غَنيناwe lived فيin الحَياةِlife ذَويsubject to اِضطِرارٍcompulsion
غَنينا في الحَياةِ ذَوي اِضطِرارٍ
كَطَيرِlike birds السِجنِthe prison أَعوزَهاeluded them الخَلاصُescape
كَطَيرِ السِجنِ أَعوزَها الخَلاصُ
We have lived our lives under compulsion,
like prison birds for whom there is no escape.
تُصيبُstrike القَومَthe people مِنfrom نُوَبِcalamities of اللَياليthe nights
تُصيبُ القَومَ مِن نُوَبِ اللَيالي
سِهامٌarrows لاتُنَهنِهُهاcannot stop them الدِلاصُpolished armor
سِهامٌ لاتُنَهنِهُها الدِلاصُ
From the nights’ calamities, people are struck
by arrows that polished armor cannot stop.
فَهَلthen, is there? فيon الأَرضِthe earth مِنany فَرَجٍrelief لِحُرٍّfor a free man
فَهَل في الأَرضِ مِن فَرَجٍ لِحُرٍّ
تُزَجّىare driven onward فيin مَطالِبِهِquests for it القِلاصُyoung she-camels
تُزَجّى في مَطالِبِهِ القِلاصُ
Is there, then, any relief on earth for a free man,
in search of which young she-camels might be driven?
Sol 6.1