لم يَدَعِ الدهرُ وكرُّ العَصرينْ

لم يَدَعِ الدهرُ وكرُّ العَصرينْ

من وَلدِ الخُدْعَةِ غيرَ هَذينْ

من وَلدِ الخُدْعَةِ غيرَ هَذينْ

Time and the turning of night and day have left none

Time has left behind nothing of past eras

Of deception’s offspring except these two,

Except these two, the progeny of deceit,

بعدَ الجميعِ وسوادِ الأفقينْ

بعدَ الجميعِ وسوادِ الأفقينْ

ثم غدا ينزع احدى الكتفينْ

ثم غدا ينزع احدى الكتفينْ

After all the others and the blackness of the two horizons;

After everyone else and the horizons darkened

Then it began wrenching away one of the two shoulders.

One then set about tearing off the other's shoulder,

لا بينَ اِلاَّ دونَ بين الاثنينْ

لا بينَ اِلاَّ دونَ بين الاثنينْ

فاليومَ يَفنى الدمعُ أَو تَفنى العَينْ

فاليومَ يَفنى الدمعُ أَو تَفنى العَينْ

No parting but falls short of the parting of the two.

Nothing between them but enmity

So today the tears will run out, or the eye will perish.

So today a tear will perish or an eye will perish

كِلاهما وعدٌ عليهِ أَو دَينْ

كِلاهما وعدٌ عليهِ أَو دَينْ

بأَنْ يَبِينْا أَو يَصيرا اثنَينْ

بأَنْ يَبِينْا أَو يَصيرا اثنَينْ

Both are a promise binding upon him, or a debt:

Both a promise to it or a debt

That they should part, or become two.

To become clear or turn into two