بلاديmy country منfrom يَدَيthe two hands of طاغٍa tyrant
بلادي من يَدَي طاغٍ
إلىto أطغىmore tyrannical إلىto أجفىmore callous
إلى أطغى إلى أجفى
My country, from a tyrant's hands
My country, from the grip of one tyrant
to one more tyrannical, to one more callous,
To a more cruel, a more heartless one,
ومنand from سجنa prison إلىto سجنa prison
ومن سجن إلى سجن
ومنand from منفىexile إلىto منفىexile
ومن منفى إلى منفى
and from prison to prison,
From one prison to another prison,
and from exile to exile,
From one exile to another exile,
ومنand from مستعمرa colonizer بادٍovert
ومن مستعمر بادٍ
إلىto مستعمرa colonizer أخفىmore hidden
إلى مستعمر أخفى
and from an overt colonizer
From one vanishing colonizer,
to a more covert colonizer,
To a more hidden one,
ومنand from وحشa beast إلىto وحشيـtwo beasts (word continues)
ومن وحش إلى وحشيـ
ـنcompletes 'two beasts' وهيwhile she الناقةthe she-camel العجفاgaunt
ـن وهي الناقة العجفا
and from one beast to two beasts,
And from one monster, to a more monstrous one,
while she is the gaunt she-camel.
This is the never satisfied she-camel.
بلاديmy country فيin كهوفcaves الموdeath (word continues)
بلادي في كهوف المو
تcompletes 'death' لاnot تفنىshe perishes ولاnor تُشفىshe is healed
ت لا تفنى ولا تُشفى
My country, in the caves of death,
My country, in the caves of oppression,
neither perishes nor is healed;
Does not perish, nor is healed,
تنقرshe pecks فيin القبورthe graves الخرmute (word continues)
تنقر في القبور الخر
سcompletes 'mute' عنfor ميلادهاher birth الأصفىpurest
س عن ميلادها الأصفى
she pecks in the mute graves
Pecking in the graves of the bald-headed,
for her purest birth,
Seeking its most noble birth,
وعنand for وعدa promise ربيعيspringtime
وعن وعد ربيعي
وراءbehind عيونهاher eyes أغفىfell asleep
وراء عيونها أغفى
and for a springtime promise
And the promise of its spring,
that fell asleep behind her eyes,
Behind its most sleepy eyes,
عنfor الحلمthe dream الذيthat يأتيcomes
عن الحلم الذي يأتي
عنfor الطيفthe phantom الذيthat استخفىhid itself
عن الطيف الذي استخفى
for the dream that comes,
Of the dream that is coming,
for the phantom that hid itself.
Of the specter that mocked,
فتمضيso she passes منfrom دجىnight's darkness ضافenveloping
فتمضي من دجى ضاف
إلىto أدجىdarker، إلىto أضفىmore enveloping
إلى أدجى، إلى أضفى
So she passes from enveloping darkness
Thus it passes from a gloomy dusk,
to darker, to more enveloping darkness.
To a darker dusk, to a murkier one.
بلاديmy country فيin ديارthe lands of الغيـothers (word continues)
بلادي في ديار الغيـ
ـرcompletes 'others' أوor فيin دارهاher home لهفىanguished
ـر أو في دارها لهفى
My country, in the lands of others,
My country, in the lands of others,
or in her own home, is anguished;
Or in its own land, yearning,
وحتىand even فيin أراضيهاher lands
وحتى في أراضيها
تقاسيshe suffers غربةestrangement المنفىexile
تقاسي غربة المنفى
and even in her own lands
Even in its own territories,
she suffers the estrangement of exile.
It suffers the exile of the exiled.
Sol 6.1