أَيُّ وَحْشٍ كاسِرٍ لا يَنْثَني

أَيُّ وَحْشٍ كاسِرٍ لا يَنْثَني

أَيُّ أَفْعَى سُمُّهُ في بَدَني

أَيُّ أَفْعَى سُمُّهُ في بَدَني

What ferocious beast will not relent?

What cruel beast does not bend?

What viper has its venom in my body?

What viper's venom is in my body?

والهُتافُ المُتَعالي جَزَعًا

والهُتافُ المُتَعالي جَزَعًا

ليسَ إلّا مِنْ حَريقِ الوَطَنِ

ليسَ إلّا مِنْ حَريقِ الوَطَنِ

And the cry rising in anguish

The screaming, arrogantly, in panic

comes only from the burning of the homeland.

Is nothing but from the burning of the homeland

والضَّجِيجُ المُرُّ في حارَتِنا

والضَّجِيجُ المُرُّ في حارَتِنا

لمْ يَكُنْ إلَّا نُواحُ الحَزَنِ

لمْ يَكُنْ إلَّا نُواحُ الحَزَنِ

And the bitter din in our neighborhood

And the annoying clamor in our alley

was nothing but sorrow's wailing.

Was nothing but the wailing of sorrow

فالغَلاءُ الوَحْشُ لَيْثٌ جائِعٌ

فالغَلاءُ الوَحْشُ لَيْثٌ جائِعٌ

يَنْشُرُ الفَقْرَ بأرضِ اليَمَنِ

يَنْشُرُ الفَقْرَ بأرضِ اليَمَنِ

For the high cost of living—that beast—is a hungry lion,

So high prices, the beast, a hungry lion

spreading poverty through the land of Yemen.

Spreading poverty in the land of Yemen

ما على مَنْ ماتَ بِالجُوعِ إذا

ما على مَنْ ماتَ بِالجُوعِ إذا

لم يَجِدْ حَتَّى رُفاتَ الكَفَنِ

لم يَجِدْ حَتَّى رُفاتَ الكَفَنِ

What does it matter to one who died of hunger if

What's wrong with someone who died of hunger when

he did not find even the remnants of a shroud?

He cannot even find the shrouds of the burial

عاطلًا يَلْوي بِلا شُغلٍ ولم

عاطلًا يَلْوي بِلا شُغلٍ ولم

يَتَمَنَّ غَيرَ حُلْمِ السَّكَنِ

يَتَمَنَّ غَيرَ حُلْمِ السَّكَنِ

Jobless, he writhed without work, and did not

Unemployed, twisting without work and he wished

wish for anything but the dream of shelter.

Nothing but the dream of tranquility

كُلُّ ما يَمْلِكُهُ في عُمْرِهِ

كُلُّ ما يَمْلِكُهُ في عُمْرِهِ

حُبَّهُ الأهلَ وبُغْضَ الزَّمَنِ

حُبَّهُ الأهلَ وبُغْضَ الزَّمَنِ

All he possessed in his lifetime

All he possesses in his life

was his love for his family and hatred of the times.

Is the love of his family and hatred of fate

ماتَ مِنْ جُوعٍ، ومِنْ هَمٍّ، ومِن

ماتَ مِنْ جُوعٍ، ومِنْ هَمٍّ، ومِن

بَرْدِ كانون، وداءٍ مُزْمِنِ

بَرْدِ كانون، وداءٍ مُزْمِنِ

He died of hunger, of worry, and of

He died of hunger, and of worry, and of

the cold of Kanun, and a chronic illness,

The cold of January and chronic illness

مُثْقَلاً في لَحْدِهِ، مِيراثُهُ

مُثْقَلاً في لَحْدِهِ، مِيراثُهُ

كَشْفُ أرقامِ الدُّيونِ المُتْقَنِ

كَشْفُ أرقامِ الدُّيونِ المُتْقَنِ

weighed down in his grave; his legacy:

Burdened in his grave, his inheritance

a meticulously prepared statement of debt figures,

Is the disclosure of the meticulous debt numbers

وبَقايا مِنْ دُمُوعٍ سُكِبَتْ

وبَقايا مِنْ دُمُوعٍ سُكِبَتْ

فوقَ ثَوْبٍ أَثَرِيٍّ عَفِنِ

فوقَ ثَوْبٍ أَثَرِيٍّ عَفِنِ

and remnants of tears that were shed

And traces of tears that were shed

upon an ancient, moldy garment,

Over a rotten antique garment

وبُنَيَّاتٍ على مضجعهِ

وبُنَيَّاتٍ على مضجعهِ

قُصَّرٍ يَرْضَعْنَ ثَدْيَ المِحَنِ

قُصَّرٍ يَرْضَعْنَ ثَدْيَ المِحَنِ

and little daughters at his resting place,

And structures on his deathbed

not yet grown, suckling at the breast of tribulations.

Of shrunken ones suckling the breast of ordeal

آهِ مِنْ قَومٍ رَأَوْا مَصْرَعَهُ

آهِ مِنْ قَومٍ رَأَوْا مَصْرَعَهُ

ومَضَوْا كالضَّاحِكِ المُسْتَهْجِنِ

ومَضَوْا كالضَّاحِكِ المُسْتَهْجِنِ

Ah, those people who witnessed his death

Oh from people who saw his death

and went on like one laughing in scorn!

And went like a mocking, despicable laugher

ولَكَمْ قارون في أُمَّتِهِ

ولَكَمْ قارون في أُمَّتِهِ

ماتَ (بليونير) مَوتَ المُدْمِنِ

ماتَ (بليونير) مَوتَ المُدْمِنِ

And how many a Qarun in his nation

And how many Qaruns are in his nation

died—a billionaire—an addict's death.

Who died billionaires, died like addicts