نضت الروح وهزتها لواء

وكسته واكتست منه الدماء

The spirit shook and fluttered its banner

It dressed it and was dressed in blood

واستمدت من إله الحقل . والبيت

والمصنع . عزما ومَضَاء

It drew strength from the God of the field, the home

And the factory, with determination and radiance

رمتِ الزرعَ بعين أثلجَ الدَمعُ

فيها ضرمَ الحِقدِ اجتواء

It cast seeds with eyes that tears have frozen

In which hatred's embers smolder

أعجلت عنهُ فآلت قَسَماً

أن ستسقيه دمَ الاعداءِ ماء

It hastened away from it, so it turned into an oath

That it will water it with the blood of enemies

ومشت في زَحمةِ الموتِ على

قدمٍ لم تخشَ مَيلا والتواء

And it walked in the crowd of death

With a foot that did not fear leaning or twisting

اقسمت باسم عظيمٍ كرمت

باسمِه أنْ لا تهين العظماء

It swore by a great name that it honored

By its name that it will not disgrace the magnificent

يا " ستَالينُ " وما أعظمَها

في التهجي أحرُفاً تأبى الهجاء

O Stalin, how great are its letters

In eulogy, letters that refuse reproach

أحرف يستمطرُ الكونُ بها

إنعتاقاً وازدهاراً وإخاء

Letters from which the universe rains

Liberation, prosperity, and fraternity

خالق الامة لم يمنُنْ ولم

يبغِ – لولا أرَجُ الزهر – ثناء

The creator of the nation did not bestow favors

Nor, without the fragrance of flowers, did he seek praise

وزعيمٌ شعَّ فيمنْ حولَه

قبسٌ منه فكانوا الزعماء

And he is a leader who shone on those around him

A glimmer from him so they became leaders

زَرَّ بُردْيهِ على ذي مِرّةٍ

فاض إشفاقاً وبأساً وعناء

He touched the one with bitterness with his cloak

Overflowing with compassion, might, and exertion

مسّه الظلمُ فعادى أهله

وامترى البؤسَ فَحَبَّ البوساء

Injustice touched him so he opposed his people

And he experienced misery so he loved the poor

وانبرى كالغيمِ في مُضْحِيَةٍ

فسقى دهراً وأحيا وأفاء

And he set forth like a cloud on a sacrifice

So he quenched an era and revived and compensated

بُوركَ الباني وعاشت أمةٌ

وفتِ الباني حقوقاً والبناء

Blessed is the builder and long live a nation

That the builder opened up rights and construction

قيل للعيشِ ففاضت امناء

وإلى الموت ففاضت شهداء

It was said to life so it overflowed with blessings

And to death so it overflowed with martyrs

ومشى التاريخُ موزونَ الخُطى

ما انحنى ذُلاً ولا ضجّ ادعاء

And history walked with steady steps

Never humbled or loud with claims

هذه التربهُ لا ما سُمِّيت

وطناً يُنبِتُ جوعاً وعراء

This soil, no matter what it was called

A homeland that grows hunger and barrenness

وهي ذي الحفرة إذ طارت عَجاجاً

الفُ نفسٍ معها طارت فداء

And it is the pit when doves flew up

A thousand souls flew up for its ransom

وهو ذا العِرضُ فهل تبغي وقاةً

مثلَهم أو مثل ذا تبغي وقاء

And it is this honor - so do you want preservers

Like them or do you want preservation like it?

قف على " القَفْقاس " وانظر

موكبَ المجدِ والعزةِ يمشي خُيَلاء

Stand on the Caucasus and see

The procession of glory and dignity walking proudly

وسلِ ( القوزاقَ ) هل كان دماً

لمعانُ السيف أم كان طلاء

And ask the Cossacks, was it blood

That the swords shone or was it polish?

وجدَ الغادرُ من قسوتها

ما رأى من لطفها الضيفُ سخاء

And the traitor found from its harshness

What the guest saw from its generosity and munificence

والعتاقُ الجردُ هل لاقت بما

عاقها من جثث القتلى عناء

And did the bare emancipation

Not meet with the corpses of the killed, distress?

