دَع مَجلس الغِيدِ الأَوانِسْ
وَهَوى لَواحِظِها النَواعِسْ
Leave the social gathering of the languid fair ones,
And the passion of their languishing gazelles.
واسلُ الكُؤوسَ يُديرُها
رَشأٌ كَغُصنِ البانِ مائِسْ
Pass the cups around, circling,
A steady flow like swaying boughs.
وَدَعِ التَنَعُّمَ بِالمَطا
عِمِ وَالمَشاربِ وَالمَلابسْ
Leave luxury in clothes,
Drinks, furnishings and robes.
أَيُّ النَعيمِ لِمَن يَبي
تُ عَلى بِساط الذُلِّ جالسْ
What joy for one who spends
His days sitting on the carpet of disgrace?
وَلِمَن تَراهُ بائِساً
أَبداً لِذَيلِ التُركِ بائسْ
Who sees himself in endless woe
At the Turks' beck and call.
وَلِمَن أَزمّته بِكَفْ
فِ عِداهُ يَظلمُ وَهُوَ آئسْ
Who is tested by the palm
Of his enemy's injustice, in despair.
وَلِمَن غَدا في الرِّقِ لَيْ
سَ يَفوتُهُ إِلّا المناخِسْ
Whose day brings only loss,
Nothing left but petty gain.
وَلِمَن تُباعُ حقُوقُهُ
وَدِماؤُهُ بَيع الخَسائِسْ
Who sees his rights bartered
His blood sold in vile trade.
وَلِمَن يَرى أَوطانَهُ
خَرَباً وَأَطلالاً دَوارِسْ
Who sees his homelands
Laid waste, with crumbling ruins.
كُسِيَتْ شُحوبُ الثاكِلا
تِ وَكُنَّ قَبلاً كَالعَرائِسْ
Grief has clothed the bright-faced
Maidens, once like lovely brides.
عُجْ بي فَدَيتُكَ نادِباً
ما بَينَ أَرسُمِها الطَوامِسْ
My friend, your elegy moves me
Among their lofty, splendid tents.
وَاِستَنطِقِ الآثارَ عَمْ
ما كانَ في تِلكَ البَسابِسْ
Question the ruins about
The might that filled those encampments,
مِن عِزّةٍ كانَت تَذِلْ
لُ لَها الجَبابِرةُ الأَشاوِسْ
The glory that subdued
Tyrants, the terrible giants.
وَكَتائبٍ كانَت تَها
بُ لِقاءَ سَطوَتِها المَتارِسْ
The brave battalions that raged
Against their overwhelming onslaught.
وَمَعاقِلٍ كانَت تُعَزْ
زُ بِالطَلائعِ وَالمحارِسْ
The strongholds made bold
By horsemen and guardians.
وَمَدائنٍ غَنَّاءَ قَد
كانَت تَحفُّ بِها الفَرادِسْ
The singing cities adorned
With knights and steeds.
أَينَ المَتاجِرُ وَالصَنا
ئِعُ وَالمَكاتبُ وَالمَدارِسْ
Where are the markets, industry,
Offices and schools?
بَل أَينَ هاتيكَ المُرو
جُ بِها المَزارعُ وَالمَغارِسْ
Where are the farmlands and orchards
That thrived on the open range?
بَل أَينَ هاتيكَ الأُلو
فُ بِها فَسيحُ البرِّ آنِسْ
They are gone, and you see only
Sorrows to trouble the thoughts.
هَلِكوا فَلَستَ تَرى سِوى
عِبَرٍ تَثور بِها الهَواجِسْ
A howling wilderness where no
Sad voice of a settler is heard,
بيدٌ صَوامَتُ لَيسَ يُس
مَعُ في مَداها صَوتُ نابِسْ
Save the winds of injustice that sweep
And scour it like brooms.
إِلّا رِياحَ الجورِ تَكْ
سَحُ وَجهَها كَسحَ المَكانِسْ
It has become a wasteland, seen only
Through downcast eyes.
أَمسَت بَلاقِعَ لا تُرى
إِلّا بِأَبصارٍ نَواكِسْ
It laughed once, then turned
Sullen, frowning and desolate.
ضَحِكَت زَماناً ثُم عا
دَت وَهيَ كالحةٌ عَوابِسْ
Angry at mankind, it adopted
Wild beasts for guardians.
غَضِبَت عَلى الإِنسانِ وَاِتْ
تَخَذَت عَلَيها الوَحشَ حارِسْ
When humans approach, it crushes them
With the stomp of a transgressor.
فَإِذا أَتاها الإِنس را
ح يَدوسها دَوسَ المُخالِسْ
These are the dwellings of a people, now gone,
Our tribe, content with little.
هَذِهْ مَنازلُ مَن مَضَوا
مِن قَومنا الصِّيدِ القَناعِسْ
They passed away just as they passed their days,
While the best of goods went to the rival.
دَرَست كَما دَرَسوا وَقَد
ذَهَبَ النَفيسُ مَعَ المُنافِسْ
What can we expect after them,
Other than the onslaught of horsemen?
ماذا نُؤمِّلُ بَعدَهُم
إِلّا مُقارَعَةَ الفَوارِسْ
My people, to you I say: discard
Your burdens and loyalties!
فَإِلَيكُمُ يا قَوم وَاِطْ
طَرِحوا المُدالِس وَالمُوالِسْ
Take the example of others not like you,
The resolute, determined nation.
