لنا كلَّ يوم نَوْبة قد نَنوبُها

لنا كلَّ يوم نَوْبة قد نَنوبُها

وليس لنا رزقٌ ولا عندنا فضلُ

وليس لنا رزقٌ ولا عندنا فضلُ

Each day we have a turn that we may take,

Each day we face hardship after hardship

yet we have no livelihood and nothing to spare.

We have no livelihood, no surplus goods

فقل لسعيدِ أسعد اللهُ جدَّه

فقل لسعيدِ أسعد اللهُ جدَّه

لقد رثَّ حتى كاد ينصرم الحبلُ

لقد رثَّ حتى كاد ينصرم الحبلُ

So tell Saʿīd—may God prosper his fortune—

Tell Sa'id, may God make his ancestors prosper,

the rope has indeed grown so frayed that it is almost severed.

He's exhausted, his rope is almost broken

وكن عندما نرجوه منك فإننا

وكن عندما نرجوه منك فإننا

جميعاً لما أوليت من حسن أهل

جميعاً لما أوليت من حسن أهل

And live up to what we hope of you, for we

And when we hope for help from you, please provide

are all worthy of the kindness you have bestowed.

For we know your virtuous, generous ways

ولا تعتذر بالشغل عنها فإنما

ولا تعتذر بالشغل عنها فإنما

تُناطُ بك الآمال ما اتصل الشغل

تُناطُ بك الآمال ما اتصل الشغل

And do not plead work as an excuse to avoid it, for it is only

Do not make excuses that you're too busy

while work continues that hopes are pinned on you.

We depend on you though you have much to do

ولا ترتفعْ عنا بشيء وليته

ولا ترتفعْ عنا بشيء وليته

كما لم يُصغِّرْ عندنا شأنّك العَزْل

كما لم يُصغِّرْ عندنا شأنّك العَزْل

And do not set yourself above us for any post you have assumed,

Do not shun us for any reason, though never

just as dismissal did not lessen your standing in our eyes.

Has your dismissal diminished you in our eyes