Ahmed Shawqi
The contrast of day and night tends to forget,
Recall for me the youthful days of joy.
And describe to me the fondness of youth,
Imprinted by memories and feelings.
It swept through like a playful breeze and passed,
A sweet moment, a pleasure of stealth.
And Cairo: has my heart truly forgotten her,
Or has time healed its sorrowful wound?
Every night that passes brings nostalgia,
Softened, as promises fade with time.
Agitated when the ships’ bells rang,
At the start of the night, or howled after the tone.
A devoted one inside, attentive to the ships,
Whenever they stirred, he portrayed his delight.
My homeland, if I were to neglect it for eternity,
My soul urges me towards it in the afterlife.
The heart yearns in a flowing stream,
Thirsty for darkness from ‘Ain Shams.
God is my witness; he has not left my eyelids,
His presence persists, unblemished in my perception.
Rifa’a al-Tahtawi
Oh friend, love for the homeland
Is the adornment of all wise ones.
Affection for nations
Is one of the branches of faith.
In the most glorious of religions,
It is the sign of every believer.
Oh friend, love for the homeland
Is the adornment of all wise ones.
In the places we reside,
Our spirits take delight.
It removes every affliction
From us and every hardship endured.
Elia Abu Madi
O homeland of stars … here I stand,
Stare closely … do you remember who I am?
I caught a glimpse in the distant past
Of a tender boy who roamed freely.
Joyful, he played in your fields,
Like a breeze, singing softly.
The owned treasures adorned his playground,
As well as those not owned!
He climbs the trees without fatigue,
Feeling alive and not weary.
He returns, branches in hand, carving
Swords or lances from them.
He plunges into the mud of winter,
Smiling, enchanted and delighted.
He fears not the gaze of eyes,
Nor does he dread the tongues around him.
Ma’ruf al-Rusafi
They have heard the homeland’s sigh,
And they wept for it, filled with longing.
And he informed them with unwavering resolve,
All have armed themselves to defend it.
They rose as lions from their lairs,
With voices of unity roaring.
Young men like swords in brilliance,
They shine, radiating like the sun.
Those in Salaniya held wealth,
Thus they paid off the debts of the homeland.
They gathered multitudes, including Christians,
Jews from there and Muslims alike.
They formed a battalion, a thousand warriors,
Conscripts and volunteers by their side.
And they faced the rebels with disdain,
United in their faith and resolve.
Ibnu al-Rumi
My homeland, I vow never to sell thee,
And I shall not see another possess thee through the ages.
I pledged to cherish you in my youth,
Like a blessing bestowed upon a tribe thriving in your shade.
My soul has become so accustomed to you,
It’s as if you are its very body; if you fade, I perish distressed.
And the love for one’s homeland is dear to men,
For it holds desires fulfilled by the youth who sought it.
Whenever they recall their homelands,
They remind themselves of the youth spent there, sparking nostalgia.
Although I have been wronged within it, I find honor,
And I am now protected by your bonds.
Having endured trials that have harmed my dwelling,
I yearn for a path that leads back to you.
A scribe’s words of deceit uttered against me,
For poetry, to him, is but a mere illusion of truth.
Such statements, driven by malice, are not new,
And still, it remains a song against your reality.