إنَّ الحَيَاةَ صِراعٌ

إنَّ الحَيَاةَ صِراعٌ

فيها الضَّعيفُ يُداسْ

فيها الضَّعيفُ يُداسْ

Indeed, life is a struggle;

Life is a struggle

Life is indeed a constant struggle,

in it, the weak are trampled.

Where the weak are trampled

Wherein the weak are trampled down,

مَا فازَ في ماضِغِيها

مَا فازَ في ماضِغِيها

إلاَّ شَديدُ المِراسْ

إلاَّ شَديدُ المِراسْ

None among those who chew it has triumphed

None has triumphed in its jaws

None triumphs in its grinding jaws,

save the battle-hardened.

Except the strong and bold

Save those of mighty mettle.

للخِبِّ فيها شجونٌ

للخِبِّ فيها شجونٌ

فكُنْ فتى الإحتراسْ

فكُنْ فتى الإحتراسْ

In it, the cunning have their cares;

It has sorrows for the wise

For deceit holds there its tangled roots,

so be a cautious youth.

So be always on your guard

So be a youth of vigilance.

الكونُ كونُ شقاءٍ

الكونُ كونُ شقاءٍ

الكونُ كونُ التباسْ

الكونُ كونُ التباسْ

The universe is a universe of misery;

The universe is a world of woe

The universe is a realm of misery,

the universe is a universe of confusion;

The universe is confusion

A realm of dark confusion,

الكونُ كونُ اختلاقٍ

الكونُ كونُ اختلاقٍ

وضجَّةٌ واختلاسْ

وضجَّةٌ واختلاسْ

the universe is a universe of fabrication,

The universe is falsehood

A realm of sheer fabrication,

and clamor and furtive theft.

Clamor and stealth

Of clamor and of theft.

سِيَّانَ عِنديَ فيهِ

سِيَّانَ عِنديَ فيهِ

السُّرورُ والإبتئاسْ

السُّرورُ والإبتئاسْ

Within it, alike to me are

Joy and sadness are equal

Alike to me within its bounds

joy and sorrow.

In my eyes

Are joy and deep despair.

بَيْنَ النَّوائبِ بَوْنٌ

بَيْنَ النَّوائبِ بَوْنٌ

للنَّاسِ فيه مزايا

للنَّاسِ فيه مزايا

Between calamities lies a gulf;

Between calamities there is separation

Between calamities lies a vast divide,

within it, people have differing advantages.

For people in it some traits

Wherein mankind finds different lots;

البعضُ لم يدرِ إلاَّ

البعضُ لم يدرِ إلاَّ

البِلى يُنَادي البلايا

البِلى يُنَادي البلايا

Some have known nothing but

Some have not known

For some know nothing but the call

ruin summoning afflictions;

Except ruin that calls out disasters

Of ruin summoning decay,

والبعضُ مَا ذاقَ منها

والبعضُ مَا ذاقَ منها

سِوى حَقيرِ الرَّزايا

سِوى حَقيرِ الرَّزايا

and others have tasted nothing of them

And some have not tasted of it

While others tasted nothing there

save trifling calamities.

Except the most trivial troubles

Save for the meanest trials.

إنَّ الحَيَاةَ سُباتٌ

إنَّ الحَيَاةَ سُباتٌ

سينقضي بالمنايا

سينقضي بالمنايا

Indeed, life is a slumber

Life is slumber

Life is indeed a slumber deep,

that will end with death.

To end in mortality

That ends when death arrives,

وما الرُّؤى فيهِ إلاَّ

وما الرُّؤى فيهِ إلاَّ

آمالنَا والخَطايا

آمالنَا والخَطايا

And the dreams within it are only

And visions in it are but

And visions there are nothing but

our hopes and sins.

Our hopes and sins

Our hopes and sinful lies.

فإِنْ تَيَقَّظَ كانت

فإِنْ تَيَقَّظَ كانت

بَيْنَ الجفون بقايا

بَيْنَ الجفون بقايا

So if one awakens, they are

If awakened there would remain

For if one wakes, he finds naught else

remnants between the eyelids.

Between the eyelids remnants

But remnants in his eyes.

