فِيمَ احْتِبَاسُكَ لِلْقَلَمْ

وَالأَرْضُ قَدْ خُصِبَتْ بِدَمْ

Why do you withhold the pen

While the land is fertilized with blood

سَدِّدْ قَوِيمَ سِنَانِهِ

فِي صَدْرِ مَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَقِمْ

Straighten its sharp teeth

In the chest of those gone astray

نَبِّهْ بِهِ أُمَمَ الزَّوَا

لِ فَعَلَّهُ يُحْيي الرُّمَمْ

Alert the sleeping nations

So its deeds bring life to glory

أَليَوْمَ يَوْمُ القِسْطِ قَدْ

قَامَ الأُولَى ظُلِمُوا فَقُمْ

Is this not the day of justice?

The oppressed stand, so stand

بَيْنَ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُو

ن وَبَيْنَنَا قُرْبَى النِّقَمْ

Between those who fight

And us there is kinship of revenge

مَنْ يَسْتَبِحْهُ عَدُّوُّنَا

فَلَهْ بِنَا صِلَةُ الرَّحِمْ

Whoever defiles our enemies

To them we are tied by blood

لا أَمْنَ لِلْبَلَدِ الأمِي

نِ وَفِي غَدٍ قَدْ يُهْتَضَمْ

No safety for the sleeping nation

Tomorrow it may be destroyed

قُلْ يَا فَتَى الشُّعَرَاءِ قُلْ

لَبَّتْكَ أَمْ عَصَتِ الهِمَمْ

Say, O prince of poets, does obsession

Or lofty ambitions bind you?

