أَلا أَيُّها الظَّالمُ المستبدُّ

أَلا أَيُّها الظَّالمُ المستبدُّ

حَبيبُ الظَّلامِ عَدوُّ الحيَاهْ

حَبيبُ الظَّلامِ عَدوُّ الحيَاهْ

Ah, you oppressive tyrant,

O you, the unjust oppressor

O tyrant, you oppressor and despot,

Lover of darkness, enemy of life,

Beloved of darkness, enemy of life

Lover of darkness, enemy of life,

سَخرْتَ بأَنَّاتِ شَعْبٍ ضَعيفٍ

سَخرْتَ بأَنَّاتِ شَعْبٍ ضَعيفٍ

وكَفُّكَ مخضوبَةٌ من دمَاهْ

وكَفُّكَ مخضوبَةٌ من دمَاهْ

You mocked the groans of a weak people,

You have mocked the sighs of a weak people

You mocked the groans of a helpless people,

And your palm is stained with their blood.

And your palm is stained with their blood

While your hand is stained crimson with their blood,

وسِرْتَ تُشَوِّهُ سِحْرَ الوُجُودِ

وسِرْتَ تُشَوِّهُ سِحْرَ الوُجُودِ

وتبذُرُ شوكَ الأَسى في رُبَاهْ

وتبذُرُ شوكَ الأَسى في رُبَاهْ

And you went on disfiguring the enchantment of existence,

You went about distorting the magic of existence

You went forth distorting the magic of existence,

And sowing the thorns of sorrow on its hills.

And scattering the thorns of sorrow in its expanse

Sowing the thorns of sorrow amidst the hills,

رُوَيْدَكَ لا يخدعنْك الرَّبيعُ

رُوَيْدَكَ لا يخدعنْك الرَّبيعُ

وصحوُ الفضاءِ وضوءُ الصَّباحْ

وصحوُ الفضاءِ وضوءُ الصَّباحْ

Not so fast! Do not let spring deceive you,

Your evil must not fool you, for Spring is coming

Wait! Do not let the spring deceive you,

Or the clear sky and the light of morning.

And the open space is waking, and the morning is bright

Nor the clearness of the sky, nor the morning light,

ففي الأُفُق الرَّحْبِ هولُ الظَّلامِ

ففي الأُفُق الرَّحْبِ هولُ الظَّلامِ

وقصفُ الرُّعُودِ وعَصْفُ الرَّياحْ

وقصفُ الرُّعُودِ وعَصْفُ الرَّياحْ

For on the vast horizon lies the terror of darkness,

On the vast horizon looms the darkness’ horror

For in the vast horizon lurks the horror of darkness,

And the crashing of thunder and the raging of winds.

With thunderous bombardment and raging winds

The crash of thunder and the gale of winds,

حَذارِ فَتَحْتَ الرَّمادِ اللَّهيبُ

حَذارِ فَتَحْتَ الرَّمادِ اللَّهيبُ

ومَنْ يبذُرِ الشَّوكَ يَجْنِ الجراحْ

ومَنْ يبذُرِ الشَّوكَ يَجْنِ الجراحْ

Beware, for beneath the ashes lies the flame,

Beware, for beneath the ashes glows an ember

Beware! For beneath the ash lies the flame,

And whoever sows thorns reaps wounds.

Whoever sows thorns reaps wounds

And he who sows thorns shall reap wounds,

تأَمَّلْ هنالِكَ أَنَّى حَصَدْتَ

تأَمَّلْ هنالِكَ أَنَّى حَصَدْتَ

رؤوسَ الوَرَى وزهورَ الأَملْ

رؤوسَ الوَرَى وزهورَ الأَملْ

Look there, where you have reaped

Look there how you have reaped

Gaze there, where you have harvested

The heads of humankind and the flowers of hope,

The hopes and flowers of the land

The heads of mankind and the flowers of hope,

وَرَوَّيْتَ بالدَّمِ قَلْبَ التُّرابِ

وَرَوَّيْتَ بالدَّمِ قَلْبَ التُّرابِ

وأَشْربتَهُ الدَّمعَ حتَّى ثَمِلْ

وأَشْربتَهُ الدَّمعَ حتَّى ثَمِلْ

And watered with blood the heart of the earth,

And watered the heart of the earth with blood

And watered the heart of the earth with blood,

And made it drink tears until it grew drunk.

Until you saturated it with tears

And drenched it with tears until it was drunk,

سيجرُفُكَ السَّيْلُ سَيْلُ الدِّماءِ

سيجرُفُكَ السَّيْلُ سَيْلُ الدِّماءِ

ويأْكُلُكَ العَاصِفُ المشتَعِلْ

ويأْكُلُكَ العَاصِفُ المشتَعِلْ

The flood will sweep you away—the flood of blood,

The torrent of blood will sweep you away

The torrent, the torrent of blood will sweep you away,

And the blazing tempest will devour you.

And the blazing storm will consume you

And the fiery tempest will devour you.