ياO حسرتاmy sorrow ماذاwhat دهىbefell أهلthe people of الحمىthe homeland
يا حسرتا ماذا دهى أهل الحمى
فالعيشُfor life ذلabasement والمصيرand the end بَوارruin
فالعيشُ ذل والمصير بَوار
Alas! What has befallen the people of the homeland?
For life is abasement, and the end is ruin.
أرأيتَhave you seen أيَّwhat كرامةhonor كانتwas لهمْtheirs
أرأيتَ أيَّ كرامة كانت لهمْ
واليومand today كيفhow إلىto الاهانةhumiliation صارواthey became
واليوم كيف إلى الاهانة صاروا
Have you seen what honor once was theirs,
and how today they have sunk into humiliation?
سَهُلَbecame easy الهوانhumiliation علىupon النفوسthe souls فلمso no longer يعدremains
سَهُلَ الهوان على النفوس فلم يعد
للجرحfor the wound منany ألمٍpain وخفَّand grew lighter العارُthe shame
للجرح من ألمٍ وخفَّ العارُ
Humiliation has grown easy on their souls; no longer
does a wound cause pain, and shame weighs lightly.
همدتْdied down عزائُمهمtheir resolves فلوso even if شبَّتflared up لظىflames
همدتْ عزائُمهم فلو شبَّت لظى
لتثيرَهاto rouse it فيهمwithin them فليسthen it is not تُثارُroused
لتثيرَها فيهم فليس تُثارُ
Their resolve has died down; even if flames flared
to rouse it within them, it would not be roused.
الظالمُthe oppressor الباغيthe tyrannical one يسوسgoverns أُمورَهمtheir affairs
الظالمُ الباغي يسوس أُمورَهم
واللصُّand the thief والجاسوسُand the spy والسمسارُand the broker
واللصُّ والجاسوسُ والسمسارُ
The tyrannical oppressor governs their affairs,
as do the thief, the spy, and the broker.
ياO منyou who تعلَّلsought solace بالسياسةin politics ظنَّهاimagined it
يا من تعلَّل بالسياسة ظنَّها
لَطُفَتْhas grown gentle وَلانَand softened عَصيُّهاits stubborn one الجباَّرُthe tyrant
لَطُفَتْ وَلانَ عَصيُّها الجباَّرُ
O you who sought solace in politics, thinking it
has grown gentle and its stubborn tyrant has softened!
ماwhat لطفُهاits gentleness ماwhat اللينthe softness ذاكthat وكلهمand all of them
ما لطفُها ما اللين ذاك وكلهم
مستعمرونcolonizers وكلُّهand all of it استعمارُcolonialism
مستعمرون وكلُّه استعمارُ
What of its gentleness, what of that softness, when they are all
colonizers, and all of it is colonialism?
Sol 6.1