سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَالْفُوَادُ المُسَلِّمُ

وَيَا حَبَّذَا هَذَا المَكَانُ المُيَمَّمُ

Peace be upon you, and upon hearts that make peace.

Blessed is this place frequented and honored.

بَنِي مَنْبِتِي شُكْراً لَكُمْ وَإِجَابَةً

إِلَى سُؤْلِكُمْ مَا شَاءَ فَلْيَأْمَرِ الدَّمُ

My countrymen, I thank you for responding

To your request—let my blood flow as you command!

وَلَكِنَّنِي إِنْ تَأْذَنُوا لِي سَائِلٌ

عَلامَ الْتَمَسْتُم شاعراً يَتَرَنَّمُ

Yet if you would permit me, I ask:

Why have you sought out a poet, moved to chant?

أَيُطْرِبُكُمْ نَظْمُ الْخَيَالِ وَهَلْ لَهُ

قِوَامٌ بِهِ عِنْدَ الْفِعَالِ يُقَوَّمُ

Does the rhythm of fantasy delight you? Does it

Stand firm in the eyes of the judicious appraiser?

أَمِ المَدْحُ تَسْتَوْفُونَنِي مِنْهُ قِسطَكُمْ

فَحُبَاً لَكُمْ مَنْ يَخْدُمُ الخَيْرَ يُخْدَمُ

Or do you expect me to praise you, taking my share?

For love of you, he who serves good is served.

سَأَمْدَحُ هَذَا الْعِقْدَ مِنْكُمْ بِأَنَّهُ

عَدَتْهُ الْعَوَادِي وَهْوَ لا يَتَفَصَّمُ

So I'll praise this group among you for holding fast

When disasters struck but it did not waver.

وَأَشْكُرُ مِنْكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ لائْتِلافِنَا

غَرَسْتُمْ رَجَاءً وَهْوَ يَنْمُو وَيَعْظُمُ

And I thank you—through your unity you have planted

Hope, which grows and becomes great.

وَأَدْعُو لَكُمْ أَنْ يُقْتَدَى بِمِثَالِكُمْ

فَيُبْعَثَ فِينَا مَجْدُنَا المُتَصَرِّمُ

And I pray you will exemplify a model

To resurrect our faded glory.

عَلَى أَنَّنِي أَرْجُو اغْتِفَارَ صَرَاحَتِي

إِذَا أَنَا آثَرْتُ الْحَقَائِقَ تُعْلَمُ

Yet I hope you'll forgive my frankness

If I opt for the truth, which is known.

فَفِي جَنْبٍ مَا قَدْ سَرَّنَا مِنْ أُمُورِكُمْ

حَوَادِثُ مِلْءُ الشَّرْقِ تُبْكِي وَتُؤْلِمُ

For apart from what has gladdened us in your affairs

Are events that fill the East with tears and pain.

وَتَاللهِ إِنِّي مِنْ مُقَامِي بَيْنَكُمْ

أَرَى الشَّرْقَ يُلْقِي السَّمْعَ وَهْوَ مُكَلَّمُ

By God, from my place among you, I see

The East turn a deaf ear, struck mute.

أَرَى الشَّرْقَ يَدْمَى مُسْتَمِدّاً لِجُرْحِهِ

أَساً وَمُؤَاسَاةً بِنُصْحٍ يُقَدَّمُ

I see the East bleed, looking for relief,

Comfort, and proffered advice.

أَرَى فِيهِ آفَاتٍ لَنَا مِنْ ذُنُوبِهَا

نَصِيبٌ فَإِنْ نَعْرِفْهُ ذَلِكَ أَحْزَمُ

I see in it plagues—from their sins

Comes a share. If we recognize it, that is wisest.

لِيَصْدُرْ هُدىً عَنْكُمْ يَعُمُّ بِلادَكُمْ

فَقَدْ آنَ لِلنُّزَّاقِ أَنْ يَتَحَمَّلُوا

May guidance flow from you, blanketing your lands,

For it's time the delinquents took responsibility

وَلا يُعْتَرَضْ قَصْدِي بِضَعْفٍ كِفَايَتِي

فَصَوْتُ النُّهَى مِنْ حَيْثما جَاءَ يُكْرَمُ

And my intent not be impeded by feebleness.

The voice of prohibition is honored wherever it comes from.

بَنِي الشَّرْقِ فَلْنَفْقَهْ حَقِيقَةَ حَالِنَا

لِنَنْجُوَ أَوْ يُقْضَى الْقَضَاءُ المُحَتَّمُ

Children of the East! Let us understand our condition,

That we may be saved, or else the ordained be fulfilled.

