عرابي كيف أوفيك الملاما

جمعت على ملامتك الأناما

O Arab, how can I blame you,

When all people have blamed you,

فقف بالتل واستمع العظاما

فإن لها كما لهمو كلاما

Stand on the hill and listen to the bones,

For they, like people, have speech.

سمعت من الورى جدا وهزلا

فانصت إذ تقول القول فصلا

I have heard the serious and the jest from mankind,

So listen as I relate the clear speech:

كانك قاتل والحكم يتلى

عليك وانت تنتظر الحماما

It is as if you are the killer and the judgment is recited against you,

While you wait for the pigeons.

ولا تامل من الأموات عفوا

وإن كان الحسين اباك دعوى

Do not hope for pardon from the dead,

Even if al-Husayn is your alleged father.

ارقت دماءهم لعبا ولهوا

ولم تعرف لغاليها مقاما

Their blood was shed heedlessly, in play and vanity,

And you did not know the standing of their nobility.

دماء قد فدتك ولم تصنها

نفضت يديك يوم التل منها

It is blood that ransomed you, yet you did not protect it.

You shook your hands of it on the day of the hill.

فكيف تنام عين الله عنها

إذا غفل الملا عنها وناما

So how can the eye of God sleep about it,

When the Mullah is heedless of it and sleeps?

لقد سفكت بجهلك شر سفك

لغير شهادة او رفع ملك

In your ignorance, you spilled the worst bloodshed,

Not for martyrdom or raising a kingdom,

وانت على قديم العز تبكى

وتندب رتبة لك او وساما

And you cry over the ancient glory,

And mourn a rank invented for you, or a medal.

تقول لك العظام مقال صدق

ورب مقالة من غير نطق

The bones speak to you words of truth,

And the words of an object without a voice.

قتلت المسلمين بغير حق

وضيّعتَ الأمانة والذماما

You killed the Muslims wrongfully,

And wasted the pact and the oath.

تقول لقد بقيت وما بقينا

ثبتنا للعدا حتى فنينا

They say, "We lasted though we are gone,

We stood steadfast for the foe until we perished.

فما حكم الليالي في بنينا

وما صنع الأرامل واليتامى

So what is the rule of the nights regarding our children?

And what have the widows and orphans done?"

وتقول وصوتها رعد قوىّ

ونحل في الضمير لها دوى

And they say in a voice like loud thunder,

Which echoes remorse in the conscience:

لقد مات الكرام وأنت حىّ

حياة تنقضى عارا وذاما

"The generous died and you live,

A life that passes in shame and blame."

تقول وصوتها ملأ الدهورا

وأنت أصم من حجر شعورا

They say in a voice that filled the ages,

Yet you are deafer than unfeeling stone:

عرابي هل تركت لنا قبورا

يقول الطائفون بها سلاما

"O Arab, did you leave us graves

That those who visit them say 'peace'?"

تقول وصورتها بلغ السماء

وأسمع خير من سمع النداء

They say in an image that reached the sky,

And I hear better than hearing a call:

إله العالمين أجب دماء

تصيح الانتقاما الانتقاما

"O God of the worlds, answer the blood

That screams for vengeance, vengeance!"

تقول جبنت حين الظلم ينمو

وثر ولم يكن في مصر ظلم

They say, "You were cowardly when injustice grew,

And evil, though no injustice existed in Egypt,

وغرك من أبي العباس حلم

ولما يكتمل في الحكم عاما

And you were fooled by Abu Al-‘Abbas’ clemency,

When his rule was not yet complete a year."

وقفت له وما ظلم الأمير

ولم يكن آطمأن به السرير

You stood by him though the Emir did no wrong,

And the throne did not settle because of him.

فجل الخطب واضطربت أمور

عييت بأن تكون لها نظاما

So the best affairs were disturbed,

And you failed to give them order."

تقول مقالة فيها اعتبار

عشية حال بينكما الفرار

They say words that counsel consideration

The evening your separation was caused by fleeing:

أموتٌ يا عرابي ثم عار

يلازمنا بقائدنا لزاما

"Die, O Arab, and then disgrace

Will stick to our leader forever."

رمانا بالجبانة كل شعب

وسبتنا الخلائق أى سب

Each people blamed us,

And the masses insulted us severely,

لأجلك حين تخرج لحرب

ولا جردت في الهيجا حساما

Because of you when you marched out for war,

And did not unsheathe your sword for battle.

وقيل زعيمهم ولى الفرارا

وفي بلبيس قد ساق القطارا

And it was said, "Their leader turned to flee!

And at Bilbeis he led the train.

وخلف جيشه فوضى حيارى

وقد بلغ العِدى فيهم مراما

And he left his army in chaos and confusion,

While the foe had attained their goal."

