يختارهHe chooses it لاnot حيثماwherever نتوقعwe expect
يختاره لا حيثما نتوقع
A destiny the Sovereign directs wherever
Our destiny is guided by the Omnipotent
He chooses, not wherever we expect.
Where He chooses, not where we expect
ياO أمةnation فجعتwas bereaved بفقدby the loss of زعيمهits leader
يا أمة فجعت بفقد زعيمه
وقوىand the forces الضلالof misguidance لسلبهاto despoil it تتجمعgather
وقوى الضلال لسلبها تتجمع
O nation, bereaved by the loss of its leader,
O nation who grieves the loss of its leader
And the forces of misguidance gather to despoil it.
And the powers of misguidance gather to rob it
نفذhas taken effect القضاءthe decree ولاand no مفرescape لكائنfor a being
نفذ القضاء ولا مفر لكائن
حيliving منfrom الأمرthe command الذيthat لاnot يدفعcan be averted
حي من الأمر الذي لا يدفع
The decree has taken effect; there is no escape for any being
Fate has been fulfilled, no created being can prevent
That lives, from the command that cannot be averted.
That which cannot be averted
لوif كانwere يقبلaccepted عنfor جمالGamal فديةa ransom
لو كان يقبل عن جمال فدية
لفدتهwould have ransomed him أنفسthe souls يعربof Ya'rub والأدمعand the tears
لفدته أنفس يعرب والأدمع
If a ransom for Gamal could have been accepted,
Had his beauty accepted ransom
The souls of Ya'rub and tears would have ransomed him.
Souls of Arabs would pay it with tears
لكنbut حكمةthe wisdom ربناof our Lord فيin خلقهHis creation
لكن حكمة ربنا في خلقه
للمؤمنينfor the believers بهin Him دليلa proof مقنعconvincing
للمؤمنين به دليل مقنع
But our Lord's wisdom in His creation
But the wisdom of our Lord in His creation
Is a convincing proof for those who believe in Him.
Is convincing proof for believers
واختارand chose ربكyour Lord ناصراًNasser لجوارهto His side
واختار ربك ناصراً لجواره
شأنas with الأمانةthe trust حينماwhen تسترجعit is reclaimed
شأن الأمانة حينما تسترجع
And your Lord chose Nasser to dwell beside Him,
And your Lord chose a helper for His neighbors
As with a trust when it is reclaimed.
As trust is reclaimed
ياO أيهاyou الإنسانthe human being لمdid not ينلattain الألىthose before you
يا أيها الإنسان لم ينل الألى
ماwhat نلتyou attained منof حبlove بهin it تتمتعyou delight
ما نلت من حب به تتمتع
O man, those before you never attained
O man, none has attained the high esteem
The love you attained, in which you delight.
You enjoyed from the love he possessed
جرحتwounded فجيعتكthe loss of you الضمائرthe consciences كلهall of them
جرحت فجيعتك الضمائر كله
فكأنهاso it is as though فيin كلevery قلبheart مبضعa scalpel
فكأنها في كل قلب مبضع
The grief of losing you wounded every conscience,
Your loss pained all consciences
As though it were a scalpel in every heart.
As if a stake pierced each heart
أناI قبلbefore فقدكlosing you كنتI was شاعرthe poet قومهof its people
أنا قبل فقدك كنت شاعر قومه
أزجيI compose القريضverse كماas أشاءI wish وأبدعand excel
أزجي القريض كما أشاء وأبدع
Before losing you, I was the nation's poet,
Before your loss, I was my people's poet
Sending forth verse as I wished, and excelling.
Composing verses however I wished
فغدوتso I became لاnot أزنI weigh القوافيthe rhymes حسبمas
فغدوت لا أزن القوافي حسبم
أهوىI desire ولاnor كيفhow المعانيthe meanings توضعare set down
أهوى ولا كيف المعاني توضع
So now I cannot weigh the rhymes as
Now I no longer weigh rhyme as I desire
I wish, nor know how meanings should be set down.
Nor place meanings as I choose
وإذاand when خلتis alone نفسيmy soul إليto me فإننيthen indeed I
وإذا خلت نفسي إلي فإنني
استشعرI sense العزمthe resolve الذيthat يتضعضعfalters
استشعر العزم الذي يتضعضع
And when my soul is alone with me, I
When alone, I feel the resolve crumbling
Sense the resolve that is crumbling.
What can I say, when my patience is tested and found futile
ماذاwhat أقولshall I say وقدand already بلوتI tested تصبريmy endurance
ماذا أقول وقد بلوت تصبري
فوجدتand I found صبراًpatience منهكاًexhausted لاnot ينفعis useful
فوجدت صبراً منهكاً لا ينفع
What can I say, when I have tested my endurance
I tried to stop the tears by perseverance
And found a spent patience that is of no use?
But failed, and weeping flowed beyond control
حاولتI tried إيقافto stop الدموعthe tears تجلدwith fortitude
حاولت إيقاف الدموع تجلد
ففشلتso I failed واستعصىand defied عليme المدمعthe tear duct
ففشلت واستعصى علي المدمع
I tried to stop the tears, steeling myself,
I beg the poet to excuse me a poem
So I failed, and my tearful eye defied me.
