لَيْلِي طَوِيلٌ وَهَلْ تُرَاهُ يُشْقِينِي

لَيْلِي طَوِيلٌ وَهَلْ تُرَاهُ يُشْقِينِي

وَاللَّيْلُ يُشْقِي وَمَا حُرٌّ بِمَغْبُونِ

وَاللَّيْلُ يُشْقِي وَمَا حُرٌّ بِمَغْبُونِ

My night is long; do you think it makes me miserable?

My long night, does it make me suffer?

And night brings misery, yet no free man is cheated.

The night makes me suffer, though the free are not to be wronged.

إِذَا ظَنَنْتُ سَوَادَ اللَّيْلِ مُحْتَضَرًا

إِذَا ظَنَنْتُ سَوَادَ اللَّيْلِ مُحْتَضَرًا

إِذَا بِهِ فِي الصِّبَا يُدْمِي وَيُضْنِينِي

إِذَا بِهِ فِي الصِّبَا يُدْمِي وَيُضْنِينِي

Whenever I thought the night's darkness was dying,

When I thought the night's darkness was dying,

there it was in its youth, drawing blood and wearing me down.

at dawn it lights up and oppresses me.

أَيْقَنْتُ أَنَّ لِلَيْلِي آخِرًا وَدَنَى

أَيْقَنْتُ أَنَّ لِلَيْلِي آخِرًا وَدَنَى

وَهَلْ تُرَى أَنْتَهِي أَوْ يَنْتَهِي دُونِي؟

وَهَلْ تُرَى أَنْتَهِي أَوْ يَنْتَهِي دُونِي؟

I was certain my night had an end, and it drew near;

I was certain my night would end and draw near,

and will I end, do you think, or will it end before I do?

Will it finish or will it end without me?

أُسَامُ مُنْذُ سِنِينَ الْقَهْرَ لَمْ أَهُنِ

أُسَامُ مُنْذُ سِنِينَ الْقَهْرَ لَمْ أَهُنِ

وَبِئْسَ قَهْرًا لِحُرٍّ عَيْشُ مَسْجُونِ

وَبِئْسَ قَهْرًا لِحُرٍّ عَيْشُ مَسْجُونِ

For years I have been subjected to oppression, yet I have not faltered.

I have endured years of oppression but did not waver,

And how wretched an oppression for a free man is a prisoner's life!

How wretched for the free to live imprisoned!

كَأَنَّنِي سَابِحٌ فِي الْبَحْرِ مُجْتَهِدًا

كَأَنَّنِي سَابِحٌ فِي الْبَحْرِ مُجْتَهِدًا

وَمَا لَهُ شَاطِئٌ هَلْ ذَاكَ يَثْنِينِي

وَمَا لَهُ شَاطِئٌ هَلْ ذَاكَ يَثْنِينِي

I am like a swimmer in the sea, striving hard,

It is as if I'm swimming in the sea, striving,

and it has no shore—does that deter me?

With no shore - would that make me stop?

إِنْ يَظْهَرِ الشَّاطِئُ الْمَامُولُ أَسْتَرِحِ

إِنْ يَظْهَرِ الشَّاطِئُ الْمَامُولُ أَسْتَرِحِ

وَإِنْ حُرِمْتُ سَأَمْضِي، الْعَزْمُ يُغْنِينِي

وَإِنْ حُرِمْتُ سَأَمْضِي، الْعَزْمُ يُغْنِينِي

If the hoped-for shore appears, I shall rest;

If the hoped-for shore appears, I will rest,

and if I am denied it, I shall press on; resolve is enough for me.

And if I'm deprived, my resolve will sustain me.

نَفْسِي تُحَدِّثُنِي: أَسْوِا بِأَنْ يَقَعَ الْـ

نَفْسِي تُحَدِّثُنِي: أَسْوِا بِأَنْ يَقَعَ الْـ

ـأَحْرَارُ فِي قَبْضَةِ الطُّغْيَانِ وَالْهُونِ

ـأَحْرَارُ فِي قَبْضَةِ الطُّغْيَانِ وَالْهُونِ

My soul speaks to me in sorrow at the fall of the

My soul tells me: it's worse if the free

free men into the grip of tyranny and humiliation.

Fall into the grip of tyranny and humiliation.

الأُسْدُ فِي الأَسْرِ وَالْكِلابُ عَاتِيَةٌ

الأُسْدُ فِي الأَسْرِ وَالْكِلابُ عَاتِيَةٌ

وَاللَّيْلُ يَغْشَى وَذِي الأَهْوَالُ تُدْمِينِي

وَاللَّيْلُ يَغْشَى وَذِي الأَهْوَالُ تُدْمِينِي

The lions are in captivity, while the dogs run rampant,

The lion is in chains and the dogs are vicious,

and night falls, and these horrors make me bleed.

While the night descends and terrors oppress me.

يَا نَفْسُ لاتَحْزَنِي لَوْ عِشْتُ مُعْتَصِمًا

يَا نَفْسُ لاتَحْزَنِي لَوْ عِشْتُ مُعْتَصِمًا

بِالْحَقِّ هَلْ بَعْدَ ذَا الآلامُ تَعْنِينِي؟!

