ياO أَيُّهاyou الشَعبُthe people الذَلولُdocile أَماhas it not كَفىsufficed
يا أَيُّها الشَعبُ الذَلولُ أَما كَفى
ماwhat قالَsaid أَقطابُthe leading figures السِياسَةِof politics فيناabout us
ما قالَ أَقطابُ السِياسَةِ فينا
O docile people, has it not been enough—
O you downtrodden people, is it not enough
what the leaders of politics have said of us?
What the politicians have said about us?
بورِكتَblessed are you مِنas شَعبٍa people يُقادُis led بِشَعرَةٍby a hair
بورِكتَ مِن شَعبٍ يُقادُ بِشَعرَةٍ
لَوif كانَwere قائِدُكَyour leader المُطاعُobeyed أَميناtrustworthy
لَو كانَ قائِدُكَ المُطاعُ أَمينا
Blessed would you be, a people led by a hair,
You are blessed with a people led by a hair
if the leader you obey were trustworthy.
If only your obeyed leader were honest
أَخَذَتكَstruck you ثالِثَةُthe third الصَواعِقِof the thunderbolts فَاِستَفِقso wake up
أَخَذَتكَ ثالِثَةُ الصَواعِقِ فَاِستَفِق
أَفَماthen, do you not تَزالُcease to be مُضَلَّلاًmisled مَفتوناbeguiled
أَفَما تَزالُ مُضَلَّلاً مَفتونا
The third thunderbolt has struck you—so wake up!
The three bolts of lightning shocked you, so wake up
Do you then still remain misled and beguiled?
Are you still misguided and infatuated?
هَلwill ...? أَنتَyou إِذnow that مَضَتِhave departed البُعوثُthe missions مُخَبِّريinforming me
هَل أَنتَ إِذ مَضَتِ البُعوثُ مُخَبِّري
أَتُريدُdo you want دُنياworldly life أَمor تُحاوِلُyou strive for ديناfaith
أَتُريدُ دُنيا أَم تُحاوِلُ دينا
Will you, now that the missions have departed, tell me:
When the prophets passed away, did you not learn
do you seek worldly life, or strive for faith?
Do you want worldly life or religion?
إِنَّindeed الَّذينَthose whom زَعَمتَهُمyou claimed them to be حُلَفَاءَناour allies
إِنَّ الَّذينَ زَعَمتَهُم حُلَفَاءَنا
نَصَرواthey aided العِدىthe enemies نَصراًsupport عَلَيكَagainst you مُبيناclear
نَصَروا العِدى نَصراً عَلَيكَ مُبينا
Indeed, those whom you claimed were our allies
Those whom you claimed were our allies
have given the enemies clear support against you.
Supported the enemies openly against you
يَتَنازَعونَthey contend over تُراثَناour heritage فَإِذاthen, when رَضواthey are satisfied
يَتَنازَعونَ تُراثَنا فَإِذا رَضوا
عادَbecame الضَجيجُthe clamor هَوادَةًpeace وَسُكوناand stillness
عادَ الضَجيجُ هَوادَةً وَسُكونا
They contend over our heritage; then, once satisfied,
They fight over our inheritance, and when content
the clamor turns to peace and stillness.
The clamor returns calmly and quietly
أَعمَلتَyou applied رَأيَكَyour judgment فيto الوَساوِسِdelusions حِقبَةًfor an age
أَعمَلتَ رَأيَكَ في الوَساوِسِ حِقبَةً
وَشَغَلتَand you occupied نَفسَكَyourself بِالمُحالِwith the impossible سَنيناfor years
وَشَغَلتَ نَفسَكَ بِالمُحالِ سَنينا
You spent an age pondering delusions,
You worked your opinion amidst doubts for ages
and occupied yourself with the impossible for years.
And busied yourself with the impossible for years
وَطَفِقتَand you began تَهذيyou babble بِالعُهودِof covenants وَقَدand already أَبىrefused
وَطَفِقتَ تَهذي بِالعُهودِ وَقَد أَبى
عَهدُthe covenant السِياسَةِof politics أَنto يَكونَbe مَصوناkept inviolate
عَهدُ السِياسَةِ أَن يَكونَ مَصونا
And you began babbling of covenants, though it had refused—
And you started raving about covenants, yet the covenant
the covenant of politics—to remain inviolate.