That jest, though frailty shows through my ribs
إنيindeed I لأستعفيdo seek indulgence from الأديبthe man of letters قصيدةa poem
إني لأستعفي الأديب قصيدة
هزلتit grew thin وبانand appeared منfrom الهزالemaciation الأضلعthe ribs
هزلت وبان من الهزال الأضلع
I seek the man of letters' indulgence for a poem:
I cry from the bitter separation
It has grown thin, and emaciation has exposed its ribs.
But despite tears, I do not despair
أبكيهI weep for him منfrom حرthe burning heat الفراقof separation تألمin pain
أبكيه من حر الفراق تألم
لكننيbut I رغمdespite البكاthe weeping لاnot أجزعI lose heart
لكنني رغم البكا لا أجزع
I weep for him, aching from separation's burning heat,
I will not record his date here
But despite my weeping, I do not lose heart.
His record is studded with virtues
أناI لنwill not أسجلrecord ههناhere تاريخهhis history
أنا لن أسجل ههنا تاريخه
فسجلهfor his record بالمكرماتwith noble deeds مرصعis studded
فسجله بالمكرمات مرصع
I will not record his history here,
Arabs know his merits and jihad
For his record is studded with noble deeds.
Like rain wherever it strikes parched land
والعربand the Arabs تعرفknow فضلهhis merit وجهادهand his struggle
والعرب تعرف فضله وجهاده
كالغيثlike rain حيثwherever يصيبit falls on أرضاland تمرعgrows lush
كالغيث حيث يصيب أرضا تمرع
And the Arabs know his merit and his struggle,
I ask all I meet: Will our sun rise again
Like rain: wherever it falls, the land grows lush.
After its setting?
إنيindeed I لأسألdo ask كلevery منone whom لاقيتهI met him
إني لأسأل كل من لاقيته
هلwhether شمسناour sun بعدafter الغروبsunset ستطلعwill rise
هل شمسنا بعد الغروب ستطلع
Indeed, I ask everyone I have met:
And can the bereaved, after the leader is lost
Will our sun rise after setting?
Regain what the tyrants stole and return it?
وهلand whether المهيأthe one made ready بعدafter فقدthe loss of زعيمنour leader
وهل المهيأ بعد فقد زعيمن
سيعيدwill restore ماwhat سلبseized الطغاةthe tyrants ويرجعand bring back
سيعيد ما سلب الطغاة ويرجع
And will the one prepared, after our leader's loss,
You gave Arabism value it lacked
Restore what the tyrants seized and bring it back?
Since the Caliphate or any lofty position
ماnot كانwas قبلكbefore you للعروبةfor Arabism قيمةworth
ما كان قبلك للعروبة قيمة
منذsince الخلافةthe caliphate أوor مقامa standing يرفعis exalted
منذ الخلافة أو مقام يرفع
Before you, Arabism had no worth,
Until you lit the way, so it became
Since the caliphate, nor any standing held high,
Aspiring indeed to every virtue
حتىuntil أنرتyou lit لهاfor it الطريقthe path فأصبحتand it became
حتى أنرت لها الطريق فأصبحت
فعلاtruly لكلto every فضيلةvirtue تتطلعit aspires
فعلا لكل فضيلة تتطلع
Until you lit its path, and it began
People disagree in their views
Truly to aspire to every virtue.
But agree in loving you
والناسand people مختلفونdiffering فيin آرائهمtheir opinions
والناس مختلفون في آرائهم
لكنbut فيكregarding you علىon المحبةlove أجمعواthey unanimously agreed
لكن فيك على المحبة أجمعوا
And people differ in their opinions,
An Arab nation, whose enemy still desecrates its sanctuary, lost you
But they all agreed in their love for you.
Where is Jamal? Where is our beloved?
فقدتكhas lost you أمةthe nation يعربof Ya'rub وعدوهand its enemy
فقدتك أمة يعرب وعدوه
لماnot yet يزلhas ceased فيin قدسهاits Jerusalem يتسكعloiters
لما يزل في قدسها يتسكع
The nation of Ya'rub lost you, while its enemy
Where is the eloquent orator?
Still loiters in its Jerusalem.
Where are the crowds who listened to him
تموزJuly أينwhere جمالGamal؟ إينwhere حبيبناour beloved ؟
تموز أين جمال؟ إين حبيبنا ؟
أينwhere الخطيبthe orator العبقريbrilliant المصقعeloquent؟
أين الخطيب العبقري المصقع؟
July, where is Gamal? Where is our beloved?
Swayed by his beautiful convincing words?
Where is the brilliant, eloquent orator?
I hope and wish that our Lord grants success
أينwhere الجماهيرthe crowds التيthat تصغيlisten لهto him
أين الجماهير التي تصغي له
فيهزهاand stirs them الكلمthe words الجميلbeautiful المقنعpersuasive ؟
فيهزها الكلم الجميل المقنع ؟
Where are the crowds that listen to him,
To one most beneficial for Arabism and Sharia
And are stirred by his beautiful, persuasive words?
أرجوI wish وآملand hope أنthat يوفقgrants success to ربنour Lord
أرجو وآمل أن يوفق ربن
منwhoever للعروبةfor Arabism والشريعةand the Sharia أنفعmost beneficial
من للعروبة والشريعة أنفع
I wish and hope that our Lord grants success
To whoever best serves Arabism and the Sharia.
Partial English translation: 51 of 54 Arabic lines translated.