ألاcome now فاهجرso forsake معتقةًan aged wine
ألا فاهجر معتقةً
سقىgave drink to النسيانoblivion ساقيهاits cupbearer
سقى النسيان ساقيها
Come, forsake an aged wine,
Alas, abandon the tavern
Whose cupbearer oblivion has given drink.
Whose cupbearer quenched it with oblivion
وقمand rise نندبlet us lament بلاداًa land لمdid not
وقم نندب بلاداً لم
يخبbe disappointed إلاexcept أهاليهاits people
يخب إلا أهاليها
And rise; let us lament a land where none
And lament for a country whose
But its own people have been disappointed.
Only ruin was its people
إليكمto you (plural) كانwas مرجعهاits recourse
إليكم كان مرجعها
لترعوهاso that you care for it وتحموهاand protect it
لترعوها وتحموها
It was to you that it turned,
To you was its return
So that you might care for it and protect it.
For you to nurture and protect it
فأنشدهاthen sang to it لسانُthe tongue الحالِof circumstance
فأنشدها لسانُ الحالِ
حاميهاits protector حراميهاits thief
حاميها حراميها
Then the voice of circumstance sang to it:
So the voice of circumstance did chant
Its protector is its thief.
Its protector, its thief
Sol 6.1