إيطاليا قيل قالت

إيطاليا قيل قالت

إفريقيا من حقوقي

إفريقيا من حقوقي

Italy, it is said, declared:

Italy, they say, said

"Africa is mine by right.

my rights from Africa

لكن قد اقتسموها

لكن قد اقتسموها

وأشرقوني بريقي

وأشرقوني بريقي

But they have already divided it among themselves,

but they divided it

And made me choke on my own saliva.

and illuminated me with my own radiance

فالبعض عند الأعادي

فالبعض عند الأعادي

والبعض عند الصديق

والبعض عند الصديق

So part is in the hands of enemies,

so some are with enemies

And part in the hands of a friend,

and some are with friends

حتى تبقّث بلاد

حتى تبقّث بلاد

مطروحة في طريقي

مطروحة في طريقي

Until some lands remained,

until countries remain

Left lying in my path.

cast aside on my path

فما أنا غير شمس

فما أنا غير شمس

قد آذنت بالشروق

قد آذنت بالشروق

For I am nothing but a sun

for I am but a sun

That has heralded its rising.

that has heralded the dawn

فان يقولوا اغتباطا

فان يقولوا اغتباطا

ما ليتي في ضيق

ما ليتي في ضيق

And if they say with glee

so if they say in delight

That my finances are in straits,

"I wish I were in dire straits"

فلي بواخر بحر

فلي بواخر بحر

أسطولها في بروق

أسطولها في بروق

Yet I have seagoing steamships,

I have ships on the sea

Their fleet amid flashes of lightning.

with fleets in flashes of light

كانيف قائد جيشي

كانيف قائد جيشي

أكرم به من فريق

أكرم به من فريق

Kanif is the commander of my army—

like Cannef, leader of my army

What a noble general he is!

who honored me from his group

مستبسل ذو دهاء

مستبسل ذو دهاء

ما مثله في فروق

ما مثله في فروق

Dauntless, possessed of cunning,

steadfast and clever

He has no equal among generals."

none like him in excellence

فماله اليوم أضحى

فماله اليوم أضحى

كالبالع المخنوق

كالبالع المخنوق

Then why has he today become

yet today he has become

Like someone choking as he swallows?

like one choked and suffocated

في رفعة واشتهار

في رفعة واشتهار

تراه كالمشنوق

تراه كالمشنوق

High in rank and renown,

in glory and fame

You see him like a hanged man.

you see him as if hanged

سلطانه منه أضحى

سلطانه منه أضحى

كالذاهل المصعوق

كالذاهل المصعوق

His sovereign, because of him, has become

his sultanate over him is now

Like one dazed and thunderstruck,

like one stunned and shaken

مذ خيب الظن فيه

مذ خيب الظن فيه

تعسا له من رفيق

تعسا له من رفيق

Since he dashed the hopes placed in him.

since he lost faith in it

Woe to him as a companion!

woe to him from a friend

إذ كان فيها غريقا

إذ كان فيها غريقا

مستمسكا بغريق

مستمسكا بغريق

For he was drowning in it,

he was in it drowning

Clinging to another drowning man.

clinging to flotsam

تنتابه صعقات

تنتابه صعقات

بزفرة وشهيق

بزفرة وشهيق

Shocks assail him,

shock overtakes him

With a sigh and a gasp;

with gasps and sobs

وجيشه في انخذال

وجيشه في انخذال

وفي دمار حقيقي

وفي دمار حقيقي

And his army is routed,

and his army in retreat

And truly devastated.

and in real ruin

فما استطاعوا نزالا

فما استطاعوا نزالا

مع كثرة المنجنيق

مع كثرة المنجنيق

So they could not engage in battle,

they were unable to fight

Despite the abundance of catapults.

despite abundant catapults

فيهم يقال اقتباسا

فيهم يقال اقتباسا

ذوقوا عذاب الحريق

ذوقوا عذاب الحريق

Of them it is said, in quotation:

it is said of them in borrowing

"Taste the torment of the burning fire!"

"they tasted the torment of the blaze"