يَا نِعَمَةً عَظُمَتْ فَلَمْ تَدُمِ

يَا نِعَمَةً عَظُمَتْ فَلَمْ تَدُمِ

وَكَذَا تَكُونُ عَظَائِمُ النِّعَمِ

وَكَذَا تَكُونُ عَظَائِمُ النِّعَمِ

O blessing that was great, yet did not last!

Oh blessing that was mighty but did not last,

And so it is with the greatest blessings.

And so are blessings, however great.

عِشْنَا زَمَاناً وَهْيَ قِسْمَتُنَا

عِشْنَا زَمَاناً وَهْيَ قِسْمَتُنَا

وَغَنَاؤُنَا عَنْ سَائِرِ القِسَمِ

وَغَنَاؤُنَا عَنْ سَائِرِ القِسَمِ

For a time we lived with it as our allotted share,

We lived an age when our lot was divided,

And it spared us need of any other share,

And we were content, unlike the rest.

حَتَّى عَدِمْنَاهَا فَعِزَّتُنَا

حَتَّى عَدِمْنَاهَا فَعِزَّتُنَا

كَالذلِّ وَالإِثْرَاءِ كَالعَدَمِ

كَالذلِّ وَالإِثْرَاءِ كَالعَدَمِ

Until we lost it; then our dignity

Till we lost it and our pride

Was like humiliation, and wealth like poverty.

Was as abject as wealth is naught.

وَاحَرَّ قَلْبَا يَا أُمَيْمَةُ أَنْ

وَاحَرَّ قَلْبَا يَا أُمَيْمَةُ أَنْ

تَمْضِي وَيَمْضِي السَّعْدُ مِنْ أَمَمِ

تَمْضِي وَيَمْضِي السَّعْدُ مِنْ أَمَمِ

Alas, my burning heart, O Umaymah, that you should

Grief consumes my heart, O Umayma,

Depart, and good fortune vanish from before us!

That you leave and gladness leaves my soul.

مَاذَا أَنَا وَلِمَنْ مُكَافَحَتِي

مَاذَا أَنَا وَلِمَنْ مُكَافَحَتِي

وَعَلامَ بَذْلِي قُوَّتِي وَدَمِي

وَعَلامَ بَذْلِي قُوَّتِي وَدَمِي

What am I, and for whom do I struggle?

What am I in this struggle, who profits?

And why do I expend my strength and my blood?

Why spend my strength and blood in vain?