مسكينةpoor thing إنindeed منthose who خانوكthey betrayed you أوقحهمthe most shameless of them
مسكينة إن من خانوك أوقحهم
أهلوكyour kin أوor منthose who تراءواthey appeared شبهlike أهليكyour kin
أهلوك أو من تراءوا شبه أهليك
Poor thing! Indeed, the most shameless of those who betrayed you
Poor soul, if those who betrayed you were the cheekiest,
are your kin, or those who appeared to be like your kin:
Or if your own tribe feigned to care,
منfrom among كلevery علجboor حقيرcontemptible يدعيhe claims شرفاhonor
من كل علج حقير يدعي شرفا
وهمهand his ambition دونbelow همthe ambition للمفاليكof paupers
وهمه دون هم للمفاليك
each a contemptible boor who claims honor,
From every lowly quack who claims honor,
and his ambition is lower than that of paupers.
Yet only cares for personal gain,
لاnot شيءanything غيرexcept بريقthe glitter المالof money يشغلهoccupies him
لا شيء غير بريق المال يشغله
ثمthen التجارةtrading فيin أمجادthe glories ماضيكof your past
ثم التجارة في أمجاد ماضيك
Nothing but the glitter of money occupies him,
Nothing distracts him but money’s glitter,
then trading in the glories of your past.
And trading your past glories for profit,
وفيand amid شقائكyour suffering يتلوhe recites حولهaround him سوراchapters
وفي شقائك يتلو حوله سورا
منof النفاقhypocrisy وتبدوand they appear مثلlike فاديكyour redeemer
من النفاق وتبدو مثل فاديك
And amid your suffering he recites chapters around him
Around your misery they recite hypocrisy,
of hypocrisy, and they appear like your redeemer,
And pretend to be your savior,
مهلهلاtearing down كلevery شهمnoble man لاnot تراودهstirs him
مهلهلا كل شهم لا تراوده
إلاexcept عظائمgreat achievements ماضيكof your past وآتيكand your future
إلا عظائم ماضيك وآتيك
while he tears down every noble man moved by nothing
Glorifying your past and future to each braggart
but the great achievements of your past and your future,
Who dreams only of your greatness,
وغامزاand maligning كلevery منone who آثارهhis deeds صورimages
وغامزا كل من آثاره صور
منof تضحياتsacrifices بتشويهthrough distortion وتشكيكand casting doubt
من تضحيات بتشويه وتشكيك
and maligns everyone whose deeds are images
Mocking all who dare depict the truth,
of sacrifices, through distortion and doubt,
With lies and slander to obscure your plight,
حتىuntil ينالhe gains مكاناa place فيin تفردهhis standing alone
حتى ينال مكانا في تفرده
بالزورthrough falsehood ماwhat بينbetween تهديمdemolition وتفكيكand dismantling
بالزور ما بين تهديم وتفكيك
until he secures a place all to himself
All to gain selfish prominence, scoundrels by nature,
through falsehood, amid demolition and dismantling.
Wretched leadership, in hands of thugs,
يبغيhe seeks الزعامةleadership صعلوكa scoundrel بفطرتهby his nature
يبغي الزعامة صعلوك بفطرته
بئسwretched is الزعامةleadership فيin أيديthe hands الصعاليكof scoundrels
بئس الزعامة في أيدي الصعاليك
A scoundrel by nature seeks leadership;
Your kings never ruled, but were ruled,
wretched is leadership in the hands of scoundrels!
The lowest example of slaves,
أماas for ملوككyour kings لاmay ... not كانواthey existed ولاand may ... not ملكواthey ruled
أما ملوكك لا كانوا ولا ملكوا
فهمso they are أخسthe basest مثالexample للمماليكof slaves
فهم أخس مثال للمماليك
As for your kings—would that they had neither existed nor ruled—
Who sold you for nothing, wavering,
they are the basest example of slaves.
Except their disgrace when they sold you,
باعوكthey sold you دونwithout جزاءreward فيin تذبذبهمtheir wavering
باعوك دون جزاء في تذبذبهم
إلاexcept مذلتهمtheir humiliation أيانwhen باعوكthey sold you
إلا مذلتهم أيان باعوك
They sold you in their wavering, for no reward
And their kind, pillars supposedly,
except their own humiliation when they sold you.
