يا إخوتي وأحبّتي

يا إخوتي وأحبّتي

من كلّ ذي أدب وشيمه

من كلّ ذي أدب وشيمه

O my brothers and my loved ones,

O my brothers and loved ones

from among all who possess refinement and character,

All people of manners and virtues

أين الوفا ورسومه

أين الوفا ورسومه

من كلّ ذي سمة كريمة

من كلّ ذي سمة كريمة

where are faithfulness and its traces

Where is loyalty and its customs

among all those of noble bearing?

From all people of noble traits

أين السخا أين الذما

أين السخا أين الذما

م لكل ملتمس ذميمه

م لكل ملتمس ذميمه

Where is generosity? Where is the bond of honor?

Where is generosity, where is blame

Disgrace is every petitioner's lot.

For every seeker of his flaws

يا حسرتي وتأسّفي

يا حسرتي وتأسّفي

صارت عزيزتنا هزيمه

صارت عزيزتنا هزيمه

Oh, my sorrow and regret!

Oh my sorrow and regret

Our honored one has become vanquished.

Our dear one has become defeated

كنا نذمّ زماننا

كنا نذمّ زماننا

ونرى مذّمته غنيمه

ونرى مذّمته غنيمه

We used to blame our age,

We used to blame our time

and count reviling it a gain,

And see blaming it as gain

ونقول يأتي بعد ذا

ونقول يأتي بعد ذا

زمن سجيّته سليمه

زمن سجيّته سليمه

and say, “After this will come

And say after this will come

an age whose nature is sound.”

A time of sound nature

صرنا نقول وقد أتى

صرنا نقول وقد أتى

زمن نوائبه عظيمه

زمن نوائبه عظيمه

Now we say, since there has come

We have come to say, and it has come

an age whose calamities are great:

A time of great calamities

يا ليت قد بقي الزمان

يا ليت قد بقي الزمان

على سجّيته القديمه

على سجّيته القديمه

“Oh, if only time had remained

I wish time had remained

true to its former nature!”

In its old nature