أُدْعُ المَخَامِيرَ الشِّبَا

عَ إِلَى الحَفِيظَةِ وَالذِّمَمْ

I call the taverns to responsibility and integrity

Each rises to their duty, and whoever lags behind, let him sleep

كُلٌّ يَقُومُ بِمَا عَلَيْ

هِ وَمَنْ تَثَاقَلْ فَلْيَنَمْ

We live in ignorance though honor lived

And we have not

نِمْنَا عَلَى جَهْلٍ وَقَدْ

عَاشَ الكِرَامُ وَنَحْنُ لَمْ

When our time ends

And we move from slumber to annihilation

فَإِذَا انْقَضَتْ آجَالُنَا

فَمِنَ الرُّقَادِ إِلَى العَدَمْ

When we rise again after it

It will be like a fanciful dream

وَإِذَا بُعِثْنَا بَعْدَهَا

فَكَأَنَّهَا رُؤْيَا حُلُمْ

To whom are the tents? Not on a mountain

For an eagle to perch

لِمَنْ الخِيَامُ فَمَا عَلَى

جَبَلٍ لِنَسْرٍ مُعْتَصَمْ

A tent rose over them

Solitary between tents

شَرُفَتْ عَلَيْهَا خَيْمَةٌ

وَتَفَرَّدَتْ بَيْنَ الخِيَمْ

With it a flag atop a flag

An elder of high morals planted it

بَادٍ بِهَا عَلَمٌ عَلَى

عَلَمٍ أَقَامَ بِهِ عَلَمْ

One who if touched would roar

His weapon ever sharpened

شَيْخ مِنَ الصَّوَّانِ مَنْ

يَمْسَسْهُ يَفْتَدِحِ الضَّرَمْ

Gashing whatever it strikes

Blessed among his compatriots

مُتَعَوِّدٌ قَهْرَ العِدَى

كَالنُّورِ فِي كَشْفِ الظُّلَمْ

Like an army of noble breed

An army but of chivalry, courage and zeal

لانَتْ عَرِيكَتُه لِطُو

لِ مِرَاسِهِ وَقَسَا الأَدَمْ

Its morals distributed among them

How excellent is that which is divided

تَتَثَلَّمُ الآفَاتُ مِنْ

هُ بِصَارِمٍ لا يَنْثَلِمْ

This leader and the like of him

Give pride to the greatest of men

وَيَرِقُّ مَشْحُوذاً بِهَا

فَإِذَا أَصَابَ فَقَدْ قَصَمْ

Mightier than feeble kings

Who can not counsel him

بِمُبَارِكٍ فِي مَعْشَرٍ

كَالجَيْشِ مِنْ نَسْلٍ كَرَمْ

Never made greater but by wealth

And arrogance, not service

جَيْشٌ وَلَكِنْ لِلْمُرُو

ءةِ وَالشَّجَاعَةِ وَالشَّمَمْ

He waits looking out for the enemy

Like food eyed by the covetous

مَقْسُومَةٌ أَخْلاقُهُ

فِيهِمْ وَنِعْمَ المُقْتَسَمْ

His nation rallies around him

Like cubs around a fierce lion

هَذَا الرَّئِيسُ وَمِثْلُهُ

فِي النَّاسِ يَعْظُمُ مَنْ عَظُمْ

A nascent nation

Its history among nations

وَمِنَ المُلُوكِ أَعِزُّةٌ

لا يَصْلُحُونَ لَهُ حَشَمْ

They built no edifice

With might that went unremembered

لَمْ يَكْبَرُوا بِسِوَى الغِنَى

وَالكِبْرِيَاءِ عَنِ الخَدَمْ

They defended their independence

And their lands from threats

قَدْ قَامَ يَرْتَقِبُ العِدَى

كَالزَّادِ يَرْقُبُهُ النَّهِمْ

Their livelihood made lawful to seekers

And their homeland inviolable

وَتَحُفُّ أُمَّتُهُ بِهِ

كَصِغَارِ لَيْثٍ فِي الأُجُمْ

Purity their pillars, souls their dwellings

Their mishap most bitter

هِيَ أُمَّةٌ مُسْتَحْدثٌ

تَارِيخُهَا بَيْنَ الأُمَمْ

Oh day of looting Dhi Ghoroor

When nations thought them cattle

مَا شَيَّدُوا مِنْ هَيْكَلٍ

بِالبَأْسِ شَأْواً لَمْ يُرَمْ

A wolf who fancied them sheep

Grazing safe in their enclosure

ذَادُوا عَنِ اسْتِقْلالِهِمْ

وَدِيَارِهِمْ ذَوْدَ البُهَمْ

A thief who dreamt of spoils

Yet found only misery

أَرْزَاقُهُمْ حِلّ لِطَا

لِبِهَا وَمَوْطِنُهُمْ حَرَمْ

They hunted the transgressor and his ilk

Like hunting vicious predators

شُمٌّ رَوَاسِيهِمْ وَأَنْ

فُسُهُمْ وَمَعْطَسَهُمْ أَشَمْ

And meted him greatest humiliation

So is the requital of villains

يَا يَوْمَ غَارِةِ ذِي الغُرُو

رِ وَقَدْ دَهَاهُمْ مِنْ أَمَمْ

Then they resolved to execute him

But pardoned him instead

ذِئْبٌ تَوَهَّمَهُمْ نِيَا

ماً فِي الحَظِيرَةِ كَالنَّعَمْ

How excellent is such chivalry

If not for callousness and regret

وَإِذَا بِهِ فِي أَسْرِهِمْ

شَاةٌ وَشِيعَتُهُ غَنَمْ

Who are these morbid clouds

Diminishing the sterility of ages?

لِصٌّ تَوَهَّمَ مَغْنَماً

وَإِذَا العُقُوبَةُ مَا غَنِمْ

In their haughtiness is their gait

And the tread of their feet atop the banner

صَادُوا المُسِئَ وَرَهْطَهُ

صَيْدَ البَوَاسِقِ وَالرَّخَمْ

She emerged from her lair to them

Battered without a veil

وَجَزَوْهُ بِالذَّلِّ الْعَظِي

مِ كَذَاكَ يُجْزَى مَنْ لَؤُمْ

Her parent Azrael, her kin a vicious people

Coveting those who meet destruction

ثُمَّ ارْتَأَوْا أَنْ يَقْتُلُو

هُ بِصَفْحِهِمْ عَمَا اجْتَرَمْ

How will great men pass as warning goes unheeded

And foundations crumble?

