خَلِّ استافيسكي ومَن مِن بَعدِه ظَهَروا

خَلِّ استافيسكي ومَن مِن بَعدِه ظَهَروا

وخَلِّ زوجتَه في السِّجنِ تَنتَظِرُ

وخَلِّ زوجتَه في السِّجنِ تَنتَظِرُ

Leave aside Stavisky and those who appeared after him,

Leave Dreyfus and those who appeared after him

And leave his wife waiting in prison.

And leave his wife in prison waiting

وخلِّ ما قد بَدا من هَولِ قِصَّتِه

وخلِّ ما قد بَدا من هَولِ قِصَّتِه

وما سيَبدو وما منها سَيَستَتِرُ

وما سيَبدو وما منها سَيَستَتِرُ

And leave aside what has emerged of the horror of his story,

And leave the horror of his story

And what will emerge, and what of it will remain concealed.

That has appeared and will appear and what will remain hidden

ومَن يَوَدُّ انتِحاراً مثلَ سالِفِه

ومَن يَوَدُّ انتِحاراً مثلَ سالِفِه

لكن لِحزمِ رجالٍ ليس يَنتَحِرُ

لكن لِحزمِ رجالٍ ليس يَنتَحِرُ

And whoever longs for suicide like his predecessor,

And whoever wishes to commit suicide like his predecessor

Yet, owing to men's resolve, does not commit suicide.

But men of resolve do not commit suicide

هيهاتَ يُفلِحُ جانٍ وهو في بَلَدٍ

هيهاتَ يُفلِحُ جانٍ وهو في بَلَدٍ

رِجالُه عن جُناةِ الإِثمِ قد سَهِروا

رِجالُه عن جُناةِ الإِثمِ قد سَهِروا

No criminal can prosper while he is in a land

Alas! A traitor will not succeed in a country

Whose men have kept watch against the perpetrators of sin.

Whose men stayed up watching the perpetrators of sin

واترُك ظَواهِرها واترُك بَواطِنَها

واترُك ظَواهِرها واترُك بَواطِنَها

واستَجلِ أسرارَ ما تُهدي لَكَ العِبَرُ

واستَجلِ أسرارَ ما تُهدي لَكَ العِبَرُ

And leave aside its outward aspects, and leave aside its hidden aspects,

And leave its façades and leave its interiors

And uncover the secrets of what the lessons offer you.

And seek out the secrets that lessons provide you

فَلِلأمانةِ أهلٌ يَفخَرون بها

فَلِلأمانةِ أهلٌ يَفخَرون بها

ولِلخِيانةِ أقوامٌ بها افتَخروا

ولِلخِيانةِ أقوامٌ بها افتَخروا

For integrity has its people, who take pride in it,

For honesty there are people who take pride in it

And treachery has its people, who have taken pride in it.

And for treachery there are people who took pride in it

قد كانَ جونسون ومِلتون تِب وشِبهُهما

قد كانَ جونسون ومِلتون تِب وشِبهُهما

أُسطورةً أبدعَت في نَسجِها الفِكرُ

أُسطورةً أبدعَت في نَسجِها الفِكرُ

Johnson and Milton Tib, and their like, had been

Johnson and Milton were legends

A legend in whose weaving thought excelled.

That thought wove into a myth

فجاء مِن بَعدِهم موضوعُ قِصَّتِنا

فجاء مِن بَعدِهم موضوعُ قِصَّتِنا

وصدَّقَ السَّمع في أعمالِه البصَرُ

وصدَّقَ السَّمع في أعمالِه البصَرُ

Then, after them, came the subject of our story,

Then after them came the subject of our story

And in his deeds, sight confirmed what hearing had conveyed.

And sight verified in his deeds what hearing heard

أيا مُجيباً لِمَن قد شاءَ يَنصَحُه

أيا مُجيباً لِمَن قد شاءَ يَنصَحُه

فهل أُقيمَ لهم وزنٌ وإن كثُروا

فهل أُقيمَ لهم وزنٌ وإن كثُروا

O one replying to whoever wished to advise him,

O you who answers whoever wanted to advise him

So was any weight accorded to them, however numerous they were?

Were they weighed, however numerous they were?

رأيتُهم ورَجا فُؤادي نُصرَتَهُم

رأيتُهم ورَجا فُؤادي نُصرَتَهُم

هل هُم سِوى مَن أرى ولي فَقد نَصَروا

هل هُم سِوى مَن أرى ولي فَقد نَصَروا

I saw them, and my heart hoped for their support.

I saw them and my heart hoped for their help

Are they any but those I see? And they have indeed aided me.

Are they anything but those I see? And I have lost who helped

وقد أجَاب بتَصليفٍ وعَجرَفَةٍ

وقد أجَاب بتَصليفٍ وعَجرَفَةٍ

هذي فَرَنسا ومَن راَحَ يَخدَعُها

هذي فَرَنسا ومَن راَحَ يَخدَعُها

And he replied with conceit and arrogance:

And he answered with sarcasm and arrogance

This is France, and whoever sets out to deceive her

“This is France” and whoever tried to fool it

يُخشى عليه وما قَد رامَهُ الحَذَرُ

يُخشى عليه وما قَد رامَهُ الحَذَرُ

أنتَ استافِيسكي ومَن مثلُ استافيسكي وإن

أنتَ استافِيسكي ومَن مثلُ استافيسكي وإن

Is feared for, and caution has not sought him out.

Is feared for, however much caution he took

You are Stavisky, and whoever is like Stavisky, even though

You are Dreyfus and the likes of Dreyfus, and even if

لم يَنجُ إذ أُنشِبَت في جسمِه الظُّفِرُ

لم يَنجُ إذ أُنشِبَت في جسمِه الظُّفِرُ

He did not escape when the claw was driven into his body.

You do not survive when claws are embedded in your body