1. (1)

    أتهنئين بمولد العام الجديدْ

    (1)

    Do you offer congratulations on the birth of the new year

  2. وعيوننا يغْشى محاجرَها الجليدْ؟

    أتهنئين ولمْ تَزَلْ أسلافه

    While ice covers the sockets of our eyes?

    Do you offer congratulations while its predecessors still

  3. تغزو دمَانا في الوَتينَ وفي الوريد

    إنْ لم تُنَبِّئْنا ملامحُ وجهه

    Invade our blood in the aorta and the vein?

    If the features of its face do not tell us

  4. عمَّا يخبِّئُ للحياةِ وما يريد

    ستملُّ أذرعنا الوقوف وترتمي

    What it conceals for life and what it wants,

    Our arms will tire of standing and collapse

  5. جُثثاً ويجمد في حناجرنا القصيد

    **

    As corpses, and poetry will freeze in our throats.

    **

  6. (2)

    أيها العامُ الذي ودَّعَنا

    (2)

    O year that bade us farewell,

  7. كنتَ فينا شبحاً روَّعنا

    كنتَ فظاًّ سيئَ الخلْقِ وما

    You were among us a specter that terrified us.

    You were harsh, ill-natured, and never

  8. كنتَ محمودَ النَّوايا معنا

    فيكَ أضواءُ الحضارات خبَتْ

    Were your intentions toward us praiseworthy.

    In you, the lights of civilizations faded,

  9. واستباحتْ حالُها أدمعنا

    لم تكُنْ للعدْلِ والسِّلْمِ أخاً

    And their plight plundered our tears.

    You were no brother to justice and peace;

  10. هربا منك وعنَّا ظعنا

    They both fled from you and departed from us.