إن رمت إرضاء الخصوم فلا تقل

وطني ولا تنسب إلى الدستور

If you seek to appease your foes, then do not say,

“My country,” nor profess allegiance to the constitution.

واضرب على الإحساس صفحا خافضا

لهم الجناح وقانعا بيسير

Turn your back on feeling, humbly lowering

Your wing to them, content with little.

والق العنان لسائقيك فمثلكم

يا ابن البلاد أعد للتسخير

Hand the reins to those who drive you; for men like you,

O son of the land, were made for subjugation.

هم من علمت وللحماية مميزة

وهم الذي أتوك للتعمير

They are whom you know—and “protection” has its special distinction;

They are the ones who came to bring you development.

مدوا لك السكك التي رسخت بها

أقدامهم ومنحت حق مرور

They laid for you the railways by which

Their feet took root, and which granted right of passage.

واستخرجوك من الغياهب بعدما

وجدوك فيها جاهلا بالنور

They drew you from the depths of darkness, after

They found you there, knowing nothing of light.

وأمنت بعد الخوف في أكنافهم

فطفقت تمرح بينهم بسرور

Safe after fear beneath their shelter,

You began to frolic among them in delight.

وأروك مصداق التمدن فانبرت

شبانكم لمعارج التفكير

They showed the proof of civilization; then sprang

Your youths toward the heights of thought.

عجبا لمنك بعد ذاك بموقف

معهم وقفته في القتال ضروري

How strange that, after all this, you should take a stand

Beside them—a stand in battle you deemed necessary.

سالت دماك مع الحماة حقيقة

كم أعرج فيمن بقى وضرير

Your blood flowed with the protectors, truly;

How many who remained were lame or blind.

أديت حقك في سبيل نجاتهم

فعلام حلمك فيه بالتحرير

You paid your due in the cause of saving them;

Why, then, dream amid all this of liberation?

هم منك أدرى بالجزاء وإنما

ثقلت عليك تعلة التأخير

They know better than you what recompense is due; it is only

That the pretext of delay has grown burdensome to you.