إنَّ الحَيَاةَ صِراعٌ

فيها الضَّعيفُ يُداسْ

Life is a struggle

Life is indeed a constant struggle,

Where the weak are trampled

Wherein the weak are trampled down,

مَا فازَ في ماضِغِيها

إلاَّ شَديدُ المِراسْ

None has triumphed in its jaws

None triumphs in its grinding jaws,

Except the strong and bold

Save those of mighty mettle.

للخِبِّ فيها شجونٌ

فكُنْ فتى الإحتراسْ

It has sorrows for the wise

For deceit holds there its tangled roots,

So be always on your guard

So be a youth of vigilance.

الكونُ كونُ شقاءٍ

الكونُ كونُ التباسْ

The universe is a world of woe

The universe is a realm of misery,

The universe is confusion

A realm of dark confusion,

الكونُ كونُ اختلاقٍ

وضجَّةٌ واختلاسْ

The universe is falsehood

A realm of sheer fabrication,

Clamor and stealth

Of clamor and of theft.

سِيَّانَ عِنديَ فيهِ

السُّرورُ والإبتئاسْ

Joy and sadness are equal

Alike to me within its bounds

In my eyes

Are joy and deep despair.

بَيْنَ النَّوائبِ بَوْنٌ

للنَّاسِ فيه مزايا

Between calamities there is separation

Between calamities lies a vast divide,

For people in it some traits

Wherein mankind finds different lots;

البعضُ لم يدرِ إلاَّ

البِلى يُنَادي البلايا

Some have not known

For some know nothing but the call

Except ruin that calls out disasters

Of ruin summoning decay,

والبعضُ مَا ذاقَ منها

سِوى حَقيرِ الرَّزايا

And some have not tasted of it

While others tasted nothing there

Except the most trivial troubles

Save for the meanest trials.

إنَّ الحَيَاةَ سُباتٌ

سينقضي بالمنايا

Life is slumber

Life is indeed a slumber deep,

To end in mortality

That ends when death arrives,

وما الرُّؤى فيهِ إلاَّ

آمالنَا والخَطايا

And visions in it are but

And visions there are nothing but

Our hopes and sins

Our hopes and sinful lies.

فإِنْ تَيَقَّظَ كانت

بَيْنَ الجفون بقايا

If awakened there would remain

For if one wakes, he finds naught else

Between the eyelids remnants

But remnants in his eyes.

إنَّ السَّكينَةَ رُوحٌ في

اللَّيلِ ليستْ تٌضامْ

Verily tranquility is a spirit in

Serenity is a spirit within

The night not to be extinguished

The night, that knows no wrong,

والرُّوحُ شُعلَةُ نُورٍ مِنْ

فوقِ كلِّ نِظامْ

And the spirit is a flame of light from

The soul, a flame of radiant light

Above every system

Transcending all design,

لا تنطفي برياحِ الإِ

رهاقِ أَو بالحُسامْ

It will not die out by the winds of

Unquenched by winds of weariness,

Weariness or by the swords

Nor severed by the sword,

بَلْ قَدْ يَعُجُّ لَظَاهَا

سيلاً ويطغى الضِّرامْ

But its blaze may surge

Nay, for its blaze may surge and roar

In a flood and overflow the dams

A flood of overwhelming fire.

كلُّ البلايا جميعاً

تَفنى ويَحيا السَّلامْ

All tribulations altogether

All tribulations shall decay,

Vanish and peace lives on

And peace alone shall live,

والذُّلُّ سُبَّةُ عارٍ

لا يرتضيهِ الكرامْ

And humiliation is a badge of shame

Submission is a mark of shame

Not condoned by the dignified

The noble soul disdains.

الفجرُ يسطعُ بعد الدُّ

جى ويأتي الضِّياءْ

Dawn shines after gloom and comes

The dawn shall break when darkness ends,

Radiance

And radiant light draws near,

ويرقُدُ اللَّيلُ قَسْراً

على مِهَادِ العَفَاءْ

And night unwillingly reposes

While night is forced to lay its head

On the pillow of darkness

Upon oblivion's bier.

وللشُّعوبِ حياةٌ

حيناً وحيناً فناءْ

And for nations there is life

For nations hold a span of life,

One time and another time demise

At times they live, at times expire;

واليأْسُ موتٌ ولكنْ

موتٌ يُثيرُ الشَّقَاءْ

And despair is death but

Despair is death, yet 'tis a death

Death that stirs up misery

That wakes the deepest woe,

والجِدُّ للشَّعْبِ روحٌ

تُوحي إليهِ الهَناءْ

And diligence for a people is a spirit

But resolve is the people's soul,

That inspires in them bliss

Inspiring joy and bliss,

فإنْ تولَّتْ تصدَّتْ

حَيَاتُهُ للبَلاءْ

If it were to turn away their

For if it fades, then life confronts

Life would be exposed to ordeal

Their path with endless blight.