يَا مُرْجِعَ المَاضِينَ مِنْ أَرْمَاسِهِمْ

فِي العَصْرِ مَا يَكْفِيهِ لِلأمْتَاعِ

O you who bring back the past to those longing for it

In this age, there is enough to preoccupy them

أَتُعِيدُهُمْ لِيَفِيدَ أَرْبَابُ الحِجَى

بِطَرَائِفٍ مِنْ رُويَةٍ وَسَمَاعٍ

Do you return them so the erudite may benefit

From varieties of sight and hearing?

وَإذَا أَجَدْتَ فَهْلُ مَرَامُكَ فوْقَ أَنْ

يَصِفُوكَ بِالإِتْقانِ وَالإبْدَاعِ

If you are talented, does your aim rise above

Being described as accomplished and creative?

لِمَ عَوْدُ أُوتِللو وَعُقْبَى حَالِهِ

مَوْتُ الغَشُومِ وَصَرْعَةُ الخَدَّاعِ

Why a return of Othello and his fortunes

Death of deceivers and downfall of the crafty?

أَوْ عَوْدُ هَمْلِتَ وَالقَضَاءُ رَمَي بِهِ

فأَصَابَ مُهْجَةَ عَمهِ المِطْمَاعِ

Or Hamlet’s return and the decree which struck him down

Hitting the core of his greedy uncle?

أَوْ رُوِميُو وَهْوَ الدَّمُ المَهْدُورُ فِي

ثارٍ تخَلَّفَ عَنْ قَدِيمِ نِزَاعِ

Or Romeo whose blood was wasted in

Revenge for an old feud

أَوْ وِليَمُ الوَافِي بِنَذْرِ اللهِ فِي

مُتطَاحَنِ الأَدْيَانِ وَالأَشْيَاعِ

Or William fulfilling his vow to God amidst

The infighting of religions and sects

أَوْ ذَلِكَ الفَادِي أَباهُ بِحُبِّهِ

لذْريِقُ خيْرُ ابْنٍ وَخيْرُ شُجَاعِ

Or that redeemer who sacrificed his father out of

Love, the best of sons and the bravest of the valiant

أَضْحِكْ جمُوعَك تارةً أَوْ أَبْكِهِمْ

أَوْ أَرْضِهِمْ بِمَحاسِنِ الإيقَاعِ

Make your audiences laugh at times or make them cry

Or please them with rhythmic compositions

وأَعِدْ إِليْهِمْ مَا مَضى بِرِجَالِهِ

وَأُصُولِهِ وَحِلاَهُ وَالأَوْضاعِ

Bring back to them the past with its men

Its principles, solutions, and norms

وَاهْوَ الفضِيلَةَ عنْ هوىً أَوْ أَغْرِهِمْ

بِغرَامِهَا وَتَغَالَ فِي الإِقْنَاعِ

Glamorize virtue, do not let desire sway you

Or make them fall for it and overdo persuasion

إِنِّي أَرَى التَّمثِيلَ بَعْثاً وَاعِظاً

فِي فِتْنَةِ الأَبْصَارِ وَالأسْمَاعِ

I see theatre as moral education

Amidst the tribulations of sights and sounds