العَيشُ ثِقلٌ وَقاضي الأَرضِ مُمتَحِنٌ

يُضحي وَنِصفُ خُصومِ المِصرِ يَشكونَه

Life is hard and the judge of the land is tested

He makes sacrifices and half of Egypt's adversaries complain of him

زَكّوهُ دَهراً فَلَمّا صارَ قاضِيَهُم

وَاِستَعمَلَ الحَقَّ عادوا لا يُزَكّونَه

They deemed him good for a while but when he became their judge

And exercised truth they went back to deeming him not good

يَصومُ ناسٌ عَنِ الزادِ المُباحِ لَهُم

وَيَغتَذونَ بِلَحمٍ لا يُذَكّونَه

Some people fast from lawful provisions made for them

And feast on flesh they do not consecrate