عَذابُكَ يا اِبنَةَ الساداتِ سَهلُ

عَذابُكَ يا اِبنَةَ الساداتِ سَهلُ

وَجورُ أَبيكِ إِنصافٌ وَعَدلُ

وَجورُ أَبيكِ إِنصافٌ وَعَدلُ

Your torment, O daughter of lords, is easy to bear;

Your torment, daughter of nobles, is easy,

And your father's injustice is fairness and justice.

And your father's tyranny is justice and equity.

فَجوروا وَاِطلُبوا قَتلي وَظُلمي

فَجوروا وَاِطلُبوا قَتلي وَظُلمي

وَتَعذيبي فَإِنّي لا أَمَلُّ

وَتَعذيبي فَإِنّي لا أَمَلُّ

So be unjust, and seek to kill and wrong me,

So be unjust and seek to kill me, oppress me,

And torment me, for I do not tire.

And torture me, for I do not hope,

وَلا أَسلو وَلا أَشفي الأَعادي

وَلا أَسلو وَلا أَشفي الأَعادي

فَساداتي لَهُم فَخرٌ وَفَضلُ

فَساداتي لَهُم فَخرٌ وَفَضلُ

Nor do I cease loving, nor gratify my enemies.

Nor become tranquil, nor reconcile with enemies.

For my lords possess glory and merit.

My nobles have pride and favour.

أُناسٌ أَنزَلونا في مَكانٍ

أُناسٌ أَنزَلونا في مَكانٍ

مِنَ العَلياءِ فَوقَ النَجمِ يَعلو

مِنَ العَلياءِ فَوقَ النَجمِ يَعلو

People who have placed us in a station

A people who have brought us to a place,

Of lofty eminence, rising above the stars.

Above the heights, above the stars rising high.

إِذا جاروا عَدَلنا في هَواهُم

إِذا جاروا عَدَلنا في هَواهُم

وَإِن عَزّوا لِعِزِّتِهِم نَذِلُّ

وَإِن عَزّوا لِعِزِّتِهِم نَذِلُّ

When they wrong us, we remain just in our love for them;

When they were unjust we were just in their passion,

And if they are exalted, we humble ourselves before their glory.

And if they were mighty due to their might we submitted.

وَكَيفَ يَكونُ لي عَزمٌ وَجِسمي

وَكَيفَ يَكونُ لي عَزمٌ وَجِسمي

تَراهُ قَد بَقي مِنهُ الأَقَلُّ

تَراهُ قَد بَقي مِنهُ الأَقَلُّ

And how can I have resolve, when my body—

How can I have resolve when my body—

As you see—has only the smallest remnant left?

You see—has diminished leaving the lesser part?

فَيا طَيرَ الأَراكِ بِحَقِّ رَبٍّ

فَيا طَيرَ الأَراكِ بِحَقِّ رَبٍّ

بَراكَ عَساكَ تَعلَمُ أَينَ حَلّوا

بَراكَ عَساكَ تَعلَمُ أَينَ حَلّوا

So, O bird of the arak tree, by the Lord

O birds of prey, by the right of the Lord,

Who fashioned you, may you know where they have settled,

Blessings be upon you, perhaps you may know where they camped,

وَتُطلِقُ عاشِقاً مِن أَسرِ قَومٍ

وَتُطلِقُ عاشِقاً مِن أَسرِ قَومٍ

لَهُ في حُبِّهِم أُسُرٌ وَغُلُّ

لَهُ في حُبِّهِم أُسُرٌ وَغُلُّ

And free a lover from a people's captivity:

And release a lover from the captivity of a people

In loving them, he is held in bonds and a shackle.

For whom his love holds captivity and anguish.

يُنادوني وَخَيلُ المَوتِ تَجري

يُنادوني وَخَيلُ المَوتِ تَجري

مَحَلُّكَ لا يُعادِلُهُ مَحَلُّ

مَحَلُّكَ لا يُعادِلُهُ مَحَلُّ

They call to me while death's horses gallop:

They call me while the horses of death run.

"Your station has no equal."

Your place cannot be matched by any place.

وَقَد أَمسَوا يَعيبوني بِأُمّي

وَقَد أَمسَوا يَعيبوني بِأُمّي

وَلَوني كُلَّما عَقَدوا وَحَلّوا

وَلَوني كُلَّما عَقَدوا وَحَلّوا

Yet they have come to reproach me for my mother

And now they criticise me for my mother

And my color, whenever they bind and unbind.

