حاشَيتُ غَيري وَنَفسي ما أُحاشيها

حاشَيتُ غَيري وَنَفسي ما أُحاشيها

خَشيَّتُها وَحَليفُ اللُبِّ خاشيها

خَشيَّتُها وَحَليفُ اللُبِّ خاشيها

I have spared others, but my own soul I do not spare.

I blamed others while myself I did not blame,

I feared it, and reason’s ally fears it.

Fearing it while the heart's ally was fearing it.

وَاِستَجهَلَتني رِجالٌ لَم تَزَل جُهلاً

وَاِستَجهَلَتني رِجالٌ لَم تَزَل جُهلاً

إِنَّ الأَوابِيَ هاجَتها عَواشيها

إِنَّ الأَوابِيَ هاجَتها عَواشيها

And men who have never ceased being ignorant have called me ignorant.

And I was considered ignorant by men who have never ceased being ignorant,

Indeed, reluctant camels were roused by their night-grazing fellows.

The calamities have surely stirred them up and their landmarks.

أَما العِراقُ فَعَمَّت أَرضَهُ فِتَنٌ

أَما العِراقُ فَعَمَّت أَرضَهُ فِتَنٌ

مِثلُ القِيامَةِ غَشَتها غَواشيها

مِثلُ القِيامَةِ غَشَتها غَواشيها

As for Iraq, tumults have swept across its land,

As for Iraq, seditions have spread over its land,

like the Resurrection, whose engulfing terrors have shrouded it.

Like the Resurrection, covering it and its surroundings.

وَالشامُ أَصلَحُ إِلّا أَنَّ هامَتَهُ

وَالشامُ أَصلَحُ إِلّا أَنَّ هامَتَهُ

فُضَّت وَأَسرى عَلى النيرانِ عاشيها

فُضَّت وَأَسرى عَلى النيرانِ عاشيها

And Syria is better off, except that its head

And Syria is the most proper, except that its protector

has been shattered, and the fire-seeker has journeyed over the flames by night.

Is weakened and the prisoners are living on firewood.

وَالقَومُ يَردونَ مَن لاقَوا بِأَردِيَةٍ

وَالقَومُ يَردونَ مَن لاقَوا بِأَردِيَةٍ

أَعلامُها الدَمُ لَم تُكفَف حَواشيها

أَعلامُها الدَمُ لَم تُكفَف حَواشيها

And the people cloak whomever they meet in garments

And the people repel whoever they meet with spears

whose stripes are blood, whose edges remain unhemmed:

Whose standards are blood; its margins are not restrained.

ذَواتُ قَرٍّ يَظُنّوا دارِجاتِ قِرىً

ذَواتُ قَرٍّ يَظُنّوا دارِجاتِ قِرىً

مَضَت عَلَيها وَلَم تَقفُل مَواشيها

مَضَت عَلَيها وَلَم تَقفُل مَواشيها

chill-bearing cloaks they take for villages long vanished,

Those who have settlements think they are visiting settlements

whose herds passed through them and never returned.

Which have gone and their livestock enclosures are not locked.

أَنَسَتكَ هِنداً سُيوفُ الهِندِ ماحِيَةً

أَنَسَتكَ هِنداً سُيوفُ الهِندِ ماحِيَةً

ما قالَ عاذِلُها أَو قالَ واشيها

ما قالَ عاذِلُها أَو قالَ واشيها

The swords of India made you forget Hind, effacing

The swords of India have made you forget India,

what her reproacher said, or what her slanderer said.

Neither its critic spoke nor its praiser.

وَلِلزَمانِ عَلى أَبنائِهِ أَبَداً

وَلِلزَمانِ عَلى أَبنائِهِ أَبَداً

حُكومَةٌ لا يَرُدُّ الحُكمَ راشيها

حُكومَةٌ لا يَرُدُّ الحُكمَ راشيها

And Time forever has over its children

And time has eternally over its children

a jurisdiction whose verdict its briber cannot overturn.

An authority which does not refuse the judgment of its executor.