ما أَطيَبَ العَيشَ عِندَ قَومٍ

ما أَطيَبَ العَيشَ عِندَ قَومٍ

لَو أَنَّهُ كانَ لا يَزولُ

لَو أَنَّهُ كانَ لا يَزولُ

How sweet life seems to some people,

How sweet life is to some people,

if only it would never pass away;

if only it would never end!

وَالدَهرُ عَودٌ بِلا فَناءٍ

وَالدَهرُ عَودٌ بِلا فَناءٍ

أَو جَذَعٌ ما لَهُ بَزولُ

أَو جَذَعٌ ما لَهُ بَزولُ

if Time were an old camel that never died,

And Time is an old camel that never dies,

or a young camel that never cut its adult teeth.

or a young camel whose canine teeth never emerge.

ما أَمِنَت هَذِهِ الثُرَيّا

ما أَمِنَت هَذِهِ الثُرَيّا

أَن يَتَرامى بِها النُزولُ

أَن يَتَرامى بِها النُزولُ

Not even the Pleiades themselves feel safe

These very Pleiades are not safe

from descent’s carrying them ever farther down.

from descent sending them hurtling down.