ياO صاحfriend لاdo not تذكرrecall زَماناًa time قَدalready مَضىpassed
يا صاح لا تذكر زَماناً قَد مَضى
رَغداًin ease فَتَدعوand so you invite العَيشlife أَنto يَتنغَّصاbecome embittered
رَغداً فَتَدعو العَيش أَن يَتنغَّصا
O friend, do not recall a bygone time
O friend, do not mention a past time
Of ease, lest you invite life to turn bitter.
That was once prosperous, lest you make life seem bitter.
شيمُways الزَمانtime تَغيّرchange وَتَقلّبand fickleness
شيمُ الزَمان تَغيّر وَتَقلّب
فَلَكمfor how often أَطاعobeyed لَناto us الزَمانtime وَكَمand how often عَصىrebelled
فَلَكم أَطاع لَنا الزَمان وَكَم عَصى
The ways of time are change and fickleness.
It is the way of time to change and shift,
For how often time has obeyed us, and how often rebelled!
How often has time obeyed us, and how often disobeyed!
أَسفاًlamentation إِذاif كانَwas التَأَسّفlamenting شافياًhealing
أَسفاً إِذا كانَ التَأَسّف شافياً
عَمَّspread to all البَلاءcalamity فَأيّso which قَلبheart خصّصاsingled out
عَمَّ البَلاء فَأيّ قَلب خصّصا
Lament, if lamentation brings healing.
Regret avails us nothing when regret cannot mend,
Calamity has spread to all—so which heart did it single out?
Misfortune is so rife — what heart is left unscathed?
كانَتwas عَصاa staff سَيفاًa sword قاطِعاًkeen-edged
كانَت عَصا سَيفاً قاطِعاً
وَالآنand now أَصبَحhas become سَيفهمtheir sword شبهlike العَصاthe staff
وَالآن أَصبَح سَيفهم شبه العَصا
A staff was once a keen-edged sword,
Their staff was once a cutting sword,
And now their sword has become like a staff.
Now their sword is but a staff in semblance.
Sol 6.1