أمتيmy nation هلis there? لكfor you بينamong الأممthe nations
أمتي هل لك بين الأمم
منبرa pulpit للسيفfor the sword أوor للقلمfor the pen
منبر للسيف أو للقلم
My nation, have you among the nations
My nation, do you have a platform
a pulpit for the sword or the pen?
Among the nations for the sword or the pen?
أتلقاكI meet you وطرفيand my gaze ….. مطرقlowered
أتلقاك وطرفي ..... مطرق
خجلاin shame منbefore أمسكyour yesterday المنصرمbygone
خجلا من أمسك المنصرم
I meet you, my gaze cast down,
I meet you while my eyes are downcast
in shame before your bygone yesterday.
Ashamed of your past days
ويكادand almost الدمعthe tears يهميstream down عابثاtoying
ويكاد الدمع يهمي عابثا
ببقاياwith the remnants of ….. كبرياءthe pride of ….. الألمsorrow
ببقايا ..... كبرياء ..... الألم
And tears almost stream down, toying
And tears almost rain down recklessly
with the remnants of sorrow's pride.
On the remnants of pride and pain
أينwhere دنياكyour world التيwhich أوحتinspired إلىto
أين دنياك التي أوحت إلى
وتريmy string كلevery يتيمpeerless النغمmelody
وتري كل يتيم النغم
Where is your world, which inspired
Where is your world that inspired
my string with every peerless melody?
The chord of every orphaned tune?
كمhow often تخطيتI traversed علىto the sound of أصدائهits echoes
كم تخطيت على أصدائه
ملعبthe arena of العزglory ومغنىand the abode of الشممnoble pride
ملعب العز ومغنى الشمم
How often, to its echoes, I traversed
How you have transcended its echoes
the arena of glory and the abode of noble pride!
The field of glory and the singer of nobility
وتهاديتand I walked gracefully كأنيas though I were ….. ساحبtrailing
وتهاديت كأني ..... ساحب
مئزريmy waistcloth فوقabove جباهthe brows of الأنجمthe stars
مئزري فوق جباه الأنجم
And I walked in stately grace, as though trailing
And you have waved as if I was
my waistcloth over the brows of the stars.
Dragging my wrap above the stars
أمتيmy nation كمhow many غصةa choking pang داميةbleeding
أمتي كم غصة دامية
خنقتchoked نجوىwhispers of علاكyour glory فيin فميmy mouth
خنقت نجوى علاك في فمي
My nation, how many a bleeding pang
My nation, how many painful lumps
has choked whispers of your glory in my mouth!
Have choked the whisper of your affliction in my mouth
أيwhat جرحwound فيin إبائيmy pride راعفbleeding
أي جرح في إبائي راعف
فاتهpassed it by الآسيthe healer فلمand so did not يلتئمheal
فاته الآسي فلم يلتئم
What bleeding wound in my pride
What wound was too shameful to heal
has the healer missed, leaving it unhealed?
And its misery did not mend?
ألاسرائيلis it for Israel? ….. تعلوflies high ….. رايةa banner
ألاسرائيل ..... تعلو ..... راية
فيin حمىthe protected precincts of المهدthe cradle وظلand the shade of الحرمthe sanctuary !؟
في حمى المهد وظل الحرم !؟
Is it for Israel that a banner flies high
Israel's banner rises
in the cradle's precincts and the sanctuary's shade?!
In the zeal of the cradle and the shade of the sanctuary!
كيفhow أغضيتyou turned a blind eye علىto الذلhumiliation ولمand did not
كيف أغضيت على الذل ولم
تنفضيshake off عنكfrom yourself غبارthe dust of التهمaccusations ؟
تنفضي عنك غبار التهم ؟
How could you turn a blind eye to humiliation and not
How did you overlook humiliation and not
shake the dust of accusations off yourself?
Shake off the dust of accusations?
أوماand was it not? كنتyou were إذاwhen البغيtyranny اعتدىattacked
أوما كنت إذا البغي اعتدى
موجةa wave منof لهبflame أوor منof دمblood !؟
موجة من لهب أو من دم !؟
And were you not, when tyranny attacked,
Were you not a wave of flames or blood
a wave of flame or of blood?!
If tyranny transgressed!?
