سكت فقالوا ارتاح بعد عنائه

سكت فقالوا ارتاح بعد عنائه

وما هي إلا راحةُ اليأس منهمُ

وما هي إلا راحةُ اليأس منهمُ

I fell silent; they said, “He rests after his travail.”

I fell silent, so they said, 'He has found rest after his toil.'

But it was only the repose of having despaired of them.

Yet it is only the rest that comes from losing hope in them.

وما سألوا عن أزمتي وقد انتهتْ

وما سألوا عن أزمتي وقد انتهتْ

ولم يبق إلا ماهمُ فيه مأزمُ

ولم يبق إلا ماهمُ فيه مأزمُ

They never asked about my ordeal, though it had ended,

Nor did they ask about my crisis, though it has ended,

and no predicament remained except the one they were in.

And nothing remains but the predicament they are in.

جهرت فلم ينفعنيَ الجهرُ عندهم

جهرت فلم ينفعنيَ الجهرُ عندهم

ولم أنج مما كنتُ أخفي وأكتم

ولم أنج مما كنتُ أخفي وأكتم

I spoke aloud, but speaking aloud availed me nothing with them,

I spoke out, but speaking out did me no good with them,

nor did I escape what I had been hiding and suppressing.

Nor did I escape what I used to hide and conceal.

وما ذكروا أني تحملت عبئهم

وما ذكروا أني تحملت عبئهم

وما صدَّقوا أني لهم متألم

وما صدَّقوا أني لهم متألم

They did not remember that I had shouldered their burden,

Nor did they remember that I had borne their burden,

nor did they believe that I suffered for their sake.

Nor did they believe that I was suffering for them.

وما حيلتي في العابثين بشملهم

وما حيلتي في العابثين بشملهم

وهم بالمصير السوء أدرى وأعلم

وهم بالمصير السوء أدرى وأعلم

What recourse have I against those who toy with their unity,

What recourse have I with those who toy with their unity,

when they know the grim outcome all too well?

Though they know and understand the dire outcome better?

يدورون حولَ الحكم يلتمسونه

يدورون حولَ الحكم يلتمسونه

وشرُّ البلايا أن يهونوا ليحكموا

وشرُّ البلايا أن يهونوا ليحكموا

They circle around power, seeking to possess it;

They circle around power, seeking it,

the worst calamity is that they abase themselves in order to rule.

And the worst of calamities is that they are abased in order to rule.

ويرجون بالزلفى إلى الخصم وُدَّه

ويرجون بالزلفى إلى الخصم وُدَّه

وما ودهُ إلا الطعامُ المسمَّم

وما ودهُ إلا الطعامُ المسمَّم

They hope, through ingratiation, to win the adversary’s affection,

And they hope, by courting the adversary, to gain his affection,

but his affection is nothing other than poisoned food.

Yet his affection is nothing but poisoned food.

لعل القضاءَ الجاريَ اليومَ بينهم

لعل القضاءَ الجاريَ اليومَ بينهم

يُحدِّثُهم بعدي غداً ويُكلِّم

يُحدِّثُهم بعدي غداً ويُكلِّم

Perhaps the judgment unfolding among them today

Perhaps the fate unfolding among them today

will speak to them tomorrow, after I am gone, and address them.

Will speak to them tomorrow, after me, and address them.

وتشغلهم عن أزمة المال جيرةٌ

وتشغلهم عن أزمة المال جيرةٌ

يسيل لحرياتهم منهم الدم

يسيل لحرياتهم منهم الدم

Neighbors distract them from the crisis of wealth—

And they will be distracted from the financial crisis by neighbors

neighbors for whose liberties their own blood flows.

Whose blood flows for their freedoms.

وفك رقاب من عدوٍّ مسلَّطٍ

وفك رقاب من عدوٍّ مسلَّطٍ

على الأرض من دفع المجاعة أكرم

على الأرض من دفع المجاعة أكرم

Yet freeing necks from an enemy holding sway

And freeing necks from a foe who holds sway

over the land is nobler than staving off famine.

Over the land is nobler than averting famine.

وقد يشتهي الموتَ الفتى وهو موثق

وقد يشتهي الموتَ الفتى وهو موثق

ولا يشتهي الموتَ الفتى وهو معدم

ولا يشتهي الموتَ الفتى وهو معدم

A young man may long for death while fettered,

And a young man may long for death while he is fettered,

but a young man does not long for death while destitute.

But a young man does not long for death while he is destitute.