خبرتكم فوجدت الجبن آيتكم

خبرتكم فوجدت الجبن آيتكم

حتى الشجاع غدا بالجبن مسحورا

حتى الشجاع غدا بالجبن مسحورا

I have tested you and found cowardice your hallmark,

I knew your cowardice when I saw you,

Even the brave man has become bewitched by cowardice.

Even the brave became enchanted by cowardice.

من علم الصفوة الأبطال غفلتهم

من علم الصفوة الأبطال غفلتهم

كأنهم ما أعزوا الحق والنورا

كأنهم ما أعزوا الحق والنورا

Who taught the chosen heroes to be heedless,

The elite heroes forgot their knowledge,

as though they had never honored truth and light?

As if they never supported the truth and light.

كأنهم حالفوا الجبار وأئتمروا

كأنهم حالفوا الجبار وأئتمروا

بما أراد وما ردوه مدحورا

بما أراد وما ردوه مدحورا

As though they had allied with the tyrant and complied

As if they conspired with the tyrant and obeyed him

with his wishes, and had not driven him back defeated.

In what he wanted without resisting defeat.

ليس الرجال سوى معنى عقيدتهم

ليس الرجال سوى معنى عقيدتهم

فعلا وليسوا حديثا كان مذكورا

فعلا وليسوا حديثا كان مذكورا

Men are but the meaning of their creed

Men are only the meaning of their ideology,

in action—not mere words once spoken.

In action not just words written.

اتشمخون بماضيكم وحاضركم

اتشمخون بماضيكم وحاضركم

يكاد ينصر في ضعف له الزورا

يكاد ينصر في ضعف له الزورا

Do you boast of your past, while your present

You are arrogant about your past and present,

almost champions falsehood in its weakness?

Your weakness almost yields lies victory.

خذلتمو نخبة الأحرار في عمه

خذلتمو نخبة الأحرار في عمه

فهل غدا الحر عند الحر منكورا

فهل غدا الحر عند الحر منكورا

You forsook the finest of free men in blind confusion;

You have let down the elite of the free,

has the free man, then, become disowned by another free man?

Is the free now unrecognizable to the free?

أتصغرون الألى ضحوا لمبدئكم

أتصغرون الألى ضحوا لمبدئكم

وتكبرون اثيما كان مأجورا

وتكبرون اثيما كان مأجورا

Do you belittle those who sacrificed for your principle,

Do you belittle those who sacrificed for your principles,

and exalt a sinner who was a hireling?

And revere the wicked who were bribed?

الحق أبلج لا تحميه ذبذبة

الحق أبلج لا تحميه ذبذبة

ومن تخافون إلا العميَ والعورا

ومن تخافون إلا العميَ والعورا

Truth is bright and clear; wavering cannot protect it.

The truth is evident, do not protect it with delusion,

And whom do you fear but the blind and the one-eyed,

Who do you fear but the blind and the lame?

والمارقين الألى ساد الطغاة بهم

والمارقين الألى ساد الطغاة بهم

وكان أوقحهم لهفان مذعورا

وكان أوقحهم لهفان مذعورا

and the renegades through whom the tyrants ruled?

And the apostates who empowered the tyrants,

And the most brazen of them was anguished and terrified.

The boldest of them terrified and anxious.

أتذعنون لهم شكرا وترضية

أتذعنون لهم شكرا وترضية

من بعد ما دمروا الأخلاق والدورا

من بعد ما دمروا الأخلاق والدورا

Do you submit to them in gratitude and appeasement,

Do you submit to them in gratitude and appeasement,

after they destroyed morals and homes?

After they destroyed morals and homes?

وهل نسيتم جنايات لهم قصمت

وهل نسيتم جنايات لهم قصمت

ظهورنا أم حسبتم وهمكم شورى

ظهورنا أم حسبتم وهمكم شورى

And have you forgotten crimes of theirs that broke

Have you forgotten their crimes that broke

our backs, or mistaken your delusion for consultation?

Our backs, or did you think it was consultation?

من ناصر الإثم والأوهام غايته

من ناصر الإثم والأوهام غايته

أن يستباح وإن عدوه منصورا

أن يستباح وإن عدوه منصورا

Whoever champions sin and delusions has this fate:

He who supports sin and illusion, his only aim

to be violated, even if they deem him victorious.

Is to violate even if his enemy prevails.

جل لصائحكم زهو يصاحبه

جل لصائحكم زهو يصاحبه

وأن يظل برغم الجهل مغرورا

وأن يظل برغم الجهل مغرورا

Most of what your shouter has is pride that attends him,

How strange your arrogant preacher,

and the conceit he keeps despite his ignorance.

And that he remains arrogant despite ignorance.

فالشعب ما زال ذاك الشعب في سفه

فالشعب ما زال ذاك الشعب في سفه

قد ارتضى أن يظلّ الدهر مأسورا

قد ارتضى أن يظلّ الدهر مأسورا

For the people remain the same people, in folly;

The people are still those foolish people,

they have consented to remain captive for all time,

Who accepted servitude forever.

وأن يصفق للحكام أجمعهم

وأن يصفق للحكام أجمعهم

خيرا وشرا فيبقى الفضل مقبورا

خيرا وشرا فيبقى الفضل مقبورا

and to applaud the rulers, every one of them,

And applaud all rulers,

good and evil alike, so merit remains buried.

Good or bad, so favor is buried.

علام تحزن يا قلبي وما فتئت

علام تحزن يا قلبي وما فتئت

دنيا الجحود ترد الحر مقهورا

دنيا الجحود ترد الحر مقهورا

Why do you grieve, O my heart, when ceaselessly

Why grieve, my heart, and ceaselessly

the world of ingratitude turns the free man away, crushed?

The ungrateful world suppresses the free.

ملء العصور المآسي وهي شاهدة

ملء العصور المآسي وهي شاهدة

أن النبوغ ذبيح كان مأسورا

أن النبوغ ذبيح كان مأسورا

Tragedies fill the ages, and they bear witness

The tragedies of ages are proof

that genius is a slaughtered victim, once held captive.

That genius was always a prisoner bound.