لئن تم رشد المرء من بعد عشرةٍ

وبضع من لاأعوام إذ جاوز الطوقا

Though a man’s maturity may come only after ten

and several more years, once he has outgrown the collar,

فإنا لقوم يبلغ الرشد طفلنا

رضيعا كأن الرشد قد سبق النطقا

we are a people whose child attains maturity

while still a suckling—as though maturity had preceded speech.

ولا عيب أن الحظ ناء بجانب

كإن لنا في كل ناحية سبقا

There is no shame if fortune has withdrawn to one side,

as though in every quarter the lead were ours.

ولكنما العيب الزرى بشعبنا

هو العيب في الأخلاق لا عيبنا خلقا

But the defect that has brought disgrace upon our people

is a defect of morals—not a defect in how we were made.

والم يكن للشعب من مجد أمسه

دعاء لعود المجد فليحرم الرزقا

And was not the people’s glory of yesterday

a summons for glory’s return? If not, let that people be denied sustenance.

وهذا كتاب اللَه للخلق داعيا

فهل سيظل المسلمون به غرقى

And here is the Book of God, calling to all creation;

will Muslims, even with it, remain submerged—

خلاف ولا جمع ودين ولا تقى

وعلم ولا نفع مصائبنا حقا

in dissension with no unity, religion with no piety,

and knowledge with no benefit? Truly, these are our calamities.