Sunday, January 30, 2011

To the Tyrants of the World
To the Tyrants of the World
إلى طغاة العالم

Hey you, the unfair tyrants…

Hey you, despotic tyrant,
الا ايها الظالم المستبد
You the lovers of the darkness…
You the enemies of life…
Darkness lover and enemy of life,
حبيب الظلام عدو الحياه
You’ve made fun of innocent people’s wounds;
You scoffed at powerless people's groans;
سخرت بأنات شعب ضعيف
and your palm covered with their blood
And your hands are tainted with their blood.
و كفك مخضوبة من دماه
You kept walking while you were deforming the charm of existence
You embarked on empoisoning the allure of existence
و سرت تشوه سحر الوجود
 and growing seeds of sadness in their land
and sowing prickles of grief in its horizons.
++++
و تبذر شوك الاسى في رباه

Wait, don’t let the spring,
You will see! Don’t be deceived by spring time,
رويدك لا يخدعك الربيع
the clearness of the sky and the shine of the morning light fool you…
Shining sky and morning light
و صحو الفضاء و ضوء الصباح
Because the darkness, the thunder rumble and the blowing of the wind are coming toward you from the horizon
For in the wide horizon lurk darkness fright,
Thunder Rumble and stormy winds.
ففي الافق الرحب هول الظلام و قصف الرعود و عصف الرياح

Beware because there is a fire underneath the ash
Woe betide you for flames are underneath ashes.
حذار فتحت الرماد اللهيب
Who grows thorns will reap wounds
Who grows prickles reaps wounds.
++++
و من يبذر الشوك يجن الجراح

You’ve taken off heads of people and the flowers of hope;
Have a look there… where you cut off
The people's heads and the flowers of hope;
تأمل هنالك انى حصدت رؤوس الورى و زهور الأمل
and watered the cure of the sand with blood and tears until it was drunk
You imbibed the heart of the earth with blood
And made it drunk with tears.
و رويت بالدم قلب التراب اشربته الدمع حتى ثمل
The blood’s river will sweep you away
The flood, of blood, will wipe you away,
سيجرفك سيل الدماء
and you will be burned by the fiery storm.

and the flaring gale will eat you up.

و يأكلك العاصف المشتعل
(Abou-Al-kacem Echebbi, Imed's translation)

أبو القاسم الشابي


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