عودوا إلى حوض الرئيس وظلِّهِ

عودوا إلى حوض الرئيس وظلِّهِ

مستوثقين برأيه وبسبْلِهِ

مستوثقين برأيه وبسبْلِهِ

Return to the leader's pool and his shade,

Return to the President's council and his shade

placing firm trust in his counsel and his paths.

Confident in his opinion and his ways

وتزودوا منه هدايتكم فقد

وتزودوا منه هدايتكم فقد

كاد الركاب يضل خلف مضله

كاد الركاب يضل خلف مضله

And take from him guidance for your journey, for

And take wisdom from him, for nearly

the caravan has nearly strayed behind its misleader.

Did the riders go astray behind his misguidance

إن الذي قاسيتمُ من بعده

إن الذي قاسيتمُ من بعده

قاسى سواكم مثله من قبله

قاسى سواكم مثله من قبله

Indeed, what you have endured in his absence,

Surely he who suffered after him

others endured its like before him.

Suffered the like before him

يا غائبين وفي الضمائر وحشة

يا غائبين وفي الضمائر وحشة

من هجره وغضاضة من عذله

من هجره وغضاضة من عذله

O you who stay away, with desolation in your hearts

O absent ones, and loneliness in consciences

from separation from him, and wounded pride from his rebuke!

From one who abandoned him and bitterness from one who blamed him

أغضبتموه عليكم وعداتكم

أغضبتموه عليكم وعداتكم

أولى بغضبته وفادح حمله

أولى بغضبته وفادح حمله

You have angered him against you, while your enemies

You angered him against you, and your criticism

better deserve his wrath and his crushing onslaught.

More deserving of his anger and grievous his burden

وشغلتمُ بالعتب منه جانباً

وشغلتمُ بالعتب منه جانباً

وجدال خصمكمُ أحق بشغله

وجدال خصمكمُ أحق بشغله

And you have occupied part of his attention with reproach,

And you busied with reproach from him a side

though disputing with your adversary deserves it more.

And the disputation of your opponent more deserving of busyness

أيهم بالأسرى يفك قيودهم

أيهم بالأسرى يفك قيودهم

بطل وفيهم من يهم بقتله

بطل وفيهم من يهم بقتله

Would he care for captives and loosen their chains—

Which of them frees the prisoners of their shackles

a hero—when some among them intend to kill him?

A hero, and among them one who cares to kill him

إن الذي حمل الأذى من خصمه

إن الذي حمل الأذى من خصمه

أولى به حمل الأذى من أهله

أولى به حمل الأذى من أهله

Indeed, he who bore harm from his adversary

Surely he who bears harm from his opponent

should all the more bear harm from his own people.

More deserving to bear harm from his own family

الشعب يجهل للنزاع نهاية

الشعب يجهل للنزاع نهاية

والشعب يخشى أن يموت بجهله

والشعب يخشى أن يموت بجهله

The people do not know how the dispute will end,

The people are ignorant of the feud's end

and the people fear they will die in their ignorance.

And the people fear that they may die in their ignorance

هذا أشق على الحمى وأشد من

هذا أشق على الحمى وأشد من

جبروت حاميه ومن محتلِّه

جبروت حاميه ومن محتلِّه

This is more grievous to the homeland, and harsher, than

This is hardest on defenders and greater than

the tyranny of its protector and of its occupier.

The tyranny of its protector and its occupier

إني لأشفق منكمُ وعليكمُ

إني لأشفق منكمُ وعليكمُ

وأبث شكوى الواجد المتولِّه

وأبث شكوى الواجد المتولِّه

Indeed, I fear you and fear for you,

I sympathize about you and for you

and pour out the lament of one sorrow-stricken and distraught.

And tell the complaint of the loving protector

ومحرمين على الأبيِّ لضيفه

ومحرمين على الأبيِّ لضيفه

إعزازه وهمُ ضيوفُ مُذِلِّه

إعزازه وهمُ ضيوفُ مُذِلِّه

And some forbid the unbowed man to give his guest

And forbidden to the hospitable their guest

honor, though they are guests of the man who humbles him.

