والله ما يا رنج إلا العار

والله ما يا رنج إلا العار

وقبولنا لجهوده استهتار

وقبولنا لجهوده استهتار

By God, O Ranj: nothing but disgrace!

By God, Jarring is nothing but disgrace;

And our acceptance of his efforts is sheer recklessness.

and our acceptance of his efforts is recklessness.

وسكوت أمة يعرب عن حقه

وسكوت أمة يعرب عن حقه

كفر ومثوى الكافرين النار

كفر ومثوى الكافرين النار

For the nation of Ya‘rub to keep silent about his right

And the silence of Ya'rub's nation concerning its right

is unbelief—and the abode of unbelievers is the Fire.

is unbelief, and the unbelievers' abode is the Fire.

إني لأبرأ من تخاذل أمة

إني لأبرأ من تخاذل أمة

ما انفك يحكمها الهوى الأمار

ما انفك يحكمها الهوى الأمار

I disavow the mutual desertion of a nation

I surely disavow the faintheartedness of a nation

that imperious passion has never ceased to rule.

that is forever ruled by imperious desire.

وإذا ألم بها مصاب فادح

وإذا ألم بها مصاب فادح

أمسى ردود فعالها استنكار

أمسى ردود فعالها استنكار

Whenever a grievous calamity befalls it,

And when a grievous calamity befalls it,

all its reactions amount to mere denunciation.

its reactions become denunciations.

ضربت عليها الذلة الكبرى فلم

ضربت عليها الذلة الكبرى فلم

تأنف لقبح الذل وهو صغار

تأنف لقبح الذل وهو صغار

The deepest humiliation was imposed upon it, yet it did not

Utter humiliation was imposed upon it, yet it did not

recoil from the ugliness of abasement, though it is utter degradation.

recoil from the ugliness of abasement, though it is ignominy.

ألفت هوان النفس ثم تصورت

ألفت هوان النفس ثم تصورت

أن الهوان سكينة ووقار

أن الهوان سكينة ووقار

The soul grew accustomed to indignity, then imagined

It grew used to self-abasement, then imagined

that indignity was tranquility and dignity.

that abasement was tranquility and dignity.

أنا لا أقول هنا البطولة والفد

أنا لا أقول هنا البطولة والفد

وهناك فر الفارس الكرار

وهناك فر الفارس الكرار

I make no claim here to heroism and sacrifice

I do not say: here are valor and self-sacrifice,

while over there the ever-charging knight has fled.

while there the ever-charging horseman fled.

أنا لا أفضل موطنا عن موطن

أنا لا أفضل موطنا عن موطن

فلقد تساوى يعرب ونزار

فلقد تساوى يعرب ونزار

I favor no homeland over another,

I do not favor one homeland over another;

for Ya‘rub and Nizar have become alike.

for Ya'rub and Nizar have become alike.

عفواً فليست أمتي تلك التي

عفواً فليست أمتي تلك التي

عن دينها قد صدها استكبار

عن دينها قد صدها استكبار

Forgive me: my nation is not that nation

Pardon me, for my nation is not the one

which arrogance has turned away from its faith.

that arrogance has turned away from its faith.

إن العروبة نخوة وبطولة

إن العروبة نخوة وبطولة

بل عفة ومروءة وذمار

بل عفة ومروءة وذمار

Arabness is noble pride and valor—

Arabhood is noble pride and valor,

rather: purity, magnanimity, and honor defended.

nay, chastity, chivalry, and honor to defend.

فإذا تمسكت العروبة بالهدى

فإذا تمسكت العروبة بالهدى

نهضت تبارك سعيها الأقدار

نهضت تبارك سعيها الأقدار

When Arabness holds fast to true guidance,

So if Arabhood holds fast to right guidance,

it rises, and the decrees of fate bless its striving.

it rises, the fates blessing its striving;

وتطلع الجبار من عليائه

وتطلع الجبار من عليائه

فإذا تطلع نحوها الجبار

فإذا تطلع نحوها الجبار

The Almighty looks forth from His exalted height;

and the Almighty looks down from His lofty height;

and when the Almighty turns His gaze toward it,

and when the Almighty looks toward it,

فازت بنصر لا يغادر موطن

فازت بنصر لا يغادر موطن

إلا وفيه للعلا آثار

إلا وفيه للعلا آثار

it wins a victory that leaves no homeland

it wins a victory that leaves no homeland

without traces of glory within it.

without traces of glory within it.

أنا إن أفاخر بالقديم فإنم

أنا إن أفاخر بالقديم فإنم

من نروه تتكسب الأنوار

من نروه تتكسب الأنوار

If I take pride in the ancient past, it is only because

If I boast of the past, it is only

from its light all other lights kindle their flame.

from its light that the lights gain their glow.

كنا بهذا الدين أعظم أمة

كنا بهذا الدين أعظم أمة

وأعف من عرفتهم الأمصار

وأعف من عرفتهم الأمصار

Through this faith we were the mightiest nation,

Through this faith we were the greatest nation,

and the chastest people the lands had known,

and the most chaste of those the cities have known.

حتى إذا ابتعد الكثير سفاهة

حتى إذا ابتعد الكثير سفاهة

عن دينه حكمتهم الأشرار

عن دينه حكمتهم الأشرار

until the multitude foolishly strayed

until, when many foolishly strayed

from its faith, and the wicked came to rule them.

from their faith, the wicked ruled them.

أسفي وأكثر منه ليس بنافع

أسفي وأكثر منه ليس بنافع

إن اللبيب بأمرنا ليحار

إن اللبيب بأمرنا ليحار

My sorrow—and more of it—is of no avail;

My sorrow—and more than sorrow—is of no use;

surely the discerning mind is bewildered by our plight.

indeed, the discerning person is bewildered by our plight.

فكأنما نحن اليهود لذلن

فكأنما نحن اليهود لذلن

وخلافنا وهم هم الأنصار

وخلافنا وهم هم الأنصار

It is as though, in our abasement, we were the Jews,

So it is as though we were the Jews, in our abasement

while our adversaries—those very men—were the Ansar.

and discord, while they—they are the Helpers.

لولا الفدائي الذي حمل الردى

لولا الفدائي الذي حمل الردى

في كفه لما دعاه الثار

في كفه لما دعاه الثار

Were it not for the fedayee who bore death

Had it not been for the self-sacrificing fighter who carried death

in his palm when vengeance called him,

in his palm when vengeance called him,

ومضى يعبد دربنا بدمائه

ومضى يعبد دربنا بدمائه

إن الشهادة كفؤها الأبرار

إن الشهادة كفؤها الأبرار

and went forth paving our road with his blood—

and went forth paving our path with his blood—

for the righteous are indeed worthy of martyrdom—

surely the righteous are worthy of martyrdom—

لرأيتنا في حالة يرثى له

لرأيتنا في حالة يرثى له

حال تزيغ لهولها الأبصار

حال تزيغ لهولها الأبصار

you would have seen us in a pitiable state,

you would have seen us in a pitiable state,

a state from whose horror all eyes turn away.

a state whose horror makes eyes reel.

عاث اليهود بأمتي خسفاً ول

عاث اليهود بأمتي خسفاً ول

رجعية نهضت ولا ثوار

رجعية نهضت ولا ثوار

The Jews have ravaged my nation with humiliation, and no

The Jews ravaged my nation, bringing it low; neither

reactionary force has risen, nor any revolutionaries.

reactionary forces nor revolutionaries rose up.