أتى عليكِ وإن لم تشعرِي الأمدُ

أتى عليكِ وإن لم تشعرِي الأمدُ

وأنتِ أنتِ مضى أمسٌ وحلَّ غدُ

وأنتِ أنتِ مضى أمسٌ وحلَّ غدُ

Time has passed over you, though you have not felt it,

Time has passed you by though you did not feel it

And you are still you: yesterday has passed, and tomorrow has come.

You remain you, yesterday has gone and tomorrow has arrived

فهبكِ عيناً فما في الناسِ ذو نظرٍ

فهبكِ عيناً فما في الناسِ ذو نظرٍ

إلا ويؤلمهُ في عينهِ الرَّمدُ

إلا ويؤلمهُ في عينهِ الرَّمدُ

Suppose, then, you are an eye: there is no one with sight among people

Grant yourself eyes, for there is no one among people with vision

Whose eye is not pained by inflammation.

Except that dryness pains their eyes

وهبكِ قلباً فما في الخلقِ من رجلٍ

وهبكِ قلباً فما في الخلقِ من رجلٍ

إلا ويوجِعهُ في قلبِهِ الكمدُ

إلا ويوجِعهُ في قلبِهِ الكمدُ

And suppose you are a heart: there is no man among humankind

Grant yourself a heart, for there is no man among people

Whose heart is not pained by grief.

Except that sorrow pains his heart

وهبكِ من كبدٍ في جنبِ صاحبها

وهبكِ من كبدٍ في جنبِ صاحبها

أليسَ يحملُ ما تغلي بهِ الكيدُ

أليسَ يحملُ ما تغلي بهِ الكيدُ

And suppose you are part of a liver in its owner's side:

Grant yourself a liver inside its companion

Does he not bear what makes malice seethe?

Does it not bear what animosity boils?

عجبتُ لامرأةٍ هانتْ وما اعتبرتْ

عجبتُ لامرأةٍ هانتْ وما اعتبرتْ

ومن رجالٍ أهانوها وما رَشَدوا

ومن رجالٍ أهانوها وما رَشَدوا

I marveled at a woman who was abased and took no heed,

I am amazed at a woman who is disgraced and does not consider

And at men who abased her and did not act wisely.

And at men who dishonor her and do not grow wise

كلاهما رجلٌ في الناسِ وامرأةٌ

كلاهما رجلٌ في الناسِ وامرأةٌ

ولا مميزَ إلا ذلكَ الجسدُ

ولا مميزَ إلا ذلكَ الجسدُ

Both are human—a man and a woman—

Both are a man among people and a woman

And nothing distinguishes them but the body.

With no distinction but that body

وكلُّ ما حولهم في الذلِّ مثلهمُ

وكلُّ ما حولهم في الذلِّ مثلهمُ

يُستعبدُ الكلُّ حتى النهرُ والبلدُ

يُستعبدُ الكلُّ حتى النهرُ والبلدُ

And everything around them is like them in abasement;

And all around them is in humiliation like them

All is enslaved, even the river and the land.

All are enslaved, even the river and the land

يا بنتَ مصرَ ولا قومٌ تعزُّ بهمْ

يا بنتَ مصرَ ولا قومٌ تعزُّ بهمْ

ولا بلادٌ ولا أهلٌ ولا ولدُ

ولا بلادٌ ولا أهلٌ ولا ولدُ

O daughter of Egypt, with no people to lend you strength,

O daughter of Egypt, you have no people to be proud of

Nor homeland, nor family, nor child.

No country, no people, no children

زاغتْ عيونُ بني مصرَ وضلَّ بها

زاغتْ عيونُ بني مصرَ وضلَّ بها

غيُّ النفوسِ وهذا الجهلُ والفندُ

غيُّ النفوسِ وهذا الجهلُ والفندُ

The eyes of Egypt's sons have strayed, and within them have wandered

The eyes of the people of Egypt have strayed and in their blindness

The waywardness of souls, this ignorance and folly.

