أَيَّwhat بَانٍbuilder أَقَامَraised هَذِيthis المَنَارَthe beacon
أَيَّ بَانٍ أَقَامَ هَذِي المَنَارَ
وَهَدَىand guided النَّاسَthe people مُدْلَجِينَtraveling by night حَيَارَىbewildered
وَهَدَى النَّاسَ مُدْلَجِينَ حَيَارَى
What builder raised this beacon
What man built this lighthouse
and guided the people, traveling by night, bewildered,
And guided lost souls wandering in confusion
وَهُمْwhile they خَابِطُونَfloundering فِيin الجَهْلِignorance أَشْبَاlike (أشباه, continued)
وَهُمْ خَابِطُونَ فِي الجَهْلِ أَشْبَا
هُcompletion of أشباه ('like') سَكَارَىdrunkards وَمَاand not هُمْthey بِسَكَارَىdrunk (emphatic)
هُ سَكَارَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسَكَارَى
while they floundered in ignorance, like
They are drunk but not with wine
drunkards, though they were not drunk?
The tyrants went too far with them and destroyed
أَسْرَفَتْwent to excess فِيهِمِtoward them المَمَالِيكُthe Mamluks إِذْلاhumiliation (إذلال, continued)
أَسْرَفَتْ فِيهِمِ المَمَالِيكُ إِذْلا
لَcompletion of إذلال ('humiliation') وَرَدَّتْand turned نُضْرَverdure الجَّنَانِthe gardens بُوارَاwasteland
لَ وَرَدَّتْ نُضْرَ الجَّنَانِ بُوارَا
The Mamluks went to excess in humiliating them,
The blossoms of paradise leaving only thorns
and turned lush gardens into wasteland.
Truth is violated and hidden
يُسْتَبَاحُis violated الحَقًّthe truth الصِّرَاحُplain فَيُخْفَىand so is concealed
يُسْتَبَاحُ الحَقًّ الصِّرَاحُ فَيُخْفَى
وَيُرَاقُand is shed الدَّمُthe blood الذَّكِيُّpure جُبَارَاwithout redress
وَيُرَاقُ الدَّمُ الذَّكِيُّ جُبَارَا
The plain truth is violated, then concealed,
While innocent blood is shed unjustly
and pure blood is shed without redress.
The wrongs have gripped them
أَخَذَتْهُمْseized them مَآخِذَclutches الضَّيمِoppression مِنْfrom
أَخَذَتْهُمْ مَآخِذَ الضَّيمِ مِنْ
كُلِّevery النَّواحِيside خَصَاصَةًdestitution وَصِغَارَاand abasement
كُلِّ النَّواحِي خَصَاصَةً وَصِغَارَا
Oppression seized them in its clutches from
From all sides, weak and strong
every side, in destitution and abasement.
They remained so for a time
مَكَثُواthey remained حِقْبَةًa span of time كَذَاكَthus إِلىuntil أَنthat
مَكَثُوا حِقْبَةً كَذَاكَ إِلى أَن
قَيَّضَprovided اللهُGod مَنْone who أَقَالَhelped recover from العِثَارَاstumbling
قَيَّضَ اللهُ مَنْ أَقَالَ العِثَارَا
They remained thus for a time, until
Until God sent one to lift their burdens
God provided one who lifted them from their fall.
There is no just man in Egypt who does not
لَيْسَthere is not فِيin مِصْرَEgypt مُنْصِفٌa fair-minded person لاَnot يُحَيِّيcelebrates
لَيْسَ فِي مِصْرَ مُنْصِفٌ لاَ يُحَيِّي
مَعَناwith us اليَومَtoday ذَلِكَthat التَذْكارَاthe commemoration
مَعَنا اليَومَ ذَلِكَ التَذْكارَا
No fair-minded person in Egypt fails to celebrate
Remember that day with us
that commemoration with us today.
O King whose words are most noble
يَاO مَلِيكاًking رَوَائِعُthe finest expressions القَوْلِspeech فِيهِabout him
يَا مَلِيكاً رَوَائِعُ القَوْلِ فِيهِ
لاَnot تُوَفِّيهِgive him fully حَقَّهhis due إِكْبَارَاin honor
لاَ تُوَفِّيهِ حَقَّه إِكْبَارَا
O king, whom the finest words of praise
Do him full justice, exalt him
cannot honor as fully as he deserves!
He expanded what his grandfather and father built
زَادَadded to مَاwhat شَادَbuilt جُدُّهُhis grandfather وَأَبُوهُand his father
زَادَ مَا شَادَ جُدُّهُ وَأَبُوهُ
فَتَخَطَّتand so surpassed أَعْيَانُهُhis tangible works الآثَارَاthe monuments
فَتَخَطَّت أَعْيَانُهُ الآثَارَا
He added to what his grandfather and father had built,
So that his great works surpassed theirs
so his tangible works surpassed the monuments.
Partial English translation: 17 of 18 Arabic lines translated.