لَيْلِي طَوِيلٌ وَهَلْ تُرَاهُ يُشْقِينِي

وَاللَّيْلُ يُشْقِي وَمَا حُرٌّ بِمَغْبُونِ

My long night, does it make me suffer?

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

إِذَا ظَنَنْتُ سَوَادَ اللَّيْلِ مُحْتَضَرًا

إِذَا بِهِ فِي الصِّبَا يُدْمِي وَيُضْنِينِي

When I thought the night's darkness was dying,

at dawn it lights up and oppresses me.

أَيْقَنْتُ أَنَّ لِلَيْلِي آخِرًا وَدَنَى

وَهَلْ تُرَى أَنْتَهِي أَوْ يَنْتَهِي دُونِي؟

I was certain my night would end and draw near,

Will it finish or will it end without me?

أُسَامُ مُنْذُ سِنِينَ الْقَهْرَ لَمْ أَهُنِ

وَبِئْسَ قَهْرًا لِحُرٍّ عَيْشُ مَسْجُونِ

I have endured years of oppression but did not waver,

How wretched for the free to live imprisoned!

كَأَنَّنِي سَابِحٌ فِي الْبَحْرِ مُجْتَهِدًا

وَمَا لَهُ شَاطِئٌ هَلْ ذَاكَ يَثْنِينِي

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

With no shore - would that make me stop?

إِنْ يَظْهَرِ الشَّاطِئُ الْمَامُولُ أَسْتَرِحِ

وَإِنْ حُرِمْتُ سَأَمْضِي، الْعَزْمُ يُغْنِينِي

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

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

نَفْسِي تُحَدِّثُنِي: أَسْوِا بِأَنْ يَقَعَ الْـ

ـأَحْرَارُ فِي قَبْضَةِ الطُّغْيَانِ وَالْهُونِ

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

Fall into the grip of tyranny and humiliation.

الأُسْدُ فِي الأَسْرِ وَالْكِلابُ عَاتِيَةٌ

وَاللَّيْلُ يَغْشَى وَذِي الأَهْوَالُ تُدْمِينِي

The lion is in chains and the dogs are vicious,

While the night descends and terrors oppress me.

يَا نَفْسُ لاتَحْزَنِي لَوْ عِشْتُ مُعْتَصِمًا

بِالْحَقِّ هَلْ بَعْدَ ذَا الآلامُ تَعْنِينِي؟!

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

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

فِي الأَسْرِ أَحْيَا أُزَلْزِلُ الطُّغَاةَ وَهَلْ

يَسُوءُنِي الأَسْرُ؟ إِنَّ الأَسْرَ لِلدِّينِ

In chains I live and shake the tyrants - and does

Captivity harm me? Captivity is for the faith.

مَا دَامَ قَلْبِي طَلِيقًا مَا بِهِ حَزَنٌ

وَالْجِسْمُ إِنْ يَاسِرُوهُ الْقَلْبُ يَحْمِينِي

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

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

إِنْ مَزَّقُوا جَسَدِي فَالْقَلْبُ لَمْ يَهُنِ

لَهُ رَجَاءٌ بِأَجْرٍ غَيْرِ مَمْنُونِ

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

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

أَمَا تَرَيْنَ الطُّغَاةَ مَا لَهُمْ حِيَلٌ

وَذَا الثَّبَاتُ كَنَهْرٍ دَامَ يَرْوِينِي

Do you not see the tyrants have no stratagems,

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

فَهُمْ يَرَاعٌ تَهِبُّ الرِّيحُ تَكْسِرُهُ

وَإِنَّنِي جَبَلٌ مَا الرِّيحُ تُؤْذِينِي

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

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

فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكِ اللَّيْلُ الْبَهِيمُ فَلَنْ

أَرْضَى بِنَفْسٍ إِذَا الآلامُ تُرْدِينِي

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

Be pleased with a soul if suffering destroys me.

وَأَنْتَ يَا لَيْلُ مَا زِلْنَا نَسِيرُ مَعًا

آلَيْتُ أَنِّي سأَبْقَى غَيْرَ مَحْزُونِ

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

I have decided I will remain ungrieved.

حُرًّا سَأَبْقَى أُعِزُّ دَعْوَتِي وَإِذَا

مَا مِتُّ حُرًّا فَذَاكَ الْمَوْتُ يُحْيِينِي

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

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