يا تُرْبُ ضَمَّنكَ المَماتُ مُسَوَّداً

يا تُرْبُ ضَمَّنكَ المَماتُ مُسَوَّداً

كادَتْ لهُ نَفْسِي تَزُولُ تَقَطُّعا

كادَتْ لهُ نَفْسِي تَزُولُ تَقَطُّعا

O dust, death has placed a lord within you.

O soil that death has darkened and decayed

For him, my soul nearly perished, torn apart.

My soul almost faded and was torn apart

قدْ كُنْتُ آمُلُ أَنْ يَقِيكَ الدَّهْر لِي

قدْ كُنْتُ آمُلُ أَنْ يَقِيكَ الدَّهْر لِي

صَرْفَ الحُتُوفِ وأَنْ تكُونَ مُفَجَّعا

صَرْفَ الحُتُوفِ وأَنْ تكُونَ مُفَجَّعا

I had hoped that time would shield you for me

I had hoped time would spare you for me

From the blows of death, and that you would be the one bereaved,

The turning of fate, and that you'd remain collected

حَتَّى رأَيْتُ المُشْفِقِينَ تَقَطَّعَتْ

حَتَّى رأَيْتُ المُشْفِقِينَ تَقَطَّعَتْ

لَما لهمْ ورَأَيْتُ يَوْمَكَ مُقْطِعا

لَما لهمْ ورَأَيْتُ يَوْمَكَ مُقْطِعا

Until I saw those who cared torn apart,

Until I saw the anxious ones torn apart

[Unclear opening: “when, for them”]—and saw your day bring an end.

For what was theirs, and I saw your day severed

إِنْ كانَ غَيَّرَ مِنْ مَحاسِنِكَ البِلَى

إِنْ كانَ غَيَّرَ مِنْ مَحاسِنِكَ البِلَى

ورَمى فَلمْ يتْرُكْ لِسَهْمٍ مَنْزَعا

ورَمى فَلمْ يتْرُكْ لِسَهْمٍ مَنْزَعا

If decay has altered some of your beauty

If decay changed your beauty

And shot, leaving no target for an arrow,

And threw, but left no arrow a refuge

فلَقَدْ فَقْدْتُ مَحاسِنَ الدُّنْيا بِهِ

فلَقَدْ فَقْدْتُ مَحاسِنَ الدُّنْيا بِهِ

وَكَذا الزَّمانُ مُفَرِّقٌ ما جَمَّعا

وَكَذا الزَّمانُ مُفَرِّقٌ ما جَمَّعا

Then I have indeed lost through it the beauties of the world;

So I have lost the beauties of life through it

And thus time sunders what it gathered.

And so time separates what it gathered