نُسَرُّwe rejoice بالأَعيادat the festivals ياO وَيحناalas for us
نُسَرُّ بالأَعياد يا وَيحنا
وكلُّand every عيدٍfestival قدalready تَوَلّىhas departed بعامwith a year
وكلُّ عيدٍ قد تَوَلّى بعام
We rejoice at festivals—alas for us!
We rejoice at feast days, Oh how strange!
And every festival has departed, taking a year with it.
Yet each feast that passes marks another year.
والعمرand life دُرٌّpearls فيon نظامa string وهلand do
والعمر دُرٌّ في نظام وهل
نَفرحwe rejoice أنthat يُنقَصَbe diminished دُرُّpearls النِظامof the string
نَفرح أن يُنقَصَ دُرُّ النِظام
And life is pearls on a string; do we
Life is a pearl in an orderly string,
rejoice that the string’s pearls are diminished?
Should we rejoice when the string's pearls diminish year by year?
ماnot فيamong البراياcreated beings عاقلٌa wise person كلُّهمall of them
ما في البرايا عاقلٌ كلُّهم
يَردىperishes ولمand has not يَعملmade حسابَreckoning of الفِطامweaning
يَردى ولم يَعمل حسابَ الفِطام
No one among created beings is wise; they all
In this wide world none are truly wise,
perish without having reckoned with weaning.
All wander astray, no thought of life’s brevity.
والحمدُand praise لِلَّهto God علىfor ماwhat قَضىHe decreed
والحمدُ لِلَّه على ما قَضى
فهذهfor this حِكمتهHis wisdom فيamong الأَنامcreated beings
فهذه حِكمته في الأَنام
And praise be to God for what He has decreed,
Thanks be to God for what is decreed,
for this is His wisdom among created beings.
Such is His wisdom regarding mankind.
Sol 6.1