يَاO نِعَمَةًa blessing عَظُمَتْwas great فَلَمْyet did not تَدُمِlast
يَا نِعَمَةً عَظُمَتْ فَلَمْ تَدُمِ
وَكَذَاand thus تَكُونُare عَظَائِمُthe greatest النِّعَمِblessings
وَكَذَا تَكُونُ عَظَائِمُ النِّعَمِ
O blessing that was great, yet did not last!
Oh blessing that was mighty but did not last,
And so it is with the greatest blessings.
And so are blessings, however great.
عِشْنَاwe lived زَمَاناًfor a time وَهْيَwhile it قِسْمَتُنَاour allotted share
عِشْنَا زَمَاناً وَهْيَ قِسْمَتُنَا
وَغَنَاؤُنَاand our sufficiency عَنْfrom سَائِرِall other القِسَمِshares
وَغَنَاؤُنَا عَنْ سَائِرِ القِسَمِ
For a time we lived with it as our allotted share,
We lived an age when our lot was divided,
And it spared us need of any other share,
And we were content, unlike the rest.
حَتَّىuntil عَدِمْنَاهَاwe lost it فَعِزَّتُنَاthen our dignity
حَتَّى عَدِمْنَاهَا فَعِزَّتُنَا
كَالذلِّlike humiliation وَالإِثْرَاءِand wealth كَالعَدَمِlike poverty
كَالذلِّ وَالإِثْرَاءِ كَالعَدَمِ
Until we lost it; then our dignity
Till we lost it and our pride
Was like humiliation, and wealth like poverty.
Was as abject as wealth is naught.
وَاحَرَّalas for the burning of قَلْبَاmy heart يَاO أُمَيْمَةُUmaymah أَنْthat
وَاحَرَّ قَلْبَا يَا أُمَيْمَةُ أَنْ
تَمْضِيyou depart وَيَمْضِيand departs السَّعْدُgood fortune مِنْfrom أَمَمِclose at hand
تَمْضِي وَيَمْضِي السَّعْدُ مِنْ أَمَمِ
Alas, my burning heart, O Umaymah, that you should
Grief consumes my heart, O Umayma,
Depart, and good fortune vanish from before us!
That you leave and gladness leaves my soul.
مَاذَاwhat أَنَاI وَلِمَنْand for whom مُكَافَحَتِيmy struggle
مَاذَا أَنَا وَلِمَنْ مُكَافَحَتِي
وَعَلامَand why بَذْلِيmy giving قُوَّتِيmy strength وَدَمِيand my blood
وَعَلامَ بَذْلِي قُوَّتِي وَدَمِي
What am I, and for whom do I struggle?
What am I in this struggle, who profits?
And why do I expend my strength and my blood?
Why spend my strength and blood in vain?
Sol 6.1