نسائل عن عرابي لا نراه

وننشد حاميا خلّى حماه

We ask about Arab, but do not see him,

And we call for a defender, but he left his protection.

ركبنا الموت لم نركب سواه

ونت ركبت للعار الظلاما

We rode death, we did not ride any but it,

While you rode for the darkness of shame.

رويدا يا شعوب الأرض مهلا

فما كنا لهذا اللوم أهلا

Gently, O peoples of the land! Wait!

We were not deserving of this blame.

أراكم واحد جبنا وجهلا

فأنساكم مواقفنا العظاما

When you see us all as one coward and fool,

Our mighty stands made you forget us!

سلوا تاريخنا وسلوا عليا

ألم يملأ بنا الدنيا دويا

Ask our history and ask about Ali:

Did we not fill the land with our renown?

لقد عاش الأمير بنا قويا

وعشنا تحت رايته كراما

The Emir lived powerful through us,

And we lived honored beneath his flag.

يَعزّبنا ويقهر من يشاء

كأنا تحت رايته القضاء

He gave us might and vanquished whom he wished,

As if we under his flag were fate.

لنا في ظلها وله علاء

ومجد يملأ الدنيا ابتساما

Through it we had glory and he had prestige,

And a glory that filled the world with smiles.

ألم نكف الحجاز عوان حرب

وأنقذناه من حرب وكرب

Did we not spare the Hejaz war parties,

And save it from war and distress?

فكنا للمهيمن خير حزب

أجرنا الدين والبيت الحراما

Thus we were the best party for the Protected Friend,

We made religion and the Holy House secure.

سلوه وأهله أيام ثاروا

ألم نقبض عليه وهو نار

Ask him and his family when they revolted,

Did we not seize him while he was aflame?

وكان الدين ليس له قرار

فثبتناه يومئذ دعاما

Religion then had no stability,

So we made it firm that day as a pillar.

ألم نك خلف إبراهيم لما

رمى بجواده الأبراج شما

When Ibrahim threw his audacity at the citadels of Syria,

And Murey was great on the day he was named,

وكبرّ يوم مورة ثم سمى

فكنا الصف إذ كان الإماما

We were the rank when the Imam stood,

So we were the firewall when it blazed.

ترانا في مواقفه نليه

كما جمع الأب الوافي بنيه

You see us in his arenas coming to his aid,

As the devoted father gathers his sons.

وليس الجيش إلا قائديه

إذا ما قوموا الجيش استقاما

And the army is only straight through its leaders,

When they stand, the army stands straight.

نلبى إن أشار براحتيه

إلى حصن فيسبقنا إليه

We responded if he gestured with his palms

Towards a castle, racing him to it,

كأن سميّه في بردتيه

يخوض النار في الهيجا سلاما

As if his appointing us in his letter

Made him plunge into the fire with tranquility.

وفي اليونان أحسنا البلاء

وهز المسلمون بنا اللواء

And in Greece we were excellent in affliction,

And the Muslims shook the banners because of us.

وقدّمنا بوارجنا فداء

على الأمواج تضطرم اضطراما

We offered our ships as ransom

On the waves, kindling with kindling.

وفي البلغار صلنا ثم صلنا

وطاولنا الجبال بها فطلنا

In the Bulgars we prayed, then we prayed,

And we mounted the mountains with them, so we were exalted.

وأنزلنا العدوّ وما نزلنا

وكنا للرواسى الشم هاما

And we made the foe descend, and did not descend,

And we were pillars for the pillars.

وسل بأسنا سودان ومصرا

فبعد الله والمهدىّ أدرى

Ask of our pride Sudan and Egypt,

For after God and the Mahdi none knows best

بأنا الأسد إقداما وأجرا

إذا اصدم الفريقان اصطداما

That we are the brave lions in audacity and courage

When the two sides meet with a crash.

وفي المسكوف شدنا ذكرا مصرا

على قتلى بها منا وأسرى

And in the Caucasus we spread Egypt’s fame

For those of us who died there and were taken prisoner.

بلغنا نحن والأتراك عذرا

وأرضينا المهيمن والإماما

We reached, the Turks and us, the utmost excuse,

And satisfied the Protected Friend and the Imam.

وكان لنا بلاء في كريد

بيوم ثائر الهيجا شديد

And we had an ordeal at Karid,

On the day the Nile was furious and strong.

أذبناها وكانت من حديد

وأطفأنا لثورتها ضِراما

We overcame it though it was of iron,

And extinguished its raging with logs.

رفعنا الملك بالمهج الغوالي

تسيل على القواضب والعوالي

We raised the kingdom on glorious deeds,

That flow upon battleships and height.