نفخت من وَدَجَيْها أن رأتْ

مُمْتطَى فارسِها أمسى خلاء

It sighed from its chests when it saw

Its knight's steed become empty at night

فهي والغيظُ مرى أشداقها

تعرِكُ اللُّجْمَ وتجتّر الغثاء

So it and anger saw its cheeks

Grinding grit and dragging debris

واحتواها رهَجُ الحربِ فما

تُبصر الأرضَ عتواً وازدهاء

And the clamor of war contained it but

It does not see the ground arrogant and lofty

من على صهوتِها يمنحُها

شرف " الفارسِ " عزماً وفتاء

From its saddle bestowing upon it

The honor of "the knight", resolve and chivalry

ياعروسَ " الفلغِ " والفلغا دمٌ

ساءت البلوى فاحسنت البلاء

O bride of the Volga, while the Volga is blood

Evils turned good and it handled afflictions well

صبغ " الدونَ " دماءين هما

بُعدُ بين الرجس والطهر التقاء

It dyed the Don in two bloods which

Are far between defilement and pure meeting

وجرت امواجُه حاملةً

فوقها الضدينِ صبحاً ومساء

And its waves flowed

Bearing the two opposites, dawn and evening

وعلى الجرفين " عظمان " هما

رمزُ عهدَيْنِ انحطاطاً وارتقاء

And on the two banks, two bones

Symbol of two eras, decline and rise

يا ابنة النهرين دومي شَبَحاً

لقويٍّ وضعيفٍ يتراءى

O daughter of the two rivers, remain an apparition

For the strong and weak that comes and goes

للمهينين عقاباً وجزاء

والمهانين انتفاضاً وإباء

For the disgraced, punishment and retribution

And for the disgracers, uprising and refusal

كنتِ اسمى مثلاً من ظَفَرٍ

لم تلده خططُ الحربِ دهاء

You were the highest example of victory

That the war plans did not cunningly birth

غلب الغالبُ فيه وانثنى الطوقُ

– كالحبل – على الطوق انثناء

The victor won in it and the siege bent

Like a rope on a siege, bent

كنت رمزاً ألْهَمَ الجيلَ الفداء

وهدى الأعقاب ما شاءت وشاء

You were a symbol that inspired self-sacrifice

And guided generations however they wished and desired

حسِبوا أمرك ما قد عودوا

صعقَ الحربِ اتقاداً وانطفاء

They thought your matter was what they were used to

The shock of war kindling and extinguishing

وابتداء من حديدٍ ودمٍ

يمهَرُ الفتح به ثم انتهاء

And beginning from iron and blood

With which the conquest is sealed and then ending

واستجاشوا – فيلق الموت على

ظمأ للدم منَّوه ارتواء

And they became fervent - so the troop of death

Thirsty for blood that it watered

ومضوا فيما أرادوا خطوة

أوشك اليأس بها يمحو الرجاء

And they went in what they wanted a step

That near had despair erase hope

وجف الغربُ على وطأتِها

وأمالت كلكلَ الشرقِ فناء

And the West was cold to its tread

And a greedy neighbor leaned towards oblivion

وتلوت جيرةٌ طماحةٌ

أفناء تَتَلَقّى أم بقاء

Bearing its present confident

That in a coming future is consolation

حملت حاضرَها واثقةً

أنَّ في مستقبلٍ آتٍ عزاء

And history embarked in its confusion

Is it ahead, surpassing, or behind?

