دماءٌ لا تجُّف وإن أريقت

دماءٌ لا تجُّف وإن أريقت

على نارِ السُّطورِ ولا تكُّف

على نارِ السُّطورِ ولا تكُّف

Blood that does not dry, though it be shed

Blood that does not dry even when spilled

upon the fire of written lines, nor does it cease—

On the flames of verses, ceaseless

فدىً للضائعينَ وللحيارىَ

فدىً للضائعينَ وللحيارىَ

فموتهمو وقد بيعوا أخُّف

فموتهمو وقد بيعوا أخُّف

a ransom for the lost and the bewildered;

Ransom for the lost and the perplexed

for death is easier for them, now that they have been sold.

Though their death, sold cheap, is lighter

علام فداؤهم وعلام أشقى

علام فداؤهم وعلام أشقى

وليس بجمعهم حُرُّ يعُّف

وليس بجمعهم حُرُّ يعُّف

Why ransom them, and why should I suffer

Why ransom them, why such misery

when no free man among them shuns baseness,

When gathering the free would suffice

وقد أكلوا على الحالين لحمى

وقد أكلوا على الحالين لحمى

وقد هرعوا لتعذيبي وخفُّوا

وقد هرعوا لتعذيبي وخفُّوا

and they have devoured my flesh in either case,

They have feasted on despair

and rushed eagerly to torment me?

And rushed to torture me, hiding

بنو أهلي وإن هانوا وساؤا

بنو أهلي وإن هانوا وساؤا

وآصرتي وإن صغروا وسفُّوا

وآصرتي وإن صغروا وسفُّوا

They are my kinsmen, though they have sunk low and done evil,

My people's children, though disgraced and ruined

and bound to me by kinship, though they have grown petty and base.

My captives, though small and vanquished

أبيتُ لهم مذلَّتهمث فعابوا

أبيتُ لهم مذلَّتهمث فعابوا

وأصغرتُ التكالُب فاستكفوا

وأصغرتُ التكالُب فاستكفوا

I would not accept their abasement, and they reproached me;

I refused their humiliation, so they blamed me

and I scorned their doglike rivalry, yet they were content with it.

And scorned my belittling of their assault

وما عرفوا لماضيهم جلالاً

وما عرفوا لماضيهم جلالاً

سوى أوهامهم فيما يُزفَ

سوى أوهامهم فيما يُزفَ

They recognized no grandeur in their past

They knew no glory in their past

except their delusions about what is proclaimed.

Beyond their fantasies of what was rumored

كأنَّ الحق يؤخذ بالتدنىِّ

كأنَّ الحق يؤخذ بالتدنىِّ

كأنَّ المجدَ يورثهٌ المسُّف

كأنَّ المجدَ يورثهٌ المسُّف

As though justice were won by sinking low,

As if truth is seized through meekness

as though a base man could bequeath glory.

As if honor is inherited by the disgraced

بنى وطني ألا حُّر أبُّى

بنى وطني ألا حُّر أبُّى

يدوسُ على الخطوب ولا يُسُّف

يدوسُ على الخطوب ولا يُسُّف

Sons of my homeland, is there no free, unbowed man

Oh children of my homeland, only the free

who tramples calamities and never stoops to baseness,

Trample tribulations and refuse dishonor

ويصرع كلَّ جبارٍ سفيهٍ

ويصرع كلَّ جبارٍ سفيهٍ

يُغررُ بالعقول ويستخُّف

يُغررُ بالعقول ويستخُّف

and strikes down every foolish tyrant

And strike down every foolish tyrant

who deceives minds and treats them with contempt?

Who fools minds and takes advantage

شكته الأرض للأحرار لما

شكته الأرض للأحرار لما

دَهَاهَا منه تخريبٌ وُعنفُ

دَهَاهَا منه تخريبٌ وُعنفُ

The earth complained of him to the free when

The land complained of him to the free

ruin and violence from him befell her.

Of how he corrupted and oppressed her

تدينَ بالعهارة ليس سترٌ

تدينَ بالعهارة ليس سترٌ

يُمِّوهُ ما جناهُ وليس شُّف

يُمِّوهُ ما جناهُ وليس شُّف

He made harlotry his creed; no covering

Debauchery is no veil

disguises what he perpetrated, nor any gauzy veil.

To cover what he did, no honor

ويُنسبُ للصلاحِ ولا صلاحٌ

ويُنسبُ للصلاحِ ولا صلاحٌ

سوى ما شاء مزمارق وَدُف

سوى ما شاء مزمارق وَدُف

He is credited with righteousness, though there is no righteousness

Attributed to piety, though no piety

except what a pipe and tambourine decree.

Beyond what his flute desired and beat

حلالٌ رجمهٌ ولو أنَّ جمراً

حلالٌ رجمهٌ ولو أنَّ جمراً

قذفناه به يؤذيه قذف

قذفناه به يؤذيه قذف

Stoning him is lawful, even if live coals

Permissible to stone him, even if

we hurled at him should hurt him in the pelting.

Throwing embers would hurt him if cast

وعارٌ صَلبهُ فالصَّلبُ مجدٌ

وعارٌ صَلبهُ فالصَّلبُ مجدٌ

به ذكرَى المسيح لنا ترف

به ذكرَى المسيح لنا ترف

And crucifying him is shameful, for crucifixion is glory:

Shameful to crucify him, though crucifixion is glory

through it, Christ's memory flutters before us.

Through it, Christ's memory exalted for us

فمن مجرى العدالةَ وهو يَأبىَ

فمن مجرى العدالةَ وهو يَأبىَ

مُساومةً ولا يثنيهِ عَسفُ

مُساومةً ولا يثنيهِ عَسفُ

Who, then, will dispense justice, refusing

So who from the course of justice yet refuses

compromise, undeterred by oppression?

Bargaining, unmoved by coercion

وَمن ذا يغسلُ الأدرانَ عنَّا

وَمن ذا يغسلُ الأدرانَ عنَّا

وعاراً لا يزول ولا يَخُّف

وعاراً لا يزول ولا يَخُّف

And who will wash the filth from us,

Who will wash the filth from us

and a shame that neither vanishes nor grows lighter?

Shame that does not fade or lighten

ومن ذا يُرسل الطعنات بكراً

ومن ذا يُرسل الطعنات بكراً

تدف العباثينَ ولا تدف

تدف العباثينَ ولا تدف

And who will send forth virgin thrusts

Who will unleash fresh arrows

that finish off the mischief-makers, not merely flutter low?

To drive out the wanton, unstopped

ومن ذا يشترى الخلدَ احتساباً

ومن ذا يشترى الخلدَ احتساباً

ولا يدعُ الدماءَ سُدىً تجُّف

ولا يدعُ الدماءَ سُدىً تجُّف

And who will purchase immortality, seeking God's reward,

Who will buy immortality by sacrifice

and not let the blood dry in vain?

And not let blood flow fruitlessly dry