أما عندكَ محتلٌ ؟

أما عندكَ محتلٌ ؟

فقمْ واشترِ محتلّا

فقمْ واشترِ محتلّا

Have you no occupier?

Don't you have an occupier?

Then rise and buy an occupier.

Then get up and buy an occupier

وما عندكَ من يسْطو

وما عندكَ من يسْطو

على ما زاد أو قلّا؟

على ما زاد أو قلّا؟

And have you no one who seizes

And who will dominate

whatever is plentiful or scant?

What has increased or decreased?

ومن يصطادُ أعمارا

ومن يصطادُ أعمارا

ويقفو كلَّ منْ فلّا؟

ويقفو كلَّ منْ فلّا؟

And one who hunts down lives

Who hunts lifetimes

and tracks everyone who flees?

And follows every fugitive?

ومن يلتهمُ الأرضَ

ومن يلتهمُ الأرضَ

ويسْترعيكَ ما ظلّا؟

ويسْترعيكَ ما ظلّا؟

And one who devours the land

Who devours the earth

and charges you with tending what remains?

And makes you see what was shaded?

ومن لم يروهِ الماءُ

ومن لم يروهِ الماءُ

وفي العِرْقِ يرى الحلّا؟

وفي العِرْقِ يرى الحلّا؟

And one whom water cannot quench,

Who hasn't been watered

who sees the solution in the vein?

And sees sweat in the vein?

ومن تُسدي له الشكرَ

ومن تُسدي له الشكرَ

اذا ابقى لك الظلّا؟

اذا ابقى لك الظلّا؟

And one to whom you offer thanks

And to whom will you give thanks

if he leaves you the shade?

If the shade remains for you?

ففتش عن عدوٍّ لا

ففتش عن عدوٍّ لا

يداريك إذا احتلّا

يداريك إذا احتلّا

Then seek an enemy who does not

So look for an enemy that

humor you when he occupies,

Doesn't care if occupied

ويُشقيك ويُفنيك

ويُشقيك ويُفنيك

إذا ما شأنه جلّا

إذا ما شأنه جلّا

who makes you suffer and destroys you

And makes you miserable and destroys you

when his standing grows great,

If its affair has matured

ويُشفيك من الداء

ويُشفيك من الداء

الذي بالبيت قد حلّا

الذي بالبيت قد حلّا

and cures you of the sickness

And cures you of the disease

that has settled in the house.

That has settled in the house

وما الداء سوى الحمق

وما الداء سوى الحمق

إذا ما حرَّ واستعلى

إذا ما حرَّ واستعلى

And the sickness is nothing but folly,

And the disease is nothing but stupidity

when it burns hot and gains ascendancy.

When it boils and rises high

أليس الحمقُ من أودى

أليس الحمقُ من أودى

بغَضٍّ أشبهَ الفلّا

بغَضٍّ أشبهَ الفلّا

Was it not folly that brought death

Isn't stupidity that which destroyed

to a tender youth resembling jasmine?

Hatred most resembling chaff?

أليس الحمقُ من أردى

أليس الحمقُ من أردى

أمان العمرِ فاعتلّا

أمان العمرِ فاعتلّا

Was it not folly that laid low

Isn't stupidity that which demolished

life's security, leaving it ailing,

The lifetime’s security so it limped?

ومن في عهدهِ استجدى

ومن في عهدهِ استجدى

أصيلُ النبعة البغْلا

أصيلُ النبعة البغْلا

and under whose reign

And who in his era sought

one of noble stock begged alms from a mule?

The prime of the mule and mixed breed

أما عزّ به الزعرا

أما عزّ به الزعرا

ن والأستاذ قد ذُلّا؟

ن والأستاذ قد ذُلّا؟

Did not the thugs gain honor through it,

Were not the weak empowered by him

while the teacher was brought low?

And the most learned rendered ignorant?

