هب يرخي للساقيات عنانه

هب يرخي للساقيات عنانه

ويجلي للنيران مكانه

ويجلي للنيران مكانه

It surged, giving the waterwheels free rein,

He rose, loosening his reins for the water-bearers,

And clearing a place for the flames.

and revealing his place to the fires.

مر كالخاطر السريع إذا ما

مر كالخاطر السريع إذا ما

استيقطت عنه مقلةٌ وسنانه

استيقطت عنه مقلةٌ وسنانه

It passed like a swift thought, when

He passed like a fleeting thought, when

A drowsy eye awoke from it.

a drowsy eye awoke to find him gone.

أملٌ في جوانح اليمن المغمور

أملٌ في جوانح اليمن المغمور

أقى ملء الفضاء يبانه

أقى ملء الفضاء يبانه

A hope in overwhelmed Yemen’s breast,

A hope in the breast of obscured Yemen,

Too mighty for the vastness of space, revealed itself;

he [apparently] cast his proclamation across all space.

وضمير مجنح شهد العالم

وضمير مجنح شهد العالم

 في الأفق عطفه وحنانه

في الأفق عطفه وحنانه

And a winged conscience—the world witnessed

And a winged conscience: the world witnessed

Its compassion and tenderness upon the horizon;

his tenderness and compassion on the horizon.

وشعور لآل قحطان فوار

وشعور لآل قحطان فوار

أجدّت نار الوغى فورانه

أجدّت نار الوغى فورانه

And a feeling for Qahtan’s sons, seething—

And a seething feeling among the kin of Qahtan,

The fire of battle renewed its surge.

whose seething the fire of battle renewed.

لا يبالي من المسافات في عصر

لا يبالي من المسافات في عصر

يربي صرح الهوى فرسانه

يربي صرح الهوى فرسانه

It heeds no distances in an age

He cares nothing for distances, in an age

Whose horsemen raise the edifice of passion.

when love's edifice nurtures its knights.

أكلت ناره الحواجز والأسوار

أكلت ناره الحواجز والأسوار

أكلاً وهشمت قضبانه

أكلاً وهشمت قضبانه

Its fire devoured barriers and walls,

His fire devoured barriers and walls,

Utterly, and shattered their bolts.

utterly, and shattered his bars.

وتلقت فيه الكنانة شعباً

وتلقت فيه الكنانة شعباً

مقبلاً من ماضيه يلقى جرانه

مقبلاً من ماضيه يلقى جرانه

Within it, Egypt welcomed a people

And Egypt—the Quiver—received in him a people,

Advancing from its past to settle firmly there.

emerging from its past, laying down its neck to rest.

ودع العزلة التي نسج الدهر

ودع العزلة التي نسج الدهر

له من ظلامها أكفانه

له من ظلامها أكفانه

It bade farewell to the isolation that time had woven

It bade farewell to the isolation where Time had woven

For it, from whose darkness came its shrouds.

shrouds for it out of that darkness.

خلع الأعصر القديمة إلا

خلع الأعصر القديمة إلا

مجده التاريخي أو إيمانه

مجده التاريخي أو إيمانه

It cast off the ancient ages—all except

It cast off the ancient ages, except

Its historic glory or its faith.

its historical glory or its faith.

والتقى بعد بالعروبة ظمآناً

والتقى بعد بالعروبة ظمآناً

إليها يبثها أشجانه

إليها يبثها أشجانه

Then it met Arabism, thirsting,

And afterward it met Arab nationhood, thirsting

And confided its sorrows to her.

for it, confiding its sorrows to it.

آب من عهده البعيد إلى مصر

آب من عهده البعيد إلى مصر

يلاقي في رحبها إخوانه

يلاقي في رحبها إخوانه

From its distant age it rose toward Egypt,

It returned from its distant era to Egypt,

To meet its brothers in her broad embrace,

meeting its brothers in her wide expanse.

