يــاO وطاويطاًbats تزقزقchirping فيin اللياليthe nights
يــا وطاويطاً تزقزق في الليالي
مــاwhat تــحيكيهyou weave it ســيغدوwill become منof رفاتcrumbled remains
مــا تــحيكيه ســيغدو من رفات
O bats chirping in the nights,
O nightingales twittering in the nights
What you weave will turn to crumbled remains.
What you are plotting will become ruins
هـــذهthese الــفــتيةyoung men تــحميprotect عــزهاtheir honor
هـــذه الــفــتية تــحمي عــزها
مــنfrom بــراثينthe claws الــمعاديthe one hostile لــلحياةto life
مــن بــراثين الــمعادي لــلحياة
These young men protect their honor
Of these youth protecting their dignity
From the claws of the foe of life.
From the enemies of life's blades
إنــمــاindeed الــثــورةthe revolution مــنof أعــمالناour deeds
إنــمــا الــثــورة مــن أعــمالنا
قـــدindeed أشــدناهاwe built it بــإسداءby bestowing الــهباتgifts
قـــد أشــدناها بــإسداء الــهبات
The revolution is indeed our own work;
The revolution is just our deeds
We have built it by bestowing gifts.
We ignited it by giving offerings
فــاســتفيقواso awaken مــنfrom رقــادslumber طــولهits length
فــاســتفيقوا مــن رقــاد طــوله
يــذهبsweeps away الــقومthe people ويــأتيand comes بالشتاتwith disunity
يــذهب الــقوم ويــأتي بالشتات
So awaken from a slumber whose length
So wake up from your long slumber
Sweeps the people away and brings disunity.
The people are leaving and scattering
ثـــورةrevolution الــحــقthe truth أتــتــهاcame to it حــفنةa handful
ثـــورة الــحــق أتــتــها حــفنة
مــنof رعــاةherders لــبغالof mules فــيin الــفلاةthe wilderness
مــن رعــاة لــبغال فــي الــفلاة
To the revolution of truth came a handful
The revolution of truth was started by a handful
Of mule herders in the wilderness.
Of shepherds in the desert with mules
ولــهاand to it انــصاعتsubmitted مجاميعgroups ترىsee
ولــها انــصاعت مجاميع ترى
عــزهاtheir glory دومــاalways لأعــلىfor the highest طــبقاتclasses
عــزها دومــا لأعــلى طــبقات
And groups submitted to it, believing
And for it yielded groups who see
Their glory is always for the highest classes.
Their dignity always for the highest classes
ضــلــلواthey misled الــشــعبthe people بــقولwith speech آثــمsinful
ضــلــلوا الــشــعب بــقول آثــم
فــأطــاحواso they toppled بــمــغاويرvaliant warriors حــمــاةdefenders
فــأطــاحوا بــمــغاوير حــمــاة
They misled the people with sinful speech,
They misled the people with a sinful saying
And so toppled valiant defenders.
So they toppled the protectors of the sanctuaries
لاno ولــنand never will نــرضىwe are content بــأقوالwith words لــهمof theirs
لا ولــن نــرضى بــأقوال لــهم
بــلrather ســنفنيwe will annihilate كــلevery شــكلform لطغاةof tyrants
بــل ســنفني كــل شــكل لطغاة
No, and we will never accept their words;
We will never accept their words
Rather, we will annihilate every kind of tyrant,
Rather we will destroy every form of tyrants
مــنfrom عــقيدa colonel راغــبyearning كــلall المنىwishes
مــن عــقيد راغــب كــل المنى
يــتــرقــبhe waits expectantly عـــلperhaps دولارa dollar بـــآتis coming
يــتــرقــب عـــل دولار بـــآت
Starting with a colonel filled with longing,
Whoever is eager for all wishes
Waiting in hope that a dollar will come.
Waiting for the dollar to come
أنــنــاthat we نــحــذوfollow the example of حــماةdefenders ضــربواthey struck
أنــنــا نــحــذو حــماة ضــربوا
بــســطورin lines مــنof دمblood حــرfree لــغاتlanguages
بــســطور مــن دم حــر لــغات
We follow the example of defenders who forged
We follow the protectors who struck
Languages in lines of free blood—
With lines of free ink
لــغــةlanguage الــحــربwar بــأنغامwith melodies شــدتsang out
لــغــة الــحــرب بــأنغام شــدت
تــرعــبterrify الأبــقارthe cattle بــالضرباتwith blows
تــرعــب الأبــقار بــالضربات
The language of war, in melodies that sang out,
The language of war with melodies that terrified
Terrifying the cattle with blows.
