أَيُّهاO المُصلِحونَreformers ضاقَhas grown straitened بِناfor us العَيـlivelihood (first part)
أَيُّها المُصلِحونَ ضاقَ بِنا العَيـ
ـشُlivelihood (completion) وَلَمand did not تُحسِنواyou perform well عَلَيهِover it القِياماmanagement
ـشُ وَلَم تُحسِنوا عَلَيهِ القِياما
O reformers, life has grown strait for us—
O reformers, life has grown hard for us,
and you have failed to manage it well.
and you have failed to manage it well.
عَزَّتِhas grown dear السِلعَةُthe commodity الذَليلَةُthe lowly حَتّىuntil
عَزَّتِ السِلعَةُ الذَليلَةُ حَتّى
باتَhas become مَسحُpolishing الحِذاءِthe shoe خَطباًan affair جُساماgrave
باتَ مَسحُ الحِذاءِ خَطباً جُساما
Even the lowliest commodity has become so dear
The humblest commodity has grown dear, until
that polishing a shoe is now a grave affair.
polishing a shoe has become a grave affair.
وَغَداand has become القوتُfood فيin يَدِthe hand of الناسِthe people كَالياlike a ruby (first part)
وَغَدا القوتُ في يَدِ الناسِ كَاليا
قوتِruby (completion) حَتّىuntil نَوىhe resolved الفَقيرُthe poor man الصِياماfasting
قوتِ حَتّى نَوى الفَقيرُ الصِياما
Sustenance in people's hands has become like a
And food in people's hands has become like a ruby,
ruby, until the poor man resolves to fast.
until the poor man resolves to fast.
يَقطَعُhe passes اليَومَthe day طاوِياًhungry وَلَدَيهِand to him
يَقطَعُ اليَومَ طاوِياً وَلَدَيهِ
دونَbelow ريحِthe smell of القُتارِroasting-meat fumes ريحُthe scent of الخُزامىlavender
دونَ ريحِ القُتارِ ريحُ الخُزامى
He passes the day hungry, with nothing before him
He passes the day hungry, and to him
but lavender's scent instead of the smoke of cooking.
lavender's scent ranks below the smell of roasting meat.
وَيَخالُand he imagines الرَغيفَthe loaf فيin البُعدِthe distance بَدراًa full moon
وَيَخالُ الرَغيفَ في البُعدِ بَدراً
وَيَظُنُّand he thinks اللُحومَmeat صَيداًgame حَراماforbidden
وَيَظُنُّ اللُحومَ صَيداً حَراما
From afar he imagines the loaf a full moon,
And he fancies the distant loaf a full moon,
and supposes meat to be forbidden game.
and deems meat forbidden game.
إِنif أَصابَhe obtains الرَغيفَthe loaf مِنfrom بَعدِafter كَدٍّhard toil
إِن أَصابَ الرَغيفَ مِن بَعدِ كَدٍّ
صاحَhe cries مَنwho ليfor me بِأَنby ensuring that أُصيبَI obtain الإِداماfood eaten with bread
صاحَ مَن لي بِأَن أُصيبَ الإِداما
If after hard toil he secures a loaf,
If he obtains a loaf after hard toil,
he cries, “Who will get me a relish to go with it?”
he cries, "Who can help me get something to eat with it?"
أَيُّهاO المُصلِحونَreformers أَصلَحتُمُyou have reformed الأَرthe land (first part)
أَيُّها المُصلِحونَ أَصلَحتُمُ الأَر
ضَthe land (completion) وَبِتُّمand you spent the night عَنِregarding النُفوسِthe souls نِياماasleep
ضَ وَبِتُّم عَنِ النُفوسِ نِياما
O reformers, you have set the earth aright,
O reformers, you have reformed the land,
then gone to sleep, oblivious to its souls.
yet slept, heedless of people's souls.
أَصلِحواrestore أَنفُساًsouls أَضَرَّhas done harm بِهاto them الفَقـpoverty (first part)
أَصلِحوا أَنفُساً أَضَرَّ بِها الفَقـ
ـرُpoverty (completion) وَأَحياand has revived بِمَوتِهاthrough their death الآثاماsins
ـرُ وَأَحيا بِمَوتِها الآثاما
Reform souls ravaged by poverty—
Restore souls that poverty has harmed,
by killing them, it has brought sins to life.
and through whose death it has brought sins to life.
