لا تبالي بألْفِ خَطْبٍ عراها

لا تبالي بألْفِ خَطْبٍ عراها

نفسُ حُرَّ مفجوعَةٌ بحماها

نفسُ حُرَّ مفجوعَةٌ بحماها

It cares not for a thousand calamities that have befallen it—

She cares not for a thousand reproaches made bare,

the soul of a free man, grief-stricken for its homeland.

Her free soul is anguished for protecting her honor.

شفَّها الغيظُ والأسى وتراها

شفَّها الغيظُ والأسى وتراها

كظمتْ غيظها وأخفتْ أساها

كظمتْ غيظها وأخفتْ أساها

Rage and sorrow have worn it thin, yet you see it

Anger and sorrow have parched her lips, yet she bears it

has stifled its rage and concealed its sorrow.

She swallowed her rage and concealed her pain.

كلما أوشكتْ تسيلُ دُموعي

كلما أوشكتْ تسيلُ دُموعي

ملكَ اليأسُ غَربَها فثناها

ملكَ اليأسُ غَربَها فثناها

Whenever my tears were about to flow,

Whenever my tears are about to flow,

despair seized their surge and turned them back.

Despair has conquered its harshness thus restraining her.

لا تُلمْني فكم رأيتُ دموعاً

لا تُلمْني فكم رأيتُ دموعاً

كاذباتٍ ضحكتُ ممَّنْ بكاها

كاذباتٍ ضحكتُ ممَّنْ بكاها

Do not blame me: how many tears I have seen,

Do not blame me, for I have seen many deceitful tears

false tears—I laughed at those who wept them.

From those who cried yet I laughed at their weeping.

قد سقى الأرضَ بائعوها بكاءً

قد سقى الأرضَ بائعوها بكاءً

لَعَنَتْهُمْ سهوُلها ورباها

لَعَنَتْهُمْ سهوُلها ورباها

Those who sold the land have watered it with weeping;

They watered the land with their tears in selling it

its plains and hills have cursed them.

Its plains and greenery cursed them.

وطني مبتلىً بعُصْبةِ دلاَّ

وطني مبتلىً بعُصْبةِ دلاَّ

لينَ لا يتَّقونَ فيه اللهَ

لينَ لا يتَّقونَ فيه اللهَ

My homeland is afflicted with a band of brokers

My homeland is afflicted by a rabble of lowly

who do not fear God in their dealings with it.

Vile men who fear not God in it.

في ثيابٍ تُريكَ عِزاً ولكنْ

في ثيابٍ تُريكَ عِزاً ولكنْ

حَشْوُها الذُّلُّ والرّياءُ سَدَاها

حَشْوُها الذُّلُّ والرّياءُ سَدَاها

In clothes that show you dignity, yet

In clothes that show you glory but

their lining is abasement, and hypocrisy their warp;

Their stuffing is humiliation and hypocrisy masking them.

ووجوهٍ صفيقةٍ ليس تَنْدى

ووجوهٍ صفيقةٍ ليس تَنْدى

بجلودٍ مدبوغةٍ تغشاها

بجلودٍ مدبوغةٍ تغشاها

and with brazen faces that never grow damp,

With bright faces that do not frown

with tanned hides covering them;

In tanned skins that cover them.

وصدورٍ كأنهنَّ قبورٌ

وصدورٍ كأنهنَّ قبورٌ

مظلماتٌ قلوبهمْ مَوتْاها

مظلماتٌ قلوبهمْ مَوتْاها

and with chests as though they were graves,

With chests that are like graves -

dark, their hearts the dead within them.

Darkened hearts that are lifeless within them.

حُسِبوا في الرجالِ هلْ كانت الأن

حُسِبوا في الرجالِ هلْ كانت الأن

عامُ إلاَّ لمثلِهم أشباها

عامُ إلاَّ لمثلِهم أشباها

They were counted among men! Were the cattle

They are counted among men, were they ever

anything but likenesses of men like them?

Anything but their likes and matches?

يا رجالَ البلادِ يا قادةَ الأُم

يا رجالَ البلادِ يا قادةَ الأُم

مَةِ ماذا دهاكُمُ ودهاها

مَةِ ماذا دهاكُمُ ودهاها

O men of the land, O leaders of the nation,

O men of the land, leaders of the

what has befallen you, and befallen it?

Nation, what has made you so downcast?

هل لديكُمْ سياسةٌ غير هذا ال

هل لديكُمْ سياسةٌ غير هذا ال

قول يُحيي من النفوس قواها

قول يُحيي من النفوس قواها

Do you have any policy beyond this speech

Do you have any policy other than this

that revives the strength within souls?

Talk that revives the power of souls?

صكَّت الأَلسنُ المسامعَ حتى

صكَّت الأَلسنُ المسامعَ حتى

لقيَتْ من ضجيجكُم ما كفاها

لقيَتْ من ضجيجكُم ما كفاها

Tongues have battered ears until

Tongues have wearied ears until

they have had their fill of your clamor.

They suffered enough of your clamor.