The cattle with the beats
فــرقــةthe band الــكــفرunbelief أرادتwanted نــســفناto blow us up
فــرقــة الــكــفر أرادت نــســفنا
فــلــنبدso let us annihilate أحــلامهمtheir dreams قــبلbefore الــحياةlife
فــلــنبد أحــلامهم قــبل الــحياة
The band of unbelief sought to blow us up;
The gang of blasphemy wanted to blow us up
So let us destroy their dreams before life itself.
So we will end their dreams before life
يــاO رفــاقيmy comrades حــطمواcrush كلall العدىthe foes
يــا رفــاقي حــطموا كل العدى
هــاهــوhere it is الــشعبthe people يــنددspeaks out بــالبغاةagainst the aggressors
هــاهــو الــشعب يــندد بــالبغاة
O my comrades, crush all the foes!
My comrades smash all the enemies
Behold, the people denounce the aggressors.
O wicked colonel what do you want?
يــاO عــقيدcolonel السوءevil ماwhat ذاis it that تبتغيyou seek ؟
يــا عــقيد السوء ما ذا تبتغي ؟
ألــكis it yours? الــدنياthe world ولــلشعبand for the people المماتdeath؟
ألــك الــدنيا ولــلشعب الممات؟
O colonel of evil, what do you seek?
Is the world for you and death for the people?
Is the world yours, and death for the people?
No, stop move away from its path
لاno رويــداhold on فــابتعدso keep away عــنfrom صــفهtheir ranks
لا رويــدا فــابتعد عــن صــفه
فــسيفنيfor they will annihilate وســيحرقand they will burn كــلevery عاتيtyrant
فــسيفني وســيحرق كــل عاتي
No—hold on! Keep away from their ranks,
It will destroy and burn every aggressor
For they will annihilate and burn every tyrant.
So do whatever you want
فــاعملواso do كــلall الــذيthat which يــحلوis pleasing لكمto you
فــاعملوا كــل الــذي يــحلو لكم
فــلزاماfor inevitably ســوفwill تــلقونyou meet الــوفاةdeath
فــلزاما ســوف تــلقون الــوفاة
So do all that pleases you,
You will inevitably meet death
For inevitably you will meet death.
No national unity, no family
لاno اتــحــادunion قــومــيnational لاno أســـرةfamily
لا اتــحــاد قــومــي لا أســـرة
تــبتغيseeks الــزلفىcloseness لأعــداءto the enemies of الحياةlife
تــبتغي الــزلفى لأعــداء الحياة
No national union, no family
Seeking favors for the enemies of life
Seeking favor with the enemies of life.
For the salvation of the people from the treachery of invaders
هــاهمhere they are الــطلابthe students أعطواthey gave روحهمtheir souls
هــاهم الــطلاب أعطوا روحهم
لــنجاةfor the deliverance of الــشعبthe people منfrom غدرtreachery الغزاةthe invaders
لــنجاة الــشعب من غدر الغزاة
Behold, the students gave their souls
My soldiers beware of your enemies
To save the people from the invaders' treachery.
And always support the revolution O protectors
يــاO جــنوديmy soldiers أحــذرواbeware of أعداءكمyour enemies
يــا جــنودي أحــذروا أعداءكم
واســندواand support الــثورةthe revolution دوماalways ياO حماةdefenders
واســندوا الــثورة دوما يا حماة
O my soldiers, beware of your enemies,
These people want grace
And always support the revolution, O defenders.
Not poisons from the snakes of darkness
إنindeed هــذاthis الــشعبthe people يــبغيseeks نــعمةa blessing
إن هــذا الــشعب يــبغي نــعمة
لاnot ســموماpoisons منfrom أفاعيvipers الظلماتthe darkness
لا ســموما من أفاعي الظلمات
Indeed, these people seek a blessing,
26 March 1968 College of the People
Not poisons from the vipers of darkness.
26مارسMarch 1968مCE كليةcollege الشعبthe people
26مارس 1968م كلية الشعب
26 March 1968 CE, Al-Shaʿb College.
Partial English translation: 39 of 41 Arabic lines translated.