Like a millstone grinding down your treasures,
ومثلهمand like them زمرةa clique الأقطابof leading figures رائدهمtheir guiding aim
ومثلهم زمرة الأقطاب رائدهم
مثلlike الرحىthe millstone طحنgrinding كنزa treasure ماثلpresent فيكwithin you
مثل الرحى طحن كنز ماثل فيك
And like them is a clique of leading figures, whose guiding aim
Squandering power accused of madness,
is to grind, like a millstone, a treasure present within you.
In mind and morals, or just drunk,
يبددونthey squander القوىstrengths تبديدthe squandering متّهمone under suspicion
يبددون القوى تبديد متّهم
فيin العقلmind والخلقand character أوor تبديدthe squandering مهتوكone dishonored
في العقل والخلق أو تبديد مهتوك
They squander strength like one of questionable
Tempting your enemies with their ignorance,
mind and character, or like one dishonored.
So enemies could wreak havoc on your glories,
ويطمعونand they make covetous الأعاديthe enemies فيكfor you عنout of سفهfolly
ويطمعون الأعادي فيك عن سفه
حتىuntil يعيثwreaks havoc الأعاديthe enemies فيin معاليكyour heights of glory
حتى يعيث الأعادي في معاليك
And, out of folly, they make the enemies covet you,
Silence fool, you are not one of us,
until the enemies wreak havoc upon your heights of glory.
You know only petty, not noble ways,
صهhush! ياO دخيلintruder عليناamong us ليسnot تعرفهknows him
صه يا دخيل علينا ليس تعرفه
إلاexcept مجاليthe realms التدنيof degradation لاnot مجاليكyour realms
إلا مجالي التدني لا مجاليك
Hush, you intruder among us! None know him
Fraud, no, say fox disguised,
but the realms of degradation, not your realms.
Strutting like a rooster, or crowing like a cock,
حرباءa chameleon أنتyou بلrather قلsay ثعلبa fox أسرwas captured
حرباء أنت بل قل ثعلب أسر
يختالhe struts كالهرlike a tomcat أوor يختالhe struts كالديكlike a rooster
يختال كالهر أو يختال كالديك
You are a chameleon—rather, say, a fox taken captive,
We are tired of empty claims carrying disease,
strutting like a tomcat, or strutting like a rooster.
And schemes that mock sincerity,
إناindeed we سئمناwe have grown weary الدعاوىof claims كمhow often حمتthey shielded مرضاan illness
إنا سئمنا الدعاوى كم حمت مرضا
وكمand how often حمتthey shielded غرضاa motive بينamid الأضاحيكthe absurdities
وكم حمت غرضا بين الأضاحيك
Indeed, we are weary of claims—how often they have shielded sickness,
If not for the tragedies encompassing our dreams,
and how often they have shielded a motive amid absurdities!
Where, where is he who revived your dreams?
لولاwere it not for المآسيthe tragedies التيthat عمتengulfed أمانيناour hopes
لولا المآسي التي عمت أمانينا
فأينthen where أينwhere الذيthe one who أحياrevived أمانيكyour hopes
فأين أين الذي أحيا أمانيك
Were it not for the tragedies that engulfed our hopes,
Perhaps that is the beauty of his detachment,
then where, where would the one who revived your hopes be?
From selfish ambitions, only elevating you,
لعلperhaps ذاكthat جمالJamal فيin تجرّدهhis detachment
لعل ذاك جمال في تجرّده
عنfrom المطامحambitions إلاexcept ماwhat يعليكraises you high
عن المطامح إلا ما يعليك
Perhaps that is Jamal, in his detachment
He carried your nation’s glory on his shoulders,
from ambitions, save what raises you high.
When sorrows rained down, he came to mourn you.
سماrose high علىupon منكبيهhis two shoulders مجدthe glory أمتناof our nation
سما على منكبيه مجد أمتنا
حينwhen الخؤونthe inveterate traitor المرائيthe hypocrite راحbegan يرثيكhe laments you
حين الخؤون المرائي راح يرثيك
Our nation's glory rose upon his shoulders
when the treacherous hypocrite began to lament you.
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.