عرفَ الناسُ والمنابِرُ والأَق

عرفَ الناسُ والمنابِرُ والأَق

لامُ أفضالكم فهاتوا سِواها

لامُ أفضالكم فهاتوا سِواها

The people, the pulpits, and the pens know

People and platforms and pens

your merits; so bring forth something else.

Know your virtues, so show us others.

كلكم بارعٌ بليغٌ بحمد ال

كلكم بارعٌ بليغٌ بحمد ال

لَهِ طَبٌّ بحالنا ودواها

لَهِ طَبٌّ بحالنا ودواها

Every one of you is skilled, eloquent—praise be to God—

You are all eloquent, praising

an expert in our condition and its remedy.

God, approving our state and its remedy.

غيرَ أنَّ المريضَ يرقبُ منكُم

غيرَ أنَّ المريضَ يرقبُ منكُم

هذه الجَرعْةَ التي لا يراها

هذه الجَرعْةَ التي لا يراها

Yet the patient awaits from you

Yet the sick one hopes to receive from you

this dose, which he does not see.

This dose which he does not see.

كان أولى بكم لو انَّ مع القو

كان أولى بكم لو انَّ مع القو

لِ فعالاً محمودة عقباها

لِ فعالاً محمودة عقباها

It would have been more fitting for you if, alongside words,

It would be better if with your words

there were deeds of praiseworthy consequence.

There were praised deeds to accompany them.

مَثَلُ القولِ لا يؤيِّدُه الفِع

مَثَلُ القولِ لا يؤيِّدُه الفِع

لُ أزاهيرُ لا يفوحُ شذاها

لُ أزاهيرُ لا يفوحُ شذاها

Speech unsupported by deeds is like

The example of speech not supported by deed

flowers that give off no fragrance.

Is flowers with no fragrance to perfume them.

وهو كالدَّوْحَةِ العقيمِ ظلالٌ

وهو كالدَّوْحَةِ العقيمِ ظلالٌ

واخضرارٌ ولا يُرجَّى جناها

واخضرارٌ ولا يُرجَّى جناها

And it is like a barren spreading tree: shade

It is like a barren palm tree, shade

and greenery, but no fruit to be hoped for.

And greenery, yet no fruit is hoped from it.

رحمَ الله مخلصاً لبلادٍ

رحمَ الله مخلصاً لبلادٍ

ساوموه الدُّنيا بها فأباها

ساوموه الدُّنيا بها فأباها

May God have mercy on one devoted to a land:

May God have mercy on one loyal

they offered him the world for it, but he refused it.

To a land whose worldly life was offered him, but he refused it.

لو أتوْه بالتِبْر وَزْنَ ثراها

لو أتوْه بالتِبْر وَزْنَ ثراها

لأباهُ وقال أفدي ثراها

لأباهُ وقال أفدي ثراها

If they brought him gold dust weighing as much as its soil,

If they had brought to him its weight in gold

he would refuse it and say, 'I would give my life for its soil.'

He would have refused it and said, “I ransom its gold!”

أُنْفروا أيُّها النيامُ فهذا

أُنْفروا أيُّها النيامُ فهذا

يومَ لا ينفعُ العيونَ كراها

يومَ لا ينفعُ العيونَ كراها

Go forth, O sleepers, for this is

Wake from your slumber, O sluggards, for this is

a day when slumber does the eyes no good.

A day when keeping eyes shut will not avail.

كُشفَتْ منكُم المقاتلُ وامتد

كُشفَتْ منكُم المقاتلُ وامتد

دتْ إليها المثقفاتُ قناها

دتْ إليها المثقفاتُ قناها

Your vital spots have been laid bare, and reaching

The fighter in you is revealed, and

toward them are the shafts of straightened spears.

The cultured women have extended to it their arms.

نبَّئوني عن القويِّ متى كا

نبَّئوني عن القويِّ متى كا

نَ رحيماً هيهاتَ مَنْ عزَّ تاها

نَ رحيماً هيهاتَ مَنْ عزَّ تاها

Tell me of the strong: when was he ever

Tell me of the strong one, when was he

merciful? Never! Whoever gains might grows haughty.

Ever merciful? Never! Whoever respected him was undone!

لا يلينُ القويُّ حتى يُلاقي

لا يلينُ القويُّ حتى يُلاقي

مثَلهُ عِزَّة وبطشاً وجاها

مثَلهُ عِزَّة وبطشاً وجاها

The strong will not yield until he meets

The strong yield only when they meet

his equal in might, force, and standing.

One like them in power, glory and dominion.

لا سمتْ أُمَّةٌ دَهَتْها خطوبٌ

لا سمتْ أُمَّةٌ دَهَتْها خطوبٌ

أرْهَقَتْها ولا يثورُ فتاها

أرْهَقَتْها ولا يثورُ فتاها

May no nation rise that calamities have struck

No nation insulted, overwhelmed by misfortunes

and exhausted, while its youth does not revolt!

That burdened it, with its youth unaroused, ever excelled!