لَيسَnot فيwithin طَوقِهاtheir capacity الرَحيلُdeparture وَلاnor الجِدearnest effort (first part)
لَيسَ في طَوقِها الرَحيلُ وَلا الجِد
دُearnest effort (completion) وَلاnor أَنto تُواصِلَthey continue الإِقداماbold action
دُ وَلا أَن تُواصِلَ الإِقداما
Neither departure nor earnest striving lies in their power,
They have no power to leave or strive,
nor can they keep pressing onward.
nor to keep venturing forward.
تُؤثِرُthey prefer المَوتَdeath فيon رُباthe hills of النيلِthe Nile جوعاًfrom hunger
تُؤثِرُ المَوتَ في رُبا النيلِ جوعاً
وَتَرىand they regard العارَdisgrace أَنto تَعافَthey spurn المَقاماresidence
وَتَرى العارَ أَن تَعافَ المَقاما
They prefer to die of hunger on the Nile's green heights,
They prefer death by hunger on the Nile's hills,
and deem it shameful to forsake their home.
and deem it shameful to spurn their dwelling-place.
وَرِجالُand the men of الشَآمِal-Sham فيon كُرَةِthe globe of الأَرthe earth (first part)
وَرِجالُ الشَآمِ في كُرَةِ الأَر
ضِthe earth (completion) يُبارونَthey vie with فيin المَسيرِtravel الغَماماthe clouds
ضِ يُبارونَ في المَسيرِ الغَماما
While the men of the Levant, across the globe,
And the men of al-Sham, across the globe,
race the clouds in their journeying.
vie with the clouds in their journeys.
رَكِبواthey sailed البَحرَthe sea جاوَزواthey crossed القُطبَthe pole فاتواthey passed beyond
رَكِبوا البَحرَ جاوَزوا القُطبَ فاتوا
مَوقِعَthe station of النَيِّرَينِthe two luminaries (sun and moon) خاضواthey plunged into الظَلاماdarkness
مَوقِعَ النَيِّرَينِ خاضوا الظَلاما
They sail the sea, cross the Pole, and pass beyond
They sailed the sea, crossed the pole, went beyond
the station of sun and moon, plunging through darkness.
the station of sun and moon, and plunged into darkness.
يَمتَطونَthey ride الخُطوبَhardships فيin طَلَبِpursuit of العَيـlivelihood (first part)
يَمتَطونَ الخُطوبَ في طَلَبِ العَيـ
ـشِlivelihood (completion) وَيَبرونَand they sharpen لِلنِضالِfor the struggle السِهاماarrows
ـشِ وَيَبرونَ لِلنِضالِ السِهاما
They mount perils in pursuit of a living,
They ride hardships in pursuit of a livelihood,
and sharpen arrows for the struggle.
and sharpen arrows for the struggle.
وَبَنوand the sons of مِصرَEgypt فيin حِمىthe sanctuary of النيلِthe Nile صَرعىstricken
وَبَنو مِصرَ في حِمى النيلِ صَرعى
يَرقُبونَthey await القَضاءَfate عاماًa year فَعاماthen another year
يَرقُبونَ القَضاءَ عاماً فَعاما
Yet Egypt's sons lie fallen in the Nile's domain,
And Egypt's sons lie stricken in the Nile's sanctuary,
watching for fate, year after year.
awaiting fate year after year.
أَيُّهاO النيلُNile كَيفَhow نُمسيwe reach evening عِطاشاًthirsty
أَيُّها النيلُ كَيفَ نُمسي عِطاشاً
فيin بِلادٍlands رَوَّيتَyou gave drink فيهاin them الأَناماhumankind
في بِلادٍ رَوَّيتَ فيها الأَناما
O Nile, how can we reach evening thirsty
O Nile, how do we reach evening thirsty
in a land where you have quenched all humankind?
in lands where you have quenched everyone's thirst?
يَرِدُhe comes to drink الواغِلُthe intruder الغَريبُthe foreigner فَيَروىand so drinks his fill
يَرِدُ الواغِلُ الغَريبُ فَيَروى
وَبَنوكَand your sons الكِرامُthe noble تَشكوthey complain of الأَواماburning thirst
وَبَنوكَ الكِرامُ تَشكو الأَواما
The foreign newcomer arrives and drinks his fill,
The foreign interloper comes to drink and has his fill,
while your noble sons complain of burning thirst.
while your noble sons complain of burning thirst.
