وَارَحْمَتَاهُ لِقَومٍ فَارَقوا النِّعَمَا

وَارَحْمَتَاهُ لِقَومٍ فَارَقوا النِّعَمَا

مِنْ غَيْرِ ذَنْبٍ لَهُمْ وَاسْتَقْبَلُوا النِّقَمَا

مِنْ غَيْرِ ذَنْبٍ لَهُمْ وَاسْتَقْبَلُوا النِّقَمَا

Alas for a people who parted from their blessings,

And His mercy upon a people who parted from blessings

Through no fault of their own, and faced calamities.

Without sin of theirs, and met with wrath

وُلاةُ أَرْزَاقِهِمْ وَلَّوْا فَمَا رَجَعُوا

وُلاةُ أَرْزَاقِهِمْ وَلَّوْا فَمَا رَجَعُوا

وَغَادَرُوهُمْ عُرَاةً جُوَّعاً هُضُمَا

وَغَادَرُوهُمْ عُرَاةً جُوَّعاً هُضُمَا

Their breadwinners departed and did not return,

Rulers of their livelihood turned away, so they did not come back

And left them naked, starving, and gaunt.

And left them naked, hungry, wronged

شُيُوخُهُمْ وَعَذَارَاهُمْ وَصِبْيَتُهُمُ

شُيُوخُهُمْ وَعَذَارَاهُمْ وَصِبْيَتُهُمُ

ذَاقُوا جَمِيعاً فِطَامَ القَهْرِ وَاليَتَمَا

ذَاقُوا جَمِيعاً فِطَامَ القَهْرِ وَاليَتَمَا

Their elders, their maidens, and their children

Their elders, young women, and children

All tasted forcible weaning and orphanhood.

All tasted the weaning of oppression and orphanhood

فَلَوْ تَرَقَّبَهُمْ مُسْتَطْلِعٌ لَرَأَى

فَلَوْ تَرَقَّبَهُمْ مُسْتَطْلِعٌ لَرَأَى

أَشْلاءَ حُزْنٍ مُشَظَّاةً بِكُلِّ حِمَى

أَشْلاءَ حُزْنٍ مُشَظَّاةً بِكُلِّ حِمَى

And were an observer to watch them, he would see

If an onlooker were to watch over them, he would see

Limbs of sorrow, shattered in every refuge.

Pieces of sorrow shredded with every fever

لَوْلا بَشَاشَةُ إِيمَانٍ تُثَبِّتُهُمْ

لَوْلا بَشَاشَةُ إِيمَانٍ تُثَبِّتُهُمْ

تَخَيَّرُوا دُونَ تِلْكَ العِيشَةِ العَدَمَا

تَخَيَّرُوا دُونَ تِلْكَ العِيشَةِ العَدَمَا

Were it not for the cheer of faith sustaining them,

Were it not for the cheer of faith that gives them steadfastness

They would have chosen nothingness over that life.

They would have chosen annihilation over that life

مَا حَالُ أُمٍّ لَهَا طِفْلٌ بِجَانِبِهَا

مَا حَالُ أُمٍّ لَهَا طِفْلٌ بِجَانِبِهَا

غَيْرَ المَدَامِعِ فِي يَوْمَيْهِ مَا طُعِمَا

غَيْرَ المَدَامِعِ فِي يَوْمَيْهِ مَا طُعِمَا

What is the plight of a mother with a child beside her,

What is the state of a mother who has a baby beside her

Who for two days has been fed nothing but tears?

With no food but tears during her days?

وَرُضَّعٍ وَجَدُوا الأَثْدَاءَ لاذِعَةً

وَرُضَّعٍ وَجَدُوا الأَثْدَاءَ لاذِعَةً

كَالجَمْرِ فَانْفَطَمُوا وَاسْتَنْكَرُوا الحَلَمَا

كَالجَمْرِ فَانْفَطَمُوا وَاسْتَنْكَرُوا الحَلَمَا

And of sucklings who found the breasts searing

And suckling babes who found the teats scathing

Like embers, so were weaned and found the nipples strange?

Like embers, so they weaned and deemed the dream impossible

وَغَانِيَاتٍ أَبَاحَتْهَا الخُطُوبُ فَلَوْ

وَغَانِيَاتٍ أَبَاحَتْهَا الخُطُوبُ فَلَوْ

لَمْ تُعْصَمِ النَّفْسُ سَاءَ الفَقْرُ مُعْتَصَمَا

لَمْ تُعْصَمِ النَّفْسُ سَاءَ الفَقْرُ مُعْتَصَمَا

And of fair women whom calamities exposed? For had

And singers whom hardships made permissible, so if

The soul not been protected, poverty would have been a wretched refuge.

