قَدindeed سَمعناwe heard وَليتناand would that we ماnot سَمعناwe heard
قَد سَمعنا وَليتنا ما سَمعنا
وَنَفعناand we were of use لَكنناbut we ماnot اِنتَفَعناgained benefit
وَنَفعنا لَكننا ما اِنتَفَعنا
We have heard—and wish we had not heard.
We heard, but would that we had not heard!
We were of use, yet gained no benefit ourselves.
We benefited, but truly we did not gain.
إِنindeed فَخريFakhri نعمhow excellent الوَزيرthe minister المرجَّىin whom hopes are placed
إِن فَخري نعم الوَزير المرجَّى
أَعرضturned away الآنnow بِالأصالةin his own capacity عَناfrom us
أَعرض الآن بِالأصالة عَنا
Indeed, Fakhri—how excellent a minister, in whom we place our hopes—
Though the honored vizier is our pride,
has now, in his own capacity, turned away from us,
He now turns from us for no reason.
حَيثsince رامَhe sought اِنتِقاصdeduction مدّةa period شُغلservice
حَيث رامَ اِنتِقاص مدّة شُغل
مِنfrom مَعاشa pension لِطالبfor a claimant قَدalready تعنَّىhe toiled
مِن مَعاش لِطالب قَد تعنَّى
seeking to deduct a period of service
When he sought to reduce the years we served,
from the pension of a claimant who had toiled.
Of a livelihood for one who strove so hard,
مُدةa period فيin مَحاكمcourts الحُكمjustice قُمناwe carried out
مُدة في مَحاكم الحُكم قُمنا
بِالَّذيwith what قَدalready علمتهyou knew it ماas much as اِستَطَعناwe could
بِالَّذي قَد علمته ما اِستَطَعنا
For a time, in the courts of justice, we carried out
In the courts where we toiled night and day
what you already knew, as best we could.
Doing all that we were capable of.
فَإِذاso if قيلit is said إِنَّهُمthat they كافؤوناthey rewarded us
فَإِذا قيل إِنَّهُم كافؤونا
بِنُقودwith money تَمحوwipes away عَناءhardship المُعَنّىthe sufferer
بِنُقود تَمحو عَناء المُعَنّى
And if it is said that they rewarded us
And when told that we'll be compensated
with money that wipes away the sufferer's hardship,
With coins to erase our tribulation,
فَهيَthen it is نزرa paltry amount مِنfrom غَيرwithout شَكdoubt يَسيرsmall
فَهيَ نزر مِن غَير شَك يَسير
بَعدafter رَفعelevation مِنfrom قَبلهاbefore it قَدalready وَضَعناhe brought us low
بَعد رَفع مِن قَبلها قَد وَضَعنا
it is a paltry amount, undoubtedly small;
It's but a trifle, without any doubt,
after an earlier elevation, he has brought us low.
After all we previously laid down.
وَلَقَدand indeed فاتَناeluded us التَرقّيadvancement وَلَولاand were it not for
وَلَقَد فاتَنا التَرقّي وَلَولا
خَفضناour being lowered فيin حَضيضهاits depths لارتفعناwe would have risen
خَفضنا في حَضيضها لارتفعنا
We have indeed missed advancement, and were it not for
We missed promotion, and were it not
our being lowered into its depths, we would have risen.
For abasement, we would have risen high.
وَعَلىand at النُصفhalf فيin المَرتَّبthe salary ظلماًunjustly
وَعَلى النُصف في المَرتَّب ظلماً
عامَلوناthey dealt with us وَالحَقand the rightful due مِنهُfrom it مُنعناwe were denied
عامَلونا وَالحَق مِنهُ مُنعنا
And unjustly, at half the salary,
With injustice, they halved our salary,
they dealt with us, and we were denied our rightful due from it.
Denying us what was rightfully ours.
فَإلامَso until when وَالصَبرwhile patience عيلَwas exhausted نُلاقيwe face
فَإلامَ وَالصَبر عيلَ نُلاقي
ماwhat نُلاقيwe face مِماof what بِهِby it قَدalready فُجعناwe were grievously afflicted
ما نُلاقي مِما بِهِ قَد فُجعنا
How long, then—with patience exhausted—must we face
To what end is patience, when we suffer
what we face, of that which has grievously afflicted us:
All these wrongs that have caused us such grief -
مِنof جَفاءharsh treatment مُحرّمٍforbidden وَاِنتِقاصand a deduction
مِن جَفاء مُحرّمٍ وَاِنتِقاص
لِسِنينof years فيin عُمرناour lifetime قَدalready جَمَعناwe amassed
لِسِنين في عُمرنا قَد جَمَعنا
unlawful harshness and the deduction
Callous injustice and docked years
of years we have amassed in our lifetime?
From a lifetime of service we gave.
