بَلَدٌ قدْ غَزاهُ صَرْفُ اللّيالي

بَلَدٌ قدْ غَزاهُ صَرْفُ اللّيالي

وأباحَ الحَريمَ منْهُ مُبيحُ

وأباحَ الحَريمَ منْهُ مُبيحُ

A city invaded by the vicissitudes of the nights,

A land invaded by the passage of nights

And a ravager has violated its sanctuary.

And a violator has made its sanctity permitted

فالذي خرّ منْ بِناهُ قَتيلٌ

فالذي خرّ منْ بِناهُ قَتيلٌ

والذي قَرّ منْهُ بعْضٌ جَريحُ

والذي قَرّ منْهُ بعْضٌ جَريحُ

So what has fallen of its buildings is slain,

So one who fell from its buildings is a martyr

And what remains of it is a wounded remnant.

And one who stayed, some are wounded

وكأنّ الذي يَزورُ طَبيبٌ

وكأنّ الذي يَزورُ طَبيبٌ

قَدْ تأتّى لهُ بهِ التشْريحُ

قَدْ تأتّى لهُ بهِ التشْريحُ

And whoever visits seems a physician,

It's as if the one who visits is a doctor

For whom dissection has become possible there.

Who has come to perform an autopsy on it

أعْجَمَتْ منْهُ أربُعٌ وطُلولٌ

أعْجَمَتْ منْهُ أربُعٌ وطُلولٌ

صالَ قِدْماً بِها اللِّسانُ الفَصيحُ

صالَ قِدْماً بِها اللِّسانُ الفَصيحُ

Its dwelling sites and ruins have fallen mute,

Four pillars and domes are foreign to it

Where once the eloquent tongue held sway.

To which the eloquent tongue had walked

كمْ مَعانٍ غابَتْ بتِلْكَ المَغاني

كمْ مَعانٍ غابَتْ بتِلْكَ المَغاني

وجَمالٍ أخْفاهُ ذاكَ الضريحُ

وجَمالٍ أخْفاهُ ذاكَ الضريحُ

How many meanings have vanished in those dwellings,

How many meanings have been lost in those tunes

And how much beauty that tomb has hidden,

And how much beauty that tomb has concealed

ومُلوكٍ تعبّدوا الدّهْرَ حتّى

ومُلوكٍ تعبّدوا الدّهْرَ حتّى

أصْبَحَ الدّهْرُ وهْوَ عَبْدٌ صَريحُ

أصْبَحَ الدّهْرُ وهْوَ عَبْدٌ صَريحُ

And kings who enslaved Time, until

And kings who worshipped time until

Time itself became a slave, pure and simple.

Time itself became an evident slave

دوّخوا نازِحَ البَسيطةِ حتّى

دوّخوا نازِحَ البَسيطةِ حتّى

نالَ ما شاءَ ذابِلٌ وصَفيحُ

نالَ ما شاءَ ذابِلٌ وصَفيحُ

They subdued the far reaches of the earth, until

They battled the occupier of al-Basaita until

Spear and sword attained whatever they wished,

The faded and crumbling one attained what he desired

حينَ شَبّتْ لهُمْ منَ البأسِ نارٌ

حينَ شَبّتْ لهُمْ منَ البأسِ نارٌ

ثمّ هبّتْ لهُمْ منَ النّصْرِ ريحُ

ثمّ هبّتْ لهُمْ منَ النّصْرِ ريحُ

When a fire of martial might blazed for them,

When a fire of might ignited for them

Then a wind of victory blew for them.

Then a wind of victory blew for them

أثَرٌ يَنْدُبُ المُؤثِّرَ لمّا

أثَرٌ يَنْدُبُ المُؤثِّرَ لمّا

طالَ بَعْدَ الدّنوِّ منْهُ النّزوحُ

طالَ بَعْدَ الدّنوِّ منْهُ النّزوحُ

A vestige mourns its maker, now that

A trace that laments the effective one when

Separation has grown long after closeness to him.

Distance from the fortress lasted long for him

فَقُلوبُ النّجومِ تَخْفِقُ وَجْداً

فَقُلوبُ النّجومِ تَخْفِقُ وَجْداً

وعُيونُ السّحابِ حُزْناً تَفوحُ

وعُيونُ السّحابِ حُزْناً تَفوحُ

So the hearts of the stars throb with longing,

So the hearts of the stars throb with passion

And the eyes of the clouds overflow with sorrow.

And the eyes of the clouds sorrowfully weep

ساكِنُ الدّارِ رُوحُها كيفَ يَبْقى

ساكِنُ الدّارِ رُوحُها كيفَ يَبْقى

جَسَدٌ بعْدَما تولّى الرّوحُ

جَسَدٌ بعْدَما تولّى الرّوحُ

The house's inhabitant is its soul—how can there remain

How can the spirit of the house's dweller remain

A body after the soul has departed?

When the soul has bid farewell to the body