هذاthis الصباحthe morning الراقصdancing المتأودswaying
هذا الصباح الراقص المتأود
فتنٌcharms مهفهفةٌslender وسحرٌand enchantment أغيدsupple
فتنٌ مهفهفةٌ وسحرٌ أغيد
This dancing, swaying morning—
This dancing, graceful morning
slender charms and supple enchantment,
Charms fluttering, magic weaving
ومباهجand delights ماno sooner إنfor emphasis يروقكpleases you مشهدٌa scene
ومباهج ما إن يروقك مشهدٌ
منfrom حسنهits beauty حتىuntil يشوقكentices you مشهدa scene
من حسنه حتى يشوقك مشهد
and delights: no sooner does a scene please you
And delights, no sooner do you see
with its beauty than another scene entices you.
Its beauty than another scene tempts you
الفجرdawn يصبوyearns فيin السفوحthe slopes وفيand in الربىthe hills
الفجر يصبو في السفوح وفي الربى
والروضand the garden يرتشفsips الندىthe dew ويغردand sings
والروض يرتشف الندى ويغرد
Dawn yearns on the slopes and on the hills,
Dawn pours on the slopes and prairies
and the garden sips the dew and sings.
The garden sips the dew and chirps
والزهرand the blossoms يحتضنembraces الشعاعthe rays كأنهas though it were
والزهر يحتضن الشعاع كأنه
أمa mother تقبلkisses طفلهاher child وتهدهدand rocks gently
أم تقبل طفلها وتهدهد
And the blossoms embrace the rays, as though
The flowers hug the rays as if
a mother were kissing her child and rocking him.
A mother kisses and lulls her child
فيin مهرجانa pageant النورof light لاحappeared علىbefore الملاthe gathering
في مهرجان النور لاح على الملا
عيدa festival يبلورهcrystallizes it السناradiance… ويوردand makes rosy
عيد يبلوره السنا... ويورد
In the pageant of light, there appeared before the gathering
In the festival of light dawned upon the horizon
a festival that radiance crystallizes and makes rosy.
A feast crystallized by radiance and bloomed
فهناso here المفاتنthe charms والمباهجand the delights تلتقيmeet
فهنا المفاتن والمباهج تلتقي
زمراًin throngs تكادalmost منfrom الجمالbeauty تزغردululate
زمراً تكاد من الجمال تزغرد
Here, charms and delights come together
In throngs that nearly twitter from beauty
in throngs, almost ululating for sheer beauty.
The accession feast, inform your country lending an ear
عيدfestival الجلوسaccession to the throne أعرlend بلادكyour country مسمعاًan ear
عيد الجلوس أعر بلادك مسمعاً
تسألكasks you أينwhere هناؤهاits happiness؟ هلwhether يوجدexists؟
تسألك أين هناؤها؟ هل يوجد؟
Accession Day, lend your country an ear;
Ask where is its bliss? Does it exist?
it asks you: where is its happiness? Does it exist?
It passes and comes while the country and its people
تمضيyou pass وتأتيand you come والبلادand the country وأهلهاand its people
تمضي وتأتي والبلاد وأهلها
فيin ناظريكyour eyes كماas عهدتyou have known وتعهدand you know
في ناظريك كما عهدت وتعهد
You pass and return, while the country and its people
Remain in your eyes as you knew and covenanted
are, in your eyes, as you knew them and still know them.
O feast, speak to your oppressed people, when
ياO عيدfestival حدثtell شعبكyour people الظاميthirsty متىwhen
يا عيد حدث شعبك الظامي متى
يروىhas its thirst quenched؟ وهلand whether يروىhas its thirst quenched وأينand where الموردthe watering place؟
يروى؟ وهل يروى وأين المورد؟
O festival, tell your thirsty people when
Will it be sated? And will it be sated, where is the spring?
their thirst will be quenched. Will it be, and where is the watering place?
Speak, for in your smile is good tidings
حدثspeak ففيfor in فمكyour mouth الضحوكsmiling بشارةٌglad tidings
حدث ففي فمك الضحوك بشارةٌ
وطنيةٌnational، وعلىand on جبينكyour brow موعدa promise
وطنيةٌ، وعلى جبينك موعد
Speak, for in your smiling mouth are glad tidings
National, and on your forehead an appointment
for the nation, and on your brow a promise.
Why the silence when half your people here
فيمwhy السكوتthe silence ونصفand half شعبكyour people هاbehold هناhere
فيم السكوت ونصف شعبك ها هنا
يشقىsuffers.. ونصفٌand half فيamong الشعوبthe nations مشردdisplaced؟
يشقى.. ونصفٌ في الشعوب مشرد؟
Why the silence, when half your people here
Suffer.. And half are displaced in nations?
suffer, and half are displaced among the nations?
