غلبovercame الجوعhunger فهاتيso bring المشthe mish cheese هاتيbring
غلب الجوع فهاتي المش هاتي
لاdo not تقوليsay اللحمthe meat إنif أصبرI am patient سياتيit will come
لا تقولي اللحم إن أصبر سياتي
Hunger has overcome me: bring the mish cheese, bring it!
Hunger prevails, so bring the grass, bring it
Do not tell me meat will come if I am patient.
Don't tell me of meat, if I'm patient it will come
سادتيmy masters أولىmore entitled بهto it مذsince نهبواthey plundered
سادتي أولى به مذ نهبوا
كلevery حقright ليof mine وعاثواand they wreaked havoc بحياتيin my life
كل حق لي وعاثوا بحياتي
My masters have a greater claim to it, since they plundered
My masters take priority, since they pillaged
Every right of mine and ravaged my life.
All my rights and wreaked havoc on my life
لاdo not تقوليsay الدودthe worms قدhave أفسادهspoiled it (apparent typo)
لا تقولي الدود قد أفساده
إنماrather الدودthe worms وإنand even if يحقرdespise لداتيmy peers
إنما الدود وإن يحقر لداتي
Do not say the worms have spoiled it;
Don't tell me the worms have spoiled it
Yet the worms, though my peers despise them,
The worms, although they insult my constitution, have a right to live like me
حقهits right العيشto live كحقيlike my right ماnot لهit has
حقه العيش كحقي ما له
أيّany ذنبsin غيرother than ذنبيmy sin أوor أذاةharm
أيّ ذنب غير ذنبي أو أذاة
Have the same right to live as I; they have no
What wrong have they done, other than my wrong or harm?
Sin beyond my own, nor any harm to answer for.
They praised me just as they damned me
مدحونيthey praised me مثلماjust as قدhave لعنواthey cursed
مدحوني مثلما قد لعنوا
قدhave تساوىbecome equal المدحpraise واللعنand cursing لذاتيto me personally
قد تساوى المدح واللعن لذاتي
They have praised me just as they have cursed me;
Praise and curse are equal to my essence
Praise and curses have become the same to me.
If only they had fed or clothed me
ليتهمif only they قدhad أطعمونيfed me أوor كسواthey clothed
ليتهم قد أطعموني أو كسوا
رمتيmy decaying remains هبلunclear; probably 'before' ارتقابawaiting لمماتيfor my death
رمتي هبل ارتقاب لمماتي
Would that they had fed me or clothed
My misery is the anticipation of my death throes
My carcass [before] awaiting my death.
These diseases have left me with only
هذهthese الأمراضillnesses لمdid not تتركleave سوىexcept
هذه الأمراض لم تترك سوى
رمقa remnant of life داستهtrampled it أقدامfeet الجناةthe criminals
رمق داسته أقدام الجناة
These illnesses have left nothing but
A gasp trampled by the feet of the oppressors
A last breath, trampled by the criminals' feet.
Will I tomorrow regain my strength
أترانيdo you see me? فيin غدtomorrow مسترجعاregaining
أتراني في غد مسترجعا
قوّتيmy strength أوor طارحاcasting off عنيfrom me أناتيmy groans
قوّتي أو طارحا عني أناتي
Do you see me tomorrow regaining
Or cast off my sighs?
My strength, or casting off my groans?
If only until my scream fades
ليتنيif only I حتىso that تدويresounds صرختيmy cry
ليتني حتى تدوي صرختي
ويجازىand is punished كلevery مأفونfool وعاتand tyrant
ويجازى كل مأفون وعات
Would that I could, so my cry might thunder,
And each villain is punished
And every fool and tyrant be punished.
Hurry, for time is harsh and unforgiving
أسرعيhurry فالوقتfor time قاسharsh صارمruthless
أسرعي فالوقت قاس صارم
إنindeed وقتtime العبدthe slave منpart of وقتtime العتاةthe tyrants
إن وقت العبد من وقت العتاة
Hurry, for time is harsh and ruthless;
A slave's time is from the time of the tyrants
For a slave's time is part of the tyrants' time.
Make haste, do not dream deluded
أشرعيbegin لاdo not تحلميdream واهمةdeluded
أشرعي لا تحلمي واهمة
واتركينيand leave me فيin هموميmy cares ياO فتاتيmy girl
واتركيني في همومي يا فتاتي
Begin; do not dream in delusion,
And leave me to my worries, my lass
And leave me amid my cares, O my girl.
Maybe one day the bitter gourd will fruit
ربماperhaps تثمرbear fruit يوماone day حنظلاcolocynth
ربما تثمر يوما حنظلا
بلrather سسموماpoisons (apparent typo) للشياطينfor the devils الطغاةthe tyrannical
بل سسموما للشياطين الطغاة
Perhaps one day they will bear colocynth,
Rather, poisons for the tyrannical demons
Nay, poisons for the tyrannical devils.
Many a plant downtrodden underfoot
كمmany a نباتplant ديسwas trampled بالأقدامunderfoot لمdid not
كم نبات ديس بالأقدام لم
يقبلaccept الدوسtrampling حقيراlowly فيamong النباتthe plants
يقبل الدوس حقيرا في النبات
Many a plant was trampled underfoot, yet did not
Did not accept being lowly vegetation
Accept trampling, lowly among the plants,
And went proliferating, destroying
ومضىand went on مستشرياspreading unchecked يقضيputting an end علىto
ومضى مستشريا يقضي على
شامخtowering الأشجارthe trees فذاpeerless فثيamong (apparent typo) العصاةthe rebels
شامخ الأشجار فذا فثي العصاة
And went on spreading unchecked, laying low
The towering trees - so go the disobedient
The towering trees—itself peerless among the rebels.
Such is my state and philosophy
هذهthis حاليmy condition وذيand this فلسفتيmy philosophy
هذه حالي وذي فلسفتي
وكفاحيand my struggle بينbetween صبرpatience وصلاةand prayer
وكفاحي بين صبر وصلاة
This is my condition, and this my philosophy,
And my struggle between patience and prayer
And my struggle is between patience and prayer.
If my ignorance and poverty are the cause
إنif يكنbe جهليmy ignorance وفقريand my poverty حجةa pretext
إن يكن جهلي وفقري حجة
لاضطهاديfor persecuting me فأمرّthen the bitterest الثأرrevenge آتis coming
لاضطهادي فأمرّ الثأر آت
If my ignorance and poverty are a pretext
Of my persecution, then the time for vengeance is coming
For persecuting me, then the bitterest revenge is coming.
Partial English translation: 31 of 32 Arabic lines translated.