ياO أَيُّهاyou الشَرقُthe East التَعيسُhapless اِنظُرlook إِلىat
يا أَيُّها الشَرقُ التَعيسُ اِنظُر إِلى
القَومِthe people الَّذينَwho شَدَدتَyou strengthened أَزرَكَyour strength فيهِمُin them
القَومِ الَّذينَ شَدَدتَ أَزرَكَ فيهِمُ
O hapless East, look at
O wretched East, look upon
the people through whom you strengthened yourself.
The people upon whom you braced your strength;
ماnot زِلتَyou have ceased تَكلَءُهُمyou guard them بِطَرفٍwith an eye ساهِرٍwakeful
ما زِلتَ تَكلَءُهُم بِطَرفٍ ساهِرٍ
يُحيِkeeps vigil through الظَلامَthe darkness وَهُمwhile they هُجودٌslumbering نُوَّمُfast asleep
يُحيِ الظَلامَ وَهُم هُجودٌ نُوَّمُ
You have never ceased to guard them with a wakeful eye,
You have long guarded them with a sleepless eye
that keeps vigil through the darkness while they slumber, fast asleep.
That enlivens the darkness while they lie in slumber.
وَالغَربُand the West يَرنوgazes خائِفاًafraid أَنthat يَخلُفوthey succeed
وَالغَربُ يَرنو خائِفاً أَن يَخلُفو
أَجدادُهُمtheir forefathers وَيَوَدُّand wishes لَوthat لَمnot يَنعَمواthey enjoyed ease
أَجدادُهُم وَيَوَدُّ لَو لَم يَنعَموا
And the West gazes on, afraid that they may succeed
The West watches fearfully, lest they succeed
their forefathers, and wishes they had enjoyed no ease.
Their ancestors, though it wishes they would never prosper.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen طَرَّتsprouted شَوارِبُهُمtheir moustaches وَباتَand there came to be
حَتّى إِذا طَرَّت شَوارِبُهُم وَباتَ
مِنَof الشَبابِyouth لَهُمfor them طِرازٌan embroidered badge مُعلَمُdistinctly marked
مِنَ الشَبابِ لَهُم طِرازٌ مُعلَمُ
Until, when their moustaches sprouted and they came to bear
Yet when their mustaches first sprouted, and they acquired
a distinctive, embroidered badge of youth,
The distinct badge and bearing of young manhood,
خَرَجواthey rebelled عَلَيكَagainst you وَأَنتَwhile you لاnot تَدريknow وَهُمand they
خَرَجوا عَلَيكَ وَأَنتَ لا تَدري وَهُم
لاnot يَشعُرونَare aware وَلَوand if دَرواthey had known لَتَنَدَّمواthey would have regretted it
لا يَشعُرونَ وَلَو دَروا لَتَنَدَّموا
they rebelled against you, while you knew nothing, and they
They turned against you while you were unaware, and they
were unaware; had they known, they would have regretted it.
Remain unfeeling; yet had they known, they would surely regret.
ياoh طالَماhow often مَثَلواthey stood لَدَيكَbefore you كَأَنَّهُمas though they were
يا طالَما مَثَلوا لَدَيكَ كَأَنَّهُم
ىُسدُlions الشَرىal-Shara فَنَسيتُso I forgot أَنَّكَthat you تَحلُمُare dreaming
ىُسدُ الشَرى فَنَسيتُ أَنَّكَ تَحلُمُ
Oh, how often they stood before you as though they were
How often they appeared before you as though they were
the lions of al-Shara—so I forgot that you were dreaming.
Lions of the thicket, making me forget that you were dreaming.
وَرَجَوتَand you hoped ماwhat يَرجوهُhopes for it كُلُّevery أَبٍfather لَدىin
وَرَجَوتَ ما يَرجوهُ كُلُّ أَبٍ لَدى
أَبنائِهِhis children إِنَّindeed العَقوقَfilial ingratitude مُذَمَّمُblameworthy
أَبنائِهِ إِنَّ العَقوقَ مُذَمَّمُ
And you hoped for what every father hopes to find in
You hoped for them what every father hopes
his children; surely filial ingratitude is blameworthy.
For his sons—indeed, filial ingratitude is vile.
وَلَطالَماand how often شِدتَyou built القُصورَpalaces مِنَout of المُنىwishes
وَلَطالَما شِدتَ القُصورَ مِنَ المُنى
خابَfailed الرَجاءُhope وَساءَand became bad ماwhat تَتَوَهَّمُyou imagine
خابَ الرَجاءُ وَساءَ ما تَتَوَهَّمُ
And how often you built palaces out of wishes!
How often you built palaces out of mere hopes;
Hope has failed, and what you imagine is bleak.
But hope has failed, and your illusions have turned wretched.
أَلهَتهُمُdistracted them الدُنياthe world فَهَذاso this one بِالطِلىwith wine
أَلهَتهُمُ الدُنيا فَهَذا بِالطِلى
صَبٌّinfatuated وَهَذاand this one بِالحِسانِwith beautiful women مُتَيَّمُbesotted
صَبٌّ وَهَذا بِالحِسانِ مُتَيَّمُ
The world has distracted them: this one with wine
The world distracted them: this one is obsessed with wine,
is infatuated, and that one is besotted with beautiful women.
Lovesick, while that one is enslaved by beauties.
