قَعَدَتheld back شُعوبُpeoples الشَرقِthe East عَنfrom
قَعَدَت شُعوبُ الشَرقِ عَن
كَسبِearning المَحامِدِpraiseworthy deeds وَالمَفاخِرand glories
كَسبِ المَحامِدِ وَالمَفاخِر
The peoples of the East held back from
The peoples of the East have abandoned
winning praise and glory.
The pursuit of glories and prides
فَوَنَتso they grew slack وَفيand in شَرعِthe law of التَناstrife (word beginning)
فَوَنَت وَفي شَرعِ التَنا
حُرِstrife (word ending) مَنwhoever وَنىfaltered لاno شَكَّdoubt خاسِرa loser
حُرِ مَن وَنى لا شَكَّ خاسِر
So they grew slack; and under the law of
So they weakened and in the law of equality
strife, whoever falters is doubtless a loser.
The free person who has weakened is undoubtedly a loser
تَمشيmarch الشُعوبُthe peoples لِقَصدِهاtoward their goal
تَمشي الشُعوبُ لِقَصدِها
قُدُماًforward وَشَعبُand the people of النيلِthe Nile آخِرlast
قُدُماً وَشَعبُ النيلِ آخِر
The peoples march toward their goal,
The peoples walk towards their purpose
forward, while the people of the Nile come last.
While the people of the Nile are the last
كَمhow many فيin الكِنانَةِthe Quiver (Egypt) مِنof فَتىًa youth
كَم في الكِنانَةِ مِن فَتىً
نَدبٍvaliant وَكَمand how many فيin الشَأمِal-Sham (the Levant) قادِرcapable
نَدبٍ وَكَم في الشَأمِ قادِر
How many a youth in Kinana
How many youths in concealment
is valiant, and how many a man in al-Sham is capable!
Are regretful and how many in Damascus are capable
لَكِنَّهُمbut they لَمnot يُرزَقواthey were granted
لَكِنَّهُم لَم يُرزَقوا
رَأياًjudgment وَلَمand not يَرِدواthey ventured into المَخاطِرthe dangers
رَأياً وَلَم يَرِدوا المَخاطِر
But they were not granted
But they were not granted
sound judgment, nor did they venture into danger.
Opinion and they did not want risks
هَذاthis one يَطيرُflies مَعَwith الخَياfancy (word beginning)
هَذا يَطيرُ مَعَ الخَيا
لِfancy (word ending) وَذاكَand that one يَرتَجِلُimprovises النَوادِرwitty anecdotes
لِ وَذاكَ يَرتَجِلُ النَوادِر
This one flies with
This one flies with fantasies
fancy, and that one improvises witty anecdotes.
And that one improvises jokes
جَهِلواthey did not understand الحَياةَlife وَماand not الحَياlife (word beginning)
جَهِلوا الحَياةَ وَما الحَيا
ةُlife (word ending) لِغَيرِfor other than كَدّاحٍa tireless worker مُغامِرdaring
ةُ لِغَيرِ كَدّاحٍ مُغامِر
They did not understand life; and there is no
They ignored life and what life is
life for anyone but a tireless, daring worker,
Except for the tireless risk-taker
يَجتابُtraverses أَجوازَthe inner reaches of القِفاthe deserts (word beginning)
يَجتابُ أَجوازَ القِفا
رِthe deserts (word ending) وَيَمتَطيand rides مَتنَthe back of الزَواخِرthe surging seas
رِ وَيَمتَطي مَتنَ الزَواخِر
who traverses the depths of
Who traverses the widths of seas
the deserts and rides the backs of surging seas;
And mounts the backs of ships
لاnot يَستَشيرُconsults سِوىother than العَزيـresolve (word beginning)
لا يَستَشيرُ سِوى العَزيـ
ـمَةِresolve (word ending) فيin المَوارِدِcomings وَالمَصادِرand goings
ـمَةِ في المَوارِدِ وَالمَصادِر
he consults nothing but
He consults no one except ambition
resolve in his comings and goings.