نِعْمَ المُرُوءةُ لَوْ جَنَتْ

غَيْرَ الإِسَاءةِ وَالنَّدَمْ

Evil is the messenger of misery

And ominous is the mother of misfortunes

مَنْ هَذِهِ الزَّلاَّءُ قَدْ

أَخْنَى بِهَا طُولُ العَقَمْ

That is a dishonest war

And the breach of sanctity

فِي السُّحْبِ هَامَتُهَا وَوَ

طْيءُ رِجْلِهَا فَوْقَ العَلَمْ

Woe to the strong one today

Against that weak one who attacked

بَرَزَتْ لَهُمْ مِنْ خِدْرِهَا

مَهْتُوكَةً لَمْ تَلْتَثِمْ

Do you see the arrogant

Retreating, fraudulent in all his enormity?

عِزْرِيلُ أَوَلَدَهَا وَمِنْ

سُفَّاحِهَا القَوْمُ الغُشُمْ

Receding though never accused of cowardice

And the sons of the land flocking where he withdrew

تَرْنُو لِمَنْ غَشِيَ الوَغَى

وَلَهَا بِأَكْلِهِمُ وَحَمْ

Like birds flushed in panic

And snakes slithering into burrows

تورِي نَوَاظِرُهَا اللَّظَى

وَتَسِيلُ مِنْ فَمِهَا الحُمَمْ

Like wolves vanished in darkness

And whales delved into depths

وَلَهَا ذَوَائِبُ مُرْسَلا

تٌ لِلْكَرَائِهِ وَالزِّيَمْ

On Thursday they walked like one

Toward the fated encounter

شِبْهُ الْعُثَانِينِ الجَوَا

رِفِ فِي العَصِيبِ المُدْلَهِمّْ

Ferocity with no despair

And zeal for battle with no fatigue

أَنَّى تَمُرُّ فَنَابِغٌ

يَصْدَى وَرَاسٍ يَنْهَدِمْ

No fear of annihilation

Nor weakness of soul or boredom

بِئْسَتْ رَسُولُ الشَّر تِلْ

كَ وَبِئْسَ وَالِدَةُ الغُمَمْ

But for the honor of whoever

Would avenge whichever was destroyed

تِلْكُمْ هِيَ الحَرْبُ الزَّبُو

ن وَذَلِكُمْ هَتْكُ الْحُرَمْ

Let them stand firm and renew

Their struggle against them intensely

وَيْلَ القَوِيِّ اليَوْمَ مِنْ

ذَاكَ الضَّعِيفِ وَقَدْ هَجَمْ

This is an encounter to be muffled

In a fire stoked to rage

أَتَرَى نُكُوصَ المُعْتَدِي

مَلأَ الْفَلا مِمَّا ضَخُمْ

Behold the hail of embers

Like blood pouring from veins

مُتَقَهْقِراً وَهْوَ الَّذِي

فِي بَأْسِهِ لا يُتَّهَمْ

And bombs erecting themselves

To consume the marrow of armies

وَوُثُوبَ أَبْنَاءِ الدِّيَا

رِ بِهِ إِلَى حيث انْهَزَمْ

Blind yet discerning in fray

The paths of the enemy to shred

كَالطَّيْرِ إِسْفَاقاً وَكَال

حَيَّاتِ زَحْفاً فِي الأَكَمْ

Gripped tight until

Their jaws meet what they gnaw

كَالذئْبِ لَمْحاً فِي الدُّجى

كَالحُوْتِ خَوْضاً فِي العَرِمْ

They pounce with frowns

Until their bite brings death then smile

يَمْشِي الخَمِيسُ كَوَاحِدٍ

فِي السَّيْرِ نَحْوَ المُلْتَحَمْ

Behold their women thronged

Like steadfast banners fluttering

بَأْسٌ بِلا يَأْسٍ وَحَزْ

مٌ فِي النزَالِ بِلا لَمَمْ

A forest serenaded

By hot sighs, though it knows no shame

لا خَوْفَ تَهْلُكَةٍ وَلا

عَنْ ضَعْفِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ سَأَمْ

Behold children pelted with stones

As they play with toy arrows

لَكِنْ لِعِزَّةِ مَنْ يَكُو

نُ بَدِيلَ أَيِّهِمُ ارْتَطَمْ

And old men soaked by their blood

