صوتٌ بأرض القدس مشتعل الصدى

صوتٌ بأرض القدس مشتعل الصدى

كادت له الأكباد أن تتوقّدَا

كادت له الأكباد أن تتوقّدَا

A voice in the land of Jerusalem, its echo aflame,

A voice in the land of Jerusalem, its echo blazing,

At which the livers almost burst into flame.

The livers almost set aflame for it,

لمّا تأوّهَ صارخًا بين الورى

لمّا تأوّهَ صارخًا بين الورى

أسيان يرزمُ تحت نيران العدا

أسيان يرزمُ تحت نيران العدا

When it groaned, crying out among humankind,

When it moaned, crying among all mankind,

Grief-stricken, moaning beneath the enemies' fire,

The tyranny of the enemies under the fires of hostility.

جزع المسيح له ولولا طهرهُ

جزع المسيح له ولولا طهرهُ

ما مدّ للرحمات كفًّا أو يَدا

ما مدّ للرحمات كفًّا أو يَدا

Christ was anguished for it; but for his purity,

Christ grieved for it, and were it not for his purity,

He would not have stretched out a palm or hand in mercy.

He would not have extended a palm or hand in mercy.

رُهبانهُ في الغرب منبع حكمةٍ

رُهبانهُ في الغرب منبع حكمةٍ

ما غلّفت يوماً لِمُلتَمِسِ الهُدى

ما غلّفت يوماً لِمُلتَمِسِ الهُدى

His monks in the West are a wellspring of wisdom,

Its monks in the West are a spring of wisdom,

Never veiled from a seeker of guidance.

Which never once enveloped the seeker of guidance.

رشفوا منَ الإنجيل فيضَ رشادهِ

رشفوا منَ الإنجيل فيضَ رشادهِ

وتخشّعوا حول الهياكل سجّدا

وتخشّعوا حول الهياكل سجّدا

They sipped from the Gospel the flood of its guidance,

They sipped from the Gospel the outpouring of its guidance,

And humbled themselves around the sanctuaries in prostration.

And humbled themselves around the churches, bowing down.

وشدوْا بملحمةِ السلام ورنّمُوا

وشدوْا بملحمةِ السلام ورنّمُوا

مزمورَهُ للكونِ خلاّبَ الصدى

مزمورَهُ للكونِ خلاّبَ الصدى

And sang the epic of peace, and chanted

And they upheld the epic of peace and sang its anthem

Its psalm to the universe, with enchanting echoes.

As a melody to the universe, heartening in its echo.

لكنّ شعبَهُمُ أثارَ عجاجةً

لكنّ شعبَهُمُ أثارَ عجاجةً

في الشرقِ طافِحةً بأهوال الرّدى

في الشرقِ طافِحةً بأهوال الرّدى

But their people stirred up a dust storm

But their people provoked a clamor

In the East, overflowing with the terrors of death.

In the East, overflowing with the evils of havoc.

فإذا التعاليم التي هتفوا بها

فإذا التعاليم التي هتفوا بها

من سورةِ الأطماعِ قد ضاعت سُدى

من سورةِ الأطماعِ قد ضاعت سُدى

And behold, the teachings they proclaimed

So those teachings they proclaimed

Through the fury of greed had been lost in vain.

Were lost in vain from the chapter of greed.

وإذا بلحن السلم بين شفاههم

وإذا بلحن السلم بين شفاههم

عصفت به شهواتُهُمْ فتبدّدَا

عصفت به شهواتُهُمْ فتبدّدَا

And behold, the melody of peace upon their lips—

And the tune of peace on their lips

Their lusts swept through it, and it scattered away.

Was blown away by their desires and scattered.

تخذوا الرصاص شريعةً قُدسيّةً

تخذوا الرصاص شريعةً قُدسيّةً

وقذائف الأرواح نهجاً مُرشدا

وقذائف الأرواح نهجاً مُرشدا

They made bullets a sacred law,

They took bullets as sacred law

And soul-shattering shells a guiding path.

And the shells of souls as guiding principles.