بعد ان حالت الظروف وعاقته

بعد ان حالت الظروف وعاقته

الليالي وبلبلت أذهانه

الليالي وبلبلت أذهانه

After circumstances had intervened and hindered it,

After circumstances had intervened and it was hindered

And nights had bewildered its thoughts.

by the nights, which bewildered its thoughts.

غلبت روحه الزمان فردته

غلبت روحه الزمان فردته

حسيراً وذللت طغيانه

حسيراً وذللت طغيانه

Its spirit overcame time and drove it back,

Its spirit conquered Time and drove it back

Weary, its tyranny brought low.

exhausted, and subdued its tyranny.

سلكت فوقه طريقاً إلى الأفلاك

سلكت فوقه طريقاً إلى الأفلاك

حتى تجاوزت سلطانه

حتى تجاوزت سلطانه

Its spirit took a path above it toward the spheres,

It followed a path above it to the celestial spheres,

Until it passed beyond time’s dominion.

until it passed beyond its dominion.

يا سمو الأمير خطوتك الكبرى

يا سمو الأمير خطوتك الكبرى

تعزي قلوبنا الأسوانه

تعزي قلوبنا الأسوانه

Your Highness, Prince—your momentous step

O Your Highness the Prince, your great step

Consoles our grieving hearts.

consoles our sorrowful hearts.

أنت صوت الشعب اليماني المدوي

أنت صوت الشعب اليماني المدوي

انت أقوى أحداثه الرنانه

انت أقوى أحداثه الرنانه

You are the resonant voice of the Yemeni people;

You are the resounding voice of the Yemeni people;

You are the mightiest of its resounding events.

you are the mightiest of its resounding events.

أنت في قلبه الشعور الذي أيقظ

أنت في قلبه الشعور الذي أيقظ

أعصابه وهزكيانه

أعصابه وهزكيانه

You are the feeling in its heart that awakened

You are the feeling in its heart that awakened

Its nerves and shook its whole being.

its nerves and shook its being.

أنت يمناه في يد المجمع الأعلى

أنت يمناه في يد المجمع الأعلى

تحي أقطابه ولجانه

تحي أقطابه ولجانه

You are its right hand in the Supreme Assembly,

You are its right hand in the hand of the Supreme Assembly,

Protecting its leaders and committees.

greeting its leaders and committees.

أنت ميثاقه العظيم، وأنت السر

أنت ميثاقه العظيم، وأنت السر

في نفسه ، وأنت الأمانه

في نفسه ، وأنت الأمانه

You are its great covenant, and you are the secret

You are its great covenant, and you are the secret

Within its soul; you are the sacred trust.

in its soul, and you are the trust.

أنت باب العصر الذي يرقب التاريخ

أنت باب العصر الذي يرقب التاريخ

من ضوء فجره مهرجانه

من ضوء فجره مهرجانه

You are the gateway of the age whose history awaits

You are the gateway to the age; History awaits

Its festival in the light of its dawn.

its festival in the light of its dawn.

أنت نبع الحياة فجره الله

أنت نبع الحياة فجره الله

لإسعاف أمة ظمآنه

لإسعاف أمة ظمآنه

You are the wellspring of life that God brought forth

You are the spring of life that God made gush forth

To rescue a thirsty nation.

to succor a thirsty nation.

تتخير لها الطريق فإن الليل

تتخير لها الطريق فإن الليل

داج ٍ وعينها حيرانه

داج ٍ وعينها حيرانه

You choose the road for her, for the night

You choose the path for it, for the night

Is pitch-dark and her eyes are bewildered.

is pitch-dark, and its eye is bewildered.

وتحدث عن شعبك الصامت المكبوت

وتحدث عن شعبك الصامت المكبوت

إذ ليس يستطيع الإبانه

إذ ليس يستطيع الإبانه

And you speak for your silent, oppressed people

And speak for your silent, repressed people,

When it cannot express itself.

since it cannot express itself.

