منfrom أينwhere جدّarose اليومtoday هذاthis الخصامthe quarrel
من أين جدّ اليوم هذا الخصام
ياO أممnations الغربthe West نقضتyou broke الذمامthe pledged trust
يا أمم الغرب نقضت الذمام
From where did this quarrel arise today?
From whence came this quarrel today
O nations of the West, you have broken faith.
O nations of the West, you tore up the bonds
كناwe had استعدناwe regained عهدan age الصفاharmony
كنا استعدنا عهد الصفا
فلمbut did not يدمendure أمسyesterday ولاnor العهدthe age دامْlasted
فلم يدم أمس ولا العهد دامْ
We had regained an age of harmony,
We were ready for the era of harmony
but yesterday did not endure, nor did that age last.
But yesterday did not last, nor did the covenant remain
كناwe had نسيناwe forgot ماwhat جرىhappened بينناbetween us
كنا نسينا ما جرى بيننا
وكادand nearly يبدوappeared فيin الجراحthe wounds التيامْhealing
وكاد يبدو في الجراح التيامْ
We had forgotten what had happened between us,
We had forgotten what had passed between us
and healing nearly appeared in the wounds.
And healing seemed to appear in the wounds
واستُجمعتand were united فيin الصفوharmony اهواؤناour inclinations
واستُجمعت في الصفو اهواؤنا
وعادتand returned الوصلةthe bond بعدafter انصرامْseverance
وعادت الوصلة بعد انصرامْ
And our inclinations were united in harmony,
And our desires were brought together in accord
and the bond returned after severance.
And the bond returned after divergence
أريتناyou showed us فيin الودّaffection معنىthe meaning الجفاestrangement
أريتنا في الودّ معنى الجفا
وجئتناand you came to us بالحربwith war تحتunder السلامpeace
وجئتنا بالحرب تحت السلام
In affection, you showed us the meaning of estrangement,
You showed us the meaning of betrayal in affection
and you came to us with war under cover of peace.
And you came to us with war under peace
إختلفdiffered التسليمthe greeting ماwhat is بينناbetween us
إختلف التسليم ما بيننا
يدa hand تحيىgreets ويدand a hand فيon الحسامthe sword
يد تحيى ويد في الحسام
Our greetings to each other differed:
The greeting differed between us
one hand salutes, and another rests on the sword.
One hand waves while the other grips the sword
لاdo not تبسميsmile منfrom بعدafter هذاthis لناat us
لا تبسمي من بعد هذا لنا
قدindeed غرّناdeceived us فيماin what مضىpassed الابتسامsmiling
قد غرّنا فيما مضى الابتسام
Do not smile at us after this;
Do not smile at us again after this
indeed, smiling deceived us in the past.
Your smiles had deceived us in the past
وأمّةand a nation ماdid not اشبهتresemble أمّةa nation
وأمّة ما اشبهت أمّة
تفردتset itself apart بالغدرthrough treachery بينamong الأنامhumankind
تفردت بالغدر بين الأنام
And a nation unlike any other nation
And a nation that resembled a nation
has set itself apart by treachery among humankind.
Singled out for betrayal amongst the peoples
تسومناit subjects us to الضيمoppression بلاwithout علةcause
تسومنا الضيم بلا علة
ياO بنتdaughter روماRome إنناindeed we لنwill not نضامwe are oppressed
يا بنت روما إننا لن نضام
It subjects us to oppression without cause.
You impose injustice on us without cause
O daughter of Rome, we shall not be oppressed.
O daughter of Rome, we will not acquiesce
هذيthese قلوبhearts لاdo not تهابfear الحمامdeath
هذي قلوب لا تهاب الحمام
هذيthese صدورbreasts لاdo not تباليcare about الصدامthe clash
هذي صدور لا تبالي الصدام
These are hearts that do not fear death.
So ignite between land and sky
These are breasts untroubled by the clash.
A fire to melt away that discord
فاضرميso kindle بينbetween الثرىthe earth والسماand the sky
فاضرمي بين الثرى والسما
ناراًa fire تلجthey will enter ماwhat lies بينamid ذاكthat الضرامthe blaze
ناراً تلج ما بين ذاك الضرام
So kindle between earth and sky
Can the mother of black evil be appeased?
a fire—they will plunge into that blaze.
While the lion stands before her?
هلcan ...? تُستبىbe taken captive أمّthe mother أسودlions الشرىShara
هل تُستبى أمّ أسود الشرى
والأسدُand the lions ماwhat is بينbetween يديهاher two hands قيامstanding
والأسدُ ما بين يديها قيام
Can the mother of Shara's lions be taken captive,
Or will that sanctuary be violated today
while the lions stand before her?
While warriors like Tughrul lay asleep in it?
أمor يستباحbe violated اليومtoday ذاكthat الحمىthe protected land
أم يستباح اليوم ذاك الحمى
وفيهand within it أمثالthe likes of طغوردTaghurd نيامْasleep
وفيه أمثال طغورد نيامْ
Or can that protected land be violated today,
Or have our soldiers become like a flock of ostriches
while the likes of Taghurd lie asleep within it?
Or have the Arabs become like threads of fleece?
