العَيشُ ثِقلٌ وَقاضي الأَرضِ مُمتَحِنٌ

العَيشُ ثِقلٌ وَقاضي الأَرضِ مُمتَحِنٌ

يُضحي وَنِصفُ خُصومِ المِصرِ يَشكونَه

يُضحي وَنِصفُ خُصومِ المِصرِ يَشكونَه

Life is a burden, and the land's judge is put to the test;

Life is hard and the judge of the land is tested

He begins the day with half the city's litigants complaining about him.

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

زَكّوهُ دَهراً فَلَمّا صارَ قاضِيَهُم

زَكّوهُ دَهراً فَلَمّا صارَ قاضِيَهُم

وَاِستَعمَلَ الحَقَّ عادوا لا يُزَكّونَه

وَاِستَعمَلَ الحَقَّ عادوا لا يُزَكّونَه

Long did they praise him; but when he became their judge

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

And applied justice, they ceased to praise him.

And exercised truth they went back to deeming him not good

يَصومُ ناسٌ عَنِ الزادِ المُباحِ لَهُم

يَصومُ ناسٌ عَنِ الزادِ المُباحِ لَهُم

وَيَغتَذونَ بِلَحمٍ لا يُذَكّونَه

وَيَغتَذونَ بِلَحمٍ لا يُذَكّونَه

Some people fast from food permitted to them,

Some people fast from lawful provisions made for them

Yet feed on flesh they do not ritually slaughter.

And feast on flesh they do not consecrate