I will carry my soul سأحمل روحي على راحتي

سَأَحْمِلُ رُوحِي عَلَى رَاحَتِي * وَأُلْقِي بِهَا فِي مَهَاوِي الرَّدَى

I will carry my soul upon my palm,
And I will cast it into the abysses of destruction.

فَإِمَّا حَيَاةٌ تَسُرُّ الصَّدِيقَ * وَإِمَّا مَمَاتٌ يُغِيظُ الْعِدَى

Then either a life that brings joy to the friend,
Or a death that enrages the enemies.

وَنَفْسُ الشَّرِيفِ لَهَا غَايَتَانِ * وُرُودُ المَنَايَا وَنَيْلُ المُنَى

And the soul of the noble man has two aims,
To face death, and to attain aspirations.

وَمَا الْعَيْشُ لَا عِشْتُ إِنْ لَمْ أَكُنْ * مَخُوْفَ الجِنَابِ حَرَامَ الحِمَى

And life is not (truly) life, I have not lived it, if I am not
feared in my domain, inviolable in my home.

إِذَا قُلتُ أَصْغَى لِيَ الْعَالَمُونَ * وَدَوَّى مَقَالِيَ بَيْنَ الْوَرَى

When I speak, the world listens to me,
And my speech resounds among mankind.

لَعَمْرُكَ إِنِّي أَرَى مَصْرَعِي * وَلَكِنْ أَغُذُّ إِلَيْهِ الْخُطَى

By your life, indeed I see my death,
Yet I hasten my steps towards it.

أَرَى مَصْرَعِي دُونَ حَقِّي السَّلِيبِ * وَدُونَ بِلَادِي هُوَ المُبْتَغَى

I see my death before the loss of my rights.
And before my homeland — that is what is sought.

يَلَذُّ لِأُذْنِي سَمَاعُ الصَّلِيلِ * وَيُبْهِجُ نَفْسِي مَسِيلُ الدِّمَا

The hearing of clashing steel delights my ear,
And the flowing of blood gladdens my soul.

وَجِسْمٌ تَجَدَّلَ فِي الصَّحْصَحَانِ * تُناوِشُهُ جَارِحَاتُ الفَلَا

And a body cast down upon the open plain,
that the predatory beasts of the wilderness tear at.

فَمِنْهُ نَصِيبٌ لِأُسْدِ السَّمَاءِ * وَمِنْهُ نَصِيبٌ لِأُسْدِ الشَّرَى

So from it there is a share for the lions of the sky,
and from it there is a share for the lions of the land.

كَسا دَمُهُ الْأَرْضَ بِالْأُرْجُوَانِ * وَأَثْقَلَ بِالْعِطْرِ رِيحَ الصَّبَا

His blood clothed the earth in crimson,
And weighed down the east wind with fragrance.

وَعَفَّرَ مِنْهُ بَهِيَّ الجَبِينِ * وَلكِن عُفَارًا يَزِيدُ الْبَهَا

And his radiant forehead was dusted
Yet a dust that only increases splendour.

وَبَانَ عَلَى شَفَتَيْهِ ابْتِسَامٌ * مَعَانِيهِ هُزْءٌ بِهَذِي الدُّنَا

And there appeared upon his lips a smile,
whose meaning is mockery of this world.

وَناَمَ لِيَحْلُمَ حُلْمَ الْخُلُودِ * وَيَهْنَأَ فِيهِ بِأَحْلَى الرُّؤَى

And he slept to dream the dream of eternity,
And to delight therein in the sweetest visions.

لَعَمْرُكَ هَذَا مَمَاتُ الرِّجَالِ * وَمَنْ رَامَ مَوْتًا شَرِيفًا فَذَا

By your life, this is the death of men,
And whoever seeks a noble death, then this is it.

فَكَيفَ اصْطِبَارِي لِكَيْدِ الحَقُودِ * وَكَيفَ احْتِمَالِي لِسَومِ الْأَذَى

So how can I endure the scheming of the spiteful,
And how can I bear the infliction of harm

أَخَوْفًا وَعِندِي تَهُونُ الحَيَاةُ * وَذُلًّا وَإِنِّي لَرَبُّ الْإِبَا

Out of fear, while in my sight life is insignificant?
Or out of humiliation, when I am indeed the master of refusal?

بِقَلْبِي سَأَرْمِي وُجُوهَ الْعُدَاةِ * فَقَلْبِي حَدِيدٌ وَنَارِي لَظَى

With my heart, I will strike the faces of the enemies,
For my heart is iron, and my fire is a blazing flame.

وَأَحْمِي حِيَاضِي بِحَدِّ الحُسَامِ * فَيَعلَمَ قَوْمِيَ أَنِّي الفَتَى

And I defend my sanctuaries with the edge of the sharp sword,
so that my people may know that I am the man.

سَأَحْمِلُ رُوحِي عَلَى رَاحَتِي * وَأُلْقِي بِهَا فِي مَهَاوِي الرَّدَى

I will carry my soul upon my palm,
And I will cast it into the abysses of destruction.

فَإِمَّا حَيَاةٌ تَسُرُّ الصَّدِيقَ * وَإِمَّا مَمَاتٌ يُغِيظُ الْعِدَى

Then either a life that brings joy to the friend,
Or a death that enrages the enemies.