وَالخَمرُand wine فاتِكَةٌdeadly فَكَيفَso how بِناعِمٍwith a delicate man
وَالخَمرُ فاتِكَةٌ فَكَيفَ بِناعِمٍ
تَرَِفٍpampered يَكادُhe almost مِنَfrom النَسائِمِthe breezes يُسقَمُis made ill
تَرَِفٍ يَكادُ مِنَ النَسائِمِ يُسقَمُ
And wine is deadly—what, then, of a delicate,
Wine is a deadly slayer; what then of a delicate soul,
pampered man whom the breezes almost sicken?
Soft and pampered, who nearly falls ill from a breeze?
قَدindeed أَصبَحواthey have become وَقفاًwholly devoted عَلىto شَهَواتِهِمtheir desires
قَد أَصبَحوا وَقفاً عَلى شَهَواتِهِم
يستَسلِمونَthey surrender لَهاto them وَلاbut not تَستَسلِمُthey yield
يستَسلِمونَ لَها وَلا تَستَسلِمُ
They have become wholly devoted to their desires;
They have become entirely dedicated to their own lusts,
they surrender to them, but those desires do not yield.
Surrendering to them, though desires never surrender.
لَمnot يَفهَمواthey understood مَعنىthe meaning الحَياةِof life وَكَنهَهاand its essence
لَم يَفهَموا مَعنى الحَياةِ وَكَنهَها
إِنَّindeed البَلِيَّةَthe calamity أَنَّهُمthat they لَمnot يَفهَموthey understood
إِنَّ البَلِيَّةَ أَنَّهُم لَم يَفهَمو
They have not understood life's meaning and its essence;
They have grasped neither the meaning of life nor its essence;
indeed, the calamity is that they have not understood.
The true calamity is simply that they do not understand.
فَليَعقِلواso let them desist عَنfrom غِيِّهِمtheir waywardness إِنّيindeed I أَرىsee
فَليَعقِلوا عَن غِيِّهِم إِنّي أَرى
خَوَرَfeebleness الشُيوخِof old men بِهِمin them وَلَمّاthough not yet يَهرَمواthey have grown old
خَوَرَ الشُيوخِ بِهِم وَلَمّا يَهرَموا
So let them desist from their waywardness; I see
Let them return to reason from their folly, for I perceive
the feebleness of old men in them, though they have not yet grown old.
The feebleness of old age in them, though they are not yet old.
قَدindeed قَلَّدواthey imitated الغَربِيَّthe Westerner فيin آفاقِهِhis horizons
قَد قَلَّدوا الغَربِيَّ في آفاقِهِ
تَقليدُهُhis imitation الشَرقِيُّthe Easterner فيماin what يُعصِمُoffers protection
تَقليدُهُ الشَرقِيُّ فيما يُعصِمُ
They have imitated the Westerner in his horizons,
They have imitated the Westerner in his expansive ways,
as he imitated the Easterner in what offers protection.
An Eastern mimicry in matters that should remain inviolate.
فَتَنَتهُمُbewitched them لُغَةُthe language الأَعاجِمِof non-Arabs إِنَّماbut in truth
فَتَنَتهُمُ لُغَةُ الأَعاجِمِ إِنَّما
لُغَةُthe language الأَعاجِمِof non-Arabs مِنهُمُwith them تَتَبَرَّمُis vexed
لُغَةُ الأَعاجِمِ مِنهُمُ تَتَبَرَّمُ
The language of non-Arabs has bewitched them; yet
The language of foreigners has seduced them, yet in truth,
the language of non-Arabs is vexed with them.
The language of foreigners looks upon them with disdain.
أَمسىhas become الَّذيthe one who تُهدىare offered إِلَيهِto him لَآلِئٌpearls
أَمسى الَّذي تُهدى إِلَيهِ لَآلِئٌ
وَكَأَنَّماand as though هُوَhe بِالحِجارَةِwith stones يُرجَمُis pelted
وَكَأَنَّما هُوَ بِالحِجارَةِ يُرجَمُ
Now the one to whom pearls are offered
He to whom pearls are offered has become
is as though he were being pelted with stones.
Like one who reacts as though he were being stoned with rocks.
لاdo not تَعذِلُblame الشُعَراءَthe poets إِنif بَخِلواthey were stingy بِهِwith it
لا تَعذِلُ الشُعَراءَ إِن بَخِلوا بِهِ
إِنَّindeed القَريضَpoetry عَلىto الغَبِيِّthe dullard مُحَرَّمُforbidden
إِنَّ القَريضَ عَلى الغَبِيِّ مُحَرَّمُ
Do not blame the poets if they withhold it;
Do not blame the poets if they are stingy with their verse,
indeed, poetry is forbidden to the dullard.
For high poetry is forbidden fruit to the witless fool.
بِتناwe have become وَباتَand has become الشَرقُthe East يَمشيwalks القَهقَرىbackward
بِتنا وَباتَ الشَرقُ يَمشي القَهقَرى
مَعَdespite ذاكَthat نَحسَبُwe think أَنَّناthat we نَتَقَدَّمُare advancing
مَعَ ذاكَ نَحسَبُ أَنَّنا نَتَقَدَّمُ
We and the East have come to walk backward;
We have ended up with the East walking backward,
yet we think that we are advancing.
Even as we delude ourselves that we are moving forward.
Sol 6.1