طَمَعٌ أَلقى عَنِ الغَربِ اللِثاما
فَاِستَفِق يا شَرقُ وَاِحذَر أَن تَناما
Greed cast off its veil from the West,
So awake, O East, and beware of slumber!
وَاِحمِلي أَيَّتُها الشَمسُ إِلى
كُلِّ مَن يَسكُنُ في الشَرقِ السَلاما
And carry, O sun, to all who dwell in the East,
Greetings of peace.
وَاِشهَدي يَومَ التَنادي أَنَّنا
في سَبيلِ الحَقِّ قَد مِتنا كِراما
And bear witness on the day we are called
That we died with honor in the cause of truth.
مادَتِ الأَرضُ بِنا حينَ اِنتَشَت
مِن دَمِ القَتلى حَلالاً وَحَراما
The earth was saturated with the blood of the slain,
Of the lawful and unlawful alike.
عَجِزَ الطُليانُ عَن أَبطالِنا
فَأَعَلّوا مِن ذَرارينا الحُساما
The Italians were helpless against our heroes,
So they whetted the swords of our children.
كَبَّلوهُم قَتَلوهُم مَثَّلوا
بِذَواتِ الخِدرِ طاحوا بِاليَتامى
They shackled them, killed them, mutilated
The chaste, and wreaked havoc on the orphans.
ذَبَحوا الأَشياخَ وَالزَمنى وَلَم
يَرحَموا طِفلاً وَلَم يُبقوا غُلاما
They slaughtered the old and the infirm, and showed
No mercy to infants or youth.
أَحرَقوا الدورَ اِستَحَلّوا كُلَّ ما
حَرَّمَت لاهايُ في العَهدِ اِحتِراما
They burned down homes and deemed lawful all
That God had forbidden them to violate.
بارَكَ المَطرانُ في أَعمالِهِم
فَسَلوهُ بارَكَ القَومَ عَلاما
The bishop blessed their deeds,
So they made him their prelate and sign.
أَبِهَذا جاءَهُم إِنجيلُهُم
آمِراً يُلقي عَلى الأَرضِ سَلاما
Did their Bible command them
To spread peace upon the earth?
كَشَفوا عَن نِيَّةِ الغَربِ لَنا
وَجَلَوا عَن أُفُقِ الشَرقِ الظَلاما
They revealed the West's intentions toward us,
And removed the darkness from the East's horizon.
فَقَرَأناها سُطوراً مِن دَمٍ
أَقسَمَت تَلتَهِمُ الشَرقَ اِلتِهاما
So we read it in lines of blood
That swore to devour the East ravenously.
أَطلَقوا الأُسطولَ في البَحرِ كَما
يُطلِقُ الزاجِلُ في الجَوِّ الحَماما
They unleashed the fleet in the sea
As a messenger looses his pigeons in the sky.
فَمَضى غَيرَ بَعيدٍ وَاِنثَنى
يَحمِلُ الأَنباءَ شُؤماً وَاِنهِزاما
It sailed not far before it turned back,
Bearing tidings of woe and defeat.
قَد مَلَأنا البَرَّ مِن أَشلائِهِم
فَدَعوهُم يَملَئوا الدُنيا كَلاما
We filled the land with their body parts;
Let them fill the world with empty words!
أَعلَنوا الحَربَ وَأَضمَرنا لَهُم
أَينَما حَلّوا هَلاكاً وَاِختِراما
They declared war, and we resolved
To bring them perdition wherever they landed.
خَبِّروا فِكتورَ عَنّا أَنَّهُ
أَدهَشَ العالَمَ حَرباً وَنِظاما
Tell Victor about us -
How he amazed the world with war and order.
أَدهَشَ العالَمَ لَمّا أَن رَأَوا
جَيشَهُ يَسبِقُ في الجَريِ النَعاما
How the world was stunned when they saw
His army outrun ostriches.
لَم يَقِف في البَرِّ إِلّا رَيثَما
يُسلِمُ الأَرواحَ أَو يُلقي الزِماما
It would stop on land only long enough
To surrender souls or drop the reins.
حاتِمَ الطُليانِ قَد قَلَّدتَنا
مِنَّةً نَذكُرُها عاماً فَعاما
O Hated of the Italians, you have obliged us
With a kindness we will recall for years to come.
أَنتَ أَهدَيتَ إِلَينا عُدَّةً
وَلِباساً وَشَراباً وَطَعاما
You have given us equipment,
Clothing, drink, and food,
وَسِلاحاً كانَ في أَيديكُمُ
ذا كَلالٍ فَغَدا يَفري العِظاما
And weapons that in your hands
Had lost their edge but served us well,
أَكثِروا النُزهَةَ في أَحيائِنا
وَرُبانا إِنَّها تَشفي السَقاما
Take your walks in our neighborhoods,
And thank God they have cured your illnesses.