أمor جندناour troops أضحواthey have become كسربlike a herd المهاthe oryx
أم جندنا أضحوا كسرب المها
أمor أصبحbecame العُربthe Arabs كخيطlike a string النعامthe ostriches
أم أصبح العُرب كخيط النعام
Or have our troops become like a herd of oryx,
Wait, do not take a step forward
or have the Arabs become like a string of ostriches?
That would choke the noses despite the dust
مهلاًwait فلاso do not تستقدمنْadvance at all خطوةa step
مهلاً فلا تستقدمنْ خطوة
قدmay يرغمforce into dust الآنافnoses هذاthis الرغامthe dust
قد يرغم الآناف هذا الرغام
Wait—do not advance a step;
O Lord, some sorrows originate from passion
this dust may bring noses to the ground.
And some monumental anguish from love
ياah رُبَّmany a همٍّsorrow أصلهُits root منfrom هيامinfatuation
يا رُبَّ همٍّ أصلهُ من هيام
ورُبَّand many a غرمloss فادحcrushing منfrom غرامpassionate love
ورُبَّ غرم فادح من غرام
Ah, many a sorrow has its root in infatuation,
The moth burns in its fire
and many a crushing loss comes from passionate love.
And I have filled the cup to the brim with wine
يشويscorches الفراشthe moths النورُthe light فيin نارهits fire
يشوي الفراش النورُ في ناره
وقدand may تميتkill الكاسthe cup صبّthe lover المدامwine
وقد تميت الكاس صبّ المدام
Light scorches the moths in its fire,
These destinies are unknown
and the cup may kill the lover of wine.
And the universe does not remain orderly
وهذهand these الأقدارthe fates مجهولةunknown
وهذه الأقدار مجهولة
والكونand the universe لاnot يبقىendures عليهupon it انتظامorder
والكون لا يبقى عليه انتظام
And these fates are unknown,
The fleet will not reach the multitude
and no order endures in the universe.
Of their fleet in the spinning vortex
ماwhat يبلغachieves الأسطولthe fleet منagainst معشرa people
ما يبلغ الأسطول من معشر
أسطولهمtheir fleet فيon البرشمland; lofty الأكامthe hills
أسطولهم في البرشم الأكام
What can the fleet achieve against a people
A steadfast, firm, impregnable flagship
whose fleet on land is the lofty hills—
Its side cannot be coveted
منيفةtowering ثابتةsteadfast صلبةsolid
منيفة ثابتة صلبة
منيعةimpregnable جانبهاtheir flank لاnot يرامcan be reached
منيعة جانبها لا يرام
towering, steadfast, solid,
It makes the peaks of birds swoop beneath it
impregnable, their flank beyond reach?
And makes the clouds curl away from its ascent
تهويfall عواليhigh-flying ones الطيرthe birds منfrom دونهاbelow them
تهوي عوالي الطير من دونها
وينثنيand turns back عنfrom مرتقاهاtheir heights الغمامthe clouds
وينثني عن مرتقاها الغمام
High-flying birds fall short of them,
O flag flutter, O drums roar
and clouds turn back from their heights.
And O lions advance forward!
ياO علَمُflag اخفقflutter ياO طبولdrums ارعديthunder
يا علَمُ اخفق يا طبول ارعدي
وياand O أسودlions استقدميadvance للأمامto the front
ويا أسود استقدمي للأمام
O flag, flutter! O drums, thunder!
By God, we will not leave it to the enemy
And, O lions, advance to the front!
To trample those bones with their feet
واللهby God لاnot نتركهاwe leave her للعداto the foes
والله لا نتركها للعدا
تدوسtrample بالأرجلwith feet تلكthose العظامthe bones
تدوس بالأرجل تلك العظام
By God, we shall not leave her to the foe,
Until its land is saturated with blood
to trample those bones underfoot,
And its dunes disappear into gravel
حتىuntil تروّىis drenched إرضهاher soil منwith دمٍblood
حتى تروّى إرضها من دمٍ
وتختفيand vanish بطاحهاher plains فيin الرمامdecaying remains
وتختفي بطاحها في الرمام
until her soil is drenched in blood,
And the hyenas become crimson
and her plains vanish beneath decaying remains,
And its horizons darken into gloom
وتصبحand becomes الدأماءthe sea فيin حمرةredness
وتصبح الدأماء في حمرة
وتغتديand become آفاقُهاher horizons فيin ظلامdarkness
وتغتدي آفاقُها في ظلام
and the sea turns red,
Then no critic can blame us
and her horizons turn dark.
For awakening evil and incurring blame
فلاso let not يلمناblame us بعدهاafter that لائمa blamer
فلا يلمنا بعدها لائم
منwhoever أيقظawakened الشرّevil عليهupon him الملامthe blame
من أيقظ الشرّ عليه الملام
Then let no one blame us afterward;
Tripoli called out to her sons
whoever awakened evil bears the blame.
I am at your service, O noble ones!
صاحتcalled out طرابلسTripoli بأبنائهاto her sons
صاحت طرابلس بأبنائها
لبّيكat your service أمّاهO mother دعوتyou called الكرامthe noble
لبّيك أمّاه دعوت الكرام
Tripoli called out to her sons:
We answer your call, Mother; you have summoned the noble.
Partial English translation: 52 of 54 Arabic lines translated.