أَرى السَرِقاتِ في كَفرٍ وَمِصرٍ

أَرى السَرِقاتِ في كَفرٍ وَمِصرٍ

أَتَتكَ بِحَليِ أَسوارٍ وَحِجلِ

أَتَتكَ بِحَليِ أَسوارٍ وَحِجلِ

I see that thefts in village and city

I see thefts in unbelief and Egypt

have brought you ornaments—a bracelet and an anklet.

Brought you bracelets of walls and anklets

وَلَيسا مِن نُضارٍ بَل حَديدٌ

وَلَيسا مِن نُضارٍ بَل حَديدٌ

وَقَد حَكَما بِقَطعِ يَدٍ وَرِجلِ

وَقَد حَكَما بِقَطعِ يَدٍ وَرِجلِ

Neither is of pure gold, but of iron,

Yet not of youth but iron they are

and both have decreed the severing of a hand and a foot.

And they have ruled to cut off hand and leg

جَرَرتَ الذَيلَ في سَفَهِ المَخازي

جَرَرتَ الذَيلَ في سَفَهِ المَخازي

فَلَيتَكَ نافِرٌ ذَيّالَ إِجلِ

فَلَيتَكَ نافِرٌ ذَيّالَ إِجلِ

You dragged your hem through the folly of shameful deeds;

You dragged your tail in foolish vanities

if only you were putting a herd’s long-tailed wild bull to flight!

Would that you were averse, delaying absurdly

يَشِبُّ الحَربَ مُشتاقٌ إِلَيها

يَشِبُّ الحَربَ مُشتاقٌ إِلَيها

يَحُثُّ عَلى الهِياجِ وَعَنهُ تُجلي

يَحُثُّ عَلى الهِياجِ وَعَنهُ تُجلي

One who longs for war sets it ablaze;

Eager for war, desiring it

he urges on the fray, while it is kept away from him.

Urging on fury while from it you recoil

وَما تَثني المَقادِرُ عَن مُرادٍ

وَما تَثني المَقادِرُ عَن مُرادٍ

بِما جَمَّعَت مِن خَيلٍ وَرَجلِ

بِما جَمَّعَت مِن خَيلٍ وَرَجلِ

And you cannot divert fate from its purpose

Fate does not refrain from what is willed

with the cavalry and foot soldiers you have mustered.

By what you gathered of horse and foot