كيفhow أقدمتyou advanced وأحجمتand you drew back ولمand did not
كيف أقدمت وأحجمت ولم
يشتفbe assuaged الثأرvengeance ولمand did not تنتقميyou avenge yourself ؟
يشتف الثأر ولم تنتقمي ؟
How could you advance and retreat, yet leave
How did you go forward and refrain
vengeance unsated and take no revenge?
Revenge was not quenched and you did not take revenge?
اسمعيhear نوحthe lament of الحزانىthe sorrowful واطربand rejoice
اسمعي نوح الحزانى واطرب
وانظريand look at دمعthe tears of اليتامىthe orphans وابسميand smile
وانظري دمع اليتامى وابسمي
Hear the lament of the sorrowful, and rejoice;
Hear the wailing of the grieved and rejoice
and look at the orphans' tears, and smile.
And see the tears of orphans and smile
ودعيand leave القادةthe leaders فيin أهوائهاtheir whims
ودعي القادة في أهوائها
تتفانىdestroy one another فيover خسيسsordid المغنمgain
تتفانى في خسيس المغنم
And leave the leaders to their whims,
And let the leaders in their whims
destroying one another for sordid gain.
Perish in the most despicable of war spoils
ربmany a وامعتصماهO Mu'tasim! انطلقتrang out
رب وامعتصماه انطلقت
ملءfilling أفواهthe mouths of البناتthe girls اليتمorphaned
ملء أفواه البنات اليتم
Many a cry of "O Mu'tasim!" has rung out,
My Lord and my supreme protector, I erupted
filling the mouths of orphaned girls.
Filling the mouths of orphaned girls
لامستit touched أسماعهمtheir ears ….. لكنهاbut it
لامست أسماعهم ..... لكنها
لمdid not تلامسtouch نخوةthe chivalrous spirit of المعتصمal-Mu'tasim
لم تلامس نخوة المعتصم
It touched their ears, but it
I touched their ears, but it
never touched the chivalrous spirit of al-Mu'tasim.
Did not touch the chivalry of the protected
أمتيmy nation كمhow many صنمan idol مجدتهyou glorified it
أمتي كم صنم مجدته
لمdid not يكنbe يحملbear طهرthe purity of الصنمthe idol
لم يكن يحمل طهر الصنم
My nation, how many an idol you have glorified
My nation, how many idols have you glorified
that did not bear even an idol's purity!
That did not carry the purity of an idol?
لايلامis not blamed الذئبthe wolf فيfor عدوانهits aggression
لايلام الذئب في عدوانه
إنif يكis الراعيthe shepherd عدوَّthe enemy of الغنمthe sheep
إن يك الراعي عدوَّ الغنم
The wolf is not blamed for its aggression
Do not blame the wolf for its aggression
if the shepherd is the enemy of the sheep.
If the shepherd is the enemy of the sheep
فاحبسيso stifle الشكوىcomplaint فلولاكfor, were it not for you لماwould not
فاحبسي الشكوى فلولاك لما
كانhave been فيin الحكمpower عبيدُthe slaves of الدرهمthe dirham
كان في الحكم عبيدُ الدرهم
So stifle your complaint; for without you, never
So withhold your complaint, for if not for you
would the dirham's slaves have held power.
There would be no slaves of money ruling
أيهاO الجنديsoldier ياO كبشram of الفداsacrifice
أيها الجندي يا كبش الفدا
ياO شعاعray of الأملhope المبتسمsmiling
يا شعاع الأمل المبتسم
O soldier, O sacrificial ram,
O soldier, o lamb of sacrifice
O ray of smiling hope,
O ray of hopeful smile
ماnot عرفتyou knew البخلstinginess بالروحwith the soul إذاwhen
ما عرفت البخل بالروح إذا
طلبتهاdemanded it غصصthe pangs of المجدglory الظميthirsting
طلبتها غصص المجد الظمي
you never begrudged your soul when
You did not know stinginess with the soul if
the pangs of thirsting glory demanded it.
The valleys of glory demanded it
بوركblessed be الجرحthe wound الذيwhich تحملهyou bear it
بورك الجرح الذي تحمله
شرفاwith honor تحتbeneath ظلالthe shadows of العلمthe flag
شرفا تحت ظلال العلم
Blessed be the wound you bear
Blessed is the wound you carry
with honor beneath the flag's shade.
Honorably under the banners
Sol 6.1