وانبرى التاريخُ في حَيْرتِهِ

أأماماً يتخطّى ام وراء

And news of ill spread claiming

That a wind threatens the world with a plague

وسرت انباءُ سوءٍ تَدّعي

أن ريحاً تُنِذرُ الدنيا وباء

A beautiful dream passed by comforting

How lonely it went with what came and was difficult

حُلُمٌ حلوٌ مُمرٌّ مؤنسٌ

مُوحشٌ سرَّ بما جاء وساء

It roamed the universe so made its people sleep

Miserable and they awoke happy

طاف بالكون فأغفى اهلهُ

تعساءً و أفاقوا سعداء

So glory in its loftiness

Adorns itself, trampling arrogance

فاذا العزة في عليائها

تتضرّى فتدوسُ الكبرياء

And ruins in their misery

Fill the anguished like a meadow with fragrance

وإذا الأنقاض في كُرْبتِها

تُفْعِمُ المكروبَ كالرَّوض شذاء

And the rubble from its stones

Glimpsed the star sublime and shone

واذا المنقضُ من أحجارها

لمح النجمَ تعالى فاضاء

And there was the tyrant in his weddings

Filling the world with wailing and crying

وإذا الطاغوتُ في أعراسه

يملأ الدنيا نحيباً وبكاء

You erased from its history

Arrogance, humiliation, and pretension

أنتِ امليت على تاريخه

طافحا بالكبر ذلاً واختذاء

And filled the pure insolence

With utter disdain

ومحوتِ العجب من اسطاره

وملأت الصَّلَفَ المحضَ ازدراء

And you slapped the lowly in their stupor

A slap that left no wine or revelry

وصفعتِ الدنَّ في يافوخِهِ

صفعة لم تُبْقِ خَمْراً وانتشاء

It sufficed whom your folds tightened around

That he seeks salvation but cannot attain it

حسب من ضاقت ثناياكِ به

أنه يبغي فلا يَقوى النَّجاء

And it sufficed the occupier humiliation

That the captives' resistance from him is imprisonment

وكفى المحتلَ هَوناً أن يُرى

الاسرون الغلبُ منه اسراء

We, the people of the earth, if we were loyal

Would raise you to the sky in the earth

نحنُ أهلَ الأرض لو نقْوى وفاء

لرفعناكِ على الأرض سماء

We would make every eye - just as

Every heart - possess yearning for you

لجعلنا كلَّ عينٍ – مثلما

كلَّ قلب – تتملاكِ اجتلاء

Yes, what a wicked hand uncovered

Taking away the veil over your hot face

نَعْمَ ما أسدَتْ يدٌ آثمةٌ

كشفت عن وجهِكِ الحرِّ غطاء

A storm passed so the right became clear

The hidden truth became uncovered

عاصفٌ مر فجلّى وانجلى

بدت الشمسُ به أبهى سناء

Justice arbitrated the mixed peoples

They populated the earth and lived devout

وضح الحق الذي طال خفاء

وتولى زَبَدُ الكِذبِ جُفاءا

They found in the soil that unites them

All that is sought for eternity

وحّدَ العدلُ شعوباً خلطاء

عمروا الأرضَ وعاشوا خلصاء

And they saw in peace a duty required

And saw in war the peace's requirement

وجدوا في تربة تجمعُهمْ

كلّ ما يُطْلبُ في الخُلْدِ اشتهاء

I hope - that you save a homeland

From the grip of death - poor soldiers

ورأوا في السّلمِ ديناً يُقْتَضى

ورأوا في الحربِ للدَّين اقتضِاء

War surely has men, if only

They would let us know, war has women too

اترجي – أن تنجي وطنا

من يد الموت – جنوداً فقراء

And jealous women whose history refused

To see without the jealous, glory

إن للحرب رجالا ليتَهُمْ

خبّرونا أنَّ للحرب نساء

Chastity adorned it with harmony and it clung

To the thorns of monogamy so it increased in harmony

وغيورات أبى تاريخها

أن ترى دون الغيورين غَناء

The mother warded off from the home preservation

And the child sacrificed himself for the mother's salvation

زانها الطهرُ رُواءً وارتمتْ

في مُثار النقعِ فازدادت رُواء

And it took pride when it left generations

That it did not protect - that it protected oblivion

ذادت الامُّ عن البيت وقاء

وارتمى الطفلُ على الامِّ افتداء