بِكَfrom you مِنfrom قَبلbefore فيin الصِعابhardships اِستَغَثناwe sought aid
بِكَ مِن قَبل في الصِعاب اِستَغَثنا
وَعَلىand against حادثadversity الزَمانtime اِستَعناwe sought help
وَعَلى حادث الزَمان اِستَعنا
We sought your aid before, amid hardships,
In hardships, we sought aid from you before,
and sought help against time's adversity.
And in times of adversity found strength.
فَظفرناso we obtained بِماwith what أَرَدناwe wished for وَنِلناand we attained
فَظفرنا بِما أَرَدنا وَنِلنا
ماwhat غَدَوناwe became بِهِthrough it نُعادلwe equal مَعناMaʿn
ما غَدَونا بِهِ نُعادل مَعنا
So we obtained what we wished for, and attained
We gained what we wanted and got
what made us the equal of Maʿn.
What made us equal to any task.
فَلِماذاso why تَسومناyou subject us to الخسفabasement لَماwhen
فَلِماذا تَسومنا الخسف لَما
غَيرناothers than us قَدalready عَصىdisobeyed وَنَحنُwhile we أَطَعناobeyed
غَيرنا قَد عَصى وَنَحنُ أَطَعنا
Why, then, do you subject us to abasement, when
Why then condemn us to ruin, when
others have disobeyed, while we have obeyed?
Others disobeyed while we complied?
قسماًan oath بِالوَفاby loyalty وَعَهدand the covenant التَصافيmutual friendship
قسماً بِالوَفا وَعَهد التَصافي
ماnot لِغَيرto anything other than الصَوابwhat is right يَوماًever خَضَعناwe submitted
ما لِغَير الصَواب يَوماً خَضَعنا
We swear by loyalty and the covenant of mutual friendship:
I swear by good faith and loyalty true,
never have we submitted to anything but what is right.
Never strayed we from what was right.
لاno وَلاnor قادَناled us إِلىto الذُلhumiliation عَيشa livelihood
لا وَلا قادَنا إِلى الذُل عَيش
بَعدَafter عَزhonor منfrom ثَديهits two breasts قَدalready رَضعناwe suckled
بَعدَ عَز من ثَديه قَد رَضعنا
No, nor has a livelihood led us into humiliation
No life of disgrace after honor's milk
after honor, at whose two breasts we had suckled.
From its teat we suckled and were sustained.
أَفَمَنis it, then, from بَعدafter أَربعينforty نُجازيwe are rewarded
أَفَمَن بَعد أَربعين نُجازي
فيfor خداماتِناour services بِماwith what قَدalready سَمعناwe heard
في خداماتِنا بِما قَد سَمعنا
Are we, then, after forty years, to be rewarded
After forty years of service, would you
for our service with what we have heard?
Repay us with what now we have heard?
كَيفَhow تَرضىyou accept حرمانناour deprivation فيin قَضاءjudicial service
كَيفَ تَرضى حرماننا في قَضاء
مِنof سِنينyears بِالحُكمthrough judgment فيهاduring them قمعناwe suppressed
مِن سِنين بِالحُكم فيها قمعنا
How can you accept our deprivation for judicial service
How can you approve denying us years
over years in which we imposed restraint through judgment?
Of rule we enforced and injustice we quelled?
ماnot عَهدناwe have known فيin عَدلكyour justice الجورinjustice كلاcertainly not
ما عَهدنا في عَدلك الجور كلا
لاno وَلاnor رابكaroused your suspicion الَّذيwhat قَدalready صَنَعناwe did
لا وَلا رابك الَّذي قَد صَنَعنا
We have never known injustice in your justice—certainly not!
Your justice, we know, is never unjust.
No, nor has what we have done aroused your suspicion.
Nor your judgment which we have witnessed.
فَابذلso exert الهمةresolve العَليةlofty فيماin what
فَابذل الهمة العَلية فيما
فيهِin it إِصلاحsetting right حالناour condition وَاِصطَنِعناand take us under your patronage
فيهِ إِصلاح حالنا وَاِصطَنِعنا
Then devote your lofty resolve to that
Exert then your powers to set right
which will set our condition right, and take us under your patronage.
Our condition - redress and redeem us!
فَبِلادfor the lands الأَغرابforeigners فيهاin them مَعاشٌa pension
فَبِلاد الأَغراب فيها مَعاشٌ
لِلَّذيfor whoever فيin خدامةservice القُطرthe country مَعناwith us
لِلَّذي في خدامة القُطر مَعنا
For in foreign lands there is a pension
For in foreign lands there is livelihood
for one who serves the country alongside us.
For those who served their homeland with us.
هَذِهِthis حاجةneed الجَميعeveryone فَعجِّلso hasten
هَذِهِ حاجة الجَميع فَعجِّل
بِسَريعwith swift الإِنصافredress حساًin tangible terms وَمَعنىand in spirit
بِسَريع الإِنصاف حساً وَمَعنى
This is everyone's need, so hasten
This is the need of us all, so hasten
with swift redress, in substance and in spirit.
With swift justice in word and in deed.
Sol 6.1