يا مَنزِلاً لَعِبَ الزَمانُ بِأَهلِهِ

يا مَنزِلاً لَعِبَ الزَمانُ بِأَهلِهِ

طَوراً يُفَرِّقُهُم وَطَوراً يَجمَعُ

طَوراً يُفَرِّقُهُم وَطَوراً يَجمَعُ

O dwelling whose people Time has toyed with,

O dwelling place, time has toyed with its people

now scattering them, now gathering them together.

At times separating them, at others gathering them

أَينَ الَّذينَ عَهِدتُهُم بِكَ مَرَّةً

أَينَ الَّذينَ عَهِدتُهُم بِكَ مَرَّةً

كانَ الزَمانُ بِهِم يَضُرُّ وَيَنفَعُ

كانَ الزَمانُ بِهِم يَضُرُّ وَيَنفَعُ

Where are those I once knew within you,

Where are those I knew you with once

through whom Time brought harm and benefit?

Time was harmful and beneficial to them

أَصبَحتَ تُفزِعُ مَن رَآكَ وَطالَما

أَصبَحتَ تُفزِعُ مَن رَآكَ وَطالَما

كُنّا إِلَيكَ مِنَ الحَوادِثِ نَفزَعُ

كُنّا إِلَيكَ مِنَ الحَوادِثِ نَفزَعُ

You now frighten whoever sees you, though so often

You've become frightening to whoever sees you, yet we used to

we sought refuge in you from calamities.

Seek refuge in you from calamities

أَيّامَ لا أَغشى لِأَهلِكَ مَربَعاً

أَيّامَ لا أَغشى لِأَهلِكَ مَربَعاً

إِلّا وَفيهِ لِلمَسَرَّةِ مَربَعُ

إِلّا وَفيهِ لِلمَسَرَّةِ مَربَعُ

In those days, I never visited your people's spring abode

Days where none of your people have shelter

without joy itself having a spring abode there.

Except what little joy shelters them

لَهفي عَلَيكَ لَو اِنَّ لَهفاً يَنفَعُ

لَهفي عَلَيكَ لَو اِنَّ لَهفاً يَنفَعُ

أَو أَنَّ دَهراً راحِمٌ مَن يَجزَعُ

أَو أَنَّ دَهراً راحِمٌ مَن يَجزَعُ

My anguish for you—if only anguish could avail,

My yearning for you, if yearning avails

or Time were merciful to those who grieve.

Or if fate pities those in anguish

ما كانَ ذاكَ العَيشُ إِلّا خُلسَةً

ما كانَ ذاكَ العَيشُ إِلّا خُلسَةً

خَطفاً كَرَجعِ الطَرفِ أَو هُوَ أَسرَعُ

خَطفاً كَرَجعِ الطَرفِ أَو هُوَ أَسرَعُ

That life was nothing but a stolen moment,

That life was but an instant

snatched like the blink of an eye—or swifter still.

Snatched like the blink of an eye, or swifter