ظل في العزلة الطويلة حتى

ظل في العزلة الطويلة حتى

كاد أن يدعي الورى فقدانه

كاد أن يدعي الورى فقدانه

It remained in long isolation until

It remained in long isolation until

The world nearly claimed it had vanished.

humankind almost claimed it had vanished.

وتناسى ذو الوشيحة قرباه

وتناسى ذو الوشيحة قرباه

كأن ما كانوا همو جيرانه

كأن ما كانوا همو جيرانه

Those bound by kinship forgot their kinship with it,

And those bound by kinship feigned forgetting their ties to it,

As though they were merely its neighbors.

as though they had never been its neighbors.

كيف لم ينقذوا غريق أتيٍّ

كيف لم ينقذوا غريق أتيٍّ

مزق الموج روحه اللهفانه

مزق الموج روحه اللهفانه

How could they fail to rescue a drowning man, exhausted—

How did they not rescue one drowning in a torrent,

The waves tearing at his yearning soul?

whose anguished soul the waves tore apart,

مستغيثاً يئن في لهوات السيل

مستغيثاً يئن في لهوات السيل

لا ينظرون إلا بنانه

لا ينظرون إلا بنانه

He cries for rescue, groaning in the torrent’s maws,

crying for help, groaning in the torrent's maws?

While they look only at his fingertips.

They saw nothing but its fingertips.

زعموا أنه بعيد ولو مات

زعموا أنه بعيد ولو مات

لديهم ما يعوا جثمانه

لديهم ما يعوا جثمانه

They claimed he was far away, though if he died

They claimed it was distant; even if it died

Among them, there was room enough to hold his body.

among them, they would not perceive its corpse.

أنقذوا كل أمة من عدو

أنقذوا كل أمة من عدو

وتداعوا فكفكفوا عدوانه

وتداعوا فكفكفوا عدوانه

They rescued every nation from an enemy

They rescued every nation from an enemy,

And rallied together to curb its aggression.

and rallied together, then checked his aggression.

ودعاهم قحطان يصرخ من هول

ودعاهم قحطان يصرخ من هول

الأفاعي فشجعوا أفعوانه

الأفاعي فشجعوا أفعوانه

Yet Qahtan called to them, crying out in terror of

And Qahtan called them, screaming at the horror

The vipers, while they emboldened his great serpent.

of the vipers, so they emboldened his great serpent.

ليت شعري ما بالهم أعرضوا عنه

ليت شعري ما بالهم أعرضوا عنه

وداسوا دموعه الهتانه

وداسوا دموعه الهتانه

Would that I knew what ailed them: they turned away from him

I wish I knew what ailed them, that they turned away from him

And trampled his streaming tears.

and trampled his streaming tears.

أتواصوا بمحوه من على الأرض

أتواصوا بمحوه من على الأرض

أم استصغروا على الأرض شانه؟

أم استصغروا على الأرض شانه؟

Did they conspire to erase him from the face of the earth,

Did they exhort one another to erase him from the earth,

Or deem his standing upon the earth too small?

or belittle his standing upon the earth?

إن يكن هان قيمة شعبه الفاني

إن يكن هان قيمة شعبه الفاني

فهلا تسلموا بلدانه

فهلا تسلموا بلدانه

If the worth of his doomed people counts for little,

If the worth of his perishing people has fallen,

Why, then, do they not seize his lands?

why did they not take possession of his lands?

فعساهم أن يذكروه إذا ما

فعساهم أن يذكروه إذا ما

نظروا في خريطة ٍ ألوانه

نظروا في خريطة ٍ ألوانه

Perhaps they will remember him whenever

Then perhaps they would remember him when

They look at the colors upon a map;

they looked at his colors on a map.