O feast, this people, its genius was humiliated
ياO عيدfestival هذاthis الشعبpeople، ذلhas been abased نبوغهits genius
يا عيد هذا الشعب، ذل نبوغه
وطوىand engulfed نوابغهits geniuses السكونsilence الأسودblack
وطوى نوابغه السكون الأسود
O festival, the genius of this people has been abased,
Its talents folded in somber darkness
and black silence has engulfed its geniuses.
The intellectuals vanished as if
ضاعتwere lost رجالmen الفكرof thought فيهwithin it كأنهاas though they were
ضاعت رجال الفكر فيه كأنها
حلمٌa dream يبعثرهscatters it الدجىdarkness ويبددand disperses
حلمٌ يبعثره الدجى ويبدد
The men of thought within it have been lost, as though they were
A dream scattered by gloom and vanished
a dream that darkness scatters and disperses.
The people have a day that rekindles their wounds
للشعبfor the people يومٌa day تستثيرrouse جراحهits wounds
للشعب يومٌ تستثير جراحه
فيهon it ويقذفand casts out بالرقودthe sleepers المرقدthe bed
فيه ويقذف بالرقود المرقد
The people have a day when their wounds will rouse them,
In it, and casts off the settled settler
and on it the bed will cast out the sleepers.
Though you see it in tranquility..
ولقدand indeed تراهyou see it فيin السكينةcalm… إنماyet
ولقد تراه في السكينة... إنما
خلفbehind السكينةthe calm غضبةwrath وتمردand rebellion
خلف السكينة غضبة وتمرد
And you may indeed see them at peace; yet
Behind tranquility, wrath and rebellion
behind that peace are wrath and rebellion.
Below the ashes, an embalmed ember
تحتbeneath الرمادthe ashes شرارةa spark مشبوبةٌkindled
تحت الرماد شرارة مشبوبةٌ
ومنand from الشرارهthe spark شعلةٌa flame وتوقدand blazing
ومن الشراره شعلةٌ وتوقد
Beneath the ashes lies a kindled spark,
And from the ember, a flame ignites
and from the spark come a flame and blazing.
No, the South's wound and sorrow did not sleep
لاno، لمhas not ينمslept ثأرvengeance الجنوبof the South وجرحهand its wound
لا، لم ينم ثأر الجنوب وجرحه
كالنارlike fire يبرقflashes فيin القلوبthe hearts ويرعدand thunders
كالنار يبرق في القلوب ويرعد
No, the South's vengeance has not slept, and its wound
It flashes in hearts like thunder rumbling
flashes like fire in the hearts and thunders.
No, a people did not sleep.. whose chest burns
لاno، لمhas not ينمslept شعبa people… يحرقburns صدرهits breast
لا، لم ينم شعب... يحرق صدره
جرحa wound علىupon لهبthe flame العذابof torment مسهدsleepless
جرح على لهب العذاب مسهد
No, a people has not slept—its breast is scorched
A wound laid on the flames of agony
by a sleepless wound upon torment's flame.
A people wanting but not attaining, as if
شعبa people يريدdesires ولاand does not ينالattain كأنهas though it were
شعب يريد ولا ينال كأنه
مماfrom what يكابدit endures فيin الحجيمhell… مقيدshackled
مما يكابد في الحجيم... مقيد
A people who desire but do not attain, as though
Bound in shackles.. fettered
shackled in hell by all they endure.
Welcome, o storm of events, they
أهلاًwelcome بعاصفةto the storm الحوادثof events، إنهاfor it
أهلاً بعاصفة الحوادث، إنها
فيamong الحيthe living أنفاسthe breaths الحياةof life ترددechoes
في الحي أنفاس الحياة تردد
Welcome to the storm of events, for it
Echo life's breaths in the living
echoes life's breaths among the living.
If events shook a frozen boulder
لوif هزتshook الأحداثevents صخراًa rock جلمداًsolid
لو هزت الأحداث صخراً جلمداً
لدوىwould roar وأرعدand thunder باللهيبwith flame الجلمدthe solid rock
لدوى وأرعد باللهيب الجلمد
If events were to shake a solid rock,
It would rumble and thunder, melted by flames
the rock would roar and thunder with flame.
Between South and its land's thief
بينbetween الجنوبthe South وبينand between سارقthe thief أرضهof its land
بين الجنوب وبين سارق أرضه
يومa day تؤرخهchronicles it الدماblood وتخلدand immortalizes!
