لَمdid not يَبقَremain شَيءٌa thing مِنَof الدُنياthe world بِأَيديناin our hands
لَم يَبقَ شَيءٌ مِنَ الدُنيا بِأَيدينا
إِلّاexcept بَقِيَّةُa remnant دَمعٍof tears فيin مَآقيناthe corners of our eyes
إِلّا بَقِيَّةُ دَمعٍ في مَآقينا
Nothing of this world remains in our hands
Nothing remains of this world in our hands
Except a remnant of tears in the corners of our eyes.
Except the remnants of tears in our eyes
كُنّاwe were قِلادَةَa necklace جيدِthe neck of الدَهرِtime فَاِنفَرَطَتthen it came unstrung
كُنّا قِلادَةَ جيدِ الدَهرِ فَاِنفَرَطَت
وَفيand in يَمينِthe right hand of العُلاglory كُناwe were رَياحيناfragrant flowers
وَفي يَمينِ العُلا كُنا رَياحينا
We were the necklace on Time's neck; then it came unstrung.
We were the necklace of time’s neck, now unstrung
And in Glory's right hand we were fragrant flowers.
And in fortune’s right hand we were sweet basil
كانَتwere مَنازِلُناour dwellings فيin العِزِّglory شامِخَةًlofty
كانَت مَنازِلُنا في العِزِّ شامِخَةً
لاnot تُشرِقُshines الشَمسَthe sun إِلّاexcept فيin مَغانيناour abodes
لا تُشرِقُ الشَمسَ إِلّا في مَغانينا
Our dwellings towered in glory;
Our dwellings stood lofty in glory
The sun shone nowhere but upon our abodes.
The sun shone only in our cupolas
وَكانَand was أَقصىthe utmost مُنىwishes of نَهرِthe river of المَجَرَّةِthe Milky Way لَوif only
وَكانَ أَقصى مُنى نَهرِ المَجَرَّةِ لَو
مِنfrom مائِهِits water مُزِجَتwere mixed أَقداحُthe goblets of ساقيناour cupbearer
مِن مائِهِ مُزِجَت أَقداحُ ساقينا
And the Milky Way's river wished above all that
If the water of the Milky Way was mixed
Its water might be mingled in our cupbearer's goblets.
With the wine of our cupbearer’s cup
وَالشُهبُand the shooting stars لَوif only أَنَّهاthat they كانَتwere مُسَخَّرَةًharnessed
وَالشُهبُ لَو أَنَّها كانَت مُسَخَّرَةً
لِرَجمِto pelt مَنwhoever كانَwas يَبدوappearing مِنamong أَعاديناour enemies
لِرَجمِ مَن كانَ يَبدو مِن أَعادينا
And the shooting stars wished they might be harnessed
The shooting stars, if they were at our command
To pelt whoever appeared among our enemies.
Would pelt those enemies who dared oppose us
فَلَمso did not نَزَلwe cease وَصُروفُand the vicissitudes of الدَهرِtime تَرمُقُناeye us
فَلَم نَزَل وَصُروفُ الدَهرِ تَرمُقُنا
شَزراًaskance وَتَخدَعُناand deceives us الدُنياthe world وَتُلهيناand distracts us
شَزراً وَتَخدَعُنا الدُنيا وَتُلهينا
And so we went on, while Time's vicissitudes eyed us
But fate’s turns did not cease to watch us
Askance, and the world deceived us and distracted us,
Toying with us, the world misleading us
حَتّىuntil غَدَوناwe became وَلاand no جاهٌstanding وَلاand no نَشَبٌwealth
حَتّى غَدَونا وَلا جاهٌ وَلا نَشَبٌ
وَلاand no صَديقٌfriend وَلاand no خِلُّclose companion يُواسيناconsoles us
وَلا صَديقٌ وَلا خِلُّ يُواسينا
Until we had neither standing nor wealth,
Until we found ourselves with no glory or youth
Nor a friend nor a close companion to console us.
No friend or companion to console us
Sol 6.1