وَتَشَبَّهوا بِفعَال غَيْ
رِكُمُ مِنَ القَومِ الأَحامِسْ
Their vanguards surged forth, followed by
Every strong and practiced spearman.
بَعَصائبٍ أَنِفُوا فَجا
دوا بِالنُفوسِ وَبِالنَفائِسْ
They left the Turkish hordes
Battered by overwhelming defeat.
هَبَتْ طَلائِعُهُم يَلِي
هَا كُلُّ صَنديدٍ مُمارِسْ
They filled the lowlands with their bodies,
Every head a crushing blow.
تَرَكوا جُموعَ التُركِ تَعْ
صِفُ فَوقَها النَكُبُ الرَوامِسْ
Take as an example for yourselves
Those stout-hearted men of principle.
مَلأوا البطاحَ بِهِم فَدا
سَ عَلى الجَماجِمِ كُلُّ دائسْ
Are you not the noble Arabs,
While they are the rabble, the sneezing mob?
فَخُذوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِثا
لَ أولئِكَ القَومِ المَداعِسْ
So rouse against them a fire
To frighten every slumbering coward.
أَوَلَستُمُ العربَ الكِرا
مَ وَمَن هُمُ الشمَّ المَعاطِسْ
Against them, unite as one,
All of you, every one a comrade to the rest.
فَاِستَوقَدوا لِقتالِهِم
ناراً تَروِّعُ كُلَّ قابِسْ
Leave off the talk of the partisan
Elders and peddlers of rumors.
وَعَلَيهِمُ اِتَّحِدوا فكُلْ
لُكُمُ لِكُلِّكُمُ مجانِسْ
They are hypocrites posing as
Devout men, nothing but impostors.
وَدَعوا مَقال ذَوي الشِّقا
قِ مِنَ المَشايخِ وَالقَمامِسْ
Walking among you beneath
Religious garb and clerical robes.
فَهُمُ رِجالُ اللَهِ في
كُم بَل هُمُ القَومَ الأَبالِسْ
The worst of evil lurks
Between the turban and skullcap.
يَمشون بَينَ ظُهورِكُم
تَحتَ الطَيالِس وَالأَطالِسْ
Their sly designs creep among you
With intrigues and temptations.
فَالشَرُّ كُلُّ الشَرِّ ما
بَينَ العَمائِم وَالقَلانِسْ
Among you, each day, zealotry wages
A war of destruction unseen.
دَبَّتْ عَقارِبَهُم إِلَيْ
كُم بِالمَفاسِدِ وَالدَسائِسْ
They spread hatred and enmity,
Suspicion and incitement.
في كُلِّ يَومٍ بَينَكُم
يَصلى التَعَصُب حَربَ داحِسْ
They scattered your unity
As palm fronds are scattered.
يُلقُونَ بَينَكُمُ التَبا
غُضَ وَالعَداوةَ وَالوَساوِسْ
Through them, corruption thrives
And the Turks prevail unchallenged.
نَثَروا اِتحادَكُمُ كَما
نُثِرَت مِن النَخلِ الكَبائِسْ
A people who have judged you
As falcon judges its prey.
سادَ الفَسادُ بِهِمْ فَسا
دَ التُّركَ فيهِ بَلا مُعاكِسْ
And the wolves of oppression
Hunt you with jaws agape.
قَومٌ لَقَد حَكَموا بِكُم
حُكمَ الجَوارحِ في الفَرائِسْ
How long will you ponder their reform
When their nature is decadent?
وَعدَتْ عَوادي البَغيِ تَعْ
رِقُكُم بِأَنيابٍ نَواهِسْ
Dazzled by the mirage of hope,
Though the night of despair remains.
كَم تَأمَلونَ صَلاحَهُم
وَلَهُم فَسادُ الطَبعِ سائِسْ
Do you not see power held
In the hands of oppressors and tyrants?
وَيَغرُّكُم بَرقُ المُنى
جَهلاً وَلَيلُ اليَأسِ دامِسْ
On bribery and fraud they built
Courts and councils.
أَو ما تَرونَ الحُكمَ في
أَيدي المَصادِرِ وَالمماكِسُ
Truth belongs to those habituated
To betrayal and deceit.
وَعَلى الرِّشَى وَالزُّورِ قَد
شادوا المَحاكِمَ وَالمَجالِسْ
All who blanch when reform
Is mentioned in their presence.
وَالحَقُّ أَصبَحَ عِندَ مَن
أَلِفَ الخَلاعةَ وَالخَلابِسْ
Their disgrace has spread, beyond
What the keenest minds can grasp.
مِن كُلِّ مَن يُمسي إِذا
ذَكَروا لَهُ الإِصلاحَ خانِسْ
It is a state where treachery thrives
And death scowls with hatred.
عَمّت قَبائِحَهُم فَأَمْ
سَتْ لا تُحيطُ بِها الفَهارِسْ
Where shedding blood is permitted,
Its outpouring urged by injustice.
حالٌ بِها طابَ التَّبَسْ
سُمُ لِلوَغى وَالمَوتُ عابِسْ
Secrecy prevails, so one lives to see
Laws turn white-haired with age.
وَحَلا بِها بَذلُ الدِما
ءِ فَسَفكُها لِلجورِ حابِسْ
This is my attempt at translating and preserving the poem from Arabic to English. Let me know if you would like me to clarify or expand on any part of the translation.
برحَ الخَفاءُ وَمَن يَعِشْ
يَرَ ما تَشيبُ لَهُ القَوانِسْ
