أَشُمُّ بِبابِلَ بَوَّ الصَغارِ

أَشُمُّ بِبابِلَ بَوَّ الصَغارِ

وَلَو أَنا بِالرَملِ لَم أَفعَلِ

وَلَو أَنا بِالرَملِ لَم أَفعَلِ

In Babylon I sniff humiliation's stuffed camel-calf.

I smell the scent of youth in Babylon

And were I among the sands, I would not do so.

Even if I were amidst the sand, I would not have done so

وَأَلقى التَحِيّاتِ مِن مَعشَرٍ

وَأَلقى التَحِيّاتِ مِن مَعشَرٍ

كَما اِرتَجَمَ الحَيُّ بِالجَندَلِ

كَما اِرتَجَمَ الحَيُّ بِالجَندَلِ

And I receive greetings from a people,

And extend greetings from a group

As tribesmen pelt one another with stones.

As the alive translated with the locust

وَأَنزِلُ في القَومِ أَقلالَهُم

وَأَنزِلُ في القَومِ أَقلالَهُم

وَلَولا الحَضارَةُ لَم أَنزِلِ

وَلَولا الحَضارَةُ لَم أَنزِلِ

And among the people I lodge with their lowliest;

And I unload unto the people their provisions

And but for town life, I would not lodge there.

If not for civilization, I would not have unloaded

وَلَو كُنتُ راكِبَ هَذا الجَوادِ

وَلَو كُنتُ راكِبَ هَذا الجَوادِ

بِوادي القَرينَةِ لَم أَرحَلِ

بِوادي القَرينَةِ لَم أَرحَلِ

And had I been riding this steed

And if I were rider of this steed

In the valley of al-Qarinah, I would not have departed.

In the valley of companionship, I would not have journeyed

وَلَو مُدَّ لي طُنُبٌ بِالفَلا

وَلَو مُدَّ لي طُنُبٌ بِالفَلا

حَماني لِداغَ القَنا الذُبَّلِ

حَماني لِداغَ القَنا الذُبَّلِ

And had a tent-rope been stretched for me in the wilderness,

And if the firewood were extended to me in the open desert

It would have shielded me from the stings of withered spears.

It would protect me from the bite of the slender serpent

وَأُسرَةِ عِزٍّ طِوالِ القَنا

وَأُسرَةِ عِزٍّ طِوالِ القَنا

إِذا نَزَلَ الذُلُّ قالوا اِرحَلِ

إِذا نَزَلَ الذُلُّ قالوا اِرحَلِ

And a clan of honor, long of spear,

And family of enduring honor

When humiliation descends, they say, 'Depart!'

When disgrace descends they say: “Journey!”

مُهَجَّنَةٍ أَصطَلي نارَها

مُهَجَّنَةٍ أَصطَلي نارَها

وَعَزَّ عَلى الرَجُلِ المُصطَلي

وَعَزَّ عَلى الرَجُلِ المُصطَلي

An indignity whose fire I endure,

Of mixed breed, I kindled its fire

And hard it is upon the man who suffers its heat.

And it was difficult for the man who kindled

وَلَو شُوِّرَ السَيفُ في مِثلِها

وَلَو شُوِّرَ السَيفُ في مِثلِها

لَقالَ أَطِعني وَلا تَقبَلِ

لَقالَ أَطِعني وَلا تَقبَلِ

And were the sword consulted about such an indignity,

And if the sword were consulted about the likes of it

It would say, 'Obey me, and do not accept it.'

It would say: “Thrust me and do not accept”

فَلَو كُنتُ مِن شاهِديها رَأَي

فَلَو كُنتُ مِن شاهِديها رَأَي

تُ هُوِيَّ الرُؤوسِ عَلى الأَرجُلِ

تُ هُوِيَّ الرُؤوسِ عَلى الأَرجُلِ

Then, had I been among its witnesses, I would have seen

So if I were among its witnesses

The fall of heads upon feet.

You would see the heads falling upon the feet

مَقامٌ يُدَنِّسُ عِرضَ الأَبِيِّ

مَقامٌ يُدَنِّسُ عِرضَ الأَبِيِّ

وَيَلعَبُ بِالقُلَّبِ الحُوَّلِ

وَيَلعَبُ بِالقُلَّبِ الحُوَّلِ

A station that sullies the honor of the unyielding,

A standing which defiles the honor of the respectable

And toys with the shrewd and resourceful.

And plays tricks upon the fickle

وَلَو كُنتُ ذا هِمَّةٍ حُرَّةٍ

وَلَو كُنتُ ذا هِمَّةٍ حُرَّةٍ

لَرَحَّلَني الضَيمُ عَن مَنزِلي

لَرَحَّلَني الضَيمُ عَن مَنزِلي

And had I possessed an unfettered resolve,

And if I were of free will

Oppression would have driven me from my home.

Injustice would have made me depart from my abode

وَكَيفَ تَقَلُّبُ ذي هِمَّةٍ

وَكَيفَ تَقَلُّبُ ذي هِمَّةٍ

وَقَد لُزَّ بِالقَرَنِ الأَطوَلِ

وَقَد لُزَّ بِالقَرَنِ الأَطوَلِ

And how can one of resolve move about,

And how can one of free will waver

When he has been bound fast with the longest tether?

When he is equipped with the longest spear

أَآبى وَلا حَدُّ أَسطو بِهِ

أَآبى وَلا حَدُّ أَسطو بِهِ

وَأَينَ الإِباءُ مِنَ الأَعزَلِ

وَأَينَ الإِباءُ مِنَ الأَعزَلِ

Am I to resist, with no blade's edge to strike with?

I refused and there is no limit to withstand with it

And where is defiance in an unarmed man?

And where is refusal from the helpless?

تُرى الجاهِلِيَّةُ أَحمى لَنا

تُرى الجاهِلِيَّةُ أَحمى لَنا

وَأَنأى عَنِ المَوقِفِ الأَرذَلِ

وَأَنأى عَنِ المَوقِفِ الأَرذَلِ

The Age of Ignorance seems more protective of us,

You see the Age of Ignorance more protective of us

And farther removed from the basest plight.

And farther from the most despicable standing

فَلَولا الإِلَهُ وَتَخوافُهُ

فَلَولا الإِلَهُ وَتَخوافُهُ

رَجَعنا إِلى الطابَعِ الأَوَّلِ

رَجَعنا إِلى الطابَعِ الأَوَّلِ

So, but for God and dread of Him,

So were it not for God and fearing Him

We would return to the original mold.

We would have returned to the original nature