And my complexion whenever they gather and pitch camp.

لَقَد هانَت صُروفُ الدَهرِ عِندي

لَقَد هانَت صُروفُ الدَهرِ عِندي

وَهانَت أَهلُهُ عِندي وَقَلّوا

وَهانَت أَهلُهُ عِندي وَقَلّوا

Indeed, time's vicissitudes mean little to me;

The turns of fate have become despicable to me

And its people have sunk low in my eyes, and count for little.

And its people have become despicable and few to me.

وَلي في كُلِّ مَعرَكَةٍ حَديثٌ

وَلي في كُلِّ مَعرَكَةٍ حَديثٌ

إِذا سَمِعَت بِهِ الأَبطالُ ذَلّوا

إِذا سَمِعَت بِهِ الأَبطالُ ذَلّوا

And in every battle I have a tale:

And I have in every battle a narrative

When champions hear of it, they are humbled.

When the heroes hear it they submit.

قَطَعتُ رِقابَهُم وَأَسَرتُ مِنهُم

قَطَعتُ رِقابَهُم وَأَسَرتُ مِنهُم

وَهُم في عُظمِ جَمعِهِمِ اِستَقَلّوا

وَهُم في عُظمِ جَمعِهِمِ اِستَقَلّوا

I severed their necks and took some of them captive,

I severed their necks and captured many of them

And, despite their host's vast numbers, they felt themselves few.

While they in their great numbers thought little of it.

وَأَحصَنتُ النِساءَ بِحَدِّ سَيفي

وَأَحصَنتُ النِساءَ بِحَدِّ سَيفي

وَأَعدائي لِعُظمِ الخَوفِ فَلّوا

وَأَعدائي لِعُظمِ الخَوفِ فَلّوا

And I protected the women with the edge of my sword;

And I protected the women with the edge of my sword

And my enemies were routed by overwhelming fear.

While my enemies in their great fear turned in retreat.

أُثيرُ عَجاجَها وَالخَيلُ تَجري

أُثيرُ عَجاجَها وَالخَيلُ تَجري

ثِقالاً بِالفَوارِسِ لا تَمَلُّ

ثِقالاً بِالفَوارِسِ لا تَمَلُّ

I stir up its dust-cloud while the horses gallop,

I would arouse the din and the horses would charge

Heavily laden with riders, never tiring.

Heavily with the horsemen, they do not tire.

وَأَرجِعُ وَهيَ قَد وَلَّت خِفاف

وَأَرجِعُ وَهيَ قَد وَلَّت خِفاف

مُحَيَّرَةً مِنَ الشَكوى تَكِلُّ

مُحَيَّرَةً مِنَ الشَكوى تَكِلُّ

And I return, while they have fled lightly laden,

And I would return while they have retreated lightly,

Bewildered, growing weary from lamentation.

Confused by the complaints, recoiling.

وَأَرضى بِالإِهانَةِ مَع أُناسٍ

وَأَرضى بِالإِهانَةِ مَع أُناسٍ

أُراعيهِم وَلَو قَتلي أَحَلّوا

أُراعيهِم وَلَو قَتلي أَحَلّوا

And I accept humiliation among people

And I would be content with humiliation among people

Whom I treat with care, even if they deem my killing lawful.

Whose rights I observe even if they made my murder licit.

وَأَصبُرُ لِلحَبيبِ وَإِن جَفاني

وَأَصبُرُ لِلحَبيبِ وَإِن جَفاني

وَلَم أَترُك هَواهُ وَلَستُ أَسلو

وَلَم أَترُك هَواهُ وَلَستُ أَسلو

And I am patient with my beloved, even if he shuns me;

And I would be patient for the beloved even if he is unkind to me

And I have not abandoned my love for him, nor do I cease loving.

And I do not leave his love nor do I become tranquil.

عَسى الأَيّامُ تُنعِمُ لي بِقُربٍ

عَسى الأَيّامُ تُنعِمُ لي بِقُربٍ

وَبَعدَ الهَجرِ مُرُّ العَيشِ يَحلو

وَبَعدَ الهَجرِ مُرُّ العَيشِ يَحلو

May the days grant me nearness,

Perhaps time will favour me with closeness

And after estrangement, life's bitterness turn sweet.

And after estrangement the bitter life becomes sweet.