البؤسُ لابنِ الشَّعبِ يأكلُ قلبَه

البؤسُ لابنِ الشَّعبِ يأكلُ قلبَه

والمجدُ والإثراءُ للأغرابِ

والمجدُ والإثراءُ للأغرابِ

Misery eats away at the heart of the people's son,

The son of the people bears misery

Misery falls to the people's son, gnawing at his heart,

And glory and enrichment are for outsiders.

While glory and wealth go to strangers

While glory and riches belong to the strangers;

والشَّعب مَعصوبُ الجفونِ مُقَسَّمٌ

والشَّعب مَعصوبُ الجفونِ مُقَسَّمٌ

كالشّاة بَيْنَ الذّئب والقَصَّابِ

كالشّاة بَيْنَ الذّئب والقَصَّابِ

And the people, their eyelids bound, are divided up,

And the people, eyelids bound, divided

The people stand blindfolded, divided and torn,

Like a sheep between the wolf and the butcher.

Like sheep between wolf and butcher

Like a sheep caught between the wolf and the butcher;

والحقُّ مَقطوعُ اللّسان مُكَبَّلٌ

والحقُّ مَقطوعُ اللّسان مُكَبَّلٌ

والظَّلمُ يمرح مُذْهَبَ الجِلبابِ

والظَّلمُ يمرح مُذْهَبَ الجِلبابِ

And truth, its tongue cut off, is shackled,

And truth, tongue cut off, shackled

Truth is shackled, its tongue severed and mute,

And injustice frolics in a gilded cloak.

While injustice parades in robe and turban

While Injustice struts in a gilded robe;

هذا قليلٌ من حياةٍ مُرّة

هذا قليلٌ من حياةٍ مُرّة

في دولة الأنْصابِ والألقابِ

في دولة الأنْصابِ والألقابِ

This is but a small part of a bitter life

This is but little of a bitter life

This is but a glimpse of a bitter existence

In the realm of idols and titles.

In a state of rivals and titles

In the state of idols and empty titles.