يَصُولُ عَلَيْنَا الجَهْلُ غَيْرَ مُدَافِعٍ

بِجَيْشٍ لَهُ فِي كُلِّ رَبْعٍ مُخَيَّمُ

Ignorance rides roughshod over us, with no defense

Against its army camped in every quarter.

وَيُعْوِزُنَا الإِخْلاصُ فِي كُلِّ مَطْلَبٍ

وَيُعْوِزُنَا الْحُلْقُ المَتِينُ المُقَوَّمُ

In all we seek, sincerity eludes us,

As does the strong, upright company.

وَتَرْتَاحُ دُونَ الصِّدْقِ وَالصِّدْقُ مُتْعِبٌ

إِلَى الإِفْكِ عَمَّا لا نُكِنُّ يُتَرْجَمُ

We take comfort in less than honesty, though honesty wearies,

And lean toward fiction about what we don't believe.

وَنَعْزِمُ عَزْماً كُلَّ يَوْمٍ فَيَنْقَضِي

بِلا أَثَرٍ مَن لَمْ يُطِقْ فِيمَ يَعْزِمُ

Daily we make resolutions that dissolve

Without a trace in those who cannot keep resolve.

هِمَامَاتُ آمالٍ بِهَا الْكَوْنُ ضَائِقٌ

وَرَنَّاتُ آلامٍ بِهَا الْجَوُّ مُفْعَمُ

Lofty aspirations the universe can scarcely contain

And forlorn laments that saturate the atmosphere—

وَمَا تَحْتَهَا إِلاَّ رُؤًى مِنْ فَرَاغِهَا

طَغَتْ وَمُنىً مِنْ وَهْيِهَا تَتَكَهَّمُ

Beneath them only delusions born of their emptiness

Raved and wished for relief from their feeble unreality.

أَهَذَا الَّذِي نَعْتَدُّهُ عَنْ تَيَقُّظٍ

إِصلاحِنَا الْمَرْجُوِّ أَمْ نَحْنُ نَحْلَمُ

Is this what we think will rouse us from slumber

To the reform we hope for, or do we dream?

أَإِنْ تَصْطَخِبْ مِنَّا النُّفُوسُ وَتَضطَرِبْ

لِخَطْبٍ تَخَلْ أَنَّا أَمِنَّا فَنَجْثُمُ

Shall our souls seethe and roil over news

That our safety has slipped, and so we cower?

أَفِي ظَنِّكُمْ أَنَّ الْمُحَاقَ يُزِيلُهُ

عَزِيفٌ بِآلاتٍ وَغَوْغَاءُ تَنْأَمُ

Do you reckon that ruin will be driven out

By racket and clamor while injustice remains intact?

أَشَرْطُ الْمَعَالِي أَنْ نَقُولَ بِوِدِّنَا

وَيُمْنَعَ إِزْمَاعٌ وَيُحْبَسُ دِرْهَمُ

Is the price of ideals that we speak fondly

While greed is unchecked and coins are withheld?

إِلَى أَيِّ حِينٍ فِي وَنًى وَتَقَاعُسٍ

تُدَفِّعُنَا الدُّنْيَا أَمَاماً وَنُحْجِمُ

How long in woe and inertia will we

Defer to the world, recoiling from duty?

إِلَى أَيِّ حِينٍ فِي قِلًى وَتَخَاذُلٍ

وَشَمْلٍ شَتِيتٍ وَالْعِدَى تَتَحَكَّمُ

How long in scarcity and cowardice,

Fragmented unity, as enemies seize control?

إِلَى أَيِّ حِينٍ وَالصُّرُوفُ زَوَاجِرٌ

نَعِيشُ كَمَا يَقْضِي عَلَيْنَا التَّوَهُّمُ

How long, while events are intimidating,

Will we live as fanciful delusions dictate?

بِنَا مِنْ جِوَارِ المَوْتِ بَرْدٌ نُحسُّهُ

فَإِنْ نَتَدَفَّأْ فَالْمَجَامِرُ أَنْجُمُ

Death's cold makes us shiver—if we warm ourselves,

It's by the embers. Our winding sheets will soon descend.

ويُوشِكُ أَنْ تَهْوَى الزكَامَ سِرَاتُنَا

فَهَلْ عُذْرُهُمْ أَنَّ الشَّوَامِخَ تُزْكَمُ

The pillars of our power are near to collapse—

Can they be excused if the heights are exclusive?

شُمُوخٌ بِلا مَعْنًى وَطَيْشٌ بِلا مَدًى

وَبَيْنَهَا أَمْصَارُنَا تَتَهَدَّمُ

Pageantry without meaning, reckless absurdity,

And between them our cities lie ravaged.

