أخيmy brother منfrom خلالthrough حبالcords السياطthe whips
أخي من خلال حبال السياط
ومنand from حلقاتrings القيودthe chains الثقالheavy
ومن حلقات القيود الثقال
My brother, through the cords of the whips,
My brother, through the ropes of whips
And through the rings of the heavy chains,
And from the rings of heavy shackles
تطلّعlook إلىtoward وطنhomeland الكادحينthe toilers
تطلّع إلى وطن الكادحين
وقدand already شنقوهthey hanged it بسودwith black الحبالthe ropes
وقد شنقوه بسود الحبال
Look toward the homeland of the toilers,
Look to the homeland of the toilers
And they have hanged it with black ropes,
And they hanged him with the black ropes
ولفّوهand they wrapped it بالخرقin rags البالياتworn-out
ولفّوه بالخرق الباليات
وألقوهand they cast it فيinto ظلماتdarkness الحفرthe pits
وألقوه في ظلمات الحفر
And they wrapped it in worn-out rags,
And wrapped him in tattered rags
And they cast it into the darkness of the pits,
And threw him into the depths of the pits
وهالواand they heaped عليهupon it الترابthe earth الكثيفthick
وهالوا عليه التراب الكثيف
كأنas though لمnot يكنit had been فيin ربيعspringtime العمرlife
كأن لم يكن في ربيع العمر
And they heaped thick earth upon it,
And heaped heavy soil over him
As though it had not been in the springtime of life.
As if he had not been in the spring of his life
أخيmy brother منfrom خلالthrough الجدارthe wall الكئيبgloomy
أخي من خلال الجدار الكئيب
ومنand from فجواتgaps الدّجىnight's darkness والحطامand the wreckage
ومن فجوات الدّجى والحطام
My brother, through the gloomy wall,
My brother, through the dreary wall
And through the gaps in night's darkness and the wreckage,
And from the holes of darkness and rubble
تطلّعlook إلىtoward الأعينthe eyes الغائراتsunken
تطلّع إلى الأعين الغائرات
وقدand already علقّتhave been fixed بسقوفon the roofs الخيامthe tents
وقد علقّت بسقوف الخيام
Look toward the sunken eyes,
Look to the sunken eyes
Now fixed upon the roofs of the tents.
That hung from the ceilings of tents
هناhere يمضغchew الجائعونthe hungry الترابthe earth
هنا يمضغ الجائعون التراب
هناhere يعصرsqueeze الظامئونthe thirsty الحجرthe stone
هنا يعصر الظامئون الحجر
Here the hungry chew the earth.
My brother, from here the sparks will walk
Here the thirsty squeeze the stone.
My brother, from here the floods will flow
هناhere تكتسيclothe themselves بالظلامin darkness العراةthe naked
هنا تكتسي بالظلام العراة
أخيmy brother منfrom هناhere سوفwill يمشيwalk الشررthe sparks
أخي من هنا سوف يمشي الشرر
Here the naked clothe themselves in darkness.
Sweeping away our chains and fetters
My brother, from here the sparks will walk.
And the killed will avenge his killers
أخيmy brother منfrom هناhere سوفwill تجريflow السيولthe torrents
أخي من هنا سوف تجري السيول
فتجرفso they sweep away أغلالناour shackles والوحولand the mire
فتجرف أغلالنا والوحول
My brother, from here the torrents will flow,
So we will ring our bells and drums
And sweep away our shackles and the mire.
And we will not plough the earth for the satiated
ويثأرand takes revenge منon قاتليهhis killers القتيلthe slain man
ويثأر من قاتليه القتيل
فنقرعso we strike أجراسناour bells والطّبولand the drums
فنقرع أجراسنا والطّبول
And the slain man will avenge himself on his killers,
Blood flows on every mud
So we shall ring our bells and beat the drums.
But for our hungry children
ولنand will not نحرثwe till الأرضthe earth للمرتوينfor those who drink their fill
ولن نحرث الأرض للمرتوين
منof الدّمthe blood يجريflowing علىover كلّevery طينclay
من الدّم يجري على كلّ طين
And we shall not till the earth for those who drink their fill
Who have filled their stomachs with soil
Of the blood flowing over every patch of clay,
And we will not fetch drops of rain
ولكنbut لأطفالناfor our children الجائعينhungry
ولكن لأطفالنا الجائعين
وقدand already ملأواthey filled بالترابwith earth البطونthe bellies
وقد ملأوا بالتراب البطون
But for our hungry children,
And we will not content ourselves with tree roots
Who have filled their bellies with earth.
But with all the luscious fruit
ولنand will not نستقيwe draw water قطراتdrops المطرthe rain
ولن نستقي قطرات المطر
ولنand will not نكتفيwe are content بجذورwith roots الشجرthe trees
ولن نكتفي بجذور الشجر
And we shall not draw drops of rain,
We watered it until it was saturated and flourished
And we shall not be content with the roots of trees,
ولكنbut بكلّwith all شهيّdelicious الثمرthe fruit
ولكن بكلّ شهيّ الثمر
سقيناهwe watered it حتىuntil ارتوىit drank its fill وازدهرand flourished
سقيناه حتى ارتوى وازدهر
But with all the luscious fruit
That we watered until it drank its fill and flourished.
Partial English translation: 25 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1