وعسى أن يهمهم أمره إن

وعسى أن يهمهم أمره إن

درسوا في طبيعة صوانه

درسوا في طبيعة صوانه

Perhaps his cause will concern them if

And perhaps his plight would concern them, if

They study the nature of his flint;

they studied the nature of his flint.

ولعل التاريخ في متحف الآثار

ولعل التاريخ في متحف الآثار

يهدي إليهم عنوانه

يهدي إليهم عنوانه

And perhaps history, in the museum of antiquities,

And perhaps History, in the museum of antiquities,

Will point them toward his identifying mark.

would present them with his address.

سال جرح بالشام فاضطربت نجد

سال جرح بالشام فاضطربت نجد

وسحت له عيون الكنانه

وسحت له عيون الكنانه

A wound bled in Syria, and Najd trembled,

A wound bled in Syria, and Najd trembled,

While Egypt’s eyes poured tears for it.

and the eyes of Egypt—the Quiver—streamed for it.

وتنزى العراق غضبان كالليث

وتنزى العراق غضبان كالليث

إذا سامه الغبي مهانه

إذا سامه الغبي مهانه

Iraq sprang up, furious as a lion,

And Iraq leapt up, wrathful as a lion,

When a fool subjected it to humiliation.

when a fool inflicted humiliation upon it.

واستفز الشعب اليمني حفاظاً

واستفز الشعب اليمني حفاظاً

فانتضى سيفه، وهز لدانه

فانتضى سيفه، وهز لدانه

And the Yemeni people, stirred in defense of honor,

And the Yemeni people were stirred by protective zeal,

Drew its sword and shook its supple lance.

so they unsheathed their sword and shook their supple spears.

وشجى الأردن المصاب كان قد

وشجى الأردن المصاب كان قد

دمر المعتدي له عمانه

دمر المعتدي له عمانه

Afflicted Jordan grieved as though

And the calamity grieved Jordan, as though [reading uncertain]

The aggressors had already destroyed its Amman.

the aggressor had already destroyed its Amman.

وفلسطين خبأت جرحها الدامي

وفلسطين خبأت جرحها الدامي

وهبت لجارها غضبانه

وهبت لجارها غضبانه

Palestine concealed her bleeding wound

And Palestine concealed her bleeding wound,

And sprang up, furious for her neighbor.

and rose in anger for her neighbor.

نكبة الشام وطدت برلمان الشام

نكبة الشام وطدت برلمان الشام

رغم العدى وأعلت مكانه

رغم العدى وأعلت مكانه

Syria’s catastrophe strengthened Syria’s parliament

Syria's calamity strengthened Syria's parliament,

Despite its enemies, and raised its standing.

despite the enemies, and raised its standing.

نكبة الشام وحدتنا فما من

نكبة الشام وحدتنا فما من

عربي إلا بكى برلمانه

عربي إلا بكى برلمانه

Syria’s catastrophe united us, so there was no

Syria's calamity united us, so there was no

Arab who did not weep for its parliament.

Arab who did not weep for his parliament.

صار قلباً يحرك العرب العربا

صار قلباً يحرك العرب العربا

ويجري في أرضهم شريانه

ويجري في أرضهم شريانه

It became a heart that moves all the Arabs,

It became a heart stirring the Arabs, the true Arabs,

Sending its artery coursing through their lands.

and its artery courses through their land.

جهلت سره فرنسا فراحت

جهلت سره فرنسا فراحت

تتحدى أسوده اليقظانه

تتحدى أسوده اليقظانه

France misunderstood its secret and proceeded

France did not grasp its secret, and began

To challenge its vigilant lions.

to defy its vigilant lions.

وأرادت تمزيقه بيدٍ كانت

وأرادت تمزيقه بيدٍ كانت

إلى الأمس تجتديه الإعانه

إلى الأمس تجتديه الإعانه

She sought to tear it apart with a hand that

And she sought to tear it apart with a hand that,

Until yesterday had begged it for aid.

until yesterday, had begged it for aid.

