من دمعة الشعب ومن كدّه

من دمعة الشعب ومن كدّه

ومن دم الأمة في نَردِهِ

ومن دم الأمة في نَردِهِ

From the people's tear and from their toil,

From the people's tears and their toil,

and from the nation's blood in his game of dice,

And from the blood of the nation boiling,

مُملَّك الحدِّ على صفوَها

مُملَّك الحدِّ على صفوَها

ياليتها تملك من حدّه

ياليتها تملك من حدّه

his edge is made sovereign over her peace—

The wicked rule over its finest,

would that she possessed some of his edge!

If only the finest could rule over the wicked.

كم يجعل الدينَ حبالاته

كم يجعل الدينَ حبالاته

ليخنقَ المصلح في مهده

ليخنقَ المصلح في مهده

How often he makes religion his snares,

How religion is made into ropes,

to strangle the reformer in his cradle!

To strangle reformers in their cradles,

قد عضَّها النحسُ وما عضَّه

قد عضَّها النحسُ وما عضَّه

إلا فَمٌ يرشف في وَجدهِ

إلا فَمٌ يرشف في وَجدهِ

Misfortune has bitten her, while nothing has bitten him

Misfortune has bitten it, and who has bitten

except a mouth sipping in its ardor.

Except a mouth that sips in ecstasy?

يُمرِغُ الأمَّةَ في رجسه

يُمرِغُ الأمَّةَ في رجسه

ويسرق الأمةّ في رِفده

ويسرق الأمةّ في رِفده

He rolls the nation in his filth,

It wallows the nation in vileness,

and robs the nation through his largesse.

And steals from the nation in its plenty.

عانت به وبأشابه

عانت به وبأشابه

في قربه الجاني وفي بُعده

في قربه الجاني وفي بُعده

She suffered through him and through his ilk,

It suffered with him and his peers,

in his harmful presence and in his absence.

Whether the offender is near or far.

منتفخاً يمزح مستغرَقاً

منتفخاً يمزح مستغرَقاً

في اللهوِ كالصائد في صيده

في اللهوِ كالصائد في صيده

Bloated, he jests, engrossed

Bloated, he frolics immersed

in frivolity, like a hunter in his hunt.

In frivolity, like a hunter with his prey,

كالكركدنّ الذي يزدهى

كالكركدنّ الذي يزدهى

في قبحهِ يُسخرُ من قدّه

في قبحهِ يُسخرُ من قدّه

Like a rhinoceros that takes pride

Like a hyena made arrogant

in its ugliness, mocked for its build.

By his ugliness, mocking his leader.

لم تعطه غانيةٌ قبلةً

لم تعطه غانيةٌ قبلةً

إلاّ كمن تهزأُ من رُشدهِ

إلاّ كمن تهزأُ من رُشدهِ

No beautiful woman gave him a kiss

No singing girl gave him a kiss,

except as one mocking his good sense,

Except as one who mocks his sanity,

أو بادلته نكتةً حلوةً

أو بادلته نكتةً حلوةً

إلاّ ومغزاها مدى نقده

إلاّ ومغزاها مدى نقده

or exchanged a sweet jest with him

Or gave him a sweet joke,

except with its aim the size of his payment.

Except its meaning mocked his judgement.

حَتَّامَ يا قومُ ضلالاتكم

حَتَّامَ يا قومُ ضلالاتكم

تُمكِّنُ الفاجرَ من قصده

تُمكِّنُ الفاجرَ من قصده

How long, O people, will your delusions

Until, O people, your misguidance

enable the wicked man to achieve his aim?

Empowers the wicked towards his purpose.

كنَّا نرجِّيه مثالَ الهدى

كنَّا نرجِّيه مثالَ الهدى

فأصبح الغاشم في حقده

فأصبح الغاشم في حقده

We hoped he would be a model of guidance,

We hoped he would be an example of guidance,

but he became an oppressor in his rancor.

But he became the tyrant in his hatred.

كنَّا نُغنيه أغاني العلى

كنَّا نُغنيه أغاني العلى

فأصبحَ المبدلَ من حَمدِهِ

فأصبحَ المبدلَ من حَمدِهِ

We used to sing him songs of greatness,

We sang to him the songs of glory,

but he became different from the man we praised.

But he became the turncoat from our praise of him.

كنا نُفديه بارواحنا

كنا نُفديه بارواحنا

في روحه العالي وفي زهده

في روحه العالي وفي زهده

We would ransom him with our lives,

We would have ransomed him with our souls,

for his lofty spirit and his asceticism.

For his lofty spirit and his asceticism.

ما باله أضحى فتىَ ماجناً

ما باله أضحى فتىَ ماجناً

الشاردَ الخادعَ في وعده

الشاردَ الخادعَ في وعده

What has come over him, that he has become a dissolute youth,

What has happened that he became a rake,

wayward and deceitful in his promise?

The wandering deceiver of his word?

حَتامَ يستهزئُ من مجدكم

حَتامَ يستهزئُ من مجدكم

حتَّامَ والخِسَّةُ من مَجدِه

حتَّامَ والخِسَّةُ من مَجدِه

How long will he scoff at your glory?

Until he mocks your glories,

How long, while baseness is part of his glory?

Until, and disgrace is his glory.

حَتَّام يسترسلِ في غِّيهِ

حَتَّام يسترسلِ في غِّيهِ

حتَّام والسوقةُ من جُنده

حتَّام والسوقةُ من جُنده

How long will he persist unchecked in his waywardness?

Until he ventures freely in his ignorance,

How long, while the rabble are among his troops?

Until, and the rabble are his troops.

حتام أعلامُكم له صاغرٌ

حتام أعلامُكم له صاغرٌ

حتام بل أهونُ من عبده

حتام بل أهونُ من عبده

How long will your notables be abject before him?

Until your banners submit to him,

How long—nay, lower than his slave?

Until, he is meaner than his slave.

أعقلكم دون دفينِ الثرى

أعقلكم دون دفينِ الثرى

لو يعقل الميت في لحدهِ

لو يعقل الميت في لحدهِ

Would your reason fall below that of one buried in the earth,

The wisest of you is beneath the earth,

if the dead man could reason in his grave?

If the dead could be wise in their graves.