The perversion of souls, and this ignorance and chaos

فأنتِ في نظرِ الراقينَ سائمةٌ

فأنتِ في نظرِ الراقينَ سائمةٌ

وفي نواظرِ فلاحيهمُ وتدُ

وفي نواظرِ فلاحيهمُ وتدُ

So in the eyes of the refined, you are a grazing beast,

So in the view of the elite you are disreputable

And in the eyes of their peasants, a stake.

And in the eyes of your peasants, a peg

وأنتِ بينهمْ في كلِّ منزلةٍ

وأنتِ بينهمْ في كلِّ منزلةٍ

صفرُ اليسارِ بهِ يستكملُ العددُ

صفرُ اليسارِ بهِ يستكملُ العددُ

And among them, in every station, you are

And you are among them in every station

A zero on the left, with which the number is completed.

The left zero that completes the number

أقامَ في رأسكِ الجهلُ الذي سلفتْ

أقامَ في رأسكِ الجهلُ الذي سلفتْ

بهِ الليالي وفي أضلاعكِ الحسدُ

بهِ الليالي وفي أضلاعكِ الحسدُ

In your head has lodged the ignorance with which

Ignorance, which passed nights with you, resides in your head

The nights have passed; and in your ribs, envy.

And envy resides in your ribs

وما يحلان بيتاً كانَ في رغدٍ

وما يحلان بيتاً كانَ في رغدٍ

إلا وهاجرَ منهُ ذلكَ الرغدُ

إلا وهاجرَ منهُ ذلكَ الرغدُ

And the two never settle in a house that enjoyed ease

And they do not settle in a house of prosperity

Without that ease migrating away from it.

Except that prosperity departs from it

فالسحرُ والزارُ والأسيادُ جملتها

فالسحرُ والزارُ والأسيادُ جملتها

لأهلها نكدٌ ما مثلهِ نكدُ

لأهلها نكدٌ ما مثلهِ نكدُ

For sorcery, zar, and the masters—all of them—

So witchcraft, misfortune, and masters - all

Are misery to their followers, misery without equal.

Are misery for their people, the likes of which is misery

ما أنتِ في الصينِ والأوثانُ قائمةٌ

ما أنتِ في الصينِ والأوثانُ قائمةٌ

وللشياطينِ في كلِّ الأمورِ يدُ

وللشياطينِ في كلِّ الأمورِ يدُ

You are not in China, yet idols stand,

You are not in China where idols stand

And devils have a hand in every affair.

And demons have a hand in all affairs

تاللهِ لوز كانَ من علمٍ وتربيةٍ

تاللهِ لوز كانَ من علمٍ وتربيةٍ

شيءٌ يمازجهُ ذا الصبرُ والجلدُ

شيءٌ يمازجهُ ذا الصبرُ والجلدُ

By God, if there were, of learning and upbringing,

By God, if there was any knowledge and education

Anything with which this patience and endurance could mingle,

That this patience and composure would blend with

إذا لما سخرتْ من بنتِ جمعتها

إذا لما سخرتْ من بنتِ جمعتها

من يومُها السبتُ أو من يومُها الأحدُ

من يومُها السبتُ أو من يومُها الأحدُ

Then the daughter of Friday would not have been mocked

Then when she mocked the daughter brought together

By her whose day is Saturday, or her whose day is Sunday.

From her Saturday or her Sunday

فهل ارى رجلاً فينا أو امرأةً

فهل ارى رجلاً فينا أو امرأةً

بعدَ الخمودِ وطولِ الذلِّ يتقدُ

بعدَ الخمودِ وطولِ الذلِّ يتقدُ

Shall I then see a man among us, or a woman,

Would I see a man or woman among us

Who blazes up after torpor and prolonged abasement?

After fading and prolonged humiliation, flare up?

يا قومُ لو نامَ ليثُ الغابِ نومكمُ

يا قومُ لو نامَ ليثُ الغابِ نومكمُ

لاستنكفَ الفارُ إن قالوا لهُ أسدُ

لاستنكفَ الفارُ إن قالوا لهُ أسدُ

O people, if the forest's lion slept as you sleep,

O people, if the lion of the forest slept like you

The mouse would take offense if they called it a lion.

The mouse would disdain being called a lion