أسير ينادي العتق يا دهر لبه

أسير ينادي العتق يا دهر لبه

حبوه حلى التشريف لكن لسبه

حبوه حلى التشريف لكن لسبه

A captive calls for freedom—O Time, answer him.

A prisoner calling for freedom, oh fate have mercy

They bestowed on him the ornaments of honor, but only to insult him.

They adorned captivity with sweetness, but only to enslave him

أرى الظبي لا يشتاق إلا كناسه

أرى الظبي لا يشتاق إلا كناسه

وذا الجنح لا يلتذ إلا بقضبه

وذا الجنح لا يلتذ إلا بقضبه

I see the gazelle longs only for its lair,

I see the deer longing only for its meadow

And the winged creature delights only in its boughs.

And this bird rejoices only in its twig

ففي قفص البلور للطير سجنه

ففي قفص البلور للطير سجنه

وللظبي في صرح العلى كل كربه

وللظبي في صرح العلى كل كربه

For a cage of crystal is the bird's prison,

For in the crystal cage lies the bird's prison

And in a lofty palace lies all the gazelle's anguish.

And for the deer, the lofty palace holds all its sorrows

وهبك وثاق الأسر صيغ من الندى

وهبك وثاق الأسر صيغ من الندى

فهل لأسير غل فيه روى به

فهل لأسير غل فيه روى به

And suppose the bond of captivity were forged of bounty—

Free yourself from the shackles of captivity with dewdrops

Could a captive shackled in it quench his thirst with it?

Can a prisoner find solace in them?

فما لامرئ عيش سوى بين قومه

فما لامرئ عيش سوى بين قومه

ولا محسن للمرء غير محبه

ولا محسن للمرء غير محبه

For a man has no life except among his own people,

A man can only live happily among his own people

Nor has he a benefactor except one who loves him.

And none be kind to a man except those who love him

أيخدعني خصمي بحلو كلامه

أيخدعني خصمي بحلو كلامه

إذا كان مر البغض يجري بقلبه

إذا كان مر البغض يجري بقلبه

Can my foe deceive me with the sweetness of his words,

Does my enemy deceive me with his sweet talk

When the bitterness of hatred flows in his heart?

When the bitter hatred flows in his heart?

وما هو إلا الغبن أن يقبل الفتى

وما هو إلا الغبن أن يقبل الفتى

سلام الذي لا يرتضي غير حربه

سلام الذي لا يرتضي غير حربه

And it is nothing but loss for a young man to accept

It is but loss when a youth accepts

The peace of one who will settle for nothing but war against him.

The peace of one whose heart desires only war

ومن صغر في النفس بسط امرئ يدا

ومن صغر في النفس بسط امرئ يدا

لمنحه من لم يسع إلا بسلبه

لمنحه من لم يسع إلا بسلبه

And it is smallness of soul for a man to stretch out a hand

He who is small of soul stretches out a hand

For a gift from one who has striven only to despoil him.

To grant gifts to one whose only desire is to rob him

وكم سارق أغرى صغيراً بفلسه

وكم سارق أغرى صغيراً بفلسه

ليغتال ديناراً رآه بعبه

ليغتال ديناراً رآه بعبه

And many a thief has lured a child with his copper coin,

How many a thief enticed the young with his coins

To steal a dinar he saw in the child's bosom.

To ambush a dinar he saw in its pouch

إذا كان لي يوماً لسان أقل ولا

إذا كان لي يوماً لسان أقل ولا

أخاف وما خوف الفتى غير شجبه

أخاف وما خوف الفتى غير شجبه

If one day I have a tongue, I shall speak and not

If one day I have a tongue that is silent and does not

Fear—and a young man's fear is nothing but his ruin.

Fear, for what does a youth fear but his pride?

ولا ريب أن الموت خير لعاقل

ولا ريب أن الموت خير لعاقل

يعيش أسيراً للعدوّ وصحبه

يعيش أسيراً للعدوّ وصحبه

And there is no doubt that death is better for a wise man

No doubt that death is better for the wise man

Who lives as a captive of the enemy and his companions.

Who lives a prisoner of the enemy and its company

إذا كنت ذا غضب فكن رب ساعد

إذا كنت ذا غضب فكن رب ساعد

وإلا فخلِّ المشرفيّ لربه

وإلا فخلِّ المشرفيّ لربه

If you are angry, then be strong of arm;

If you are angry, be victorious

Otherwise, leave the Mashrafi sword to its master.

Otherwise leave triumph to your Lord

ومن لم يكن للسيف أهلاً فلم يكن

ومن لم يكن للسيف أهلاً فلم يكن

على جنبه ذا السيف إلا لضربه

على جنبه ذا السيف إلا لضربه

And for one unfit for the sword, it does not lie

He who is unfit for the sword, it will not be

At his side—this sword—except to strike him.

Upon his side except to strike him