أَتَحلِفُ لا تُكَلِّفُني مَسيراً

أَتَحلِفُ لا تُكَلِّفُني مَسيراً

إِلى بَلَدٍ أُحاوِلُ فيهِ مالا

إِلى بَلَدٍ أُحاوِلُ فيهِ مالا

Do you swear you will not burden me with a journey

Do you swear you shall not task me with a journey

to a land where I seek wealth,

To a land where I might seek to gather wealth,

وَأَنتَ مُكَلِّفي أَنبى مَكاناً

وَأَنتَ مُكَلِّفي أَنبى مَكاناً

وَأَبعَدَ شُقَّةً وَأَشَدَّ حالا

وَأَبعَدَ شُقَّةً وَأَشَدَّ حالا

while you burden me with a more inhospitable place,

While you force me to a place most unyielding,

a greater distance, and a harsher plight?

More distant in reach, and more severe in plight?

إِذا سِرنا عَلى الفُسطاطِ يَوماً

إِذا سِرنا عَلى الفُسطاطِ يَوماً

فَلَقِّني الفَوارِسَ وَالرِجالا

فَلَقِّني الفَوارِسَ وَالرِجالا

If one day we march on al-Fustat,

If against Al-Fustat we should march one day,

then send the horsemen and the men to face me,

Then cast against me your horsemen and your men,

لِتَعلَمَ قَدرَ مَن فارَقتَ مِنّي

لِتَعلَمَ قَدرَ مَن فارَقتَ مِنّي

وَأَنَّكَ رُمتَ مِن ضَيمي مُحالا

وَأَنَّكَ رُمتَ مِن ضَيمي مُحالا

so you may know the worth of the man you parted with in me,

That you may know the measure of him you lost,

and that in trying to humiliate me, you sought the impossible.

And that in your oppression, you sought the impossible.