كانَ بِمصر بَدر

كانَ بِمصر بَدر

لَه عَلَيها أَمر

لَه عَلَيها أَمر

In Egypt there was Badr,

There was a Badr in Egypt

who held authority over it.

Who had power over it

يَقتل كُل ساعة

يَقتل كُل ساعة

مِن أَهلِها جَماعه

مِن أَهلِها جَماعه

Every hour he would kill

He would kill every hour

a group of its people,

A group of its people

وَيهرق الدِّماء

وَيهرق الدِّماء

حَتَّى تخال ماء

حَتَّى تخال ماء

and spill blood

And shed blood

until you would think it water.

Until it seemed like water

أصلحها بِسَيفه

أصلحها بِسَيفه

وَجوره وَحيفه

وَجوره وَحيفه

He set it right with his sword,

He corrected it with his sword

and his tyranny and his injustice.

And his injustice and deprivation

جَزاء كُل فعل

جَزاء كُل فعل

لَديه سوء القَتل

لَديه سوء القَتل

The punishment for every deed

The reward for every deed

with him was a cruel execution.

For him was evil killing

لَما عَصاه وَلَده

لَما عَصاه وَلَده

وَبانَ مِنهُ أنكده

وَبانَ مِنهُ أنكده

When his son disobeyed him,

When his son disobeyed him

and his worst side became apparent,

And his distress from him became evident

أَرداه حالاً بيده

أَرداه حالاً بيده

ثَمَّ رَمى بِجَسَده

ثَمَّ رَمى بِجَسَده

he slew him at once with his own hand;

He immediately destroyed him with his hand

there he cast aside his body.

Then he threw away his body

فَغضِب المنتصر

فَغضِب المنتصر

وَقالَ هذا منكر

وَقالَ هذا منكر

So al-Muntasir grew angry

So the victor became angry

and said, 'This is reprehensible.'

And said this is unacceptable

فَقالَ لَو عَصاني

فَقالَ لَو عَصاني

قَلبي في جُثماني

قَلبي في جُثماني

So he said, 'If it disobeyed me—

He said if he disobeyed me

my heart within my body—

My heart within my body

نزعته مِن صَدري

نزعته مِن صَدري

وَلَم يَكُن يُنكر

وَلَم يَكُن يُنكر

I would tear it from my chest,

I would rip it out from my chest

and that would not be deemed wrong.'

And it would not be deniable

ثُمَّ غَزا ولاته

ثُمَّ غَزا ولاته

إِذ ظَنَّهم عداته

إِذ ظَنَّهم عداته

Then he attacked his governors,

Then he invaded his states

since he thought them his enemies.

When he thought they were his enemies

فَحين قيد الأَسرى

فَحين قيد الأَسرى

قالَ اقتلوهم طرّا

قالَ اقتلوهم طرّا

So when the captives were bound,

So when he tied the prisoners

he said, 'Kill them all!'

He said kill them violently

عِشرين أَلفاً كانوا

عِشرين أَلفاً كانوا

حَتَّى جَرى الميدان

حَتَّى جَرى الميدان

They numbered twenty thousand,

Twenty thousand they were

until the field streamed

Until the battlefield flowed

في النيل مِن دِمائهم

في النيل مِن دِمائهم

وَلج في أَفنائهم

وَلج في أَفنائهم

into the Nile with their blood.

In the Nile from their blood

And he persisted in annihilating them,

And he penetrated their homes

وَهوَ عَلى ظَهر الفَرَس

وَهوَ عَلى ظَهر الفَرَس

كَضيغم إِذا اِفتَرَس

كَضيغم إِذا اِفتَرَس

while on the horse's back,

While he was on the back of the horse

like a lion when it seizes its prey.

Like a predator when it pounces

وَماتَ حَتف أنفه

وَماتَ حَتف أنفه

لَم يَعتسف بِعَسفه

لَم يَعتسف بِعَسفه

And he died a natural death;

And he died with his nose arrogance

he was not treated harshly for his harshness.

His tyranny was not moderated