The reckless spared them no mercy

وَلْيَثْبُتُوا وَيُجَدِّدُوا

نَجَدَاتِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ بُهَمْ

Behold their dead heaped

Each like a crumbling palace

هَذَا لِقَاءٌ يُوغتُوا

فِيهِ بِنَارٍ تَحْتَدِمْ

Behold their horsemen provoked

To assault like violent winds

أُنْظَرْ إِلَى هَطْلِ الْجِمَا

رِ كَأَنَّهُ وَكْفُ الدِّيَمْ

And infantries like a wall

Marching in step to the drum

وَإِلَى القَنَابِلِ تَسْتَقِي

مُهَجَ الجُيُوشِ وَتَلْتَهِمْ

The coming and going

By order visible and concealed

عَمْيَاءُ تُبْصِرُ فِي الوَغَى

سُبُلَ العَدُو فَتَخْتَرِمْ

Those who stand and those who kneel

Those who attack and those who spare

مَضْمُومَةُ الْفَكَّيْنِ حَتَّى

تَلْتَقِي مَا تَلْتَقِمْ

Those who fall to the ground

And those who climb the summits

تَنْقَضُّ وَهْيَ عَوَابِسٌ

حَتَّى تُمِيتَ فَتَبْتَسِمْ

Hear the neighing of their horses

Pawing the earth impatient for combat

أُنْظُرْ جُمُوعَ نِسَائِهِمْ

مِيساً كَبَانَاتِ العَلَمْ

And the roaring unsheathed swords

Among destructive weaponry

غِيدٌ يُغَازِلُهَا الرَّصَا

صُ وَهَلْ لَهُ أَنْ يَحْتَشِمْ

And thunderbolts like

The miracles of Moses long ago

أُنْظَرْ إِلَى الأَطْفَالِ تَحْ

ذِفُ وَهْيَ تَلْعَبُ بِالرُّجُمْ

And the growling of lions in iron

And their cubs disciplined for war

وَإِلَى الشُّيُوخِ تَخَضَّبَتْ

بِدِمَائِهَا مِنْهَا اللَّمَمْ

Hear drums almost burst

From the clashes or deafening

أُنْظَرْ إِلَى صَرْعَاهُمُ

كُلٌّ كَصَرْحٍ مُنْهَدِمْ

Hear the moaning earth

Aggrieved by all it has seen

أُنْظَرْ إِلَى فُرْسَانِهِمْ

ثَارُوا كَأَرْيَاحٍ هُجُمْ

The few prevailed over the many

And pardoned them instead of revenge

وَإِلَى المُشَاةِ كَأَنَّهُمْ

سُورٌ يَسِيرُ عَلَى قَدَمْ

But however the wretched gloat at first

They will regret the conclusion

وَالذَّاهِبينَ الآيِبِ

ينَ بِمَا بَدَا وَبِمَا رُسِمْ

Stroll in their villages and you see

No despair of mothers or fathers

وَالقَائِمِينَ الجَاثِمِينَ

وَمَنْ يَكُرُّ وَمَنْ يَهُمّْ

No starving wanderers

Faces contorted in pain

وَالهَابِطِينَ إِلَى الثَّرَى

وَالصَّاعِدِينَ إِلَى القِمَمْ

No miscarrying pregnant women

From stress or illness

وَاسْمَعْ صَهِيلَ خُيُولِهِمْ

مُتَحَفِّزَاتٍ لِلقحَمْ

No orphans begging

To suckle, destitute

وَزَمَاجِرَ الخُرْسِ الضَّوَا

رِي مِنْ مُعِدَّاتِ الأُزُمْ

And disasters between them

Sow like torrents of rain

وَالرَّاعِدَاتِ كَأَنَّهَا

صَعَقَاتُ مُوسَى فِي القِدَمْ

Tour the mines, how much anguish

And how many calamities arose!

وَزَئِيرَ آسَادِ الحَدِي

دِ وَزَجْرَ فِتْيَتِهَا الهُضُمْ

Gaping mouths and swollen bellies

After sucking the good life dry

وَاسْمَعْ صَدَى الأَطْوَادِ تُو

شِكُ أَنْ تُصَدعَ أَوْ تُصِمّْ

Oh, if only they were misfortunes

So many grudges befell those blessings!

