أقْوالُناour words دَجَلٌdeceit عَلاهُcovered it رِياءُhypocritical display
أقْوالُنا دَجَلٌ عَلاهُ رِياءُ
وفِعالُناand our deeds مَهْزولةٌemaciated عَجْفاءُgaunt
وفِعالُنا مَهْزولةٌ عَجْفاءُ
Our words are deceit overlaid with hypocrisy.
Our words are all pretense and vanity
And our deeds are emaciated, gaunt.
Our deeds are worthless and futile folly
آمالُناour hopes صَالَتcharged بِهاagainst them خيْباتُناour disappointments
آمالُنا صَالَت بِها خيْباتُنا
أحْلامُناour dreams جَالَتْswept بهاthrough them النكباءُthe crosswind
أحْلامُنا جَالَتْ بها النكباءُ
Our hopes have been assailed by our disappointments.
Our hopes met with disappointment and dismay
The crosswind has swept through our dreams.
Our dreams wandered into adversity
مُلئَwas filled الفضاءُthe expanse بسَفْسَطاتِwith the sophistries of كَلامِناour speech
مُلئَ الفضاءُ بسَفْسَطاتِ كَلامِنا
وَتَحَكَّمَتْand took control فيin أمْرِناour affairs الأهْواءُwhims
وَتَحَكَّمَتْ في أمْرِنا الأهْواءُ
The expanse was filled with the sophistries of our speech.
The air is filled with our idle prattle
And whims took control of our affairs.
Our fate controlled by random fancy
كُنّاwe were وَكَمْand how often قُلْناكِwe uttered you ياO كُنَا'we were' وَلَمْand not
كُنّا وَكَمْ قُلْناكِ يا كُنَا وَلَمْ
نَكُنِwe were الّذينَthose whom تُقِلِّهُمْbears them عَلْياءُlofty glory
نَكُنِ الّذينَ تُقِلِّهُمْ عَلْياءُ
'We were'—how often we have uttered you, O 'we were'—yet we have not
We said “be” but were not what pride esteems
been those whom glory bears aloft.
O dream-guide, leave our slumber be
ياO حَادِيَcamel-driver الأحْلامِdreams غادِرْleave خِدْرَناour secluded chamber
يا حَادِيَ الأحْلامِ غادِرْ خِدْرَنا
إنّاindeed, we are أسًىsorrow ضاقَتْgrew too narrow بِهِfor it الدَّهْناءُal-Dahna
إنّا أسًى ضاقَتْ بِهِ الدَّهْناءُ
O camel-driver of dreams, leave our secluded chamber.
Too narrow for our misery this world
We are a sorrow too vast for al-Dahna.
Truth is waning, its branches sagging low
الحَقُّtruth جَفَّdried up وهُدّلَتْand were bent low أغْصانُهُits branches
الحَقُّ جَفَّ وهُدّلَتْ أغْصانُهُ
ثوْبُthe robe of الفضيلةvirtue قدَّهُtore it الإزْراءُcontempt
ثوْبُ الفضيلة قدَّهُ الإزْراءُ
Truth has withered, and its branches have been bent low.
The robe of virtue tattered and threadbare
Contempt has torn the robe of virtue.
The heart of Arabdom beats no more
قَلْبُthe heart of العُروبَةِArabness غَابَdeparted عَنْهُfrom it خَفقُهُits heartbeat
قَلْبُ العُروبَةِ غَابَ عَنْهُ خَفقُهُ
عَيْنِthe eye of العُروبَةِArabness صَابَهاstruck it الإعْماءُblinding
عَيْنِ العُروبَةِ صَابَها الإعْماءُ
The heart of Arabness has lost its heartbeat.
Arabdom’s eyes are blinded in the dark
The eye of Arabness has been struck blind.
Caravans slowed in boredom roam
مِلَلٌcreeds وأطْيافٌand factions تَباطأslowed رَكْبُهاtheir caravan
مِلَلٌ وأطْيافٌ تَباطأ رَكْبُها
فَتَخاذَلَتْso they faltered وانْتابَهاand overtook them الإغْماءُa swoon
فَتَخاذَلَتْ وانْتابَها الإغْماءُ
Creeds and factions—their caravan has slowed.
Hesitant, overcome with gloom
So they faltered, and a swoon overtook them.
Yearning for the farthest he may rob
لَهْفيmy anguish عَلىfor أقْصًىal-Aqsa يُهَوِّدُهُJudaizes it العِداthe enemies
لَهْفي عَلى أقْصًى يُهَوِّدُهُ العِدا
والقدْسُand Jerusalem جُرْحٌa wound مَاno لَهُfor it تَأْساءُbalm
والقدْسُ جُرْحٌ مَا لَهُ تَأْساءُ
My anguish for al-Aqsa, which the enemies are Judaizing!
Jerusalem a wound without solace
And Jerusalem is a wound with no balm.
Libya pained, the Nile weeps in agony
ليبياLibya كَبَتْstumbled والنّيلُand the Nile يَبْكيweeps حُرقَةًin burning grief
ليبيا كَبَتْ والنّيلُ يَبْكي حُرقَةً
وَتَخَضَّبَتْand became stained مِنْfrom جُرْحِهاher wound الفَيْحاءُal-Fayha
وَتَخَضَّبَتْ مِنْ جُرْحِها الفَيْحاءُ
Libya has stumbled, and the Nile weeps in burning grief.
Its meadows stained with blood
And al-Fayha has been stained by her wound.
Baghdad torn apart by vultures
بَغْدادُBaghdad مَزَّقَهاtore her apart "عُلوجٌbarbarians" أسْلَفواwent before
بَغْدادُ مَزَّقَها "عُلوجٌ" أسْلَفوا
وتَلَعْثَمَتْand stammered فيin ضادِناour ḍād (Arabic) الصَّنْعاءُSana'a
وتَلَعْثَمَتْ في ضادِنا الصَّنْعاءُ
Baghdad was torn apart by 'barbarians' who went before.
Who slurred our name Al-Sana’a
And Sana'a stammered in our tongue of ḍād.
I walk the edge of Arabdom
أمْشيI walk عَلىalong حَدِّthe edge of العُروبَةِArabness واجِمًاgrim and silent
أمْشي عَلى حَدِّ العُروبَةِ واجِمًا
أنّىwherever نَظَرْتُI look فَنَكْسَةٌthen a setback وَبَلاءُand calamity
أنّى نَظَرْتُ فَنَكْسَةٌ وَبَلاءُ
I walk along the edge of Arabness, grim and silent.
Everywhere defeat and misery
Wherever I look, there is setback and calamity.
Partial English translation: 23 of 24 Arabic lines translated.