Tout Vi nou,
all our lives
Fouchèt san dan
fork without teeth

Tout vi nou
All our lives
Ak do Kiyè
the backs of spoons

Ni jodi, Ni ayè
both today and yesterday

Yon peyi ki fè eskal
A country in transit
Sou tout lanmè eskandal
over all the sea's roaring,

Yon peyi lamizè eskalade
a land of poverty escalating
tribò ba bò
on all sides,

Yon peyi chak manti men longè
A land where every lie is t h is big...

Ak lavi an danje de mò
with life in danger of death

Yon peyi fòskote
A sidewindling land

Kote tout zegwi mont
where all the clock-hands

ap mache prese pese
are working rush rush
Klitip, Kiltap, Klitip, Klitap
ticktock, ticktock, ticktock,ticktock

andedan tèt chomè
inside out-of-work-heads
ki wè lavi yo pandye
who see their lives dangling

Kankou fèy bannann
like banana leaves
ki ajenou atè
kneeling on the ground

Yon peyi kal lan men
a land scabby in the hand
pou benefis malfektè-malpouwont
for the profits of Shameless hustlers

Fè sou chak ti moso pen
who make the price of each piece of bread
monte men wotè
skyrocket

Ni jodi, ni Ayè
both today and yesterday.


bondye pou piyay
gods come cheaply
tankou kout baton lan dèyè
just like whacks of club on your ass,

Ni jodi, ni ayè
both today and yesterday.

Kote Chanjman an?
where is the change?
Kote sendika travayè?
where's the workers' union?

Kote refòm agrè?
where's the agrarian reform?

Ayè monte ou vant jodi
Yesterday climb on top of today's belly
Ak tout kepi
with its military hat.
Dizondi ni jodi ni ayè
that is, both today, as with yesterday,
Ayiti rete sou po dèyè
Haiti's down on the skin of its ass.