لم يرهبوا التاريخ في استعمارهم

لم يرهبوا التاريخ في استعمارهم

أنّى سَطَوْا وَكَزُوهُ أروعَ سيِّدا

أنّى سَطَوْا وَكَزُوهُ أروعَ سيِّدا

They did not fear history as they colonized;

They did not fear history in their colonization,

Wherever they ravaged, they punched it—the most awe-inspiring master.

However much they tyrannized it - the most splendid Master!

لطموهُ في القدس المُحرّم لطمةً

لطموهُ في القدس المُحرّم لطمةً

كادت لها الأجبالُ أن تتهدّدا

كادت لها الأجبالُ أن تتهدّدا

They dealt it a slap in inviolable Jerusalem

They slapped it in sacred Jerusalem a slap,

At which the mountains nearly crumbled.

The mountains almost collapsed from it.

مهدُ الشرائع من قديمٍ مالهُ

مهدُ الشرائع من قديمٍ مالهُ

أضحى لأحرار البريّة موقدا

أضحى لأحرار البريّة موقدا

The ancient cradle of sacred laws—what has become of it,

The cradle of laws since ancient times -

That it is now a furnace for the free people of the world?

It became for the free of the deserts a firebrand.

في كل مرتبع بهِ وحنيّةٍ

في كل مرتبع بهِ وحنيّةٍ

تلقى صريعاً في التراب ممدّدا

تلقى صريعاً في التراب ممدّدا

In every spring meadow there and every alcove,

In every one of its squares and alleys

You find one slain, stretched out in the dust.

One finds a martyr fallen dead in the dust.

هانت على البطل المجاهد نفسهُ

هانت على البطل المجاهد نفسهُ

فسعى لحوض الموت يطلب موردا

فسعى لحوض الموت يطلب موردا

The warrior hero held his own life cheap,

The valiant mujahid deemed his own soul paltry

So he hastened to death's pool, seeking a watering place.

And so hastened to the basin of death seeking its spring.

ألقى إلى اللهب المسعر روحهُ

ألقى إلى اللهب المسعر روحهُ

وكذا يكون الحر في يوم الفدا

وكذا يكون الحر في يوم الفدا

He cast his soul into the blazing flame,

He surrendered his soul to the raging flames,

And such is the free man on the day of sacrifice.

And thus is the free man on the day of redemption.

اللهَ في وطن النبوة نال من

اللهَ في وطن النبوة نال من

شرهِ الطغاة اليوم حظًّا أنكدا

شرهِ الطغاة اليوم حظًّا أنكدا

For God's sake—the homeland of prophecy has received from

God in the land of prophesy - from the evil

The tyrants' greed a most bitter share today.

Of today's tyrants - gained a most bitter fortune.

الفتنة الشعواء هاجت قلبهُ

الفتنة الشعواء هاجت قلبهُ

لم تبقِ فيه كنيسةً أو مسجدا

لم تبقِ فيه كنيسةً أو مسجدا

Savage strife convulsed its heart,

The raging sedition inflamed His heart;

Leaving neither church nor mosque within it.

No church or mosque remained in it.

شرعت من الرق البغيض سلاحها

شرعت من الرق البغيض سلاحها

تتفزع الأقدار إما جردا

تتفزع الأقدار إما جردا

It raised its weapon of hateful bondage,

It unleashed its despicable weapon of slavery,

The fates take fright whenever it is unsheathed.

Horrifying the fates whether shackled or loosed.

صرخ الضعيف شكاية من هولها

صرخ الضعيف شكاية من هولها

فمحى اللهيب صراخه فتشرّدا

فمحى اللهيب صراخه فتشرّدا

The weak man cried in complaint at its terror,

The weak cried out complaining of its horror,

So the blaze erased his cry, and he wandered homeless.

But the blaze erased his scream and it wandered.

فتخاله والصدر ينفث ناره

فتخاله والصدر ينفث ناره

من كل زافرةٍ تريق الأكبدا

من كل زافرةٍ تريق الأكبدا

You would think him, as his breast breathes out its fire,

So imagine him, as his chest breathes its fire

With every sigh that spills the livers,

From every breath that drips his liver.