"Mother Gorky" I wish I had inspiration

To give your daughter today her due praise

وتعزَّت حين أخلت طُنفا

لم تَصُنْه – أنها صانت فِناء

If today he returned alive he would see

Thousands like her shaking the eminent

" أم غوركَي " ليت عندي وحيه

لأوفى ( بنتَك ) اليومَ الثناء

Rather, if Gorky's mother wasn't

Like this one, the eminent wouldn't be honored

لو يعود اليومَ حياً لرأى

مثلَها ألفْاً تهزّ البُلَغاء

O Tolstoy, the revolt of thought did not go in vain

Nor did it disappear into thin air

بل ولولا أن غوركي أمه

مثلُ هذي لم يُبزَّ النبغاء

O wealthy one who gave people wealth

Arise, you see people all wealthy

يا " تولستوي " ولم تذهبْ سدى

ثورةُ الفكر ولا طارت هَباء

Arise, you find them, despite their heaviness

Since your time they were the wage earners

يا ثرياً وهبَ الناسَ الثراء

قُمْ ترَ الناسَ جميعا أثرياء

This is how the idea yields fruit

If it cultivated a plant, and grew well

قُمْ تَجِدْهم ما لكِي غلّتهِمْ

من على عهِدك كانوا الأجَراء

You have refined truth and claim

Words that pierce the ears equally

هكذا ( الفكرةُ ) تزكو ثَمَراً

أن زكت غرساً ، وأن طابت نماء

And you found people in their ignorance

Unable to discern lies and truths

قد محصتَ حقاً وادعاء

كلم يخترق السمع سواء

They were exploited so with their evil

They almost cannot comprehend the prophets

ووجدت الناسَ من جهلِهِمُ

لا يَميزون ثُغاء ورُغاء

So you carried "the resurrection" in your right hand for them

And in your left, bliss and prosperity

استُغلوا فهُمُ من بأسِهمْ

لا يكادون يَعون الأنبياء

And you condemned gentleness and mercy from

People who are not truly merciful

فحملت " البعثَ " باليمنىَ لَهم

وعلى اليسرى هناء ورخاء

They call upon people as free but they

Filled the house with slaves and maidservants

وشجبت الرفقَ والرحمةَ من

نفر ليسوا بحق رُحَمَاء

And clothed their dog in brocade while

Around them the masses are naked

ينشُدون الناس أحراراً وهم

ملأوا البيتَ عبيداً وإماء

And you found the wolf in his states

Sometimes accompanying sheep and lamb

وكَسَوْا كلبهُمُ الخزَّ ومنْ

حولهمْ يلتحفُ الجمعُ العراء

The lie may be exposed as nonsense

And the truth stealthily distributed as a plague

ووجدت الذئبَ في حالاتِه

ربما رافق معزاة وشاء

And the right - between them -

Wrong, and the deceivers, the reformers

قد يكون الكذب مفضوحا هراء

ويكون الصدقُ مدسوسا وباء

O daughter of the two rivers, this is a lineage

Of loyalty, if you accept loyalty

ويكون الحقُ – ما بينهما

باطلاً والطالحون الصلحاء

Far from the target of what you sought

And the arrow went astray, so the bowstring slackened

يا ابنةَ النهرين هذا نَسَبٌ

من ولاءٍ لو تقبلتِ الولاء

And feeling leapt upon feeling so

The word cannot express consciousness

بَعُدَ المَرْمى بما استهدفتِه

واختذى السهمُ فقصرتِ عياء

And from the injustice - that mixes them

Is to task the miracles to the poets

وارتمى الحسُّ على الحسِّ فما

يستطيع اللفظُ للوعي اداء

Emotions that found difficulty in

The seas of poetry so it pushed them back thirsty

ومن الظلم – الذي تابَيْنَه

أن تسومي المعجزاتِ الشعراء

And they would not have dropped a cause for you

If they were not innocent

عاطفاتٌ حُوَّمٌ عاجت على

أبْحُرِ الشعر فردتها ظماء

Whim of the self did not stir them, nor

Did vainglory pulsate them, nor hypocrisy

وهي ما كانت لتدلي سببا

لك ، لولا أنها كانت بَراء

The most that assists me

Is that the mouth answers the heart's call

لم تُثِرْها نزوةُ النفس ، ولم

يُزهها العُجْبُ ولم تنبِضْ رياء

جُلُّ ما يسعفني به

أن يلبي " الفمُ " للقلبِ نداء