أَشْهَدُهُI behold it وَالقِطَارُand the train يَفْرِيcleaves
أَشْهَدُهُ وَالقِطَارُ يَفْرِي
بِسُرْعَةِat the speed of البَارِقِlightning الظَّلامَاthe darkness
بِسُرْعَةِ البَارِقِ الظَّلامَا
I behold it as the train cleaves
I witness as the train speeds
The darkness at lightning's speed.
Like a flash of lightning in the dark
بَيْنَاهُwhile it يَمْضِيgoes عُلْواًupward وَسُفْلاًand downward
بَيْنَاهُ يَمْضِي عُلْواً وَسُفْلاً
يَنْتَهِبُplunders القَاعَthe plain وَالإِكْامَاand the hills
يَنْتَهِبُ القَاعَ وَالإِكْامَا
As it goes uphill and downhill,
Passing high and low
It plunders the plain and the hills.
Plundering the plains and hills
إِذِwhen التَقَاهُmet it وَلَنْand will not يَرَاهُsee it
إِذِ التَقَاهُ وَلَنْ يَرَاهُ
مُعْتِرِضٌan obstruction دَكَّهُcrushed it صِدَامَاin collision
مُعْتِرِضٌ دَكَّهُ صِدَامَا
Then, though it would never see it, it was met
When it met, and he would not see it
By an obstruction that crushed it in collision.
An obstinate one, it crushed him with a crash
تَنَاطَحَlocked horns المُوغِلانِthe two pressing onward عَدْواًat a run
تَنَاطَحَ المُوغِلانِ عَدْواً
فَانْحَطَمَاso both shattered فِيin الدُّجَىthe darkness انْحِطَامَاa shattering
فَانْحَطَمَا فِي الدُّجَى انْحِطَامَا
The two, racing onward, locked horns,
The two opposites clashed as enemies
So both shattered utterly in the gloom.
And shattered in the gloom a violent shattering
ذَابَmelted جِهَازُthe machinery الحَدِيدِof iron صَهْراًmelting
ذَابَ جِهَازُ الحَدِيدِ صَهْراً
إِلاَّexcept أَضَالِيعَهُits ribs الضِّخَامَاmassive
إِلاَّ أَضَالِيعَهُ الضِّخَامَا
The iron machinery melted down,
The iron vehicle melted away
Except for its massive ribs.
Except for its massive ribs
وَالخُشُبُand the timbers المُضْرَمَاتُset ablaze أَجْلَتْlaid bare
وَالخُشُبُ المُضْرَمَاتُ أَجْلَتْ
عَنْfrom فَحَمٍcharcoal مُبْطِنٍconcealing within ضِرَامَاblazing fire
عَنْ فَحَمٍ مُبْطِنٍ ضِرَامَا
And the blazing timbers laid bare
And the kindling wood revealed
Charcoal with fire hidden within.
Scorching embers within
هُنَالِكُمْthere (addressing you all) لَحْظَةٌa moment نَسِيتُمْyou forgot
هُنَالِكُمْ لَحْظَةٌ نَسِيتُمْ
حِيَالَهَاbefore it الرَّوْعِterror وَالسَّقَامَاand illness
حِيَالَهَا الرَّوْعِ وَالسَّقَامَا
There was a moment when you forgot
In that moment you forgot
In that moment, terror and illness,
The horror and the illness
مُدَّكِرِينَremembering الحِمَىthe homeland وَأَهْلاًand kin
مُدَّكِرِينَ الحِمَى وَأَهْلاً
فُطِمْتُمْyou were weaned عَنْهُمُوfrom them فِطَامَاa weaning
فُطِمْتُمْ عَنْهُمُو فِطَامَا
Remembering the homeland and kin
Remembering loved ones
From whom you had been utterly weaned.
You were weaned from them, weaned
دَاعِينَcalling out تَحْيَاlong live مِصْرْEgypt فَصَرْعَىthen stricken
دَاعِينَ تَحْيَا مِصْرْ فَصَرْعَى
تُكَابِدُونَyou struggle against المَوْتَdeath الزُّؤَامَاswift and dreadful
تُكَابِدُونَ المَوْتَ الزُّؤَامَا
Calling, 'Long live Egypt!'—then, struck down,
Calling “Long live Egypt,” you fell
You wrestled with swift, dreadful death.
Enduring gruesome death
فَيَاand oh لَهَاfor them اللهُGod مِنْof ثَوَانٍseconds
فَيَا لَهَا اللهُ مِنْ ثَوَانٍ
أَقْصَرُهَاthe shortest of them طَاوَلَrivaled in length الدَّوَامَاeternity
أَقْصَرُهَا طَاوَلَ الدَّوَامَا
And, O God, what seconds those were—
Oh, what fleeting seconds
The shortest of them rivaled eternity.
The shortest extended forever
وَاحَرَّoh, the burning قَلْبَاof a heart عَلَىover شَبَابٍyoung men
وَاحَرَّ قَلْبَا عَلَى شَبَابٍ
كَانُواthey were جُسُوماًbodies صَارُواthey became عِظَامَاbones
كَانُوا جُسُوماً صَارُوا عِظَامَا
Oh, how the heart burns for young men
And set a heart aflame for youths
Who were bodies and became bones.
Who were bodies and became bones
كَانُواthey were وُجُوهاًfaces مُنَوَّرَاتٍradiant
كَانُوا وُجُوهاً مُنَوَّرَاتٍ
تَكَدَّسُواthey lay heaped أَرْجُلاًlegs وَهَامَاand heads
تَكَدَّسُوا أَرْجُلاً وَهَامَا
They were radiant faces;
They were glowing faces
They lay heaped as legs and heads.
Piled up feet and shoulders
كَانُواthey were ابْتِسَامَthe smile الرَّجَاءِof hope أَمْسَوْاthey became
كَانُوا ابْتِسَامَ الرَّجَاءِ أَمْسَوْا
وَلاand no رَجَاءًhope وَلاand no ابْتِسَامَاsmile
وَلا رَجَاءً وَلا ابْتِسَامَا
They were hope's smile; they became
Yesterday they were the smile of hope
Neither hope nor smile.
Now, no hope or smile
فِيin ذِمَّةِthe keeping of اللهِGod يَاO فَريقاًcompany
فِي ذِمَّةِ اللهِ يَا فَريقاً
عَاشُواthey lived كِرَاماًnobly وَمَاتُواand they died كِرَامَاnobly
عَاشُوا كِرَاماً وَمَاتُوا كِرَامَا
In God's keeping, O company
In God’s safekeeping, O company
Who lived nobly and died nobly.
They lived with honor and died with honor
مُصَابُكُمْyour calamity شَفَّwore thin مِصْرَEgypt حُزْناًwith grief
مُصَابُكُمْ شَفَّ مِصْرَ حُزْناً
ورَوَّعَand terrified البَيْتَthe house وَالشَّآمَاand the Levant
ورَوَّعَ البَيْتَ وَالشَّآمَا
Your tragedy wore Egypt thin with grief
Your affliction healed Egypt’s sorrow
And filled the house and al-Sham with dread.
And startled the homeland and Damascus
فِيin كلِّevery قَلْبٍheart ثُكْلٌbereavement عَلَيْكُمْfor you
فِي كلِّ قَلْبٍ ثُكْلٌ عَلَيْكُمْ
نَفَىbanished مِنَfrom المُقْلَةِthe eye المَنَامَاsleep
نَفَى مِنَ المُقْلَةِ المَنَامَا
In every heart is mourning for you
In every heart a throbbing for you
That has banished sleep from the eye.
Banished sleep
Sol 6.1