وَأَقيموا كُلَّ عامٍ مَوسِماً
يُشبِعُ الأَيتامَ مِنّا وَالأَيامى
And hold each year a feast
To nourish our orphans and widows.
لَستُ أَدري بِتَّ تَرعى أُمَّةٍ
مِن بَني التَليانِ أَم تَرعى سَواما
I know not what nation you shepherd -
The Italian people or stray cattle.
ما لَهُم وَالنَصرُ مِن عاداتِهِم
لَزِموا الساحِلَ خَوفاً وَاِعتِصاما
Since when is victory among your customs?
You clung to the coast in fear and for protection.
أَفلَتوا مِن نارِ فيزوفَ إِلى
نارِ حَربٍ لَم تَكُن أَدنى ضِراما
You escaped the fire of Vesuvius
Only to enter the flames of a war less merciful.
لَم يَكُن فيزوفُ أَدهى حِمَماً
مِن كُراتٍ تَنفُثُ المَوتَ الزُؤاما
Vesuvius was not so hellish
As the shells that spewed lethal poison.
إيهِ يا فيزوفُ نَم عَنهُم فَقَد
نَفَضَت إِفريقِيا عَنها المَناما
O Vesuvius, stop protecting them,
For Africa has shaken off its slumber!
فَهيَ بُركانٌ لَهُم سَخَّرَهُ
مالِكُ المُلكِ جَزاءً وَاِنتِقاما
It is a volcano God has placed at their disposal
As a punishment and vengeance.
لَو دَرَوا ما خَبَّأَ الشَرقُ لَهُم
آثَروا فيزوفَ وَاِختاروا المُقاما
Had they known the East's hidden might,
They would have preferred Vesuvius as their abode.
تِلكَ عُقبى أُمَّةٍ غادِرَةٍ
تَنكُثُ العَهدَ وَلا تَرعى الذِماما
Such is the recompense of a treacherous nation
That violates its pacts and covenants,
تِلكَ عُقبى كُلِّ جَبّارٍ طَغى
أَو تَعالى أَو عَنِ الحَقِّ تَعامى
The recompense of every tyrant who oppresses,
Transcends bounds, or is heedless of truth.
لَو دَرَت رومَةُ ما قَد نابَها
في طَرابُلسَ أَبَت إِلّا اِنقِساما
Had Rome known what befell it
In Tripoli, it would have opted for division,
وَأَبى كُلُّ اِشتِراكِيٍّ بِها
أَن يَرى التاجَ عَلى رَأسٍ أَقاما
And every socialist among them
Would have refused to see a crown on a head.
أَعلَنوا ضَمَّ مَغانينا إِلى
مُلكِ فِكتورَ وَلَم يَخشَوا مَلاما
They declared annexation of our ports
To Victor's kingdom, heedless of blame.
أَعلَنوا الضَمَّ وَلَمّا يَفتَحوا
قَيدَ أُظفورٍ وَراءً أَو أَماما
They declared annexation without first
Unlocking a single claw before or behind.
فَاِعجَبوا مِن فاتِحٍ ذي مِرَّةٍ
يَحسَبُ النُزهَةَ في البَحرِ صِداما
They were amazed that a seasoned conqueror
Would think a stroll by sea a collision,
وَيَرى الفَتحَ اِدِّعاءً باطِلاً
وَاِفتِراءً وَاِحتِجاجاً وَاِحتِكاما
And consider their empty annexation claim
Absurd, false, and warranting arbitration.
أَيُّها الحائِرُ في البَحرِ اِقتَرِب
مِن حِمى البُسفورِ إِن كُنتَ هُماما
You who are lost at sea, approach
The Bosphorus' sanctuary if you are so inclined!
كَم سَمِعنا عَن لِسانِ البَرقِ ما
يُزعِجُ الدُنيا إِذا الأُسطولُ عاما
How often have we heard the lightning report
What alarmed the world when the navy stirred.
عامَ شَهرَينِ وَلَم يَفتَح سِوى
هُوَّةٍ فيها المَلايينُ تَرامى
Two months have passed and it opened up nothing but
A gulf into which millions were made to plunge.
دَفَنوا تاريخَهُم في قاعِها
وَرَمَوا في إِثرِهِ المَجدَ غُلاما
They buried their history in its depths
And cast their glory in after it, ungrown.
فَاِطمَئِنّي أُمَمَ الشَرقِ وَلا
تَقنَطي اليَومَ فَإِنَّ الجَدَّ قاما
So be reassured, O nations of the East,
For effort arose today, so do not despair.
إِنَّ في أَضلاعِنا آفئِدَةً
تَعشَقُ المَجدَ وَتَأبى أَن تُضاما
In our ribs are hearts
That love glory and refuse to be suppressed.
