كذبواthey lied علىabout الدُّستورِthe constitution ماnot فيهمamong them لهfor it
كذبوا على الدُّستورِ ما فيهم له
حامٍa defender ولاnor هوit بعدهمafter them بِمُهدَّدِthreatened
حامٍ ولا هو بعدهم بِمُهدَّدِ
They lied about the constitution; among them it has no
They lied about the constitution, none of them cares for it,
Defender, nor will it be threatened once they are gone.
Neither a protector, nor after them one who threatens.
همthey حَلَّلواthey made lawful البغيَoppression المحرّمَthe forbidden باسمهِin its name
هم حَلَّلوا البغيَ المحرّمَ باسمهِ
وجنواand they committed a crime عليهagainst it جنايةa crime المتعمِّدِone acting deliberately
وجنوا عليه جناية المتعمِّدِ
They made forbidden oppression lawful in its name,
They made the forbidden tyranny permissible in its name,
And committed a deliberate crime against it.
And intentionally committed heinous crimes against it.
أمسىbecame بمنزلةِin the position of البغيضِthe hated one وإنّهand indeed it
أمسى بمنزلةِ البغيضِ وإنّه
لأَحبُّsurely the dearest ماwhat تهوىdesire النُّفوسُsouls وتفتديand ransom
لأَحبُّ ما تهوى النُّفوسُ وتفتدي
It came to be regarded as hateful, although it
It has become despicable, yet it is
Is surely the dearest thing souls desire and would ransom.
The most beloved that souls desire and ransom.
يدعونthey invoke مِصرَEgypt ومصرُand Egypt منbecause of طغيانهمtheir tyranny
يدعون مِصرَ ومصرُ من طغيانهم
فيin مأتمٍa mourning gathering جللٍgrievous وعيشٍand a life أنكدِmost wretched
في مأتمٍ جللٍ وعيشٍ أنكدِ
They invoke Egypt, while Egypt, through their tyranny,
They call Egypt while Egypt under their oppression
Is in grievous mourning, living a most wretched life.
Is in deep mourning and a miserable life.
رفعواthey raised الطّغامَthe rabble علىabove الكرامِthe honorable وقوّضواand they demolished
رفعوا الطّغامَ على الكرامِ وقوّضوا
صَرحَthe edifice of النّظامِorder بجرأةٍwith audacity لمnot تُعْهَدِbeen known
صَرحَ النّظامِ بجرأةٍ لم تُعْهَدِ
They raised the rabble above the honorable and demolished
They raised the tyrants over the generous and undermined
The edifice of order with unheard-of audacity.
The edifice of order with unparalleled audacity.
كانتit was روايةa play هازلينjesters فيَاso, oh! لهمfor them
كانت رواية هازلين فيَا لهم
منof جاهلينignorant people ويالهand oh, for it! منof مشهدِa spectacle
من جاهلين وياله من مشهدِ
It was a play by jesters—oh, what
The story of Hazelin was frivolous, what ignorance of theirs!
Ignorant fools they were, and what a spectacle!
And what a scene it was!
عضّواthey bit أصابعَهمtheir fingers وراحand went on كبيرُهمtheir chief
عضّوا أصابعَهم وراح كبيرُهم
يطفوhe floats ويرسبُand he sinks فيamid المُقيمِwhat makes one rise المُقعِدِwhat makes one sit
يطفو ويرسبُ في المُقيمِ المُقعِدِ
They bit their fingers, and their chief went on
They bit their fingers while their leader
Floating and sinking amid overwhelming turmoil.
Bobbed up and settled in stagnant stillness.
غضبواthey grew angry علىwith معبودهمtheir idol وتجنّبواand they shunned
غضبوا على معبودهم وتجنّبوا
محسودهمthe one they envied فكأنّهso, as though he لمnot يُحسدِwas envied
محسودهم فكأنّه لم يُحسدِ
They grew angry with their idol and shunned
They were angry with their idol and avoided
The one they envied, as though he had never been envied.
Their envied one as if he was never envied.
وتفرّقواand they scattered جزعينdistraught ممّاat what نابهمbefell them
وتفرّقوا جزعين ممّا نابهم
إلاexcept بقاياremnants كالأصابعlike the fingers فيon اليدِthe hand
إلا بقايا كالأصابع في اليدِ
And they scattered, distraught at what had befallen them,
And they dispersed in despair over what had afflicted them
Except for a few remnants, like fingers on a hand.
Except for remnants like fingers on a hand.
وخلاand became empty البِساطُthe carpet منof السُّكارىthe drunkards فانطوىso it was rolled up
وخلا البِساطُ من السُّكارى فانطوى
وصحاand sobered up منamong النُّدمانِthe drinking companions كلُّevery مُعَرْبِدِdrunken brawler
وصحا من النُّدمانِ كلُّ مُعَرْبِدِ
And the carpet lay empty of drunkards, so it was rolled up,
The drunkards' gathering folded up
And every brawler among the drinking companions sobered up.
And every reveler sobered up in regret.
العدلjustice دمَّرَdestroyed ماwhat بنواthey built منin the form of دولةٍa state
العدل دمَّرَ ما بنوا من دولةٍ
للزُّرقِfor the blue ones فيin الزمنthe age الأحمِّcoal-black الأسودِblack
للزُّرقِ في الزمن الأحمِّ الأسودِ
Justice destroyed the state they had built
Justice destroyed the state they built
For the Blues in that dark, pitch-black age.
For the mob in the harsh, gloomy era.
لوif لمnot يكونواthey were آثمينguilty لأنكرواthey would have condemned
لو لم يكونوا آثمين لأنكروا
آثامَthe sins of جُندٍa force للفسادِfor corruption مُجنَّدِenlisted
آثامَ جُندٍ للفسادِ مُجنَّدِ
Had they not been guilty, they would have condemned
Had they not been sinful, they would have denied
The sins of a force enlisted for corruption—
The sins of an army enlisted for corruption.
جُندٌa force منof البغيoppression المُذمَّمِblameworthy والأذىand harm
جُندٌ من البغي المُذمَّمِ والأذى
جعلوهthey placed it للقومfor the people الهُداةِthe guides بمرصدِin ambush
جعلوه للقوم الهُداةِ بمرصدِ
A force of blameworthy oppression and harm,
An army of the abhorred harm and injustice
Which they set in ambush for the people who guide.
They made it ambush the guiding men.
كرهواthey hated الرَّشادَright guidance فماso ... not تموجsurge زحوفُهits advancing ranks
كرهوا الرَّشادَ فما تموج زحوفُه
إلاexcept بساحةِin the courtyard of ناصِحٍan adviser أوor مُرشدِa guide
إلا بساحةِ ناصِحٍ أو مُرشدِ
They hated right guidance, so that force's ranks surge nowhere
They hated guidance so its billows never swelled
Except in the courtyard of an adviser or a guide.
Except in the field of an advisor or guide.
وترىand you see حُماةَthe guardians of الأمنsecurity منamong أنصارِهits supporters
وترى حُماةَ الأمن من أنصارِه
يخشَوْنthey fear شَرَّthe evil of الظّالمِthe oppressor المتوعِّدِthe threatening one
يخشَوْن شَرَّ الظّالمِ المتوعِّدِ
And you see the guardians of security among its supporters
And you see the protectors of security among its supporters
Fearing the evil of the threatening oppressor.
Fearing the threat of the unjust oppressor.
Sol 6.1