وجاع العلمُ واستعطى

وجاع العلمُ واستعطى

العليمُ الأعلمُ الجهلا؟

العليمُ الأعلمُ الجهلا؟

And learning starved, while alms were sought

Was Palestine not assassinated

by the learned one—the most learned—from ignorance?

When he took over?

أما أغتيلت فلسطين

أما أغتيلت فلسطين

وشُقّت عندما استولى؟

وشُقّت عندما استولى؟

Was Palestine not assassinated

And haven’t you lived in the days

and torn apart when it seized control?

Of plague and quills?

أما جاورتَ في أيّا

أما جاورتَ في أيّا

مه الطاعونَ والسّلّا؟

مه الطاعونَ والسّلّا؟

Did you not, in its days, live beside

And when asking the mirror

the plague and consumption,

For advice, did it not show an old man?

ومرآةً إذ استفتيْ

ومرآةً إذ استفتيْ

تها غرّا أرتْ كهْلا؟

تها غرّا أرتْ كهْلا؟

and a mirror that, when you consulted

Have you not slipped on embers

it as a guileless youth, showed you an old man?

With no retreat the next month?

أما زلْت على الجمرِ

أما زلْت على الجمرِ

وعُقب الشهر ما ولّى؟

وعُقب الشهر ما ولّى؟

Are you not still upon the embers,

So why patience and concealment?

and the month's end has yet to pass?

Get up and buy an occupier

ففيم الصبر والكتما

ففيم الصبر والكتما

ن؟ قمْ واشترِ محتلّا

ن؟ قمْ واشترِ محتلّا

Then why patience and silence?

For the markets have been filled with them

Rise and buy an occupier.

And supply has decreased

فقد عجّت به الأسوا

فقد عجّت به الأسوا

قُ والإقبالُ قد قلّا

قُ والإقبالُ قد قلّا

For the markets teem with occupiers,

And the station of the Arabs has become

while demand has dwindled.

Today of higher cost

وموْق العُرْبِ بات اليو

وموْق العُرْبِ بات اليو

م ذا تكلفةٍ أعلى

م ذا تكلفةٍ أعلى

And the Arabs' folly has today become

And more severe if occupied

a thing of greater cost.

The direction of prayer collects the diaspora

وفي حرّ من احتلّا

وفي حرّ من احتلّا

تلمُّ القِبلةُ الشّملا

تلمُّ القِبلةُ الشّملا

And in the heat of the occupier,

And the soul does not surrender

the qibla gathers the scattered together;

And the sword remains sharpened

ولا تستسلمُ الروح

ولا تستسلمُ الروح

ويبقى السيفُ مُستلّا

ويبقى السيفُ مُستلّا

and the soul does not surrender,

And ignorance is not consulted

and the sword remains unsheathed.

And knowledge builds what has collapsed

ولا يُستنصحُ الجهلُ

ولا يُستنصحُ الجهلُ

ويَبني العلمُ ما ثُلّا

ويَبني العلمُ ما ثُلّا

And ignorance is not asked for counsel,

And wisdom dictates the verdict

and knowledge rebuilds what was demolished.

And stupidity withdraws addled

وتملي الحكمة الحكم

وتملي الحكمة الحكم

ويجلو الحمقُ منسلّا

ويجلو الحمقُ منسلّا

And wisdom dictates judgment,

And our voice of truth rises high

and folly departs, slinking away.

So the hero passes wounded

ويعلو صوتُنا الحقّ

ويعلو صوتُنا الحقّ

فيمضي البطْلُ مُنشلّا

فيمضي البطْلُ مُنشلّا

And our voice of truth rises,

And the best speech is that which said little

so falsehood departs, crippled.

And the best few are those that indicated

وخير القول ما قلّا

وخير القول ما قلّا

وخير القُلِّ ما دلّا

وخير القُلِّ ما دلّا

And the best speech is brief,

and the best brief speech conveys meaning.