تلغى معاهدة واخرى تعقد

والشعب يستفتي لها ويهدد

A treaty is annulled, and another is concluded;

the people are consulted about it—and threatened.

والشعب يطري للجهلة خنجرا

في صدره عما قريب يغمد

And the people polish a dagger for the ignorant,

soon to be sheathed in their own breast.

وكأن يوم الغاصبين لحقهم

ليل وهذا الليل بحر مزبد

It is as though the day of those who usurp their rights

were night, and this night a foaming sea.

اما الزعيم فما تحرك ذائداً

عن حقهم منه اللسان ولا اليد

As for the leader, nothing stirred in defense

of their rights—neither his tongue nor his hand.

كنا نؤمل ان نراه منجدا

واذا الذي هو منجد لا ينجد

We had hoped to see him come to the rescue,

and behold: he who is a helper gives no help.

كسدت تجارة كل شيء عندهم

الا النفاق فانه لا يكسد

Trade in everything has stagnated among them,

except hypocrisy, which never stagnates.

كل الذي فيهم قديم مخلق

الا العداء فانه يتجدد

Everything in them is old and worn-out,

except enmity, which keeps renewing itself.

الشعب بالقيد الثقيل مكبل

حتى يكاد اذا تحرك يقعد

The people are shackled by a heavy chain,

so that, when they stir, they almost sink down.

للبعض كوخ واطئ ولبعضهم

صرح كما شاء النعيم ممرجد

Some have a low hut, while others have

a palace, lofty and polished as luxury would wish.

هذا يضاجعه الرفاه وذاك في

سغب ينام وقد اقض المرقد

This one has comfort for a bedfellow, while that one, in

hunger, sleeps upon a bed grown rough.

لو كان فرع الدوح اخضر ناعما

لنزا عليه العندليب يغرد

If a bough of the spreading trees were green and tender,

the nightingale would leap onto it, singing.

يا نفس ايام النهوض بعيدة

ولعل ايام التحرر ابعد

O my soul, the days of rising are far away,

and perhaps the days of liberation are farther still.

وفتى اروه الموت يكشر كالحا

فاصفر منه العارض المتورد

And a youth—they showed him death, grim-faced and baring its teeth,

so his rosy cheek turned yellow.

حظروا عليه ان يقول مصرحا

فكأنه السيف الجراز المغمد

They forbade him to speak openly,

so he is like a keen-edged sword kept sheathed.

يا قوم ان الحق ابيض ناصع

كالصبح فهو بنفسه متأيد

O people, truth is dazzling white,

like dawn, for it supports itself.

انا ان فرحت فكل لون ابيض

واذا يئست فكل لون اسود

When I rejoice, every color is white,

and when I despair, every color is black.

وطلبت اسباب الغنى من بابه

فوجدت ان الباب دوني موصد

And I sought the means of wealth at its door,

and found that the door was barred against me.

لا در در الجاهلين فانهم

يرمون بالالحاد من لا يلحد

May no bounty flow for the ignorant, for they

accuse those who are not atheists of atheism.

ان كان من يبدي الحقيقة ملحداً

فليشهد الثقلان اني ملحد

If whoever reveals the truth is an atheist,

then let humans and jinn bear witness that I am an atheist.