في شخصِ فاطمةٍ نُحيِّي النِّيلا

في شخصِ فاطمةٍ نُحيِّي النِّيلا

وَبَنيهِ والعَربَ الكرامَ الأولى

وَبَنيهِ والعَربَ الكرامَ الأولى

In Fatima’s person, we salute the Nile,

In Fatima's person we salute the Nile

and the Nile’s sons—the noble Arabs of old.

And its sons, and the noble Arabs of old.

يا بنتَ وادي النِّيلِ تَلمعُ دُرَّةً

يا بنتَ وادي النِّيلِ تَلمعُ دُرَّةً

في تاجِ مصرَ مُكلَّلا تَكليلا

في تاجِ مصرَ مُكلَّلا تَكليلا

O daughter of the Nile Valley, you gleam like a pearl,

O daughter of the Nile Valley, shining as a pearl

fully adorning Egypt’s crown.

In Egypt's crown, richly adorned.

قد زُرتمُ أرضا بها من أهَلها

قد زُرتمُ أرضا بها من أهَلها

أُمطِرتُم التَّرحيبَ والتَّأهيلا

أُمطِرتُم التَّرحيبَ والتَّأهيلا

You visited a land where, by its own people,

You have visited a land where, from its people,

you were showered with welcome and acclaim.

You were showered with welcome and warm reception.

وأتَيتِ بالتمثيلِ أكبر مقرشِدٍ

وأتَيتِ بالتمثيلِ أكبر مقرشِدٍ

يَهدي السَّبيلَ لِمَن يضِلُّ سَبيلا

يَهدي السَّبيلَ لِمَن يضِلُّ سَبيلا

You brought drama, the greatest guide,

And you brought acting, the greatest guide,

which shows the right path to whoever loses his way.

Showing the way to whoever loses the path.

حُزتِ التَّفوُّق في الكَمالِ فلا يُرى

حُزتِ التَّفوُّق في الكَمالِ فلا يُرى

شيءٌ لَكم إلا يُرى مَكمولا

شيءٌ لَكم إلا يُرى مَكمولا

You attained such supremacy in perfection that nothing

You have excelled in perfection, so nothing is seen

of yours is ever seen but appears complete.

Of yours except as perfect.

فمِنَ الكَلامِ ثَمينُه ورَصينُه

فمِنَ الكَلامِ ثَمينُه ورَصينُه

ومنَ الخَيال السامِي المَعقولا

ومنَ الخَيال السامِي المَعقولا

In speech, yours is the precious and weighty;

There is precious, weighty speech,

in imagination, the lofty yet intelligible.

And lofty imagination that reason can grasp,

في حُسنِ إلقاءٍ تَضاعَفَ وقعُهُ

في حُسنِ إلقاءٍ تَضاعَفَ وقعُهُ

قد رُتِّلَت كَلِمَاتُه تَرتيلا

قد رُتِّلَت كَلِمَاتُه تَرتيلا

Through graceful delivery its effect was doubled;

In fine delivery, its impact redoubled;

its words were recited in measured cadence.

Its words were recited with measured care.

فسَكَبنَ في أرواحِنا جُملاً قَدِ ات

فسَكَبنَ في أرواحِنا جُملاً قَدِ ات

تَخذت مَسَامِعَنا لَهُنَّ مَسيلا

تَخذت مَسَامِعَنا لَهُنَّ مَسيلا

Thus they settled in our souls as phrases, having—

And they poured into our souls phrases that had

—taken our ears as a channel for them.

Made our ears a channel for their flow.

زادَ الجميعَ طلاوةً وحلاوةً

زادَ الجميعَ طلاوةً وحلاوةً

حَركاتُهنَّ المُتقَناتِ أُصولا

حَركاتُهنَّ المُتقَناتِ أُصولا

Everything gained in charm and sweetness through

The whole gained charm and sweetness

their gestures, masterfully grounded in every principle.

From their gestures, mastered in their fundamentals.

ما القولُ يَكفي وحدَهُ إن لم تَكُن

ما القولُ يَكفي وحدَهُ إن لم تَكُن

لمُطابِقِ الحَركاتِ فِيهِ فُعولا

لمُطابِقِ الحَركاتِ فِيهِ فُعولا

Speech alone does not suffice unless there are

Speech alone is not enough, unless there are

fitting gestures, powerfully at work within it.

Actions within it to match the gestures.

والحُسنُ يَجذِب بَعضُهُ بعضاً فَتَذ

والحُسنُ يَجذِب بَعضُهُ بعضاً فَتَذ

هَلُ عند رُؤيتِه العُقُولُ ذُهولا

هَلُ عند رُؤيتِه العُقُولُ ذُهولا

Beauty draws one part of it toward another, and so—

And beauty draws one part toward another, so

—minds, upon seeing it, are stunned with wonder.