لم تدمر بنيانه الحر لكن

لم تدمر بنيانه الحر لكن

دمرت سمعة لها طنانة

دمرت سمعة لها طنانة

She did not destroy its free structure, but

She did not destroy its free edifice, but

Destroyed her own loudly celebrated reputation.

destroyed her own loudly vaunted reputation.

أين أبطالها الأولى عبدوا ( هتلر)

أين أبطالها الأولى عبدوا ( هتلر)

ذلاً وقدسوا صولجانه

ذلاً وقدسوا صولجانه

Where were her former heroes? They worshiped Hitler

Where are her heroes, those who worshipped Hitler

Abjectly, and sanctified his scepter.

in abasement, and hallowed his scepter?

نكصوا عن قراعه في حمى السين

نكصوا عن قراعه في حمى السين

وهابوا قتاله وطعانه

وهابوا قتاله وطعانه

They recoiled from confronting him in the Seine’s sanctuary,

They recoiled from fighting him in the Seine's domain,

Dreading his battle and his assaults.

and feared fighting him and his thrusts.

لثموا منصليه في قاع باريس

لثموا منصليه في قاع باريس

ركوعاً وألهوا نيرانه

ركوعاً وألهوا نيرانه

They kissed his two blades in the heart of Paris,

They kissed his two blades on the floor of Paris,

Kneeling, and made gods of his fires.

kneeling, and deified his fires.

أفيحمون عارهم بدما شعب

أفيحمون عارهم بدما شعب

كريم كانوا همو ضيفانه

كريم كانوا همو ضيفانه

Will they shield their shame with the blood of a noble people

Do they then shield their shame with the blood of a people

Whose guests they themselves had once been?

noble, whose guests they themselves once were?

لنمت أو نعش على الأرض أحراراً

لنمت أو نعش على الأرض أحراراً

ولا عاش من يستسيغ الإهانة

ولا عاش من يستسيغ الإهانة

Let us die or live upon the earth as free people;

Let us die, or live free upon the earth,

May whoever can stomach humiliation never live.

and may none live who finds humiliation palatable.

إن شعباً يرضى الحياة سجيناً

إن شعباً يرضى الحياة سجيناً

لا يساوي في قيمة سجانة

لا يساوي في قيمة سجانة

A people content to live imprisoned

Indeed, a people content to live imprisoned

Is worth no more than its jailer.

is not equal in worth to its jailer.

وحياة تصان بالهون والإذلال

وحياة تصان بالهون والإذلال

ليست خليقة بالصيانه

ليست خليقة بالصيانه

And a life preserved through degradation and humiliation

And a life preserved through abasement and humiliation

Is not worthy of preservation.

is not worthy of preservation.

ودماء تنمو على الضيم رجسٌ

ودماء تنمو على الضيم رجسٌ

نجساتٌ كراتها خوانه

نجساتٌ كراتها خوانه

Blood that thrives upon oppression is filth;

And blood that grows on oppression is filth,

Its corpuscles are impure and treacherous.

unclean, its corpuscles treacherous.

كل شعب محى أساطيره السود

كل شعب محى أساطيره السود

ووارى تحت الثرى أوثانه

ووارى تحت الثرى أوثانه

Every people has erased its dark legends

Every people has erased its black myths

And buried its idols beneath the earth.

and buried its idols beneath the soil.

قد تلاشت كل العصور الذليلات

قد تلاشت كل العصور الذليلات

وبادت كل الشعوب المهانه

وبادت كل الشعوب المهانه

All the ages of humiliation have vanished,

All the abject ages have vanished,

And all humiliated peoples have passed away.

and all humiliated peoples have perished.

واستحالت عبادة الناس للناس

واستحالت عبادة الناس للناس

وأمسى حمل القيود خيانة

وأمسى حمل القيود خيانة

The worship of people by people has become impossible,

And people's worship of people has become impossible,

And bearing chains has become treason.

and bearing chains has become treason.