فيin كريمnoble المرابعthe dwelling-grounds
في كريم المرابع
وصميمand the heart of الأجارعthe sandy tracts
وصميم الأجارع
In noble dwelling-grounds,
In the cream of youth
And the heart of sandy tracts,
And prime of vigor
امةa nation منof بسالةvalor
امة من بسالة
كونتwas formed لمnot تضارعwas equaled
كونت لم تضارع
A nation made of valor
A nation of courage
Was formed, never equaled.
None can rival
تقرعit strikes الخصمthe foe بالقناwith spears
تقرع الخصم بالقنا
والظبيand sword blades انif تقارعit does battle
والظبي ان تقارع
It strikes the foe with spears,
With spears they strike the foe
And sword blades when it does battle.
With zeal they spar and vie
تصرعit fells الاسدthe lion عنوةby force
تصرع الاسد عنوة
فيin الفلاthe wilderness انif تصارعit wrestles
في الفلا ان تصارع
It fells the lion by force,
They overpower lions with might
In the wilderness, if it wrestles.
If lions dare to fight
فتيةyoung men فيin زئيرهمtheir roaring
فتية في زئيرهم
زعزعٌa gale منamong زعازعgales
زعزعٌ من زعازع
Young men whose roaring holds
Youthful in their roar
A gale among gales.
Shaking foundations with fervor
فيin حناياthe recesses of قلوبهمtheir hearts
في حنايا قلوبهم
محرقاتsearing fires الفواجعthe calamities
محرقات الفواجع
In the recesses of their hearts
In their hearts are searing
Are calamities' searing fires.
Calamities and sorrows
فيin ثناياthe folds of صدورهمtheir breasts
في ثنايا صدورهم
انةa groan فيin الاضالعthe ribs
انة في الاضالع
Within the folds of their breasts,
In their chests smoldering
A groan among their ribs.
Fire in their ribs
كلهمall of them بينbetween دامعtearful الthe (article continued on the next line)
كلهم بين دامع ال
طرفeye حزناًin sorrow وخاشعand humbled
طرف حزناً وخاشع
All of them—some with tearful
All with tearful eyes
Eyes from sorrow, others humbled.
Grief-stricken and bereaved
قدalready اضاعواthey lost شهيدهمtheir martyr
قد اضاعوا شهيدهم
فيin اللياليthe nights البواقعcalamitous
في الليالي البواقع
They have lost their martyr
They lost their martyr
In nights of calamity.
In the long nights passed
غالهtreacherously killed him منfrom عرشهمtheir throne
غاله من عرشهم
خسةbaseness فيin الطبائعthe dispositions
خسة في الطبائع
From their throne, he was treacherously slain
Dearer than their throne
By baseness of character.
Yet so loathed by nature
فاذاand when همthey تذكرواthey remembered
فاذا هم تذكروا
قتلهhis killing فيin البلاقعthe wastelands
قتله في البلاقع
And when they remembered
When they recall
His killing in the wastelands,
His death in the battlefield
واذاand when همthey تخاطرواthey gestured to one another
واذا هم تخاطروا
نحوهtoward him بالاصابعwith the fingers
نحوه بالاصابع
And when they gestured to one another
And when they gesture
Toward him with their fingers,
Towards him with their fingers
واذاand when همthey تأوهواthey groaned
واذا هم تأوهوا
للمناياfor the deaths الصوادعshattering
للمنايا الصوادع
And when they groaned
And when they moan
At deaths that shatter,
For the pitiless fate
واستثارتand stirred نفوسهمtheir souls
واستثارت نفوسهم
ذكرياتmemories المصارعthe fatal falls
ذكريات المصارع
And their souls were stirred
Their souls stirred
By memories of fatal falls,
By memories of battlefields
ودعواand they called ياO الهناour God
ودعوا يا الهنا
ماnot شهيدa martyr بضائعat all lost
ما شهيد بضائع
And they called, 'O our God,
They prayed, Oh our God
No martyr is ever lost.'