To honor him, and they are guests of his disgracer

إن كان عذر القوم رسل منكمُ

إن كان عذر القوم رسل منكمُ

فالوافدون اليوم أفضل رسله

فالوافدون اليوم أفضل رسله

If those men's excuse was that they were envoys from you,

If the people's excuse was messengers from you

then today's visitors are the finest of his envoys.

Then today's arrivals are his best messengers

أيؤجج الغلاب في مغلوبه

أيؤجج الغلاب في مغلوبه

غلّاً ويأبى عذره في غله

غلّاً ويأبى عذره في غله

Does the conqueror kindle in his vanquished foe

Does the victor enflame his defeated

rancor, yet refuse to excuse him for his rancor?

With more fury? And refuse his excuse in his rage

ويسوق ذو البطش الأخيذ ويتقي

ويسوق ذو البطش الأخيذ ويتقي

بالسيف صيحة موجع من أجله

بالسيف صيحة موجع من أجله

And does the man of violence drive the captive on, yet ward off

And the owner of terrible might leads, and fears

with the sword the cry of one suffering because of him?

The scream of the pained because of him

قرب المعاد وأين ما أعددتمُ

قرب المعاد وأين ما أعددتمُ

لغريمكم ولختله ولمطله

لغريمكم ولختله ولمطله

The appointed time is near; where is what you have prepared

Judgment day is near, and where is what you prepared

for your adversary, his guile, and his stalling?

For your enemy, his disorder and his request?

أيعيد كرته وفيكم خشية

أيعيد كرته وفيكم خشية

من بأسه وتلهُّفٌ من دلِّه

من بأسه وتلهُّفٌ من دلِّه

Will he renew his attack, while you harbor fear

Will he repeat his game while you have fear

of his might and anguish at his arrogance?

Of his might and longing for his guidance?

وقد ابتليتم أمس وثبة ليثِهِ

وقد ابتليتم أمس وثبة ليثِهِ

هل تأمنون اليوم نفثةَ صلِّه

هل تأمنون اليوم نفثةَ صلِّه

And yesterday you were tried by the pounce of his lion;

You have been tested by the leap of his lion

do you feel safe today from his asp's venomous breath?

Do you feel safe today from the breath of his prayers?

ولقد قرأنا في عواصف صحفه

ولقد قرأنا في عواصف صحفه

ما لا نسر بذكره وبنقله

ما لا نسر بذكره وبنقله

And we have read in the tempests of his newspapers

And we read in the storms of his newspapers

what we take no pleasure in mentioning or repeating.

What we do not delight to mention and convey

وأرابنا بعد اللقاء سكوتُكم

وأرابنا بعد اللقاء سكوتُكم

وهو الفخور بقوله وبفعله

وهو الفخور بقوله وبفعله

And your silence after the meeting aroused our suspicions,

And after the meeting, your silence disturbed us

while he boasts of his words and his deeds.

And he is proud of his words and his actions

كيف السلامة منه وهو مرابط

كيف السلامة منه وهو مرابط

حول البلاد بخيله وبرجله

حول البلاد بخيله وبرجله

How can we be safe from him, when he is encamped

How safety from him when he is stationed

around the country with his cavalry and infantry?

Around the country, with his horses and his men?

ومن الكفيل بقسطها من نيلها

ومن الكفيل بقسطها من نيلها

وهو المحيط بفرعه وبأصله

وهو المحيط بفرعه وبأصله

And who will guarantee its share of its Nile,

And who is able to distribute its shares of water

while he encircles its branch and its source?

When he surrounds its branches and its roots?

أنسير من رق الزمان وأسره

أنسير من رق الزمان وأسره

شيعاً إلى جدب المكان ومحله

شيعاً إلى جدب المكان ومحله

Shall we pass from time's bondage and captivity

Shall I walk slowly from the passage of time and its flow

in factions, into the land's barrenness and drought?