وَاسْمَعْ أَنِينَ الأَرْضِ وَا

جِفَةً أَسىً مِمَّا تَجِمْ

With bitterness for oppressors

I have cursed them as far as my tongue allows

غَلَبَ الْقَلِيلُ عَلَى الْكَثِيِ

رِ وَعَفَّ عنَّهُ فَمَا انْتَقَمْ

Let us mourn those who died

Among them no coward fled

لَكِنَّهُ مَهْمَا يَفُزْ

بُدْءاً يَسُؤْهُ المُخْتَتَمْ

And let us console the frail

Their misery pitied by the mighty

طُفْ فِي قُرَاهُ فَمَا تَرَى

مِنْ يَأْسِ كُل أَبٍ وَأُمْ

A shocking sight the just witnessed

As if their reason was an idol

وَمِنَ الجِيَاعِ الهَائِمِي

ينَ عَلَى الوُجُوهِ مِنَ الأَلَمْ

They saw wolves so attempted

To drive them back through law

وَمِنَ الحَبَالَى المُجْهَضَا

تِ مِنَ التَّضوُّرِ وَالسَّقَمْ

Where is justice to whom disputes

Between nations are referred?

وَمِنَ الْيَتَامَى فِي المُهُو

دِ عَلَى المَجَاعَةِ تَنْفَطِمْ

Where is truth, where is redress

Of the innocent when oppressed?

وَمِنَ الْكَوَارِثِ بَيْنَهُمْ

تَسْتَنُّ كَالوَبْلِ الرَّذَمْ

Who supports the weak when he complains

And challenges the strong when he oppresses?

وطُفِ المَنَاجِمَ كَمْ أسىً

مِنْهَا وَكَمْ خَطْبٍ نَجَمْ

Oh those who lead astray, turn back

Those who clung to you have failed

مَفْغُورَةُ الأَفْوَاهِ طَا

وِيَةُ الحَشَى بَعْدَ البَشَمْ

Do not busy your minds

With rights of a people violated

يَا لَيْتَهَا غُفُلٌ فَكَمْ

نِقَمٍ تَلَتْ تِلْكَ النِّعَمْ

They swore if unsuccessful

None would survive

سُخْطاً عَلَى الظُّلاّمِ أَقْ

دَرَ مَا نَكُونُ عَلَى الكَلِمْ

So leave them to live or perish

Truly by this oath

وَلْنَبْكِ مَنْ مَاتُوا وَمَا

مِنْهُمْ جَبَانٌ مُنْهَزِمْ

Take conscience, enshroud it

In what is precious of your morals

وَلْنَرْثِ لِلضُّعَفَاءِ يُفْ

نِيهِمْ قَوِيٌّ مُغْتَشِمْ

Consign it to the earth when dead

And say no mercy on it

خَطْبٌ رَآهُ المُنْصِفُو

نَ كَأَنَّ أَحْيَاهُمْ صَنَمْ

رَأَوُا الذئَابَ فَحَاوَلُوا

أَنْ يَدْرَأُوهَا بِالحِكَمْ

أَيْنَ الْقَضَاءُ إِلَيْهِ أَرْ

بَابُ المَمَالِكِ تَخْتَصِمْ

أَيْنَ الْحَقِيقَةُ أَيْنَ إِنْصَ

افُ الْبَرِيءِ إِذَا ظُلمْ

مَنْ لِلضَّعِيفِ إِذَا شَكَا

وَعَلَى الْقَوْيِّ إِذَا أَتِمْ

يَا مَنْ يُدَاجُونَ ارجِعُوا

قَدْ خَابَ مَنْ بِكُمْ اعْتَصَمْ

لا تَشْغَلُوا أَذْهَانَكُمْ

بِحٌقوقِ شَعْبٍ تُهْتَضَمْ

حَلَفُوا إِذَا لَمْ يَظْفَرُوا

لا عَاشَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ سَلِمْ

فَدَعُوهُمُ يَحْيَونَ أَوْ

يَفْنُونَ بَرا بِالْقَسَمْ

وَخُذُوا الضَّمِيرَ فَكَفِّنُو

ه بِالكَرِيمِ مِنَ الشِّيَمْ

وَاسْتَوْدِعُوهُ تُرَابَهُ

مَيْتاً وَقُولُوا لا رُحِمْ