البؤسُ لابنِ الشَّعبِ يأكلُ قلبَه

والمجدُ والإثراءُ للأغرابِ

The son of the people bears misery

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

While glory and wealth go to strangers

While glory and riches belong to the strangers;

والشَّعب مَعصوبُ الجفونِ مُقَسَّمٌ

كالشّاة بَيْنَ الذّئب والقَصَّابِ

And the people, eyelids bound, divided

The people stand blindfolded, divided and torn,

Like sheep between wolf and butcher

Like a sheep caught between the wolf and the butcher;

والحقُّ مَقطوعُ اللّسان مُكَبَّلٌ

والظَّلمُ يمرح مُذْهَبَ الجِلبابِ

And truth, tongue cut off, shackled

Truth is shackled, its tongue severed and mute,

While injustice parades in robe and turban

While Injustice struts in a gilded robe;

هذا قليلٌ من حياةٍ مُرّة

في دولة الأنْصابِ والألقابِ

This is but little of a bitter life

This is but a glimpse of a bitter existence

In a state of rivals and titles

In the state of idols and empty titles.