ما جاءَنا مِمَّن مَضى خَلَفُ

ما جاءَنا مِمَّن مَضى خَلَفُ

ماجاءَ إِلّا الخَلفُ لا الخَلَفُ

ماجاءَ إِلّا الخَلفُ لا الخَلَفُ

No worthy successor to those who passed away has come to us.

Nothing remains of those who passed before

Only unworthy successors came, not worthy ones.

Except their progeny, not their predecessors

آثارُهُم فيها مَزابِلُهُم

آثارُهُم فيها مَزابِلُهُم

وَنَسيمُ ذِكرشهِمُ بِها جِيَفُ

وَنَسيمُ ذِكرشهِمُ بِها جِيَفُ

Their traces there are their dung heaps,

Their ruins contain their rubbish

and the breeze of their remembrance there is carrion.

And the breeze of their memory is rotten

غابوا وَغابَ الجودُ بَعدَهُمُ

غابوا وَغابَ الجودُ بَعدَهُمُ

فَاليَومَ لا شَرَفٌ وَلا سَرَفُ

فَاليَومَ لا شَرَفٌ وَلا سَرَفُ

They departed, and generosity departed after them.

They passed away, and generosity passed away after them

So today there is neither honor nor lavish spending.

So today there is no nobility or extravagance

لَهفي لِفُرقَةِ مَن عَدِمتُهُم

لَهفي لِفُرقَةِ مَن عَدِمتُهُم

وَيَقِلُّ بَعدَ فِراقِها اللَهفُ

وَيَقِلُّ بَعدَ فِراقِها اللَهفُ

My grief at parting from those I have lost!

I yearn for those I have lost

And after that parting, grief is slight.

And after their departure, yearning decreases

وَمَضى الَّذينَ بِظِلِّهِم كَنَفٌ

وَمَضى الَّذينَ بِظِلِّهِم كَنَفٌ

وَأَنّى الَّذينَ يُظِلُّهُم كُنُفُ

وَأَنّى الَّذينَ يُظِلُّهُم كُنُفُ

And those in whose shade there was shelter have passed away.

Those who gave shade with their protection are gone

And where are those whom shelters shade?

Where are those now who can give shade with their protection?

عَطَفوا وَقَد قَدَروا وَأَعقَبَهُم

عَطَفوا وَقَد قَدَروا وَأَعقَبَهُم

قَومٌ بِهِم قَدَروا وَما عَطَفوا

قَومٌ بِهِم قَدَروا وَما عَطَفوا

They showed compassion while they had power, and were succeeded by

They were gentle and they were destined and succeeded by

a people who gained power through them but showed no compassion.

A people destined who did not gently entreat

إِنَّ السَعادَةَ فارَقَت سَلَفاً

إِنَّ السَعادَةَ فارَقَت سَلَفاً

مَن لا لَهُ في أَمسِها سَلَفُ

مَن لا لَهُ في أَمسِها سَلَفُ

Indeed, good fortune has already forsaken

Indeed, happiness has parted from ancestors

whoever has no forebear in its past.

For those who have no past share in it