من دمعة الشعب ومن كدّه

ومن دم الأمة في نَردِهِ

From the people's tears and their toil,

And from the blood of the nation boiling,

مُملَّك الحدِّ على صفوَها

ياليتها تملك من حدّه

The wicked rule over its finest,

If only the finest could rule over the wicked.

كم يجعل الدينَ حبالاته

ليخنقَ المصلح في مهده

How religion is made into ropes,

To strangle reformers in their cradles,

قد عضَّها النحسُ وما عضَّه

إلا فَمٌ يرشف في وَجدهِ

Misfortune has bitten it, and who has bitten

Except a mouth that sips in ecstasy?

يُمرِغُ الأمَّةَ في رجسه

ويسرق الأمةّ في رِفده

It wallows the nation in vileness,

And steals from the nation in its plenty.

عانت به وبأشابه

في قربه الجاني وفي بُعده

It suffered with him and his peers,

Whether the offender is near or far.

منتفخاً يمزح مستغرَقاً

في اللهوِ كالصائد في صيده

Bloated, he frolics immersed

In frivolity, like a hunter with his prey,

كالكركدنّ الذي يزدهى

في قبحهِ يُسخرُ من قدّه

Like a hyena made arrogant

By his ugliness, mocking his leader.

لم تعطه غانيةٌ قبلةً

إلاّ كمن تهزأُ من رُشدهِ

No singing girl gave him a kiss,

Except as one who mocks his sanity,

أو بادلته نكتةً حلوةً

إلاّ ومغزاها مدى نقده

Or gave him a sweet joke,

Except its meaning mocked his judgement.

حَتَّامَ يا قومُ ضلالاتكم

تُمكِّنُ الفاجرَ من قصده

Until, O people, your misguidance

Empowers the wicked towards his purpose.

كنَّا نرجِّيه مثالَ الهدى

فأصبح الغاشم في حقده

We hoped he would be an example of guidance,

But he became the tyrant in his hatred.

كنَّا نُغنيه أغاني العلى

فأصبحَ المبدلَ من حَمدِهِ

We sang to him the songs of glory,

But he became the turncoat from our praise of him.

كنا نُفديه بارواحنا

في روحه العالي وفي زهده

We would have ransomed him with our souls,

For his lofty spirit and his asceticism.

ما باله أضحى فتىَ ماجناً

الشاردَ الخادعَ في وعده

What has happened that he became a rake,

The wandering deceiver of his word?

حَتامَ يستهزئُ من مجدكم

حتَّامَ والخِسَّةُ من مَجدِه

Until he mocks your glories,

Until, and disgrace is his glory.

حَتَّام يسترسلِ في غِّيهِ

حتَّام والسوقةُ من جُنده

Until he ventures freely in his ignorance,

Until, and the rabble are his troops.

حتام أعلامُكم له صاغرٌ

حتام بل أهونُ من عبده

Until your banners submit to him,

Until, he is meaner than his slave.

أعقلكم دون دفينِ الثرى

لو يعقل الميت في لحدهِ

The wisest of you is beneath the earth,

If the dead could be wise in their graves.