إِنَّindeed لينَgentleness الطِباعِof temperament أَورَثَناhas bequeathed us الذُلـhumiliation (first part)
إِنَّ لينَ الطِباعِ أَورَثَنا الذُلـ
ـلَhumiliation (completion) وَأَغرىand has emboldened بِناagainst us الجُناةَthe wrongdoers الطِغاماthe vile
ـلَ وَأَغرى بِنا الجُناةَ الطِغاما
Our mildness of nature has bequeathed us humiliation
Indeed, gentleness of temperament has bequeathed us humiliation,
and emboldened vile offenders against us.
and emboldened vile wrongdoers against us.
إِنَّindeed طيبَpleasantness المُناخِof the climate جَرَّhas brought عَلَيناupon us
إِنَّ طيبَ المُناخِ جَرَّ عَلَينا
فيin سَبيلِthe path of الحَياةِlife ذاكَthat الزِحاماcrowding
في سَبيلِ الحَياةِ ذاكَ الزِحاما
Our pleasant climate has brought upon us,
Indeed, the pleasant climate has brought upon us
along life's road, that press of crowds.
that crowding along life's path.
أَيُّهاO المُصلِحونَreformers رِفقاًgentleness بِقَومٍtoward a people
أَيُّها المُصلِحونَ رِفقاً بِقَومٍ
قَيَّدَhas shackled العَجزُhelplessness شَيخَهُمtheir old man وَالغُلاماand the youth
قَيَّدَ العَجزُ شَيخَهُم وَالغُلاما
O reformers, deal gently with a people
O reformers, be gentle with a people
whose helplessness has fettered old man and boy alike.
whose old and young are shackled by helplessness.
وَأَغيثواand rescue مِنَfrom الغَلاءِhigh prices نُفوساًsouls
وَأَغيثوا مِنَ الغَلاءِ نُفوساً
قَدindeed تَمَنَّتthey have wished مَعَamid الغَلاءِhigh prices الحِماماdeath
قَد تَمَنَّت مَعَ الغَلاءِ الحِماما
Rescue souls from soaring prices—
And from high prices rescue souls
souls that, amid soaring prices, have wished for death.
that, amid high prices, have wished for death.
أَوشَكَتthey nearly تَأكُلُeat الهَبيدَcolocynth seeds مِنَfrom الفَقـpoverty (first part)
أَوشَكَت تَأكُلُ الهَبيدَ مِنَ الفَقـ
ـرِpoverty (completion) وَكادَتand they nearly تَذودُdrive away عَنهُfrom it النِعاماthe ostriches
ـرِ وَكادَت تَذودُ عَنهُ النِعاما
Poverty has nearly driven them to eat habīd—meal made from processed bitter-colocynth seed—
They are close to eating colocynth seeds because of poverty,
and nearly driven the ostriches away from it.
and close to driving ostriches away from them.
فَأَعيدواso restore لَناto us المُكوسَthe levies فَإِنّاfor we
فَأَعيدوا لَنا المُكوسَ فَإِنّا
قَدindeed رَأَيناwe have found المُكوسَthe levies أَرخىlooser زِماماa rein
قَد رَأَينا المُكوسَ أَرخى زِماما
Then give us back the levies, for we
So restore the levies to us, for we
have found the levies a looser rein.
have found the levies to hold a looser rein.
ضاقَhas narrowed فيin مِصرَEgypt قِسمُناour share فَاِعذُروناso forgive us
ضاقَ في مِصرَ قِسمُنا فَاِعذُرونا
إِنif حَسَدناwe envy عَلىfor الجَلاءِdeparture الشَآماal-Sham
إِن حَسَدنا عَلى الجَلاءِ الشَآما
Our allotted lot in Egypt has grown strait; forgive us
Our share in Egypt has shrunk, so forgive us
if we envy the Levant its exodus.
if we envy the people of al-Sham their departure.
قَدindeed شَقيناwe have suffered وَنَحنُwhile we كَرَّمَناhas honored us اللَـGod (first part)
قَد شَقينا وَنَحنُ كَرَّمَنا اللَـ
ـهُGod (completion) بِعَصرٍwith an age يُكَرِّمُit honors الأَنعاماlivestock
ـهُ بِعَصرٍ يُكَرِّمُ الأَنعاما
We have suffered, though God has honored us,
We have suffered, though God has honored us
in an age that heaps honor upon livestock.
with an age that honors livestock.
