لَئِنif indeed عَزَّbecame mighty أَقوامٌsome people وَكانواand they were أَذِلَّةًlowly
لَئِن عَزَّ أَقوامٌ وَكانوا أَذِلَّةً
وَصارَand became لَهُمtheirs مِنfrom بَعدِafter فَقرِهِمُtheir poverty مالُwealth
وَصارَ لَهُم مِن بَعدِ فَقرِهِمُ مالُ
If some people have become mighty, though once they were lowly,
Though people rise and though they fall
and wealth has come to them after their poverty,
And fortunes shift from great to small,
فَماso not ذاكَthat بِدعاًsomething unprecedented فيin دِمَشقَDamascus لِأَنَّهاbecause it
فَما ذاكَ بِدعاً في دِمَشقَ لِأَنَّها
تَمَلَّكَهاruled it فيin سالِفِbygone الدَّهرِtime زَبّالُa refuse collector
تَمَلَّكَها في سالِفِ الدَّهرِ زَبّالُ
that is nothing new in Damascus, for
This is no miracle in Damascus -
a refuse collector ruled it in days of old.
Once ruled by trash collectors en masse.
Sol 6.1