أَرى فتكات الجهل دب دَبيبها

أَرى فتكات الجهل دب دَبيبها

فمزق سَمعي من بِلادي نَحيبها

فمزق سَمعي من بِلادي نَحيبها

I see ignorance's ravages have begun to creep;

I see the ravages of ignorance creeping,

So my homeland's wailing tore at my ears.

Its wailing has torn my hearing from my country.

أَراها تجر الذيل فوقَ رؤوسنا

أَراها تجر الذيل فوقَ رؤوسنا

وَلا زالَ يصلي كل قلب لَهيبها

وَلا زالَ يصلي كل قلب لَهيبها

I see it dragging its train over our heads,

I see it dragging its tail over our heads,

And its blaze still scorches every heart.

While every heart continues praying for its flames.

فَللموت أَحلى من حَياة جهالة

فَللموت أَحلى من حَياة جهالة

وَخاسرها باد وَباد كَئيبها

وَخاسرها باد وَباد كَئيبها

So death is indeed sweeter than a life of ignorance,

For death is sweeter than an ignorant life,

And its losers have perished, and so have its sorrowful ones.

Its losers have perished, and its grievers lament.

وَللقبر أَشهى من قصور فَسيحة

وَللقبر أَشهى من قصور فَسيحة

لها البؤس خل وَالشَقاء حَبيبها

لها البؤس خل وَالشَقاء حَبيبها

And the grave is indeed more desirable than spacious palaces,

The grave is more fragrant than spacious palaces

Whose companion is misery and whose beloved is suffering.

Whose misery is vinegar, and whose companion is woe.

قصور كدوح امطرت بكآبة

قصور كدوح امطرت بكآبة

فاِنبت أَوراق الدَواهي قَضيبها

فاِنبت أَوراق الدَواهي قَضيبها

Palaces like great trees, rained upon with gloom,

Palaces like faded moons that rained melancholy,

So their bough put forth the leaves of calamity.

Sprouting the leaves of tribulations like a whip.

انرضى بِهَذا العَيش يا خير أمة

انرضى بِهَذا العَيش يا خير أمة

ليقظتها ما نام عنها خَطيبها

ليقظتها ما نام عنها خَطيبها

Shall we accept this life, O best of nations?

Will you be content with this life, O best nation,

For its awakening, its orator never slept heedless of it.

While its vigilance never sleeps from its suitor?

أَتَحلو لَدَينا راحة وَقلوبنا

أَتَحلو لَدَينا راحة وَقلوبنا

عَلى قبس وَالمتعبات نَصيبها

عَلى قبس وَالمتعبات نَصيبها

Can rest be sweet to us while our hearts

Does rest taste sweet while our hearts

Are upon a firebrand, with hardships as their lot?

Are but an ember, and the afflicted, their share?

الهي اتَدعو للعلا باوامر

الهي اتَدعو للعلا باوامر

وَمَهما دعَتنا بالصدود نجيبها

وَمَهما دعَتنا بالصدود نجيبها

My God, do You call us to greatness through commands,

O God, You call us to excellence with commands,

Yet whenever it calls us, we answer it by turning away?

However much it calls us to deterrence, we answer it.

وَرُحماك يا رب اتعمى عن الهدى

وَرُحماك يا رب اتعمى عن الهدى

بلاد وَفيها بطلها وَلبيبها

بلاد وَفيها بطلها وَلبيبها

And have mercy, O Lord! Can blindness to guidance afflict

Your mercy, O Lord, blinds from guidance,

A land with its hero and its wise man within it?

Countries, in which are its hero and its wise one.

احباي هلا غركم باطل الهنا

احباي هلا غركم باطل الهنا

وَأَكبادكم نار الجَحيم تذيبها

وَأَكبادكم نار الجَحيم تذيبها

My loved ones, has the illusion of happiness not deceived you,

My loved ones, has the falsehood of our time deceived you,

While the fire of Hell melts your livers?

