أَلا هَل يَحسُنُ العَيشُ

أَلا هَل يَحسُنُ العَيشُ

لَنا مِثلُ الَّذي كَنا

لَنا مِثلُ الَّذي كَنا

Ah, will life be pleasant

Is it time to live well again

for us as it once was?

Like in the days we used to know?

وَهَل تَرجَعُ يا نا

وَهَل تَرجَعُ يا نا

ئِلُ بِالمُعتَزِّ دُنيانا

ئِلُ بِالمُعتَزِّ دُنيانا

And will there return, O Nā-

Will our lost fortunes now return

ʾil, through al-Muʿtazz, our world?

To raise us from our depth of woe?

عَدِمتُ الجَسَدَ المُلقى

عَدِمتُ الجَسَدَ المُلقى

عَلى كُرسي سُلَيمانا

عَلى كُرسي سُلَيمانا

May I be rid of the body cast

My withered body, laid to rest

upon Solomon’s throne!

On Solomon's deserted throne,

فَقَد أَصبَحَ لِلَّعنَ

فَقَد أَصبَحَ لِلَّعنَ

ةِ نَقلاهُ وَيَقلانا

ةِ نَقلاهُ وَيَقلانا

For he is now subject to the cur-

Has earned, through ages without end,

se: we loathe him, and he loathes us.

Dishonor and the curse of scorn.