سترىyou will see الموتَdeath حياةًlife والثَرىand the dust
سترى الموتَ حياةً والثَرى
لوif رأيتَyou saw الآنَnow ماwhat نحنُwe نرىsee
لو رأيتَ الآنَ ما نحنُ نرى
You would see death and the dust as life,
You will see death as life if you could see
if you saw now what we see.
What we are witnessing in this time
دُفنَwere buried الصَّحبُthe companions وهُدَّتْand were demolished دُورُهمْtheir homes
دُفنَ الصَّحبُ وهُدَّتْ دُورُهمْ
واعتلىand ascended عبدُthe slave النِّفاقِhypocrisy المِنبَراthe pulpit
واعتلى عبدُ النِّفاقِ المِنبَرا
The companions were buried, and their homes demolished,
My companions are buried, their homes deserted
and the slave of hypocrisy ascended the pulpit.
And the hypocrite slave mounts the pulpit
ونَفَتْand banished تَغلبُTaghlib عَمرواًAmr، وانتَهَتْand desisted
ونَفَتْ تَغلبُ عَمرواً، وانتَهَتْ
عنfrom " ألاcome! هُبّيarise!" لتُرضيto please قيصراCaesar
عن " ألا هُبّي" لتُرضي قيصرا
And Taghlib banished Amr and turned away
The Ghassanids have abandoned “To arms!”, appeasing
from “Come, arise!” to please Caesar.
Caesar
والصعاليكُand the outlaws القُدامىof old، لاdo not تَسلْask
والصعاليكُ القُدامى، لا تَسلْ
أصبحواthey became اليومtoday عليناover us أُمَرَاrulers
أصبحوا اليوم علينا أُمَرَا
And the outlaws of old—do not ask—
The brave warriors of old, do not ask,
have today become rulers over us.
Have become our rulers today
لمnot يعدbe any longer عنترُAntar يُرضيpleases ذَوْقَهاher taste
لم يعد عنترُ يُرضي ذَوْقَها
عبلةُAbla اختارتْchose حبيباًa lover أشقراblond
عبلةُ اختارتْ حبيباً أشقرا
Antar no longer suits her taste;
No longer does Antar satisfy her taste
Abla has chosen a blond lover,
Abla has chosen a fair-skinned lover
يأخذُhe takes الأموالَthe money منهاfrom her عِنوةًby force
يأخذُ الأموالَ منها عِنوةً
وإذاand when الحربُwar تَبدَّتappears أدبراhe turns his back
وإذا الحربُ تَبدَّت أدبرا
who takes her money by force,
Who takes her money by force
and when war appears, he turns his back.
And when war comes, turns back
"ألإسرائيلَfor Israel? تعلوrises high رايةٌa banner؟"
"ألإسرائيلَ تعلو رايةٌ؟"
ياO أباAbu ريشةَRisha صارتْit became قَمراa moon
يا أبا ريشةَ صارتْ قَمرا
“Does a banner rise high for Israel?”
“Is Israel raising its flag?”
O Abu Risha, it has become a moon.
O Abu Risha, it has become a moon
بعدماafter الأعرابُthe Bedouins باعواsold إبْلَهُمtheir camels
بعدما الأعرابُ باعوا إبْلَهُم
عظَّمواthey exalted روماRome وخانواand betrayed مُضَراMudar
عظَّموا روما وخانوا مُضَرا
After the Bedouins sold their camels,
After the Bedouins sold their camels
they exalted Rome and betrayed Mudar.
They exalted Rome and betrayed Mudar
عسكرُthe troops الفتحِconquest؟ عليهِمfor them دَمُعناour tears
عسكرُ الفتحِ؟ عليهِم دَمُعنا
عندناamong us للقمعِfor repression نُرْبيwe raise العَسْكراthe troops
عندنا للقمعِ نُرْبي العَسْكرا
The troops of conquest? Our tears are for them.
The army of conquest? Our tears are upon them
Here, we raise troops for repression.
We nurture armies only for oppression
نسلُdescendants جسّاسٍJassas تولّاناtook charge of us ولاand not
نسلُ جسّاسٍ تولّانا ولا
نِصفُhalf زيرٍa Zir قامَrose حتّىso as to يثأراtake vengeance
نِصفُ زيرٍ قامَ حتّى يثأرا
Jassas's descendants have taken charge of us, and not
The progeny of Judas rule us, not
even half a Zir has risen to take vengeance.
Half a Zir stands to take revenge
غَضبَgrew angry الأحنفُal-Ahnaf لكنْbut غضبَةًan outburst of anger
غَضبَ الأحنفُ لكنْ غضبَةً
لمdid not تُثرstir فيin أمرناour affairs شيئاًanything يُرىbe seen
لم تُثر في أمرنا شيئاً يُرى
Al-Ahnaf grew angry, but his anger
Al-Ahnaf raged, but his rage
stirred nothing visible in our affairs.