نُحَارِبُ هَذَا الْغَرْبَ فِكْراً وَنِيَّةً

وَيَضْحَكُ منَّا وَالْحَصَافَةُ تَلْطِمُ

We fight the West in thought and intention,

Yet it laughs while clubs of draconian rule smash down.

مِنَ الْغَرْبِ مَا نُكْسَى لِنَسْتُرَ عُرْيَنَا

وَمِنْهُ شَرَابٌ نَصْطَفِيهِ وَمَطْعَمُ

From the West we're clothed, to cover our nakedness,

And food and drink we choose and savor.

وَمِنْهُ مُعِدَّاتُ الْجِلادِ الَّتِي بِهَا

نُدَافِعُ عَنَّا مِنْهُ مَنْ يَتَقَحَّمُ

From it, the tools of power by which

We defend against it when roused to resist.

وَفِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِنْهُ لِلْعِلْمِ آيَةٌ

وَفِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِنْهُ فَنٌّ مَتَمَّمُ

Each day it reveals a wonder of knowledge,

And every day, an art made complete.

إِذَا جَاءنَا طَيَّارُهُ كَشَفَ الْعِدَى

وَإِلاَّ اسْتَنَرْنَا الْيَأْسَ وَالْجَوُّ مُظْلِمُ

When its aircraft come, oppression retreats—

Otherwise we grope in darkness and despair.

وَسِيَّانَ فُزْنَا أَوْ عَجَزْنَا فَإِنَّنَا

لَنَغْرَمُ فِي الْحَالَيْنِ وَالْغَرْبُ يغنَمُ

Be it that we triumph or fail, we will pay the price

While the West profits and enjoys the gains.

إِذَا مَا شَقِينَا فِي مُعَادَاةِ بعْضِهِ

فَبَاقِيهِ يَجْبِي المَالَ مِنَّا وَيَنْعَمُ

Opposing some of it, the rest collect funds from us,

Living in prosperity and delight.

وَلَسْنَا عَلَى شَيْءٍ سِوَى شَهَواتِنَا

عَكَفْنَا عَلَيْهَا لا نَغَصُّ وَنَبْشَمُ

Except for our desires, clutched tight, we own nothing—

We will not relinquish them or let go.

قرَانَا قُرَى التُّجَّارِ مِنْهُمْ وَأَهْلُهَا

عَلَى كُلِّ حَرْثٍ لِلْمُرَابِينَ قُوَّمُ

We've settled alongside their trading posts, and the people

Track each profit for the extortionists.

نَقَائِضُ فِينَا لَمْ لأُعَدِّدْ جِسَامَهَا

وَلَكِنَّنِي عَدَّدْتُ مَا هُوَ أَجْسَمُ

I won't enumerate its inconsistencies—

But I have named what is most inconsistent.

فَإِنْ بَقِيتَ فَهْيَ التَّأَخُّرُ لَمْ يَزَلْ

وَإِنْ تُقْلِعُوا عَنْهَا فَذَاكَ التَّقَدُّمُ

If it continues, it is lingering backwardness.

If you shake it off, that is progress.

عَذِيري مِنْ قَلْبِي وَشِدَّةِ بَثِّهِ

وَلَكِنَّهُ يَهْوَى فَلا يَتَكَتَّمُ

My excuse is my heart and its torrent—

Yet it inclines where it should not wander or hide.

فَيَا فِئَةً عَزَّتْ بِفَضْلِ اتِّحَادِهَا

وَكَانَ لَهَا الإِحْسَانُ نِعْمَ الْمُتَمِّمُ

O company made great by your unified will,

Who have shown kindness, most perfected!

ذَكَرْتُ لَكُمْ فِي الْقُرْبِ بَعضَ عُيُوبِنَا

لِيَفْهَمَهُ فِي الْبُعْدِ مَنْ لَيْسَ يَفْهَمُ

I have told you some of our faults while close—

So one far off who cannot see may understand.

أَقِيمُوا عَلَى هَذَا اْلإِخَاءِ وَعَلِّمُوا

فَضَائِلَهُ فِي الشَّرْقِ مَنْ يَتَعَلَّمُ

Uphold this brotherhood and teach its virtues

In the East to those who would learn.

أَحَب إِلَى الأَوْطَانِ أَدْنَى جِهَادِكُمْ

مَنْ الآي نَثْراً وَالأَعَاجِيبِ تُنْظَمُ

Dearest to nations are your most minimal exertions

Than verses and wonders that embellish and ornament.