شعراءَpoets مصرEgypt ولاand not أقولI say جميعكمall of you
شعراءَ مصر ولا أقول جميعكم
ماwhat بالكمails you صرتمyou have become نكايةَa torment أهلكمyour people
ما بالكم صرتم نكايةَ أهلكم
Poets of Egypt—and I do not mean all of you—
Poets of Egypt, I do not mean all of you
What ails you, that you have become a torment to your people?
Why have you become the torment of your people?
هلhas أذنبتsinned مصرEgypt الرؤومthe tenderhearted فخيركمso the best of you
هل أذنبت مصر الرؤوم فخيركم
فيin صمتهِhis silence والذلَand abasement مَيسمُthe brand جُلِّكمmost of you
في صمتهِ والذلَ مَيسمُ جُلِّكم
Has tenderhearted Egypt sinned, that the best of you
Did merciful Egypt sin, so the best of you
keeps silent, while abasement brands most of you?
Remain silent and disgrace marks all of you?
ياO ناصرينَsupporters الظلمَinjustice دونwithout تَوَّرعٍscruple
يا ناصرينَ الظلمَ دون تَوَّرعٍ
متقلبينfickle علىdespite تنوعthe variety of شكلكمyour guise
متقلبين على تنوع شكلكم
O supporters of injustice, without a scruple,
O you who support injustice without hesitation
fickle, for all the variety of your guises,
Changing with the diversity of your forms
لمwhy تدَّعونَdo you claim الفنart فيin أفعالكمyour deeds
لم تدَّعونَ الفن في أفعالكم
والفنand art قدindeed خنقتهhas strangled it وصمةُthe stain of فِعلكمyour conduct
والفن قد خنقته وصمةُ فِعلكم
Why do you claim artistry in your deeds,
You did not invoke art in your deeds
when art has been strangled by the stain of your conduct?
And art has been choked by the stigma of your actions
عَّمhas spread everywhere الفسادُcorruption وأنتموand you أعوانُهُits helpers
عَّم الفسادُ وأنتمو أعوانُهُ
فإليهِso to it مرجعُthe return of حَوِلكمyour power أوor طوِلكمyour resources
فإليهِ مرجعُ حَوِلكم أو طوِلكم
Corruption has spread everywhere, and you are its helpers;
Corruption has spread and you are its aides
so your power or resources trace back to it.
To it is the return of your rising or setting
قاطعتمونيyou shunned me واستبحتمand deemed permissible سقوَتيmy fall (apparent typo)
قاطعتموني واستبحتم سقوَتي
وكأننيand as though I ماnot كنتhad been منَشدَthe singer of قَولكمyour words
وكأنني ما كنت منَشدَ قَولكم
You shunned me and deemed my fall fair game,
You boycotted me and deemed my watering unlawful
as though I had never sung your words.
As if I had not been a chanter of your words
بلrather لمnot أزلI have ceased أشدوI sing بتغريدٍwith warbling لكمof yours
بل لم أزل أشدو بتغريدٍ لكم
أنيَّwhenever (apparently أنّى) تنَّزهَrose above عنfrom حقارةthe baseness of ذُلكمyour servility
أنيَّ تنَّزهَ عن حقارة ذُلكم
Rather, I have never ceased to warble songs of yours,
Rather, I continued singing to you
whenever they rose above the baseness of your servility.
That I am aloof from the baseness of your disgrace
فيمَwhy التشُّدقpompous boasting بالسموِّof loftiness بشعرِكمin your poetry
فيمَ التشُّدق بالسموِّ بشعرِكم
وهوwhile it is التبيعُthe follower لمنof whoever هوىfell منfrom قَبلكمbefore you
وهو التبيعُ لمن هوى من قَبلكم
Why this pompous boasting of loftiness in your poetry,
Why the pretentiousness with the loftiness of your poetry
when it follows those who fell before you?
When it is selling out to those you fancied before
لاdo not تحسبواthink الكتَّابَwriters أحقرَmore contemptible منكموthan you
لا تحسبوا الكتَّابَ أحقرَ منكمو
فَمثالهمfor their model مُستلهمٌinspired منfrom مِثلكمthe likes of you
فَمثالهم مُستلهمٌ من مِثلكم
Do not think writers more contemptible than you,
Do not consider writers more contemptible than you
for their model draws inspiration from the likes of you.
Their example is inspired by the likes of you
الحوتthe whale حينَwhen تسبحونَyou sing praises لعرضِهِto its honor
الحوت حينَ تسبحونَ لعرضِهِ
قلبَcapsized السفينةَthe ship عابثاًfrolicking منfrom حولكمaround you
قلبَ السفينةَ عابثاً من حولكم
The whale, while you sing praises of its honor,
When you swim displaying it, the whale
capsized the ship, frolicking around you.
Overturned the ship playfully around you
ياoh للدعارِةwhat debauchery! والهوانِand disgrace فَعرضُكمso your honor
يا للدعارِة والهوانِ فَعرضُكم
أَمسىَhas become الرهينَa hostage لِجبنكمto your cowardice ولجهلكمand to your ignorance
أَمسىَ الرهينَ لِجبنكم ولجهلكم
Oh, the debauchery and disgrace! Your honor
Oh what promiscuity and dishonor your display has become
has become hostage to your cowardice and ignorance.
It has become hostage to your cowardice and ignorance
وإذاand if شُتمتُI am reviled فَشتمىِthen my being reviled فيin غُربَتيmy exile
وإذا شُتمتُ فَشتمىِ في غُربَتي
شرفٌan honor أتيةI glory (apparently أتيه) بهin it آيةُa token of فضلكمyour virtue
شرفٌ أتية به آيةُ فضلكم
And if I am reviled, the abuse I suffer in exile
And if I am insulted in my exile
is an honor I glory in—a token of your virtue.
It is an honor conferred by a sign of your nobility
Sol 6.1