حملا يد الجزار دقت عمره

حملا يد الجزار دقت عمره

فقضى بصرخته على حدّ المدى

فقضى بصرخته على حدّ المدى

A lamb whose life the butcher's hand has crushed;

Once the butcher's hand settled his life's span,

And he died with his scream upon the knives' edge.

He fulfilled his scream to the furthest extent.

محنٌ مرزّئةٌ وموتٌ عاصفٌ

محنٌ مرزّئةٌ وموتٌ عاصفٌ

لم يبق شيخا في الحمى أو أمردا

لم يبق شيخا في الحمى أو أمردا

Devastating ordeals, and death sweeping like a storm,

A disgraced affliction and raging death -

Left neither old man nor beardless youth in the homeland.

No elder remains in the fever or youth.

يا ربَّ وادٍ في الصباح منضّرٍ

يا ربَّ وادٍ في الصباح منضّرٍ

غيسانَ باكرهُ السنا فتأوّدا

غيسانَ باكرهُ السنا فتأوّدا

Ah, many a valley, verdant in the morning,

O Lord of a valley verdant in the morn,

Luxuriant, greeted early by radiance, it swayed.

Whose early buds the rain nourished and ripened!

لما دهتهُ الحادثات ضُحيّةً

لما دهتهُ الحادثات ضُحيّةً

وسرى دخان الموت أقتم أربدا

وسرى دخان الموت أقتم أربدا

When calamities assailed it in the forenoon,

When events made it a victim,

And death's smoke crept in, dusky and ashen,

And the smoke of death, darkest and coldest, spread,

نفضتخمائلهُ شبيبة عمرها

نفضتخمائلهُ شبيبة عمرها

وتصاوحت فغدت محيلا أجردا

وتصاوحت فغدت محيلا أجردا

Its thickets shook off the youth of their life,

Its youthful prime shook off its trinkets,

And withered, becoming barren and bare.

And dispersed, becoming completely bare.

ما ذنبها؟ ما ذنب صيدها الذي

ما ذنبها؟ ما ذنب صيدها الذي

قد كان يسجع في الظلائل منشدا

قد كان يسجع في الظلائل منشدا

What was their sin? What was the sin of their wildlife, which

What was their crime? What was the crime of their game

Had once cooed in the shaded bowers, singing?

Who dwelt whistling in the shades reciting verse?

خُنقت مزاهرهُ وماتَ نشيدهُ

خُنقت مزاهرهُ وماتَ نشيدهُ

ونأى عن الوطن الحبيب وأفردا

ونأى عن الوطن الحبيب وأفردا

Its lutes were strangled, and its song died,

Their blossoms were choked and their tunes died out,

And it strayed far from the beloved homeland, left alone.

Shunning the beloved homeland to wander alone.

لولا هياج الحر ديس مهادهُ

لولا هياج الحر ديس مهادهُ

لثوى بجنته وظلّ مغرّدا

لثوى بجنته وظلّ مغرّدا

But for the free one's rage at his trampled resting place,

Had the zeal of the free not stirred his resting place,

He would have stayed in his paradise, singing on.

He would have dwelled in his paradise singing joyfully!

يا يوم بلفورٍ وشؤمُك خالدٌ

يا يوم بلفورٍ وشؤمُك خالدٌ

ما ضرّ لو أخلفتَ هذا الموعدا

ما ضرّ لو أخلفتَ هذا الموعدا

O day of Balfour, your ill omen everlasting,

O day of Balfour and your enduring ill-fortune!

What harm would there have been had you broken this promise?

Would that you had missed this promised time!

عاهدت أعزال الجسوم سلاحهم

عاهدت أعزال الجسوم سلاحهم

ما كان إلا الحقُّ صاح مقيّدا

ما كان إلا الحقُّ صاح مقيّدا

You made a pact with unarmed bodies, whose weapon

You entrusted the weaponless with their weapons -

Was nothing but justice, which cried out in chains.

Nothing but the truth cried out, fettered.

وتركتهم رهنَ المطامع تبتغي

وتركتهم رهنَ المطامع تبتغي

منهم على حرٍّ المواطنِ أعبُدا

منهم على حرٍّ المواطنِ أعبُدا

And left them hostage to greed, seeking

And you left them prey to greedy ambitions

Slaves from among them in their free homelands.

