حنتْyearned إلىfor القدسJerusalem الشريفthe noble نواظريmy eyes
حنتْ إلى القدس الشريف نواظري
فمتىwhen, then سيسعفwill favor باللقاءwith a meeting زمانيmy time؟
فمتى سيسعف باللقاء زماني؟
My eyes yearned for noble Jerusalem.
My eyes long for Jerusalem the noble,
When, then, will my days grant me a meeting?
When will time allow me to meet her?
هيهاتnever تغفوslumbers مقلتيmy eye والقدسwhile Jerusalem
هيهات تغفو مقلتي والقدس
يأسرهاholds her captive كيانan entity لمdid not يكنbe بكيانan entity at all
يأسرها كيان لم يكن بكيان
Never could my eye slumber while Jerusalem
Alas, my eyelids cannot rest while Jerusalem
is held captive by an entity that once did not exist.
Is held captive by an unjust entity.
يحلوis sweet مناميmy sleep..مستحيلٌimpossible.. كيفhow يحـbe sweet (word beginning)
يحلو منامي..مستحيلٌ.. كيف يحـ
ـلوbe sweet (word ending) نومsleep منone who فيin لوعةanguish الحرمانdeprivation
ـلو نوم من في لوعة الحرمان
Could my sleep be sweet? Impossible! How could
How can my sleep be sweet...impossible...how can
sleep be sweet for one in the anguish of deprivation?
The sleep of one tormented by deprivation be sweet?
حبيmy love لهاfor her ماnot احتاجneeded يوماever للدليـfor proof (word beginning)
حبي لها ما احتاج يوما للدليـ
ـلِproof (word ending) وand هلam...? أناI فيin حاجةneed لبيانfor clarification؟
ـلِ و هل أنا في حاجة لبيان؟
My love for her has never needed
My love for it never needed proof,
proof; and do I need to explain?
And do I need to explain myself?
أناI لستam not بدعاan exception فيin الهوىlove أبداever فماfor never
أنا لست بدعا في الهوى أبدا فما
كانتthere were لصبٍّfor a lovesick lover فيin هواهhis passion يدانpower (literally, two hands)
كانت لصبٍّ في هواه يدان
I have never been an exception in love, for no
I'm not the first to fall in love, so why
lovesick lover has ever had power over his passion.
Should a lover's passion be condemned?
أعروبتيO my Arabness هيَّاcome لفكto undo إسارِهاher bonds
أعروبتي هيَّا لفك إسارِها
لاdo not تتركوهاleave her فيin يدthe hand القرصانthe pirate
لا تتركوها في يد القرصان
O my Arab nation, come, break her bonds!
My Arab soul, come, break its shackles!
Do not leave her in the pirate's hand.
Do not leave it in the hands of tyrants.
عاثتran riot بنوthe sons of صهيونZion مفسدةًspreading corruption بهاin her
عاثت بنو صهيون مفسدةً بها
حلّتْfell عليهمupon them لعنةthe curse الديَّانِthe divine Judge
حلّتْ عليهم لعنة الديَّانِ
The sons of Zion wreaked havoc within her;
The Zionists have corrupted it,
the divine Judge's curse fell upon them.
May the Judge's curse be upon them.
هدمواthey razed المساجدَthe mosques فهْيso they فوقabove ركامهاtheir rubble
هدموا المساجدَ فهْي فوق ركامها
يلهوplays وand يمرحrevels ناعبُthe cawing one الغربانthe crows
يلهو و يمرح ناعبُ الغربان
They razed the mosques; now, above their rubble,
They destroyed the mosques, and over the rubble
the cawing crow plays and revels.
Crows play and frolic.
أطفالناour children قمعواwere repressed بشرطيby a policeman حقوspiteful (word beginning)
أطفالنا قمعوا بشرطي حقو
دٍspiteful (word ending) قلبُهhis heart قدindeed شبَّblazed بالنيرانwith fire
دٍ قلبُه قد شبَّ بالنيران
Our children were repressed by a policeman
Our children were oppressed by the police
full of spite, whose heart has blazed with fire.