إنَّ السَّكينَةَ رُوحٌ في

إنَّ السَّكينَةَ رُوحٌ في

اللَّيلِ ليستْ تٌضامْ

اللَّيلِ ليستْ تٌضامْ

Indeed, tranquility is a spirit in

Verily tranquility is a spirit in

Serenity is a spirit within

the night, never oppressed.

The night not to be extinguished

The night, that knows no wrong,

والرُّوحُ شُعلَةُ نُورٍ مِنْ

والرُّوحُ شُعلَةُ نُورٍ مِنْ

فوقِ كلِّ نِظامْ

فوقِ كلِّ نِظامْ

And the spirit is a flame of light from

And the spirit is a flame of light from

The soul, a flame of radiant light

above every order.

Above every system

Transcending all design,

لا تنطفي برياحِ الإِ

لا تنطفي برياحِ الإِ

رهاقِ أَو بالحُسامْ

رهاقِ أَو بالحُسامْ

It is not quenched by the winds of op-

It will not die out by the winds of

Unquenched by winds of weariness,

pression, or by the sword.

Weariness or by the swords

Nor severed by the sword,

بَلْ قَدْ يَعُجُّ لَظَاهَا

بَلْ قَدْ يَعُجُّ لَظَاهَا

سيلاً ويطغى الضِّرامْ

سيلاً ويطغى الضِّرامْ

Rather, its blaze may roar

But its blaze may surge

Nay, for its blaze may surge and roar

in a torrent, and the fire rage unchecked.

In a flood and overflow the dams

A flood of overwhelming fire.

كلُّ البلايا جميعاً

كلُّ البلايا جميعاً

تَفنى ويَحيا السَّلامْ

تَفنى ويَحيا السَّلامْ

All afflictions, every one,

All tribulations altogether

All tribulations shall decay,

perish, and peace lives on.

Vanish and peace lives on

And peace alone shall live,

والذُّلُّ سُبَّةُ عارٍ

والذُّلُّ سُبَّةُ عارٍ

لا يرتضيهِ الكرامْ

لا يرتضيهِ الكرامْ

And humiliation is a stain of shame

And humiliation is a badge of shame

Submission is a mark of shame

that the noble do not accept.

Not condoned by the dignified

The noble soul disdains.

الفجرُ يسطعُ بعد الدُّ

الفجرُ يسطعُ بعد الدُّ

جى ويأتي الضِّياءْ

جى ويأتي الضِّياءْ

Dawn shines after the dark-

Dawn shines after gloom and comes

The dawn shall break when darkness ends,

ness, and light arrives.

Radiance

And radiant light draws near,

ويرقُدُ اللَّيلُ قَسْراً

ويرقُدُ اللَّيلُ قَسْراً

على مِهَادِ العَفَاءْ

على مِهَادِ العَفَاءْ

And night sleeps under compulsion

And night unwillingly reposes

While night is forced to lay its head

upon the bed of oblivion.

On the pillow of darkness

Upon oblivion's bier.

وللشُّعوبِ حياةٌ

وللشُّعوبِ حياةٌ

حيناً وحيناً فناءْ

حيناً وحيناً فناءْ

And peoples have life

And for nations there is life

For nations hold a span of life,

for a time, and for a time, extinction.

One time and another time demise

At times they live, at times expire;

واليأْسُ موتٌ ولكنْ

واليأْسُ موتٌ ولكنْ

موتٌ يُثيرُ الشَّقَاءْ

موتٌ يُثيرُ الشَّقَاءْ

And despair is death, but

And despair is death but

Despair is death, yet 'tis a death

a death that stirs up misery.

Death that stirs up misery

That wakes the deepest woe,

والجِدُّ للشَّعْبِ روحٌ

والجِدُّ للشَّعْبِ روحٌ

تُوحي إليهِ الهَناءْ

تُوحي إليهِ الهَناءْ

And earnest striving is a spirit for the people,

And diligence for a people is a spirit

But resolve is the people's soul,

inspiring them with happiness.

That inspires in them bliss

Inspiring joy and bliss,

فإنْ تولَّتْ تصدَّتْ

فإنْ تولَّتْ تصدَّتْ

حَيَاتُهُ للبَلاءْ

حَيَاتُهُ للبَلاءْ

So if it departs, laid open

If it were to turn away their

For if it fades, then life confronts

is their life to affliction.

Life would be exposed to ordeal

Their path with endless blight.