Did not make any difference that could be seen
وحدهاshe alone الخنساءُal-Khansa خاضتْfought حربهاher war
وحدها الخنساءُ خاضتْ حربها
بينماwhile نحنُwe نلومُblame القَدراfate
بينما نحنُ نلومُ القَدرا
Al-Khansa alone fought her war,
Only al-Khansa fought her war
while we blame fate.
While we blame fate
مُنذُsince خلَّىleft المُتنبّيal-Mutanabbi حلباًAleppo
مُنذُ خلَّى المُتنبّي حلباً
أحرقَburned التاريخُhistory فيهاthere الشُّعَرَاthe poets
أحرقَ التاريخُ فيها الشُّعَرَا
Since al-Mutanabbi left Aleppo,
Since al-Mutanabbi left Aleppo
history has burned the poets there.
History set poetry aflame within it
صارتِbecame الأخلاقُmorals غُصناًa branch يابساًdry
صارتِ الأخلاقُ غُصناً يابساً
ماnot أتتهُcame to it الريحُthe wind إلاexcept كُسِراwas broken
ما أتتهُ الريحُ إلا كُسِرا
Morals have become a dry branch,
Morals have become a withered branch
which breaks whenever the wind reaches it.
That no wind came to except to break
ياO صلاحَSalah الدينِal-Din عنconcerning أحوالِناour condition
يا صلاحَ الدينِ عن أحوالِنا
لاnot أراكَshow you اللهُGod ذاكَthat المنظراsight
لا أراكَ اللهُ ذاكَ المنظرا
O Salah al-Din, as for our condition—
O Salah al-Din, of our state
may God never show you that sight.
May God not let you see this sight
كلّماwhenever قامَarose نذيرٌa warner بهُدىًwith guidance
كلّما قامَ نذيرٌ بهُدىً
جهزواthey prepared قبراًa grave وسيفاًand a sword أحمراred
جهزوا قبراً وسيفاً أحمرا
Whenever a warner arises with guidance,
Whenever a warner rose with guidance
they prepare a grave and a red sword.
They prepared a grave and a red sword
إنهُindeed, it is العجزُhelplessness بأعتىin the most extreme صورةٍform
إنهُ العجزُ بأعتى صورةٍ
ومُحالٌand impossible مِثلُناthe likes of us أنto يُنصراbe granted victory
ومُحالٌ مِثلُنا أن يُنصرا
This is helplessness in its most extreme form,
It is weakness in its ugliest form
and it is impossible for the likes of us to be granted victory.
The likes of us could never triumph
كَتَبَwrote الذّلُhumiliation علىon راياتِناour banners
كَتَبَ الذّلُ على راياتِنا
للجبانِfor the coward المَجدُglory للحُرِّfor the free الثرىthe dust!
للجبانِ المَجدُ للحُرِّ الثرى!
Humiliation has written on our banners:
Humiliation was prescribed on our flags
“Glory to the coward; dust to the free!”
Glory to the coward, the grave to the free!
ليسَit is not منfrom قِلٍّsmall numbers كماas أخبرتناyou told us
ليسَ من قِلٍّ كما أخبرتنا
نحنُwe مليارانِtwo billion ياO خيرَbest of الورىcreation
نحنُ مليارانِ يا خيرَ الورى
It is not for lack of numbers, as you told us;
We are not few, as we were told
we are two billion, O best of creation.
We are two billion, O best of creations!
نملكُwe possess المالَwealth ولاand not مِنfrom عُسرَةٍpoverty
نملكُ المالَ ولا مِن عُسرَةٍ
لكنِbut الأبطالُheroes ماwhat لاnot يُشترىcan be bought
لكنِ الأبطالُ ما لا يُشترى
We have wealth; nor is it due to poverty,
We own wealth, and have no hardship,
but heroes cannot be bought.
But heroes cannot be bought
وإذاand if لاno قُطْزَQutuz، لاno بيبرسBaybars، مَنwho?؟
وإذا لا قُطْزَ، لا بيبرس، مَن؟
منwho يردُّrepels الآنَnow عنّاaway from us التتراthe Tatars؟
من يردُّ الآنَ عنّا التترا؟
And if there is no Qutuz, no Baybars—who?
And if there is no Qutuz, no Baybars, who?
Who will now drive the Tatars back from us?
Who now will drive back the Tatars?
الأبابيلُthe flocks of birds ستأتيwill come إنماbut
الأبابيلُ ستأتي إنما
فوقناupon us نحنُwe ourselves ستُلقيwill cast الحَجراthe stones!
فوقنا نحنُ ستُلقي الحَجرا!
The flocks of birds will come, but
The deluge will come, but
on us—on us—they will cast the stones!
It is upon us that the stones will be cast!
Sol 6.1