No martyr truly lost
شمتI beheld قوماًa people غطارفاًnoble men
شمت قوماً غطارفاً
هزئواthey scoffed بالطوالعat the omens
هزئوا بالطوالع
I beheld a noble people,
They gloated over a boastful people
Who scoffed at the omens.
Who mocked the fortunes
تتجافىdraw away جنوبهمtheir sides
تتجافى جنوبهم
عنfrom ذليلlowly المضاجعthe beds
عن ذليل المضاجع
Their sides draw away
Their pride turned away
From lowly beds,
From the disgraced and humiliated
وتسامىand rise نفوسهمtheir souls
وتسامى نفوسهم
عنabove دنيءbase المطامعthe ambitions
عن دنيء المطامع
And their souls rise
Their souls rose above
Above base ambitions.
The baseness of greed
ونساءand women بواهتstunned
ونساء بواهت
واكفاتstreaming المدامعthe tear ducts
واكفات المدامع
And women, stunned,
Women veiled in black
Their eyes streaming,
With tears flowing
باسماتsmiling عوابسfrowning
باسمات عوابس
شبعاتsated جوائعhungry
شبعات جوائع
Smiling, yet frowning,
Glowering faces
Sated, yet hungry,
Hunger satisfied
يتزينthey adorn themselves حسرةanguish
يتزين حسرة
واسىand sorrow فيin الاضالعthe ribs
واسى في الاضالع
Adorn themselves with anguish,
Adorned with sorrow
And sorrow within their ribs,
Grief within their ribs
وجوىand burning grief اثرهin its wake جوىburning grief
وجوى اثره جوى
لاذعsearing فيamong اللواذعthe searing pains
لاذع في اللواذع
And burning grief, with burning grief in its wake,
His memory an agonizing memory
Searing among searing pains.
Burning in their hearts
هنthey يحملنthey bear فيin الأسىsorrow
هن يحملن في الأسى
همةresolve لمnot تدافعwas repelled
همة لم تدافع
Amid sorrow they bear
They carry in their grief
A resolve never repelled.
A zeal undeterred
فيin اساهنtheir sorrow نفحةa breath
في اساهن نفحة
فيin الطيورthe birds السواجعcooing
في الطيور السواجع
In their sorrow is a breath
In their sighs a breath
That lives in cooing birds.
Of the wailing birds
انindeed ذكرىthe memory of محمدMuhammad
ان ذكرى محمد
قرنتwas joined بالفجائعwith calamities
قرنت بالفجائع
Indeed, the memory of Muhammad
The memory of Muhammad
Was joined to calamities.
Tied to calamities
انindeed ذكرىthe memory of محمدMuhammad
ان ذكرى محمد
تليتwas recited بالفجائعwith calamities
تليت بالفجائع
Indeed, the memory of Muhammad
The memory of Muhammad
Was recited with calamities.
Followed by wonders
انindeed ذكرىthe memory of محمدMuhammad
ان ذكرى محمد
تليتwas recited بالروائعwith wonders
تليت بالروائع
Indeed, the memory of Muhammad
His mother, oh what a mother
Was recited with wonders.
In the darkness of her veil
امهhis mother ياalas لامهfor his mother
امه يا لامه
فيin سوادthe blackness of البراقعthe face veils
في سواد البراقع
His mother—alas for his mother—
When she called, Muhammad
In the blackness of face veils,
Among the shining stars
حينwhen نادتshe called محمدMuhammad
حين نادت محمد
فيamong النجومthe stars السواطعshining
في النجوم السواطع
When she called to Muhammad,
Eternal in the heavens
Among the shining stars,
Cease your tears
خالدimmortal فيin سمائهhis sky
خالد في سمائه
فاكففيso cease ياO مدامعweeping eyes
فاكففي يا مدامع
Immortal in his sky—
And his sister, oh what a sister
So cease, O weeping eyes:
Lost in anguish
انهindeed he ماتhe died ميتةa death
انه مات ميتة
عذبةsweet فيto المسامعthe ears
عذبة في المسامع
Indeed, he died a death
In maddened delirium
Sweet to the ears.