Seeking from them the most enslaved of citizens.

ثاروا بأرض الله ثورة عاجزٍ

ثاروا بأرض الله ثورة عاجزٍ

سمع القوي شكاتَهُ فتوعّدا

سمع القوي شكاتَهُ فتوعّدا

They rose in God's land with a powerless man's revolt;

They rose up in God's land, the uprising of the helpless,

The strong heard his complaint and uttered threats.

The strong heard their complaints and threatened.

هاجوا على الأصفاد هيجةَ ناسكٍ

هاجوا على الأصفاد هيجةَ ناسكٍ

زحمتهُ آثام الصبا فتمرّدا

زحمتهُ آثام الصبا فتمرّدا

They raged against their fetters with an ascetic's fury,

They stormed over the shackles, the fervor of an ascetic,

Whom the sins of youth beset, until he rebelled.

Crowded by the sins of youth, so they rebelled.

هجمت على الغار المُطهّر في الدجى

هجمت على الغار المُطهّر في الدجى

فأثار عزلتهُ وهاج المعبدا

فأثار عزلتهُ وهاج المعبدا

They assailed the hallowed cave in the darkness,

They attacked the sacred cave in the night,

Disturbing his solitude and convulsing the sanctuary.

Inciting its isolation as the sanctuary blazed.

ضجّوا على نابُلسَ حتى كاد من

ضجّوا على نابُلسَ حتى كاد من

صخب الأسى والحزن أن يتنهّدا

صخب الأسى والحزن أن يتنهّدا

They clamored over Nablus, until it nearly, from

They clamored over Nablus until, from the tumult

The din of anguish and sorrow, heaved a sigh.

Of agony and grief, it almost collapsed.

عجباً يكاد الصخر يدمع رحمةً

عجباً يكاد الصخر يدمع رحمةً

لهمُ وقلبُ الآدميّ تصلدا

لهمُ وقلبُ الآدميّ تصلدا

How strange! The rock almost sheds tears of compassion

Strangely, the boulder nearly weeps in mercy for them,

For them, while the human heart has hardened.

While the human heart is hardened!

ومعالم الإسلام بين ربوعهمُ

ومعالم الإسلام بين ربوعهمُ

كادت تزمجر لهفةً وتوجّدا

كادت تزمجر لهفةً وتوجّدا

And the landmarks of Islam among their dwellings

And the features of Islam in their midst

Almost roared in longing and anguish.

Nearly roared in yearning and blazed up.

بسطت إلى قدم النزيل رحابها

بسطت إلى قدم النزيل رحابها

فبغى على قسماتها وتهدّدا

فبغى على قسماتها وتهدّدا

They spread their spacious courts beneath the guest's feet,

It extended to the foreigner's feet its expanses,

Then he violated their features and uttered threats.

But he detested its dispensations and threatened.

وهو الذي لولا نعيم ظلالها

وهو الذي لولا نعيم ظلالها

لمضى على كنف الوجود مشرّدا

لمضى على كنف الوجود مشرّدا

And he was the one who, but for the bliss of their shade,

He who, were it not for the bliss of its shade,

Would have roamed homeless on the margins of existence.

Would have spent his existence wandering destitute!

والشرق ويح الشرق نام أسودهُ

والشرق ويح الشرق نام أسودهُ

عن ثائرٍ في القدس ضجّ وأرعدا

عن ثائرٍ في القدس ضجّ وأرعدا

And the East—woe to the East! Its lions slept,

And the East - oh the East! - its lions slept

Heedless of a rebel in Jerusalem who cried out and thundered.

While one in Jerusalem roared and thundered!

شلّت عزائمهم ونام جهادهم

شلّت عزائمهم ونام جهادهم

وتصرّعوا في كل مهدٍ هُجّدا!

وتصرّعوا في كل مهدٍ هُجّدا!

Their resolves were paralyzed, and their struggle slept,

Their resolves were paralyzed and their jihad slept,

And they lay sprawled in every cradle, fast asleep!

And they were strewn dead in every cradle!