قَد كانَ قَبلَكَ ذادَةٌ وَمَقاوِلٌ

قَد كانَ قَبلَكَ ذادَةٌ وَمَقاوِلٌ

ذادوا وَما صَرَفَ الخُطوبَ ذِيادُ

ذادوا وَما صَرَفَ الخُطوبَ ذِيادُ

Before you there were defenders and royal chieftains;

Before you there were indeed defenders and chieftains;

they defended, but did not avert calamities, O Ziyad.

They defended, yet defense did not avert calamities.

أُمَراءُ حُكّامٌ كَأَيّامٍ أَتَت

أُمَراءُ حُكّامٌ كَأَيّامٍ أَتَت

شَفعاً بِها الجُمعاتُ وَالأَعيادُ

شَفعاً بِها الجُمعاتُ وَالأَعيادُ

Princes and rulers, like days that came

Princes and rulers, like days that brought

in pairs, bearing Fridays and feast days—

Fridays and feast days together in pairs.

كَزِيادٍ الأُمَويِّ أَو كَزِيادٍ المَ

كَزِيادٍ الأُمَويِّ أَو كَزِيادٍ المَ

رِّيِّ إِذ وَلّى فَأَينَ زِيادُ

رِّيِّ إِذ وَلّى فَأَينَ زِيادُ

like Ziyad the Umayyad, or Ziyad al-Ma—

Like Ziyad the Umayyad, or Ziyad al-Ma-

—rrī: when he passed away, where now is Ziyad?

rri, when he departed—where, then, is Ziyad?

تُثنى الخَناصِرُ في الكِرامِ عَلَيهُمُ

تُثنى الخَناصِرُ في الكِرامِ عَلَيهُمُ

وَتُمَدُّ نَحوَ سِناهُمُ الأَجيادُ

وَتُمَدُّ نَحوَ سِناهُمُ الأَجيادُ

When noble men are counted, little fingers are bent for them,

Little fingers are bent to count them among the noble,

and necks are stretched toward their radiance.

And necks stretch toward their radiance.

وَالمُطلَقاتُ مِنَ النُفوسِ كَأَنَّما

وَالمُطلَقاتُ مِنَ النُفوسِ كَأَنَّما

جُمِعَت لَها الأَغلالُ وَالأَقيادُ

جُمِعَت لَها الأَغلالُ وَالأَقيادُ

Even souls set free appear as though

And the unbound souls—it is as though

shackles and fetters had been gathered for them.

Shackles and fetters were gathered for them.

وَحَبائِلُ الأَيّامِ لَيسَ بِمُفلِتٍ

وَحَبائِلُ الأَيّامِ لَيسَ بِمُفلِتٍ

صَقرٌ مَكائِدَها وَلا فِيّادُ

صَقرٌ مَكائِدَها وَلا فِيّادُ

None slips free of the snares of Time:

And the snares of the days—none can escape

neither a falcon from its stratagems nor a mighty lion.

Their wiles, neither falcon nor owl.