The soul were not protected, destitution would have a protected refuge

وَعَاجِزِينَ إِذَا لحَاجَاتُ ثُرْنَ بِهِمْ

وَعَاجِزِينَ إِذَا لحَاجَاتُ ثُرْنَ بِهِمْ

عَاقَتْ قُيُودُ اللَّيَالِي مِنْهُمُ الهِمَمَا

عَاقَتْ قُيُودُ اللَّيَالِي مِنْهُمُ الهِمَمَا

And of the helpless? When needs rise against them,

And the helpless when needs burdened them

The fetters of the nights restrain their resolve.

The shackles of nights incapacitated their resolves

أَشْبَاهُ مَوْتَى سِوَى رُؤْيَا تُرَوِّعُهُمْ

أَشْبَاهُ مَوْتَى سِوَى رُؤْيَا تُرَوِّعُهُمْ

وَرَائِعَاتُ الرُّؤْى لا تَبْعَثُ الرِّمَمَا

وَرَائِعَاتُ الرُّؤْى لا تَبْعَثُ الرِّمَمَا

They are like the dead, save for a dream that terrifies them,

Like those near dead but for visions that terrify them

Yet terrifying dreams do not resurrect decayed bones.

And terrifying dreams cannot restore vigor

أَولُئِكُمْ أهلُ مَنْ جَادُوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ

أَولُئِكُمْ أهلُ مَنْ جَادُوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ

وَخَلَّفُوهُمْ عَلَى أَوْطَانِهِمْ ذِمَمَا

وَخَلَّفُوهُمْ عَلَى أَوْطَانِهِمْ ذِمَمَا

Those are the families of those who gave their lives,

Those are the people of one who was generous with himself

And left them as charges upon their homelands.

And left them in their homelands, liable

شَكَوا إِلَى مِصْرَ مَا عَانُوهُ فَاسْتَمَعَتْ

شَكَوا إِلَى مِصْرَ مَا عَانُوهُ فَاسْتَمَعَتْ

وَمَنْ شَكَا فَدَعَا مِصْراً دَعَا الكَرَمَا

وَمَنْ شَكَا فَدَعَا مِصْراً دَعَا الكَرَمَا

They lamented to Egypt what they had suffered, and she listened.

They complained to Egypt of their suffering, so she listened

And whoever laments and calls on Egypt calls on generosity.

And whoever complains to Egypt invokes benevolence

جَادَتْ بِمَا أَخجَلَ التَّيَّارَ مُنْدَفِقاً

جَادَتْ بِمَا أَخجَلَ التَّيَّارَ مُنْدَفِقاً

وَالسُّحْبُ هَاطِلَةً وَالْغَيْثُ مُنْسَجِمَا

وَالسُّحْبُ هَاطِلَةً وَالْغَيْثُ مُنْسَجِمَا

She gave what put the surging torrent to shame,

She gave with what embarrassed the gushing currents

And the pouring clouds, and the streaming rain.

And pouring clouds and accompanying rain

للهِ دَرُّ بَنِيهَا الأَسْخِيَاءِ فَهُمْ

للهِ دَرُّ بَنِيهَا الأَسْخِيَاءِ فَهُمْ

إِذَا انْبَرَوْا للنَّدَى بَزُّوا بِهِ الأُمَمَا

إِذَا انْبَرَوْا للنَّدَى بَزُّوا بِهِ الأُمَمَا

God bless her generous sons! For they,

God’s gift are her noble children, for when

When they come forward to give, surpass the nations in generosity.

They set out to give, they outdid all nations

عَبَّاسُ قُدْوَتُهُمْ فِيهِ وَهُمْ تَبَعٌ

عَبَّاسُ قُدْوَتُهُمْ فِيهِ وَهُمْ تَبَعٌ

كَالرَّأْسِ وَالجِسْمِ نِعْمَ الصَّاحِبَانِ هُمَا

كَالرَّأْسِ وَالجِسْمِ نِعْمَ الصَّاحِبَانِ هُمَا

Abbas is their model in this, and they are his followers,

Abbas is their role model, and they his followers

Like head and body—what excellent companions they are!

