مرحباwelcome بالمِنافسِto the rival of الفاتكانthe Vatican
مرحبا بالمِنافسِ الفاتكان
بالآلهto the god الجديدnew ذىpossessed of الَهيلمانَpomp and grandeur
بالآله الجديد ذى الَهيلمانَ
Welcome to the Vatican's rival,
Welcome, O formidable contender
to the new god of pomp and grandeur.
With your new machine and its gears
مرحباًwelcome مرحباًwelcome لقدindeed أعلنhe declared الحرwar (continued next line)
مرحباً مرحباً لقد أعلن الحر
بَcompletion of 'war' علىagainst الفكرِthought بلrather علىagainst الأديانِreligions
بَ على الفكرِ بل على الأديانِ
Welcome, welcome! He has declared war
Welcome, welcome, freedom has declared
on thought—indeed, on religions.
Its war on thought, even religions
وأذلَّand he humbled الجباهضforeheads (apparent typo) منfrom تحتbeneath نعليtwo sandals (continued next line)
وأذلَّ الجباهض من تحت نعلي
هhis وقدand indeed عدهاhe counted them منamong الديدانworms
ه وقد عدها من الديدان
And he has humbled foreheads beneath his sandals,
And humiliated the giants at my feet
and counted them among the worms.
Deeming them mere worms
بلrather تأذىَّhe was offended منby أنthat يدنسhe should soil نعليtwo sandals (continued next line)
بل تأذىَّ من أن يدنس نعلي
هhis بهاwith them يالهwhat a … he is! شرَّwicked جَانِcriminal
ه بها ياله شرَّ جَانِ
Rather, he resented soiling his sandals
They were pained that my shoes tread on them
with them—what a wicked criminal he is!
Oh God, how despicable!
وكأنَّand as though الذيwhat جناهhe inflicted it عليهاupon them
وكأنَّ الذي جناه عليها
منof هوانٍhumiliation تشريُفهاhonoring them فيin الهوانِhumiliation
من هوانٍ تشريُفها في الهوانِ
And as though what he inflicted upon them
As if the disgrace he brought upon them
in humiliation were an honor to them amid humiliation.
Was honoring them in their disgrace
أيُّهاO الحاكمُthe ruler العتُّىtyrannical ترَّفقbe gentle
أيُّها الحاكمُ العتُّى ترَّفق
أنتَyou تلهوare toying بُجثَّةٍwith a corpse للزمانbelonging to time
أنتَ تلهو بُجثَّةٍ للزمان
O tyrannical ruler, be gentle:
O tyrannical ruler, have mercy
you toy with a corpse of time.
You toy with the corpse of time
وتذيقand you make taste الردىdeath رعاياكyour subjects قسراby force
وتذيق الردى رعاياك قسرا
فيin جنونٍmadness ياoh للجنونِwhat madness! الأنانيselfish
في جنونٍ يا للجنونِ الأناني
And you force your subjects to taste death,
And force your subjects into misery
in madness—oh, what selfish madness!
In selfish madness, oh selfish madness!
غمرhas engulfed العلمُscience كلَّevery عصرٍage تقضىَّthat has passed
غمر العلمُ كلَّ عصرٍ تقضىَّ
بجديدشwith newness (apparent typo) الثوراتrevolutions والطوفانand the deluge
بجديدش الثورات والطوفان
Science has engulfed every bygone age
Knowledge has flooded every age it destroyed
with fresh revolutions and the deluge.
With its innovations, revolutions and floods
ماnot تبقَّىremained إلاّexcept معالمtraces of آثاrelics (continued next line)
ما تبقَّى إلاّ معالم آثا
رٍcompletion of 'relics' ولمand did not ينقرضdie out سوىَexcept كلevery فانperishable thing
رٍ ولم ينقرض سوىَ كل فان
Nothing remains but traces of relics,
Nothing remains but relics
and only what is perishable has died out.
And all that's perishable perishes
أيwhat بعثٍresurrection لماfor what انتهىhave finished الناسpeople منهwith it
أي بعثٍ لما انتهى الناس منه
باندثارwith the disappearance of الدفينthe buried والدّفانand the gravedigger
باندثار الدفين والدّفان
What resurrection for what people have finished with,
What's past is gone, except the noble revelation
with the disappearance of the buried and the gravedigger?
Of arts, and artists' commandments
ماwhat مضىhas passed فاتis gone غيرُexcept for وحىinspiration نبيلٍnoble
ما مضى فات غيرُ وحى نبيلٍ
منfrom فنونٍarts ومنand from نُهىintellect of الفنَّانthe artist
من فنونٍ ومن نُهى الفنَّان
What has passed is gone, save noble inspiration
Where are the shackles randomly cast
from the arts and from the artist's intellect.
Upon opinion and suffering free spirit?
أينwhere منهcompared with it الأغلالُshackles تُلقىَare cast جزافاindiscriminately
أين منه الأغلالُ تُلقىَ جزافا
فوقupon رأىٍan opinion وفوقand upon حُرٍa free man يُعانيwho suffers
فوق رأىٍ وفوق حُرٍ يُعاني
How far from that are shackles cast at random
O East, you were a truthful dawn
upon an opinion and upon a free man who suffers!
For prophecies, commandments and safety
أيهاO الشرقthe East كنتyou were فَجراًa dawn صدوقاtrue
أيها الشرق كنت فَجراً صدوقا
للنبوَّاتِfor prophethood والنُّهىَand reason والأمانand safety
للنبوَّاتِ والنُّهىَ والأمان
O East, you were a true dawn
How did you become associated with wars, injustice
for prophethood, reason, and safety.
And slavery - the stigma of mankind?
كيفhow أصبحتyou became بالحروبthrough wars وبالظلand through oppression (continued next line)
كيف أصبحت بالحروب وبالظل
مcompletion of 'oppression' وبالرَّقand through slavery وَصمةَa stain on الإنسانhumanity
م وبالرَّق وَصمةَ الإنسان
How have you become, through wars and oppression,
Perhaps I'm powerless to answer
and through slavery, a stain upon humanity?
As my torments blaze in the flames
رّبماperhaps كنتyou were عاجزاًunable عنregarding جوابيِanswering me
رّبما كنت عاجزاً عن جوابيِ
تتلظىyou blaze فيin ضاحكlaughing النيرانthe flames
تتلظى في ضاحك النيران
Perhaps you are unable to answer me,
The wails of a abased people
burning in the laughing flames.
Know best the miracles of time
غلاسائلthen let me ask (uncertain reading) نيرونNero of شعبٍa people ذليلhumiliated
غلاسائل نيرون شعبٍ ذليل
فهوfor he أدرىknows best بُمعجزِabout the marvel of الأزمانthe ages
فهو أدرى بُمعجزِ الأزمان
Then let me ask the Nero of a humiliated people,
for he knows best the marvel of the ages.
Partial English translation: 30 of 32 Arabic lines translated.