أما عندكَ محتلٌ ؟

فقمْ واشترِ محتلّا

Don't you have an occupier?

Then get up and buy an occupier

وما عندكَ من يسْطو

على ما زاد أو قلّا؟

And who will dominate

What has increased or decreased?

ومن يصطادُ أعمارا

ويقفو كلَّ منْ فلّا؟

Who hunts lifetimes

And follows every fugitive?

ومن يلتهمُ الأرضَ

ويسْترعيكَ ما ظلّا؟

Who devours the earth

And makes you see what was shaded?

ومن لم يروهِ الماءُ

وفي العِرْقِ يرى الحلّا؟

Who hasn't been watered

And sees sweat in the vein?

ومن تُسدي له الشكرَ

اذا ابقى لك الظلّا؟

And to whom will you give thanks

If the shade remains for you?

ففتش عن عدوٍّ لا

يداريك إذا احتلّا

So look for an enemy that

Doesn't care if occupied

ويُشقيك ويُفنيك

إذا ما شأنه جلّا

And makes you miserable and destroys you

If its affair has matured

ويُشفيك من الداء

الذي بالبيت قد حلّا

And cures you of the disease

That has settled in the house

وما الداء سوى الحمق

إذا ما حرَّ واستعلى

And the disease is nothing but stupidity

When it boils and rises high

أليس الحمقُ من أودى

بغَضٍّ أشبهَ الفلّا

Isn't stupidity that which destroyed

Hatred most resembling chaff?

أليس الحمقُ من أردى

أمان العمرِ فاعتلّا

Isn't stupidity that which demolished

The lifetime’s security so it limped?

ومن في عهدهِ استجدى

أصيلُ النبعة البغْلا

And who in his era sought

The prime of the mule and mixed breed

أما عزّ به الزعرا

ن والأستاذ قد ذُلّا؟

Were not the weak empowered by him

And the most learned rendered ignorant?

وجاع العلمُ واستعطى

العليمُ الأعلمُ الجهلا؟

Was Palestine not assassinated

When he took over?

أما أغتيلت فلسطين

وشُقّت عندما استولى؟

And haven’t you lived in the days

Of plague and quills?

أما جاورتَ في أيّا

مه الطاعونَ والسّلّا؟

And when asking the mirror

For advice, did it not show an old man?

ومرآةً إذ استفتيْ

تها غرّا أرتْ كهْلا؟

Have you not slipped on embers

With no retreat the next month?

أما زلْت على الجمرِ

وعُقب الشهر ما ولّى؟

So why patience and concealment?

Get up and buy an occupier

ففيم الصبر والكتما

ن؟ قمْ واشترِ محتلّا

For the markets have been filled with them

And supply has decreased

فقد عجّت به الأسوا

قُ والإقبالُ قد قلّا

And the station of the Arabs has become

Today of higher cost

وموْق العُرْبِ بات اليو

م ذا تكلفةٍ أعلى

And more severe if occupied

The direction of prayer collects the diaspora

وفي حرّ من احتلّا

تلمُّ القِبلةُ الشّملا

And the soul does not surrender

And the sword remains sharpened

ولا تستسلمُ الروح

ويبقى السيفُ مُستلّا

And ignorance is not consulted

And knowledge builds what has collapsed

ولا يُستنصحُ الجهلُ

ويَبني العلمُ ما ثُلّا

And wisdom dictates the verdict

And stupidity withdraws addled

وتملي الحكمة الحكم

ويجلو الحمقُ منسلّا

And our voice of truth rises high

So the hero passes wounded

ويعلو صوتُنا الحقّ

فيمضي البطْلُ مُنشلّا

And the best speech is that which said little

And the best few are those that indicated

وخير القول ما قلّا

وخير القُلِّ ما دلّا