وبالأذكار لم نحيى الليالي

ولا بتنا على ضيم نياما

And with litanies we did not live the nights,

Nor did we spend them in sorrowful sleep.

تقول لك العظام دع الأماني

ولا تحِفل بسيف غير قاني

They say to you, "Let go of wishes

And do not consider any sword but a straight sword.

وليس بذى الفقار ولا اليماني

ولا المقهور دفعا واستلاما

It is not Dhu al-Faqar, nor al-Yamani,

Not even al-Muqahhar can parry and riposte."

أراح الله منك حدِيدَتَيه

وأنسى الناس ما علموا عليه

This breast is too narrow to be decorated,

Or to regain the glorious past.

وأنت تنبه الدنيا إليه

وتفتأ تذكر العار الجُساما

The reed-pen was never suitable for it,

Nor did it meet with spears or arrows.

تحنّ له كأنك لم تضعه

فسعه بجبنك المأثور سعه

Pottery is surely lost to the potter,

And the gift of the Emir is lost to him.

ودعه في ظلام الغمد دعه

لعل مع الظلام له احتراما

Who would feel safe under arms to a minister

Called the master, the hero, the protector?

أما والله ما لُعَب الصغار

ولا خُشُب يقلدن الجوارى

Blind in the East, and still blind!

His excellencies never ceased to attain him.

ولا الأوتار في ايدى الجوارى

بأحسن منه في الهيجا قياما

His libel has reached the farthest men,

Who have a position in ignorance that cannot be reckoned.

وهذا الصدر أضيق أن يحلَّى

وأن يسترجع الشأن الأجلا

Take the ranks of excellency or leave them,

And if you wish, desire them or sell them,

فلم يك للقنا يوما محلا

ولا لقى الرصاص ولا السهاما

For if you attain them, you will not keep them,

And far be it you are raised, O rabble!

لقد ضاع الفخار على الخفير

وضاعت عنده نعم الأمير

All the bones say as you stand there confused,

Wishing for property and status:

أمن تحت السلاح إلى وزير

يسمى السيد البطل الهماما

You lie about praying to God,

And when the soul reaches the throat,

عمَّى في الشرق كان ولا يزال

فما برحت معاليه تنال

We will take you one day by the neck,

And when the soul reaches the throat,

ويبلغ شاوها الأقصى رجال

لهم في الجهل قدر لا يسامى

You will meet that day what you will meet -

The blood of the people and the barbarous death.

فخذ رتب المعالي أو فدعها

وإن شئت اشِرها أو شئت بعها

We will come to you when the pigeons attend you,

Unsheathing their swords, and we have swords.

فإنك إن تنلها لا تضعها

وحاشا ترفع الرتب الطغاما

Their arrows will precede arrows from us

That aim correctly and cannot be aimed at.

تقول كل العظام وأنت لاه

تمنى النفس من مال وجاه

We will come to you when death attends you,

And reason comes when madness is past.

وتكذب بالصلاة على إله

ولما بتلغ الروح التراقي

We will say, "Against the criminal we have debts,"

So, Lord of the blood, judge the case!

سنأخذ منك يوما بالخناق

ولما تبلغ الروح التراقي

And we will be asked, "What wrong did he do?"

To meet the retribution of his crime.

تلاقى يوم ذلك ما تلاقى

دماء الخلق والموت الزؤاما

So we will raise the blood to the Creator, blood

And show it to Him as corpses and skulls.

نجيئك يوم يحضُرك الحمام

يسل حسامه ولنا حسام

We will say, "He profited from his acts against us,

And tried to regain his lost prestige."

وتسبق سهمه منا سهام

لها بالحق رام لا يرامى

He wasted our lives, so they were sacrificed for him,

While you, O God, so take vengeance!

نجيئك يوم تحضُرك المنون

ويأتى العقل إذ يمضى الجنون

There you will see Hell burning,

And remember crime after crime.

نقول لنا على الجاني ديون

فياربَّ الدم احتكم احتكاما

So it will blaze with the spilt blood, shed wrongfully,

And the desolate homeland, with no pillars.

ونُسأل ما جنى ماذا أساء

ليلقى عن جنايته الجزاء

فنرفعها إلى البارى دماء

ونعرضها له جثثا وهاما

نقول جنى ومنَّ بما جناه

وحاول أن تُردّ له علاه

وضيع أنفسنا ذهبت فداه

وأنت الله فانتقم انتقاما

هناك ترى جهنم وهي تُحمَى

وتذكر ما مضى جرما فجرما

فَتُشرقَ بالدم المسفوك ظلما

وبالوطن العثور ولا قياما