بكسر النيل قد جُبر الوفاء

بكسر النيل قد جُبر الوفاء

فمرّ تكدّري وحلا الصفاء

فمرّ تكدّري وحلا الصفاء

With the Nile's breach, fulfillment has been mended.

With the breaking of the Nile, loyalty was remedied

So my distress passed, and serenity grew sweet.

So your turbidity passed and serenity prevailed

وأحيا ميت الأرضين ماء

وأحيا ميت الأرضين ماء

يُحّركه إذا سكن الهواء

يُحّركه إذا سكن الهواء

And water revived the lifeless lands.

And it revived the dead lands with water

The air stirs it when it lies still.

That moves when the air is still

تراه عارياً حراً وبردا

تراه عارياً حراً وبردا

وما غير السماء له غطاء

وما غير السماء له غطاء

You see it naked in heat and cold,

You see it bare, hot, and cold

And it has no covering but the sky.

With nothing but the sky as its cover

يُميت الحي يُحيي الموت لكن

يُميت الحي يُحيي الموت لكن

بإذن اللَه هذا وهو ماء

بإذن اللَه هذا وهو ماء

It kills the living and brings death to life, but

It kills the living and revives death, but

This is by God's leave—and it is water.

By God's will, this is just water

له خط بلا قلم ونطّ

له خط بلا قلم ونطّ

بلا قدم وبسط وانطواء

بلا قدم وبسط وانطواء

It writes without a pen, and leaps

It has a line without a pen and rhythm

Without a foot; it spreads out and folds in.

Without feet, expanse and contraction

له إن هزّ بإشنين رماحاً

له إن هزّ بإشنين رماحاً

بأتراس من الورق اتقاء

بأتراس من الورق اتقاء

If it brandishes spears of ishneen, it has

If it sways, it hurls spears

Protection through shields of leaves.

With shields of paper for protection

أيا مَن فارقوا الأزواج فقراً

أيا مَن فارقوا الأزواج فقراً

لكم بعرائس النيل الغناء

لكم بعرائس النيل الغناء

O you who parted from your spouses through poverty,

O you who were separated from spouses in poverty

In the Nile's brides you have all you need.

For you is the singing of the Nile brides

خذوها دون مهر لا تبالوا

خذوها دون مهر لا تبالوا

أقام بكم رخاء أو غلاء

أقام بكم رخاء أو غلاء

Take them without a dower; do not mind

Take them without dowry, do not worry

Whether prosperity or high prices dwell among you.

Whether it brings you comfort or dearth

حزينكم وإني ابن أمي

حزينكم وإني ابن أمي

وأمي امرأة أبي ما بي خفاء

وأمي امرأة أبي ما بي خفاء

I am your sorrowful one, and indeed I am my mother's son.

I pity you though I am my mother's son

And my mother is my father's wife; nothing about me is hidden.

And my mother is the wife of my father, no secret to hide

وإن أبي وأجدادي رجال

وإن أبي وأجدادي رجال

كما أمي وجداتي نساء

كما أمي وجداتي نساء

And indeed my father and grandfathers are men,

My father and grandfathers were men

Just as my mother and grandmothers are women.

As my mother and grandmothers were women

بحق العيد يا ناس اشهدوا لي

بحق العيد يا ناس اشهدوا لي

وقولوا قد صدقت ولا تُراؤوا

وقولوا قد صدقت ولا تُراؤوا

For the festival's sake, O people, bear witness for me,

By the sanctity of Eid, O people, bear witness for me

And say, 'You spoke the truth,' and do not dissemble.

And say I have spoken the truth, do not deny