بِالْحَقِّ هَلْ بَعْدَ ذَا الآلامُ تَعْنِينِي؟!

O my soul, do not grieve; if I live holding fast

My soul, do not grieve, even if I live steadfast

to the truth, can pain matter to me after that?

In truth, after this suffering, can anything hurt me?!

فِي الأَسْرِ أَحْيَا أُزَلْزِلُ الطُّغَاةَ وَهَلْ

فِي الأَسْرِ أَحْيَا أُزَلْزِلُ الطُّغَاةَ وَهَلْ

يَسُوءُنِي الأَسْرُ؟ إِنَّ الأَسْرَ لِلدِّينِ

يَسُوءُنِي الأَسْرُ؟ إِنَّ الأَسْرَ لِلدِّينِ

In captivity I live, shaking the tyrants—and can

In chains I live and shake the tyrants - and does

captivity distress me? Indeed, this captivity is for the faith.

Captivity harm me? Captivity is for the faith.

مَا دَامَ قَلْبِي طَلِيقًا مَا بِهِ حَزَنٌ

مَا دَامَ قَلْبِي طَلِيقًا مَا بِهِ حَزَنٌ

وَالْجِسْمُ إِنْ يَاسِرُوهُ الْقَلْبُ يَحْمِينِي

وَالْجِسْمُ إِنْ يَاسِرُوهُ الْقَلْبُ يَحْمِينِي

As long as my heart remains free, no sorrow is in it,

As long as my heart is free and has no sorrow,

and if they imprison my body, my heart protects me.

And if they shackle my body, my heart will protect me.

إِنْ مَزَّقُوا جَسَدِي فَالْقَلْبُ لَمْ يَهُنِ

إِنْ مَزَّقُوا جَسَدِي فَالْقَلْبُ لَمْ يَهُنِ

لَهُ رَجَاءٌ بِأَجْرٍ غَيْرِ مَمْنُونِ

لَهُ رَجَاءٌ بِأَجْرٍ غَيْرِ مَمْنُونِ

If they tear my body apart, my heart will not falter;

If they tear my body apart, my heart will not break,

it hopes for a reward that never ends.

It has hope of a reward that will not be denied.

أَمَا تَرَيْنَ الطُّغَاةَ مَا لَهُمْ حِيَلٌ

أَمَا تَرَيْنَ الطُّغَاةَ مَا لَهُمْ حِيَلٌ

وَذَا الثَّبَاتُ كَنَهْرٍ دَامَ يَرْوِينِي

وَذَا الثَّبَاتُ كَنَهْرٍ دَامَ يَرْوِينِي

Do you not see that the tyrants have no stratagems?

Do you not see the tyrants have no stratagems,

And this steadfastness is like a river that keeps quenching my thirst.

While my resolve is like a river that flows on, sustaining me?

فَهُمْ يَرَاعٌ تَهِبُّ الرِّيحُ تَكْسِرُهُ

فَهُمْ يَرَاعٌ تَهِبُّ الرِّيحُ تَكْسِرُهُ

وَإِنَّنِي جَبَلٌ مَا الرِّيحُ تُؤْذِينِي

وَإِنَّنِي جَبَلٌ مَا الرِّيحُ تُؤْذِينِي

For they are reeds: the wind blows and breaks them,

They are like sheep scattered by the wind that breaks them,

while I am a mountain; the wind does not harm me.

While I am a mountain, no wind can harm me.

فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكِ اللَّيْلُ الْبَهِيمُ فَلَنْ

فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكِ اللَّيْلُ الْبَهِيمُ فَلَنْ

أَرْضَى بِنَفْسٍ إِذَا الآلامُ تُرْدِينِي

أَرْضَى بِنَفْسٍ إِذَا الآلامُ تُرْدِينِي

So do not let the pitch-black night deceive you, for I will not

So do not let the beastly night deceive you, I will not

be content with myself if pains bring me to ruin.

Be pleased with a soul if suffering destroys me.

وَأَنْتَ يَا لَيْلُ مَا زِلْنَا نَسِيرُ مَعًا

وَأَنْتَ يَا لَيْلُ مَا زِلْنَا نَسِيرُ مَعًا

آلَيْتُ أَنِّي سأَبْقَى غَيْرَ مَحْزُونِ

آلَيْتُ أَنِّي سأَبْقَى غَيْرَ مَحْزُونِ

And you, O night—we still travel together;

And you, O night, we have journeyed together always,

I have sworn that I will remain without sorrow.

I have decided I will remain ungrieved.

حُرًّا سَأَبْقَى أُعِزُّ دَعْوَتِي وَإِذَا

حُرًّا سَأَبْقَى أُعِزُّ دَعْوَتِي وَإِذَا

مَا مِتُّ حُرًّا فَذَاكَ الْمَوْتُ يُحْيِينِي

مَا مِتُّ حُرًّا فَذَاكَ الْمَوْتُ يُحْيِينِي

Free I shall remain, upholding my call; and if

Free I will remain, my call ever more honored, and if

I ever die free, that death will bring me to life.

I do not die free, then that death will give me life.