None can match
واختهand his sister ياalas لاختهfor his sister
واخته يا لاخته
فيamid شتيتscattered النوازعthe impulses
في شتيت النوازع
And his sister—alas for his sister—
In her madness
Amid scattered impulses,
Like a lifeless doll
فيin جنونmadness مبرحagonizing
في جنون مبرح
ماnot لهfor it منany مضارعequal
ما له من مضارع
In agonizing madness
And poor orphaned children
That has no equal.
Between blood and tears
انهاindeed she فيin جنونهاher madness
انها في جنونها
كالدمىlike statues فيin الصوامعthe hermitages
كالدمى في الصوامع
Indeed, in her madness she is
Ah, dashed hopes
Like statues in hermitages.
And victims of atrocities
ومساكينand poor صبيةchildren
ومساكين صبية
بينbetween دامbleeding ودامعand weeping
بين دام ودامع
And poor children,
I am distraught by what I see
Some bleeding, others weeping.
Of these innovations and wonders
ايهah صرعىthose slain المطامعgreed
ايه صرعى المطامع
وضحاياand victims الفظائعthe atrocities
وضحايا الفظائع
Ah, you slain by greed,
Arabs, you were not made
And victims of atrocities,
For this complacency
هالنيappalled me ماwhat اراهI see it منof
هالني ما اراه من
بدعoddities أوor بدائعwonders
بدع أو بدائع
I am appalled by what I see:
In yearning for glory
Oddities, or wonders.
None can rival you
عربArabs طبعونsluggish (reading uncertain) لاdo not تنواfalter
عرب طبعون لا تنوا
انتمyou فيamong الودائعthe entrusted treasures
انتم في الودائع
Arabs, sluggish, do not falter!
You have been steadfast and your steadfastness
You are among the treasures held in trust.
Will bring you worthy reward
فيin امتشاقbrandishing الظبيsword blades
في امتشاق الظبي
ماnot لكمfor you منany منازعrival
ما لكم من منازع
In brandishing sword blades,
Leave fleeting pleasures
You have no rival.
To greedy souls
قدalready صبرتمyou endured وصبركمand your endurance
قد صبرتم وصبركم
لكمfor you خيرthe best شافعintercessor
لكم خير شافع
You have endured, and your endurance
And restful luxury
Is your best intercessor.
To slumbering eyes
فانبذواso cast aside لذةpleasure الدتىbase things (likely intended: الدنى)
فانبذوا لذة الدتى
للنفوسfor the souls الطوامعcovetous
للنفوس الطوامع
So leave base pleasures
Set them free like a cry
To covetous souls,
Echoing in gatherings
ودعوand leave اراحةthe repose of الكرىslumber
ودعو اراحة الكرى
للعيونfor the eyes الهواجعslumbering
للعيون الهواجع
And leave the repose of sleep
We are a people with souls
To slumbering eyes.
Like unsheathed swords
واطلقوهاand unleash it دويةًresounding
واطلقوها دويةً
صرخةa cry فيin المجامعthe assemblies
صرخة في المجامع
And unleash it, resounding—
Unweakened by collisions
A cry in the assemblies:
But clashing with the strongest
نحنwe قومa people نفوسناour souls
نحن قوم نفوسنا
كالسيوفlike swords اللوامعgleaming
كالسيوف اللوامع
'We are a people whose souls
And shout, oh our martyr
Are like gleaming swords.
You lead the advance
لمdid not يفلهاblunt them الصداrust
لم يفلها الصدا
بلrather قراعthe battering of القوارعthe calamities
بل قراع القوارع
They were not blunted by rust,
And proclaim, oh our God
But by the battering of calamities.'
No martyr is truly lost
واصرخواand cry out ياO شهيدناour martyr
واصرخوا يا شهيدنا
انتyou خيرthe best الطلائعthe vanguard
انت خير الطلائع
And cry out, 'O our martyr,
You are the best of the vanguard!'
واهتفواand call out ياO إلهناour God
واهتفوا يا إلهنا
ماnot شهيدٌa martyr بضائعat all lost
ما شهيدٌ بضائع
And call out, 'O our God,
No martyr is ever lost!'
Partial English translation: 90 of 94 Arabic lines translated.