"Wallah Zaman Ya Selahy" being played during Egyptian President Sadat's visit to Israel in 1977.
Prior to being adopted as the UAR's national anthem, it was used as a nationalist song performed by Umm Kulthum during the Suez Crisis in 1956, known in Egypt and the Arab world as the Tripartite Aggression, when Egypt was invaded by the United Kingdom, France, and Israel. Due to its strongly nationalist lyrics evoking national resistance, the song was played frequently on Egyptian radio during the war, sometimes as often as every 10 minutes.
𝄆 It has been a long time, oh my weapon!
I long for you in my struggle!
Speak and say I am awake,
Oh war it has been a long time. 𝄇
𝄆 It has been a long time for the soldiers,
Advancing with thunderous roar, 𝄇
Swearing never to return,
Except with epoch-making victory.
𝄆 Rise and close ranks,
With lives ready for sacrifice. 𝄇
O! the horror that the enemy shall suffer,
From you in the fire of the battlefield.
It has been a long time, oh my weapon!
I long for you in my struggle!
Speak and say I am awake,
Oh war it has been a long time.
𝄆 O! glory our glory, Youwho was built by us, 𝄇
𝄆 By toil and pain, 𝄇
Never to go to waste.
𝄆 Rise and close ranks,
With lives ready for sacrifice. 𝄇
O! the horror that the enemy shall suffer,
From you in the fire of the battlefield.
It has been a long time, oh my weapon!
I long for you in my struggle!
Speak and say I am awake,
Oh war it has been a long time.
𝄆 Who shall protect Free Egypt?
We shall protect her with our weapons.
Land of the Revolution, who will sacrifice for her sake?
We will, with our souls. 𝄇
𝄆 The people advance like the light,
The people stand like mountains and seas,
Volcanoes of anger, volcanoes erupting,
Earthquakes digging the enemy into their graves. 𝄇
𝄆 It has been a long time, oh my weapon!
I long for you in my struggle!
Speak and say I am awake,
Oh war it has been a long time. 𝄇