Minds are utterly bewildered at its sight.

فَكَأنَّما التَّمثيلُ عادَ حقيقةً

فَكَأنَّما التَّمثيلُ عادَ حقيقةً

وله الحقيقةُ أصبحت تَمثيلا

وله الحقيقةُ أصبحت تَمثيلا

It was as though the performance had become reality,

As though acting had become reality,

and through it reality had become a performance.

And reality, in turn, had become acting.

في مسرحٍ ما زالَ في حُلَلِ اللِّبا

في مسرحٍ ما زالَ في حُلَلِ اللِّبا

سِ من المَناظِرِ كالعَروسِ رُفولا

سِ من المَناظِرِ كالعَروسِ رُفولا

Upon a stage still clad in splendid garments

On a stage still arrayed in robes

of scenery, trailing gracefully like a bride.

Of scenery, trailing its finery like a bride.

من فَوقِهِ التاريخُ حَىٌّ ناطِقُ

من فَوقِهِ التاريخُ حَىٌّ ناطِقُ

يَروي لنا الإِجمالَ والتَّفصيلا

يَروي لنا الإِجمالَ والتَّفصيلا

Above it, history stood alive and speaking,

Upon it, history lives and speaks,

recounting to us both the broad tale and every detail.

Recounting to us both outline and detail.

فَكَانَّهُ أرضُ النُّشُورِ وفَوقَها

فَكَانَّهُ أرضُ النُّشُورِ وفَوقَها

حُشِرت بنو التَّاريخِ جيلاً جِيلا

حُشِرت بنو التَّاريخِ جيلاً جِيلا

It was as though it were the plain of Resurrection, upon which

As though it were the land of resurrection, and upon it

the generations of history were mustered, age after age;

History's sons were gathered, generation after generation.

أو راهبٌ في ديرِهِ مُتَعَبِّدٌ

أو راهبٌ في ديرِهِ مُتَعَبِّدٌ

يَروي به التَّوارةَ والإنجيلا

يَروي به التَّوارةَ والإنجيلا

or a monk, devout within his cloister,

Or a monk worshipping in his monastery,

reciting there the Torah and the Gospel;

Reciting in it the Torah and the Gospel.

وكَأنهُ فَلَكٌ يَدُورُ بأنجُمٍ

وكَأنهُ فَلَكٌ يَدُورُ بأنجُمٍ

من بَعدِ رُؤيتِها يُريكَ أفُولا

من بَعدِ رُؤيتِها يُريكَ أفُولا

or as though it were a firmament revolving with stars

And as though it were a celestial sphere turning with stars,

which, after being seen, are seen to set.

Once you have seen them, it shows you their setting.

عجَباً ملوكُ الشَّرقِ بعدَ ذَهابِها

عجَباً ملوكُ الشَّرقِ بعدَ ذَهابِها

جاءت لِمَغرِبِنا تَجُرُّ ذُيولا

جاءت لِمَغرِبِنا تَجُرُّ ذُيولا

How wondrous! Your Eastern realm, after its departure,

How wondrous! The kings of the East, after their passing,

came to our West with robes trailing behind.

Came to our Maghreb, trailing their robes.

جاءت تَزورُ الغَربَ وهىَ عَزيزةٌ

جاءت تَزورُ الغَربَ وهىَ عَزيزةٌ

في جوقِ فاطِمَةَ العديمِ مَثيلا

في جوقِ فاطِمَةَ العديمِ مَثيلا

She came to visit the West, proud and honored,

They came to visit the West, honored,

with Fatima’s troupe, unrivalled by any.

In Fatima's peerless troupe.

أزمعتِ فاطمةُ الرَّحيلَ تَعَجُّلاً

أزمعتِ فاطمةُ الرَّحيلَ تَعَجُّلاً

هلاَّ أفاطمةٌ أقَمتِ قَليلا

هلاَّ أفاطمةٌ أقَمتِ قَليلا

Fatima resolved to depart in haste.

Fatima, you have resolved to depart in haste;

O Fatima, if only you had stayed awhile!

Why not stay a little, O Fatima?

طَلَبوا مِنَ الجِنسِ اللَّطيفِ أدِلَّةً

طَلَبوا مِنَ الجِنسِ اللَّطيفِ أدِلَّةً

لِلعَبقَريَّةِ فانتَصَبتِ دَليلا

لِلعَبقَريَّةِ فانتَصَبتِ دَليلا

They asked womankind for proofs

They sought from the fair sex proofs

of genius, and you arose as proof.

Of genius, and you stood forth as proof.