In resources and means
يَرميcasts وَراءَin pursuit of الباقِياlasting deeds (word beginning)
يَرمي وَراءَ الباقِيا
تِlasting deeds (word ending) بِنَفسِهِwith himself رَميَthe throw of المُقامِرthe gambler
تِ بِنَفسِهِ رَميَ المُقامِر
He casts himself in pursuit of
He tosses his soul behind fortunes
lasting deeds, with a gambler's throw.
The toss of a gambler
ماnothing هَدَّsapped عَزمَthe resolve of القادِريـthe capable men (word beginning)
ما هَدَّ عَزمَ القادِريـ
ـنَthe capable men (word ending) بِمِصرَin Egypt إِلّاexcept قَولُthe word باكِرtomorrow
ـنَ بِمِصرَ إِلّا قَولُ باكِر
Nothing sapped the resolve of
Nothing guided the determination of the capable
the capable men in Egypt but the word 'Tomorrow.'
In Egypt except the words of the early riser
كَمhow long ذاthis نُحيلُwe defer عَلىto غَدٍtomorrow
كَم ذا نُحيلُ عَلى غَدٍ
وَغَدٌand tomorrow مَصيرَthe fate of اليَومِtoday صائِرis bound for
وَغَدٌ مَصيرَ اليَومِ صائِر
How long shall we defer until tomorrow,
How much do we postpone until tomorrow
when tomorrow will meet today's fate?
And tomorrow is the fate of today coming
خَوَتِbecame desolate الدِيارُthe lands فَلاso no اِختِراinvention (word beginning)
خَوَتِ الدِيارُ فَلا اِختِرا
عَinvention (word ending) وَلاand no اِقتِصادَeconomy وَلاand no ذَخائِرreserves
عَ وَلا اِقتِصادَ وَلا ذَخائِر
The land lies desolate: there is no
The homelands have become desolate, no farming
invention, no economy, and no reserves.
No economy, and no treasures
دَعleave aside ماwhat يُجَشِّمُهاmakes it endure الجُموstagnation (word beginning)
دَع ما يُجَشِّمُها الجُمو
دُstagnation (word ending) وَماand what يَجُرُّdrags مِنَof الجَرائِرevils
دُ وَما يَجُرُّ مِنَ الجَرائِر
Leave aside the burdens laid upon it by
Leave what makes it frown
stagnation, and the evils it drags in its wake.
And what pulls from crimes
فيin الإِقتِصادِthe economy حَياتُناour life
في الإِقتِصادِ حَياتُنا
وَبَقاؤُناand our survival رَغمَdespite المُكابِرthe obstinate denier
وَبَقاؤُنا رَغمَ المُكابِر
Our life lies in the economy,
In thrift is our life
and our survival, despite the gainsayer.
And continuity despite the stubborn
تَربوgrow بِهِthrough it فيناamong us المَصاfactories (word beginning)
تَربو بِهِ فينا المَصا
نِعُfactories (word ending) وَالمَزارِعُand the farms وَالمَتاجِرand the shops
نِعُ وَالمَزارِعُ وَالمَتاجِر
Through it, there grow among us
With it industries and farms flourish among us
factories, farms, and shops.
And trade
سَلask حِشمَتاًHishmat عَنهُabout it فَهَـfor this (word beginning)
سَل حِشمَتاً عَنهُ فَهَـ
ـذاthis (word ending) حِشمَتٌHishmat فيin الجَمعِthe assembly حاضِرpresent
ـذا حِشمَتٌ في الجَمعِ حاضِر
Ask Hishmat about it, for here
Ask about it with wisdom, for this
is Hishmat, present in the assembly.
Is wisdom present in the whole
أَحياrevived الصِناعَةَindustry وَالتِجاand commerce (word beginning)
أَحيا الصِناعَةَ وَالتِجا
رَةَcommerce (word ending) مِثلَماjust as أَحياrevived الضَمائِرconsciences
رَةَ مِثلَما أَحيا الضَمائِر
He revived industry and
He revived industry and trade
commerce, just as he revived consciences.
As he revived consciences
Sol 6.1