نَلومُكَ يا يَومَ النُحوسِ وَنَعذِلُ

نَلومُكَ يا يَومَ النُحوسِ وَنَعذِلُ

وَأَنتَ عَلى ما أَنتَ تَمضِي وَتُقبِلُ

وَأَنتَ عَلى ما أَنتَ تَمضِي وَتُقبِلُ

We blame you, O day of ill omens, and reproach you.

We blame you, O ill-omened day, and we rebuke you,

And you go and come, remaining as you are.

Though you go on as you are, advancing and drawing near.

فَلا نَحنُ ما عِشنا عَنِ اللَّومِ نَرعوِي

فَلا نَحنُ ما عِشنا عَنِ اللَّومِ نَرعوِي

ولا أَنتَ ما كرَّ الجديدان تَحفِلُ

ولا أَنتَ ما كرَّ الجديدان تَحفِلُ

So we never desist from blame as long as we live,

We do not tend our reproach like a flock at pasture,

Nor do you care as long as day and night recur.

Nor are you, however often the decades repeat, heedful.

وَنَحسَبُ أَنَّ الجِدَّ قَولٌ نُذيعُهُ

وَنَحسَبُ أَنَّ الجِدَّ قَولٌ نُذيعُهُ

وَتحسبُ أَنّا في المَقالةِ نهزلُ

وَتحسبُ أَنّا في المَقالةِ نهزلُ

And we think earnestness is a statement we proclaim,

We suppose our earnestness is a boast we trumpet aloud,

While you think we are jesting in our speech.

While you suppose we are joking in our talk.

لعمرك ما أَسلفتَ فينا جَريرةً

لعمرك ما أَسلفتَ فينا جَريرةً

وَلكنّ شعباً خامِلاً يَتعلَّلُ

وَلكنّ شعباً خامِلاً يَتعلَّلُ

By your life, you have committed no offense against us;

By your life, you have wrought no wickedness against us,

But an indolent people makes excuses.

But rather a people slothful, full of excuses.

يَلومُكَ فيما كانَ مِن جَهَلاتِهِ

يَلومُكَ فيما كانَ مِن جَهَلاتِهِ

فَهَل كُنتَ تُغريهِ لَيالي يَجهَلُ

فَهَل كُنتَ تُغريهِ لَيالي يَجهَلُ

It blames you for what arose from its follies:

They blame you for the ignorances they have shown,

So did you incite it on the nights it acted foolishly?

Could you have led them into error on the nights of their ignorance?

كَذَلِكَ شَأنُ العاجزين وَهَكذا

كَذَلِكَ شَأنُ العاجزين وَهَكذا

يُسِيءُ إِلى الأَيّامِ مَن لَيسَ يَعقِلُ

يُسِيءُ إِلى الأَيّامِ مَن لَيسَ يَعقِلُ

Such is the way of the ineffectual, and thus

Such is the way of the helpless, and thus

Whoever lacks reason maligns the days.

Does he who lacks good sense revile the days.

ظلمناكَ وَالإِنسانُ بِالظُلمِ مُولَعٌ

ظلمناكَ وَالإِنسانُ بِالظُلمِ مُولَعٌ

فَلَيسَ وَإِن ناشَدتَهُ العَدلَ يَعدلُ

فَلَيسَ وَإِن ناشَدتَهُ العَدلَ يَعدلُ

We have wronged you, and man is enamored of injustice;

We have wronged you, for man is obsessed with wrongdoing,

So he will not act justly, even if you implore him for justice.

Yet even if you summon him to fairness, he will not be fair.

أَنِلنا الرِضى وَالقَ الَّذي جرَّ جَهلُنا

أَنِلنا الرِضى وَالقَ الَّذي جرَّ جَهلُنا

بِحِلمٍ لَو اَنَّ الحِلمَ عِندَكَ يُؤمَلُ

بِحِلمٍ لَو اَنَّ الحِلمَ عِندَكَ يُؤمَلُ

Grant us your favor, and meet what our ignorance has brought

Grant us satisfaction and cast off what our ignorance has brought upon us

With forbearance—if forbearance could be hoped for from you.

With clemency—if clemency in you could be hoped for.

وَمُرَّ عَلَينا كُلّ يَومٍ مُسلِّماً

وَمُرَّ عَلَينا كُلّ يَومٍ مُسلِّماً

سَلامَ حَثيثِ السَيرِ لا يَتمهَّلُ

سَلامَ حَثيثِ السَيرِ لا يَتمهَّلُ

And pass by us each day, offering a greeting,

And let each day pass by us resigned,

The greeting of a swift traveler who does not linger.

Moving quickly on its way, not halting.

لَحا اللَهُ قَوماً حَمَّلونا مِن الأَذى

لَحا اللَهُ قَوماً حَمَّلونا مِن الأَذى

بِما ضيّعوا الأَوطانَ ما لَيسَ يُحمَلُ

بِما ضيّعوا الأَوطانَ ما لَيسَ يُحمَلُ

May God curse a people who burdened us with suffering

God has cursed a people who have burdened us with harm

Beyond bearing, through their neglect of the homelands.

Through their neglect of homelands that bear more than can be borne.

همو خذلوها فاستُبِيحَ حَريمُها

همو خذلوها فاستُبِيحَ حَريمُها

وَما بَرحَت تَبغي انتِصاراً فَتُخذَلُ

وَما بَرحَت تَبغي انتِصاراً فَتُخذَلُ

It was they who abandoned them, so their inviolable precincts were violated;

They betrayed it, so its sanctity was violated,

And the homelands still seek victory, only to be forsaken.

And it continued seeking victory only to meet with betrayal.