Like the head and body, excellent companions they are

رَعَى الإِلهُ مَلِيكاً جُلُّ بُغْيَتِهِ

رَعَى الإِلهُ مَلِيكاً جُلُّ بُغْيَتِهِ

أَنْ يُعْلِي الحَقَّ أَوْ أَنْ يَكْشِفَ الغُمَمَا

أَنْ يُعْلِي الحَقَّ أَوْ أَنْ يَكْشِفَ الغُمَمَا

May God protect a king whose foremost wish

God protected the king whose sole ambition

Is to exalt truth or dispel sorrows.

Is to elevate truth and reveal the clouds

إِذَا تَعَاظَمَتِ الجُلَّى فَنَائِلُهُ

إِذَا تَعَاظَمَتِ الجُلَّى فَنَائِلُهُ

تَرَاهُ فَوْقَ مَرَامِي الفَضْلِ قَدْ عَظُمَا

تَرَاهُ فَوْقَ مَرَامِي الفَضْلِ قَدْ عَظُمَا

When calamity grows immense, his bounty—

When glories grow great, its attainer

You see it grown great beyond the furthest reach of generosity.

You see above the highest points of virtue made great

وَكَافَأَ الحَمْدُ أُمَّ المُحْسِنِينَ بِمَا

وَكَافَأَ الحَمْدُ أُمَّ المُحْسِنِينَ بِمَا

أَولَتْ فَأَغْلَتْ فَرَاعَ العُرْبَ وَالعَجَمَا

أَولَتْ فَأَغْلَتْ فَرَاعَ العُرْبَ وَالعَجَمَا

And praise rewarded the mother of benefactors for what

And praise rewarded the mother of benefactors with what

She bestowed so lavishly that it amazed Arabs and non-Arabs.

She initiated, so it overwhelmed the Arabs and non-Arabs

أَلْقَتْ عَلَى الدَّهْرِ ذِكْراً مِنْ عَوَارِفِهَا

أَلْقَتْ عَلَى الدَّهْرِ ذِكْراً مِنْ عَوَارِفِهَا

يُعَطِّرُ الْكَوْنَ وَالأَرْوَاحَ وَالنَّسَمَا

يُعَطِّرُ الْكَوْنَ وَالأَرْوَاحَ وَالنَّسَمَا

She cast upon time a remembrance of her benefactions,

She conferred upon eternity a fragrance from her noble deeds

Perfuming the universe, the souls, and the breezes.

That aromates existence, souls, and zephyr

هِيَ المُرُوءةُ تُعْطِي وَالوَفَاءُ يَفِي

هِيَ المُرُوءةُ تُعْطِي وَالوَفَاءُ يَفِي

وَرَسْمُهَا السَّعْدُ مَحْجُوباً وَمُبْتَسِمَا

وَرَسْمُهَا السَّعْدُ مَحْجُوباً وَمُبْتَسِمَا

She is nobility giving, and fidelity keeping faith;

It is gallantry to give and loyalty to fulfill

And her image is happiness, veiled and smiling.

And her crest is veiled bliss and a smile

عَاشَتْ وَقَرَّتْ بِنَجْلَيْهَا وَأُمَّتِهّا

عَاشَتْ وَقَرَّتْ بِنَجْلَيْهَا وَأُمَّتِهّا

وَبِالسرُورَينِ مَبْذُولاً وَمَغْتَنَمَا

وَبِالسرُورَينِ مَبْذُولاً وَمَغْتَنَمَا

May she live and take joy in her two sons and her nation,

She lived and settled with her two feet and her nation

And in both joys—the joy bestowed and the joy received.

Freely given andfortunately gained bliss

وَلْتَحْيَ مِصْرُ فَمَا زَالَتْ كَمَا عُهِدَتْ

وَلْتَحْيَ مِصْرُ فَمَا زَالَتْ كَمَا عُهِدَتْ

كَهْفاً لِقَاصِدِهَا غَوْثاً لِمَنْ أُزِمَا

كَهْفاً لِقَاصِدِهَا غَوْثاً لِمَنْ أُزِمَا

And long live Egypt, for she remains as she has been known:

So may Egypt live! For she remains as she was known

A sheltering cave for those who seek her, succor for those in distress.

A refuge for her seekers, succor for the anguished

تَنَاوَلَتْ كُلَّ مَلْهُوفٍ بِرَحْمَتِهَا

تَنَاوَلَتْ كُلَّ مَلْهُوفٍ بِرَحْمَتِهَا

وَاللهُ يَرحَمُ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ مَنْ رَحِمَا

وَاللهُ يَرحَمُ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ مَنْ رَحِمَا

She has reached out to everyone in anguish with her mercy,

She tended to every distraught soul with her mercy

And God shows mercy in both worlds to those who show mercy.

And God shows mercy to those who showed mercy in both abodes.