لا تبالي بألْفِ خَطْبٍ عراها
نفسُ حُرَّ مفجوعَةٌ بحماها
She cares not for a thousand reproaches made bare,
Her free soul is anguished for protecting her honor.
شفَّها الغيظُ والأسى وتراها
كظمتْ غيظها وأخفتْ أساها
Anger and sorrow have parched her lips, yet she bears it
She swallowed her rage and concealed her pain.
كلما أوشكتْ تسيلُ دُموعي
ملكَ اليأسُ غَربَها فثناها
Whenever my tears are about to flow,
Despair has conquered its harshness thus restraining her.
لا تُلمْني فكم رأيتُ دموعاً
كاذباتٍ ضحكتُ ممَّنْ بكاها
Do not blame me, for I have seen many deceitful tears
From those who cried yet I laughed at their weeping.
قد سقى الأرضَ بائعوها بكاءً
لَعَنَتْهُمْ سهوُلها ورباها
They watered the land with their tears in selling it
Its plains and greenery cursed them.
وطني مبتلىً بعُصْبةِ دلاَّ
لينَ لا يتَّقونَ فيه اللهَ
My homeland is afflicted by a rabble of lowly
Vile men who fear not God in it.
في ثيابٍ تُريكَ عِزاً ولكنْ
حَشْوُها الذُّلُّ والرّياءُ سَدَاها
In clothes that show you glory but
Their stuffing is humiliation and hypocrisy masking them.
ووجوهٍ صفيقةٍ ليس تَنْدى
بجلودٍ مدبوغةٍ تغشاها
With bright faces that do not frown
In tanned skins that cover them.
وصدورٍ كأنهنَّ قبورٌ
مظلماتٌ قلوبهمْ مَوتْاها
With chests that are like graves -
Darkened hearts that are lifeless within them.
حُسِبوا في الرجالِ هلْ كانت الأن
عامُ إلاَّ لمثلِهم أشباها
They are counted among men, were they ever
Anything but their likes and matches?
يا رجالَ البلادِ يا قادةَ الأُم
مَةِ ماذا دهاكُمُ ودهاها
O men of the land, leaders of the
Nation, what has made you so downcast?
هل لديكُمْ سياسةٌ غير هذا ال
قول يُحيي من النفوس قواها
Do you have any policy other than this
Talk that revives the power of souls?
صكَّت الأَلسنُ المسامعَ حتى
لقيَتْ من ضجيجكُم ما كفاها
Tongues have wearied ears until
They suffered enough of your clamor.
عرفَ الناسُ والمنابِرُ والأَق
لامُ أفضالكم فهاتوا سِواها
People and platforms and pens
Know your virtues, so show us others.
كلكم بارعٌ بليغٌ بحمد ال
لَهِ طَبٌّ بحالنا ودواها
You are all eloquent, praising
God, approving our state and its remedy.
غيرَ أنَّ المريضَ يرقبُ منكُم
هذه الجَرعْةَ التي لا يراها
Yet the sick one hopes to receive from you
This dose which he does not see.
كان أولى بكم لو انَّ مع القو
لِ فعالاً محمودة عقباها
It would be better if with your words
There were praised deeds to accompany them.
مَثَلُ القولِ لا يؤيِّدُه الفِع
لُ أزاهيرُ لا يفوحُ شذاها
The example of speech not supported by deed
Is flowers with no fragrance to perfume them.
وهو كالدَّوْحَةِ العقيمِ ظلالٌ
واخضرارٌ ولا يُرجَّى جناها
It is like a barren palm tree, shade
And greenery, yet no fruit is hoped from it.
رحمَ الله مخلصاً لبلادٍ
ساوموه الدُّنيا بها فأباها
May God have mercy on one loyal
To a land whose worldly life was offered him, but he refused it.
لو أتوْه بالتِبْر وَزْنَ ثراها
لأباهُ وقال أفدي ثراها
If they had brought to him its weight in gold
He would have refused it and said, “I ransom its gold!”
أُنْفروا أيُّها النيامُ فهذا
يومَ لا ينفعُ العيونَ كراها
Wake from your slumber, O sluggards, for this is
A day when keeping eyes shut will not avail.
كُشفَتْ منكُم المقاتلُ وامتد
دتْ إليها المثقفاتُ قناها
The fighter in you is revealed, and
The cultured women have extended to it their arms.
نبَّئوني عن القويِّ متى كا
نَ رحيماً هيهاتَ مَنْ عزَّ تاها
Tell me of the strong one, when was he
Ever merciful? Never! Whoever respected him was undone!
لا يلينُ القويُّ حتى يُلاقي
مثَلهُ عِزَّة وبطشاً وجاها
The strong yield only when they meet
One like them in power, glory and dominion.
لا سمتْ أُمَّةٌ دَهَتْها خطوبٌ
أرْهَقَتْها ولا يثورُ فتاها
No nation insulted, overwhelmed by misfortunes
That burdened it, with its youth unaroused, ever excelled!
