خليلي عوجا بي على مسقط اللوا

خليلي عوجا بي على مسقط اللوا

لعل رسوم الدارِ لم تتغيرا

لعل رسوم الدارِ لم تتغيرا

My two friends, turn aside with me at the foot of al-Liwa—

My friend, though fate has bent me, I yearn for our old haunts,

Perhaps the traces of the dwelling have not changed—

Wondering if the house we knew still stands there.

فاسال عن ليلٍ تولى بانسنا

فاسال عن ليلٍ تولى بانسنا

وأندب أياماً تقضت واعصرا

وأندب أياماً تقضت واعصرا

So I may ask of a night that departed with our joy,

Ask if a night has passed like those we knew,

And mourn days that have passed, and ages:

And mourn the days gone by, forever lost.

ليالي إذ كان الزمان مسالماً

ليالي إذ كان الزمان مسالماً

وإذ كان غصن العيش ريان اخضرا

وإذ كان غصن العيش ريان اخضرا

Nights when time was peaceable,

Nights when life was tranquil and serene,

And when life's bough was lush and green,

When the tree of life was green and fresh.

وقد ضربت أيدي الزمان قبابها

وقد ضربت أيدي الزمان قبابها

علينا وكف الدهرُ عنا واقصرا

علينا وكف الدهرُ عنا واقصرا

And the hands of time had pitched their tents

Time has now spread its canopy over us

Over us, and fate had held back from us and relented.

And withdrawn its gifts, and left us in the lurch.

ولكنها الدنيا تخادع أهلها

ولكنها الدنيا تخادع أهلها

تغر بصفوٍ وهي تطوي تكدرا

تغر بصفوٍ وهي تطوي تكدرا

But such is the world: it deceives its people;

Yet life tricks its people, luring them

It beguiles with calm while concealing distress.

With joy, though brewing gloom underneath.

لقد أوردتني بعد ذلك كله

لقد أوردتني بعد ذلك كله

موارد ما ألفيت عنهن مصدرا

موارد ما ألفيت عنهن مصدرا

It has indeed led me, after all of that,

After so much, it led me to strange waters -

To watering places from which I found no way out.

Streams I'd never known or thought to drink from.

خليلي ما بالي على صدق عزمتي

خليلي ما بالي على صدق عزمتي

أرى من زماني ونية وتعذرا

أرى من زماني ونية وتعذرا

My two friends, why, despite my sincere resolve,

My friend, why does resolve still fail me?

Do I find my time sluggish and unyielding?

My life and will seem thwarted at each step.

ووالله ما أدري لأي جريمةٍ

ووالله ما أدري لأي جريمةٍ

تجنى ولا عن أي ذنبٍ تغيرا

تجنى ولا عن أي ذنبٍ تغيرا

And by God, I do not know for what crime

By God, I know not what crime I've committed,

It has wronged me, nor for what sin it has changed.

Or what sin, that fortune spurns me so.