يوم تؤرخه الدما وتخلد!
Between the South and the thief of its land
A day recorded in blood and eternized!
lies a day that blood will chronicle and immortalize!
The people stronger than the unjust's canons
الشعبthe people أقوىstronger منthan مدافعcannons ظالمٍof a tyrant
الشعب أقوى من مدافع ظالمٍ
وأشدand mightier منthan بأسthe might الحديدof iron وأجلدand more steadfast
وأشد من بأس الحديد وأجلد
The people are stronger than a tyrant's cannons,
More intense than iron's might and more stoic
mightier than iron's force, and more steadfast.
Right makes the roaring army kneel
والحقand justice يثنيturns back الجيشthe army وهوthough it is عرمرمٌvast
والحق يثني الجيش وهو عرمرمٌ
ويفلand blunts حدthe edge السيفof the sword وهوthough it is مهندIndian-forged
ويفل حد السيف وهو مهند
And justice turns back the army, vast though it is,
And blunts the sword's edge, made docile
and blunts the sword's edge, though it is Indian-forged.
Death does not pardon the coward, nor spare him
لاmay not أمهلgrant respite الموتdeath الجبانthe coward ولاnor may نجاescape
لا أمهل الموت الجبان ولا نجا
منهfrom it، وعاشand long live الثائرthe revolutionary المستشهدthe martyred
منه، وعاش الثائر المستشهد
May death give the coward no respite, nor may he escape
While the martyred rebel lives on
it; and long live the martyred revolutionary!
Oh woe when the curtains of injustice fold
ياO ويحwoe شرذمةthe rabble المظالمof oppression عندماwhen
يا ويح شرذمة المظالم عندما
تطوىare folded away ستائرهاits curtains ويفضحهاand exposes it الغدtomorrow!
تطوى ستائرها ويفضحها الغد!
Woe to the rabble of oppression when
And tomorrow exposes and disgraces them!
its curtains are folded away and tomorrow exposes it!
Tomorrow glory will know we are a Yemeni nation
وغداًand tomorrow سيدريwill know المجدglory أناthat we are أمةٌa nation
وغداً سيدري المجد أنا أمةٌ
يمنيةٌYemeni شماproud، وشعبand a people أمجدmost glorious
يمنيةٌ شما، وشعب أمجد
And tomorrow, glory will know that we are a nation
You are north, and a glorious people are south
Yemeni and proud, and a most glorious people.
The world will know, will know it is
وستعرفand will know الدنياthe world وتعرفand you will know أنهthat it is
وستعرف الدنيا وتعرف أنه
شعبa people علىto سحقcrushing الطغاةthe tyrants معودaccustomed
شعب على سحق الطغاة معود
And the world will know, and you will know, that it is
A people accustomed to crushing tyrants
a people accustomed to crushing tyrants.
Let the colonists write in their fury
فليكتبso let ... write المستعمرونthe colonizers بغيظهمin their rage
فليكتب المستعمرون بغيظهم
وليخجلواand let them be ashamed، وليخسأand let ... be abased المستعبدthe enslaver
وليخجلوا، وليخسأ المستعبد
So let the colonizers write in their rage,
Let them be ashamed, let the colonized be defiant
and let them be ashamed, and let the enslaver be abased.
The accession feast, did you hear a poet
عيدfestival الجلوسaccession to the throne وهلand whether نصتyou listened لشاعرًto a poet
عيد الجلوس وهل نصت لشاعرً
هناكthere وهوwhile he is عنfrom المسرةjoy ميعدkept away؟
هناك وهو عن المسرة ميعد؟
Accession Day, have you listened to a poet
There promising festivity?
there, while he is kept far from joy?
So, may God protect you, accept my acclaim
فاقبلso accept رعاكmay He watch over you اللهGod تهنئتيmy congratulations وإنand even if
فاقبل رعاك الله تهنئتي وإن
صرخcried out النشيدthe song وضجand clamored فيهwithin it المنشدthe singer
صرخ النشيد وضج فيه المنشد
So accept—may God watch over you—my congratulations, even if
Though the anthem cried out and the chanter wailed
the song cries out and the singer clamors within it.
Forgive me if sorrow tinged my tune
واعذرand forgive إذاif صبغcolored التنهدsighing نغمتيmy melody
واعذر إذا صبغ التنهد نغمتي
بالجرحwith a wound فالمصدورfor one with an ailing chest قدmay يتنهدsigh
بالجرح فالمصدور قد يتنهد
And forgive me if sighing colors my melody
For the wounded may sigh in their song
with a wound, for one with an ailing chest may sigh.
Partial English translation: 63 of 64 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1