Of politics refused to be protected
الذِئبُthe wolf أَصدَقُmore truthful مِنthan أولَئِكَthose people مَوثِقاًin a pledge
الذِئبُ أَصدَقُ مِن أولَئِكَ مَوثِقاً
وَأَبَرُّand more faithful مِنهُمthan they ذِمَّةًin covenant وَيَميناand oath
وَأَبَرُّ مِنهُم ذِمَّةً وَيَمينا
The wolf is truer to his pledge than those people,
The wolf is more truthful than them in covenant
and more faithful than they to covenant and oath.
And more righteous than them in oath and honesty
اللِصُّthe thief يَغضَبُgrows angry إِنif جَعَلناwe make ذِكرَهُmention of him
اللِصُّ يَغضَبُ إِن جَعَلنا ذِكرَهُ
يَوماًone day بذكرwith mention of زعيمِهمtheir leader مقروناcoupled
يَوماً بذكر زعيمِهم مقرونا
The thief grows angry if we make mention of him
The thief gets angry if we mention him one day
one day in the same breath as their leader.
With mention of their leader in the same vein
وَأَرىand I deem البَغِيَّthe prostitute عَلىdespite اِختِلافِthe variety of شُؤونِهاher ways
وَأَرى البَغِيَّ عَلى اِختِلافِ شُؤونِها
أَدنىcloser إِلىto شَرَفِnobility الخِلالِof character traits شُؤوناin conduct
أَدنى إِلى شَرَفِ الخِلالِ شُؤونا
And I find the prostitute, for all her varied ways,
And I see the immoral one with all his different traits
closer in conduct to nobility of character.
Closer to the honor of morals than them
ضَجَّcried out الدَمُthe blood المَسفوكُshed فيin يَدِthe hand of عُصبَةٍa band
ضَجَّ الدَمُ المَسفوكُ في يَدِ عُصبَةٍ
جُنَّتwent mad بِقَتلِwith killing الأَبرِياءِthe innocent جُنوناmadness
جُنَّت بِقَتلِ الأَبرِياءِ جُنونا
The shed blood cried out in the hands of a band
The spilled blood shed by a rabble
that went utterly mad with killing the innocent.
Who were mad with killing the innocent
بِئسَتwretched is حَضارَةُthe civilization of هادِمينَdestroyers رَمواthey hurled بِهاwith it
بِئسَت حَضارَةُ هادِمينَ رَموا بِها
شُمَّlofty الفَضائِلِthe virtues وَالعُلاand glory فَهَوَيناso we fell
شُمَّ الفَضائِلِ وَالعُلا فَهَوَينا
Wretched is the civilization of destroyers, who hurled it
Ruined is the civilization of destroyers who threw it
at lofty virtues and glory—and so we fell.
To the winds of virtues and highness so it perished
جَعَلواthey made الأَذىharm فيamong العالَمينَall peoples لَهاfor it يَداًa hand
جَعَلوا الأَذى في العالَمينَ لَها يَداً
وَالإِثمَand sin وَجهاًa face وَالفُسوقَand depravity جَبيناa brow
وَالإِثمَ وَجهاً وَالفُسوقَ جَبينا
They made harm its hand among all peoples,
They made harm in both worlds its hand
and sin its face, and depravity its brow.
And sin its face and immorality its forehead
وَيحَalas for المَعارِفِknowledge وَالفُنونِand the arts فَإِنَّهُمfor indeed they
وَيحَ المَعارِفِ وَالفُنونِ فَإِنَّهُم
جَعَلواthey made الشُرورَevils مَعارِفاًknowledge وَفُنوناand arts
جَعَلوا الشُرورَ مَعارِفاً وَفُنونا
Alas for knowledge and the arts, for they
They corrupted knowledge and arts, for they
have made evils into knowledge and the arts.
Made evils into knowledge and arts
ظَنّواthey conjectured الظُنونَconjectures بِهاabout it وَأَعلَمُand I know أَنَّهاthat it
ظَنّوا الظُنونَ بِها وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّها
سَتَذوبُit will melt فيin الدَمِblood وَالحَديدِand iron يَقيناcertainly
سَتَذوبُ في الدَمِ وَالحَديدِ يَقينا
They formed conjectures about it, but I know that it
They assumed false assumptions about it, and I know
will surely melt in blood and iron.
It will melt into blood and iron for certain
Sol 6.1