فيما مَضى كُنتَ بِالأَعيادِ مَسرورا

فيما مَضى كُنتَ بِالأَعيادِ مَسرورا

فَساءَكَ العيدُ في أَغماتَ مَأسورا

فَساءَكَ العيدُ في أَغماتَ مَأسورا

In days gone by, you were joyful at the feasts.

In the past, you were joyful during holidays,

But the feast saddened you in Aghmat, held captive.

Yet the holiday saddened you, imprisoned in sorrows.

تَرى بَناتكَ في الأَطمارِ جائِعَةً

تَرى بَناتكَ في الأَطمارِ جائِعَةً

يَغزِلنَ لِلناسِ ما يَملِكنَ قَطميراً

يَغزِلنَ لِلناسِ ما يَملِكنَ قَطميراً

You see your daughters in rags, hungry;

You see your daughters starving, wearing rags,

They spin for others, possessing not even a date-stone's membrane.

Spinning whatever meager threads they own.

بَرَزنَ نَحوَكَ لِلتَسليمِ خاشِعَةً

بَرَزنَ نَحوَكَ لِلتَسليمِ خاشِعَةً

أَبصارُهُنَّ حَسراتٍ مَكاسيرا

أَبصارُهُنَّ حَسراتٍ مَكاسيرا

They came out toward you to offer greetings, humbled,

They came to greet you humbly,

Their eyes sorrowful and broken.

Their eyes full of miserable regrets.

يَطأنَ في الطين وَالأَقدامُ حافيَةٌ

يَطأنَ في الطين وَالأَقدامُ حافيَةٌ

كَأَنَّها لَم تَطأ مِسكاً وَكافورا

كَأَنَّها لَم تَطأ مِسكاً وَكافورا

They tread in the mud, their feet bare,

They walk in the mud, barefoot,

As though they had never trodden musk and camphor.

As if their feet never touched musk and camphor.

لا خَدَّ إِلّا تَشكّى الجَدبَ ظاهِرهُ

لا خَدَّ إِلّا تَشكّى الجَدبَ ظاهِرهُ

وَلَيسَ إِلّا مَعَ الأَنفاسِ مَمطورا

وَلَيسَ إِلّا مَعَ الأَنفاسِ مَمطورا

Every cheek's surface complained of drought,

Every cheek complains of drought, apparent on its surface,

And only with each sigh was it rained upon.

And every breath is accompanied by a moan.

أَفطَرتَ في العيدِ لا عادَت إِساءَتُهُ

أَفطَرتَ في العيدِ لا عادَت إِساءَتُهُ

فَكانَ فِطرُكَ لِلأكبادِ تَفطيرا

فَكانَ فِطرُكَ لِلأكبادِ تَفطيرا

You broke your fast at the feast—may its cruelty never return—

You broke your fast during the holiday, but could not reverse its misfortune,

So your breaking of the fast was a rending of livers.

So your breaking of the fast tore open hearts.

قَد كانَ دَهرُكَ إِن تأمُرهُ مُمتَثِلاً

قَد كانَ دَهرُكَ إِن تأمُرهُ مُمتَثِلاً

فَرَدّكَ الدَهرُ مَنهيّاً وَمأمورا

فَرَدّكَ الدَهرُ مَنهيّاً وَمأمورا

Time once obeyed whenever you commanded it;

Your fortune used to obey if you commanded,

Then Time made you subject to prohibitions and commands.

Yet fortune returned you denied and commanding.

مَن باتَ بَعدَكَ في مُلكٍ يُسرُّ بِهِ

مَن باتَ بَعدَكَ في مُلكٍ يُسرُّ بِهِ

فَإِنَّما باتَ بِالأَحلامِ مَغرورا

فَإِنَّما باتَ بِالأَحلامِ مَغرورا

Whoever after you spends the night in kingship, delighting in it,

Whoever spent the night after you reigning happily

Has only spent the night beguiled by dreams.

In fact spent the night deluded by dreams.