ماwhat الَّذيwhich أَفعَلI do أَمor ماwhat أَقولُI say
ما الَّذي أَفعَل أَم ما أَقولُ
حَدَثٌan event لَوif only تَعلَمينyou (feminine) knew جَليلُmomentous
حَدَثٌ لَو تَعلَمين جَليلُ
What am I to do, or what am I to say?
What shall I do or what shall I say
A momentous event—if only you knew.
If you knew of the grave event
نِعمَةa blessing مَهنَؤُهاits enjoyment لِلأَعاديfor the enemies
نِعمَة مَهنَؤُها لِلأَعادي
فَإِذاso when زالَتit vanishes فَعَنّيthen from me تَزولُit vanishes
فَإِذا زالَت فَعَنّي تَزولُ
A blessing whose enjoyment belongs to the enemies;
A blessing I congratulate my enemies for
And when it vanishes, it is from me that it vanishes.
But when it passes, it passes me by
كُنتُI used to أرميI shoot at الدَّهرTime عَنهاin its defense فَأمسيso I come to be
كُنتُ أرمي الدَّهر عَنها فَأمسي
وَبِهاand through it صَولتُهُhis onslaught إِذwhen يَصولُhe attacks
وَبِها صَولتُهُ إِذ يَصولُ
I used to shoot at Time to defend it; now I find myself
I used to fend off fate from it, but by evening
Facing his onslaught through it when he attacks.
I surrendered to it when it raged
بِئسَwretched is ماwhat اِعتاضَhe received in exchange أَخa brother منfrom أَخيهِhis brother
بِئسَ ما اِعتاضَ أَخ من أَخيهِ
حُجَّةٌan argument تَبقىit remains وَعَهدٌand a pledge يَزولُit vanishes
حُجَّةٌ تَبقى وَعَهدٌ يَزولُ
Wretched is what a brother received from his brother in exchange:
How awful is a brother's grudge against his brother
An argument that remains, and a pledge that vanishes.
An excuse remains while a pact crumbles away
Sol 6.1