وبِظلِّ مِنَ الجِنسِ اللَّطيفِ أدِلَّةً

وبِظلِّ مِنَ الجِنسِ اللَّطيفِ أدِلَّةً

لِلقَبقَريَّةِ فانتَصَبتِ دَليلا

لِلقَبقَريَّةِ فانتَصَبتِ دَليلا

Yet some among womankind offer proof

And in a shade, from the fair sex, proofs [text unclear],

of “qabqariyya”—the opposite of genius—and stand as evidence.

Of genius, you stood forth as proof.

تَغشَى وفودُ القاصدينَ رحابَهُ

تَغشَى وفودُ القاصدينَ رحابَهُ

مِن كلِّ قُطرٍ بُكرةً وأصيلا

مِن كلِّ قُطرٍ بُكرةً وأصيلا

Delegations of eager visitors throng his spacious courts

Delegations of visitors throng his spacious courts,

from every land, morning and evening.

From every land, morning and evening.

ذا الخُلقُ فاوَحَهُ نَسيمُ الصُّبحِ هَب

ذا الخُلقُ فاوَحَهُ نَسيمُ الصُّبحِ هَب

بَ على ريَاضِ اليَاسمينَ عَليلا

بَ على ريَاضِ اليَاسمينَ عَليلا

Such character gives forth fragrance like the morning breeze when it—

This character—the morning breeze rivaled its fragrance, blowing

—blows gently over gardens of jasmine.

Gently over gardens of jasmine.

مَن رَدَّدَت كُلُّ اللُّغاتِ مَديحَهُ

مَن رَدَّدَت كُلُّ اللُّغاتِ مَديحَهُ

رغِبَت بذَاكَ لها الفخارَ يُنيلا

رغِبَت بذَاكَ لها الفخارَ يُنيلا

He whose praise every language has repeated—

He whose praise every tongue has echoed,

each desiring thereby that glory should accrue to itself.

Wishing thereby that he would grant them glory.

أللهُ أعلاَهُ وأعلا شأنَه

أللهُ أعلاَهُ وأعلا شأنَه

واللهُ فَضَّلَ جاهَه تَفضيلا

واللهُ فَضَّلَ جاهَه تَفضيلا

God exalted him and raised his renown;

God has exalted him and raised his standing,

and God greatly favored his rank.

And God has accorded his rank special distinction.

مولاي عَفواً إن عَجزتُ ولم أُطِق

مولاي عَفواً إن عَجزتُ ولم أُطِق

تَعدادَ أوصافٍ هَطَلنَ هُطولا

تَعدادَ أوصافٍ هَطَلنَ هُطولا

My Lord, forgive me if I have fallen short and lacked the power

My lord, forgive me if I fall short and cannot manage

to enumerate qualities that pour down in torrents.

To list the qualities that rain down in torrents.

ألشمسُ أنتَ فعندَ رُؤيةِ قُرصِها

ألشمسُ أنتَ فعندَ رُؤيةِ قُرصِها

يَرتَدُّ طَرفُ الناظرِين كَليلا

يَرتَدُّ طَرفُ الناظرِين كَليلا

You are the sun: when its disk is seen,

You are the sun; when its disk is seen,

the beholders’ gaze recoils, weary and dazzled.

The onlookers' gaze recoils, wearied.

يا جوق فاطمة الطويل صدوده

يا جوق فاطمة الطويل صدوده

مابال قربك لا يكون طويلا

مابال قربك لا يكون طويلا

O Fatima’s troupe, whose aloofness has lasted long,

O Fatima's troupe, whose turning away is long,

why can your stay among us not be long?

Why does your nearness not last long?

لسنا نُطيقُ الصبرَ بَعدَ فِراقِكُم

لسنا نُطيقُ الصبرَ بَعدَ فِراقِكُم

والصَّبرُ قَبلَ فراقِكُم قد عِيلا

والصَّبرُ قَبلَ فراقِكُم قد عِيلا

We cannot endure patience after parting from you,

We cannot bear to be patient after parting from you,

when even before the parting our patience was exhausted.

And before parting from you, patience has already run out.

لكن وعدتِ بأن تَعودي عَودَةً

لكن وعدتِ بأن تَعودي عَودَةً

تَشفِي منَ القَلب الظَّميءِ غَليلا

تَشفِي منَ القَلب الظَّميءِ غَليلا

But you promised that you would return—a return

Yet you promised to return once more,

to cure the thirsty heart’s burning thirst.

To soothe the parched heart's burning thirst.

لكنه وَعدٌ إخالُهُ مُخلَفاً

لكنه وَعدٌ إخالُهُ مُخلَفاً

أولا بحَقِّكِ جَهرَةً قُولي لا

أولا بحَقِّكِ جَهرَةً قُولي لا

Yet it is a promise I fear will go unfulfilled—

But it is a promise I think will be broken;

or will it not? By your honor, O jewel, tell me no.

Or not? By your honor, say 'No' aloud.