And your livers melt from Hellfire's heat?

وَهَل اعجزت كل الاساة جراحكم

وَهَل اعجزت كل الاساة جراحكم

اذن فاِسمَعوا قَولي فاني طَبيبها

اذن فاِسمَعوا قَولي فاني طَبيبها

And have your wounds baffled all the healers?

Have all devices failed your wounds?

Then listen to my words, for I am their physician.

Then hear my words, for I am their healer.

هلموا وَحلوا في البلاد مدارسا

هلموا وَحلوا في البلاد مدارسا

ليصعد اسباب المَعالي نَجيبها

ليصعد اسباب المَعالي نَجيبها

Come, and grace the land with schools,

Come and build schools in the countries,

So its gifted one may climb the paths to greatness.

To lift the causes of glory, their answerers.

وَلا تحرموا بنتا رضاعة ثديها

وَلا تحرموا بنتا رضاعة ثديها

فَلا شيء في تلك الديار يعيبها

فَلا شيء في تلك الديار يعيبها

And do not deny a girl suckling at its breast;

And do not deprive a girl child of the suckling of her breast,

For nothing in those abodes dishonors her.

For nothing in these lands flaws her.

هي ابنة ايام الصبا وَلَعلَّها

هي ابنة ايام الصبا وَلَعلَّها

تَكون غَدا اما يذاق حَليبها

تَكون غَدا اما يذاق حَليبها

She is a daughter of youthful days, and perhaps she

She is a daughter of the days of youth, and perhaps

Will be a mother tomorrow, whose milk will be tasted.

Tomorrow she will be one whose milk is tasted.

ستبدي رجالا تسحر الكون اذ تَرى

ستبدي رجالا تسحر الكون اذ تَرى

بان العلا ما خاب قط قَريبها

بان العلا ما خاب قط قَريبها

She will bring forth men, enchanting the universe when she sees

She will show men who enchant the universe when she sees

That no one close to greatness has ever failed.

That glory has never failed proximity to its dear one.

كارض ترينا زهرة فنشمها

كارض ترينا زهرة فنشمها

فيسحرنا من زهرة الأَرض طيبها

فيسحرنا من زهرة الأَرض طيبها

Like earth that shows us a flower, so we smell it,

Like a land whose flower we smell,

Then the fragrance of the earth's flower enchants us.

And so the fragrance of the land's flower enchants us.

هي الام يَكفي ان نَراها تحفنا

هي الام يَكفي ان نَراها تحفنا

بواجبها وَاللَه عنا يثيبها

بواجبها وَاللَه عنا يثيبها

She is the mother; it is enough to see her enfold us

She is the mother. It suffices that we see her adorning us

With her dutiful care, while God rewards her on our behalf.

With her duty, and God rewards her for us.

فيشدو هزار فوق رؤوسنا

فيشدو هزار فوق رؤوسنا

وَينشدنا افراحنا عندَليبها

وَينشدنا افراحنا عندَليبها

Then a nightingale sings above our heads,

So thousands sing over our heads,

And her nightingale sings our joys to us.

And our joys chant for us in their rhythm.

وَنَجني من الأَثمار احلى مذاقة

وَنَجني من الأَثمار احلى مذاقة

وَيَدنو الينا رطبها وَرطيبها

وَيَدنو الينا رطبها وَرطيبها

And we gather the sweetest-tasting of the fruits,

And we reap from the fruits, the sweetest tasting,

And her ripe dates and tender produce draw near to us.

As its ripeness and wetness draw near us.

الى مثل هَذا فَلتَقوموا فإِنَّني

الى مثل هَذا فَلتَقوموا فإِنَّني

ارى فتكات الجَهل دب دَبيبها

ارى فتكات الجَهل دب دَبيبها

Rise, then, toward the like of this, for

To the likes of this, rise, for I

I see ignorance's ravages have begun to creep.

See the ravages of ignorance creeping.