دارO house الزعامةleadership والأَحزابand the parties كانthere was لناfor us
دار الزعامة والأَحزاب كان لنا
قضيةٌa cause فيكin you ضيَّعناwe squandered أمانيهاher hopes
قضيةٌ فيك ضيَّعنا أمانيها
O house of leadership and parties, we once had
O house of leadership and parties, we had
a cause with you—and we squandered its hopes.
a cause whose hopes we squandered within you.
هلdo (question marker) تذكرينyou remember وقدand already جاءتكِshe came to you ناشئةًyoung
هل تذكرين وقد جاءتكِ ناشئةً
غنيةَrich دونهاin her defense الأَرواحُsouls تَفْديهاsacrifice themselves for her
غنيةَ دونها الأَرواحُ تَفْديها
Do you remember when a rising generation came to you—
Do you remember when she came to you, young
rich, with souls ready to give themselves as ransom for her?
and rich, with souls sacrificing themselves in her defense,
تَوَدُّshe wishes لوif only وَجَدَتْshe found يوماًone day أخاa brother ثقةٍtrustworthiness
تَوَدُّ لو وَجَدَتْ يوماً أخا ثقةٍ
لديكِin your midst يُوسعُهاlavishes upon her برّاًkindness ويحميهاand protects her
لديكِ يُوسعُها برّاً ويحميها
She longed to find one day a brother she could trust
longing one day to find a trustworthy brother
among you, one who would aid her unstintingly with kindness and protect her.
in your midst, to lavish kindness upon her and protect her?
ماnot كانwas كفؤاًcapable عفيفَpure النفسof soul كافلُهاher guardian
ما كان كفؤاً عفيفَ النفس كافلُها
ولاnor أبيّاًunyielding حميَّfiercely protective of الأَنفhonor (literally, the nose) راعيهاher keeper
ولا أبيّاً حميَّ الأَنف راعيها
Her guardian was neither worthy nor pure of soul,
Her guardian was neither capable nor pure of soul,
nor was her keeper proud, fiercely jealous of honor.
nor was her keeper unyielding and fiercely proud.
ولاnor أفادتْshe gained سوىexcept الأحقادhatreds تُضرمهاkindle them
ولا أفادتْ سوى الأحقاد تُضرمها
فوقover البلادthe land زعاماتٌleaders وتذكيهاand stoke them
فوق البلاد زعاماتٌ وتذكيها
She gained nothing but rancors, which were kindled
Nor did she gain anything but hatreds, kindled
across the land by leaders who kept fanning them.
over the land by leaders who stoked them.
ولمand did not تبالِcare بماabout what تلقيthey cast لهاfor them حطباًas firewood
ولم تبالِ بما تلقي لها حطباً
ولاnor بأيّabout which كرامnoble الناسpeople ترميهاthey hurl into them
ولا بأيّ كرام الناس ترميها
They cared nothing what they cast upon those fires as fuel,
And they cared not what they cast as firewood for them,
nor which of the people’s noblest they hurled into them.
nor which noble people they hurled into them.
قضيةٌa cause نبذوهاthey cast her aside بعدماafter قُتِلَتْshe was killed
قضيةٌ نبذوها بعدما قُتِلَتْ
ماwhat ضرَّdid harm لوif فتحواthey opened قبراًa grave يواريهاcovers her
ما ضرَّ لو فتحوا قبراً يواريها
A cause they cast aside after it was killed—
A cause they cast aside after she was slain—
what harm, had they opened a grave to bury it?
What harm would it have done had they dug a grave to bury her?