To the barrenness of space and its places?

ليس القوي بناره وحديده

ليس القوي بناره وحديده

مثل القوي بقلبه وبعقله

مثل القوي بقلبه وبعقله

He whose strength is his fire and iron is not

Not equal is the strong in his fire and iron

like him whose strength is his heart and mind.

To the strong in his heart and mind

ومغالط من يدعي استقلالَهُ

ومغالط من يدعي استقلالَهُ

إن لم يجد سبباً إليه كله

إن لم يجد سبباً إليه كله

And he who claims his independence speaks falsely

And mistaken is he who claims his independence

if he has no means of attaining it in full.

If he does not find a means to it, whole

وإذا أتى الحق الصريح تبرُّعاً

وإذا أتى الحق الصريح تبرُّعاً

وتفضلاً فأجله كأقله

وتفضلاً فأجله كأقله

And when an unequivocal right comes as a gift

And if the clear truth comes volunteering

and a favor, its greatest portion is like its least.

And generously, then treat it as you would the little

قد كان شمل الشعب أكبر عُدَّة

قد كان شمل الشعب أكبر عُدَّة

ووكيله المختار جامع شمله

ووكيله المختار جامع شمله

The people's unity was their greatest resource,

Greater than all your resources was national unity

and their chosen representative was the uniter of their ranks.

And your elected representative gathering your nation

عودوا إليه فكل شرط باطل

عودوا إليه فكل شرط باطل

إن لم يمحصه وإن لم يُمْلِه

إن لم يمحصه وإن لم يُمْلِه

Return to him, for every stipulation is void

Return to him, for every condition is void

unless he has scrutinized it and dictated it.

If he does not examine it and does not dictate it

إني لأدري والتجارب جمة

إني لأدري والتجارب جمة

بالفرق بين سجلِّهم وسجلِّه

بالفرق بين سجلِّهم وسجلِّه

I know full well—experience is plentiful—

I know, and examples abound

the difference between their record and his.

Of the difference between their register and his register

أولى بهم ذاك المراس وإنه

أولى بهم ذاك المراس وإنه

لعقوبة المتجبر المتألِّه

لعقوبة المتجبر المتألِّه

That stern handling better befits them, and it

More deserving of them is he of firmness, and he

is surely the punishment for the tyrant who would be a god.

Is the punishment of the arrogant pretender

ولكل عاتٍ جانبٌ من حزمه

ولكل عاتٍ جانبٌ من حزمه

ولكل حرٍّ جانب من فضله

ولكل حرٍّ جانب من فضله

And for every tyrant there is a share of his firmness,

And for every rebel is an aspect of his wisdom

and for every free man a share of his generosity.

And for every freeman an aspect of his excellence

يا سعد أعلاني رضاك بصدق ما

يا سعد أعلاني رضاك بصدق ما

أتلو وأي مجاهد لم تُعْلِه

أتلو وأي مجاهد لم تُعْلِه

O Saad, I have been exalted by your approval of the sincerity of what

O Saad, declare my satisfaction with the truth of what

I recite; what fighter have you not exalted?

I recite, and which mujahid did you not raise?

أجزيك عن وطني وقومي خير ما

أجزيك عن وطني وقومي خير ما

تجزي وألقَى ما صنعتَ بمثله

تجزي وألقَى ما صنعتَ بمثله

On behalf of my homeland and my people, I give you the finest

I reward you for my country and people the best reward

reward you may receive, and answer your deed in kind.

You give, and I present what you have made alike

شيم الوفي بعهده والمكتفي

شيم الوفي بعهده والمكتفي

بيقينه والمطمئن بعدله

بيقينه والمطمئن بعدله

The qualities of one faithful to his pledge, content

It is the loyal's trait to keep his oath and be

in his conviction, and secure in his justice.

Content in his certainty and reassured by his justice