With hearts burning with fire.
وشيوخناand our elders ذاقواtasted مرارةbitterness بطشهمtheir brutality
وشيوخنا ذاقوا مرارة بطشهم
بطشٌbrutality يفوقsurpasses ضراوةferocity الحيوانthe beast
بطشٌ يفوق ضراوة الحيوان
And our elders tasted the bitterness of their brutality,
Our elders tasted the bitterness of their tyranny,
a brutality surpassing a beast's ferocity.
A tyranny exceeding the beasts' savagery.
أرضa land غدتbecame قفصاًa cage علىfor أصحابهاits owners
أرض غدت قفصاً على أصحابها
وهيthough it is الفسيحةُspacious رحْبةُbroad الميدانthe expanse
وهي الفسيحةُ رحْبةُ الميدان
A land has become a cage for its owners,
A land that has become a cage for its people,
though it is spacious, with a broad expanse.
While it is spacious and an open plain.
نادتcalled out عليناto us وهْيَwhile she ترجوhopes for غوثهاher rescue
نادت علينا وهْيَ ترجو غوثها
وتقولand says فيin لغةa language بدونwithout لسانa tongue
وتقول في لغة بدون لسان
She called out to us, hoping for rescue,
It called out for our help, and in a language
and says in a language without a tongue:
Without tongue, asked:
هلis there...? منany شجاعa brave man أستجيرI seek refuge بهwith him وهلand is there...?
هل من شجاع أستجير به وهل
فيamong يعربٍYa'rub أحدٌanyone منamong الفرسانthe knights ؟
في يعربٍ أحدٌ من الفرسان ؟
Is there a brave man whose protection I may seek, and is there
Is there a brave man whose protection I can seek?
among Ya'rub's people a single knight?
Is there an Arab horseman among the knights?
أمدينتيO my city شُلتْmay be paralyzed يمينيmy right hand إنif بقيyou remain (word beginning)
أمدينتي شُلتْ يميني إن بقي
تِyou remain (word ending) أسيرةًa captive مكروبةanguished بهوانin humiliation
تِ أسيرةً مكروبة بهوان
O my city, may my right hand be paralyzed if you remain
My city, if your right hand remains
a captive, tormented by humiliation.
Captive, oppressed, and disgraced,
لفداكِfor your ransom أهديI offer ماwhat لديَّI have ولاand do not أباI care (word beginning)
لفداكِ أهدي ما لديَّ ولا أبا
ليI care (word ending) إنif شقيتُI suffer أوor الحِمَامُdeath أتانيcomes to me
لي إن شقيتُ أو الحِمَامُ أتاني
For your ransom I offer what I have, and I do not
For you I pledge all I own, and I do not care
care if I suffer, or death comes to me.
If I am miserable or death comes upon me.
وعليكand upon you ليfor me حقa right متىwhen ماever غبتُI am absent أوor
وعليك لي حق متى ما غبتُ أو
وسطamid الثرىthe soil للجسمfor the body كانwas مكانيmy place
وسط الثرى للجسم كان مكاني
And I have a claim upon you, whenever I am absent or
You have a right over me, whenever I am absent
my body's resting place is amid the soil:
Or my body lies underground.
أنthat تذكرينيyou remember me خيرthe best ذكرٍإننيremembrance; indeed I
أن تذكريني خير ذكرٍإنني
ماnot كنتُI have been يوماever عنكtoward you بالمتوانيremiss at all
ما كنتُ يوما عنك بالمتواني
that you remember me kindly; indeed, I
That you remember me kindly, for I was never
have never been remiss toward you.
Reluctant or hesitant in my loyalty to you.
ففداكِso, your redemption كانwas شريعتيmy law ولقاؤناand our meeting
ففداكِ كان شريعتي ولقاؤنا
عنin عاجلٍthe near future حتماًcertainly غداbecame إيمانيmy faith
عن عاجلٍ حتماً غدا إيماني
For redeeming you has been my law, and that we shall meet
To sacrifice myself for you was my way,
soon has surely become my faith.
And meeting you for certain is my faith.
Sol 6.1