لو كانتِ الأَيَّامُ في قبضتي

لو كانتِ الأَيَّامُ في قبضتي

أَذَرْتُها للرِّيحِ مِثْلَ الرمالْ

أَذَرْتُها للرِّيحِ مِثْلَ الرمالْ

If the days were in my grasp,

If days were in my grasp

If the days lay within my grasp,

I would scatter them to the wind like sand,

I would scatter them to the winds like sand

I would scatter them to the winds like sand,

وقلتُ يا ريحُ بها فاذهبي

وقلتُ يا ريحُ بها فاذهبي

وبدِّديها في سَحيقِ الجبالْ

وبدِّديها في سَحيقِ الجبالْ

And say, "O wind, carry them away,

And say, "O wind take them

And cry out: "O wind, bear them away,

And scatter them in the mountains' remote depths—

And disperse them on the peaks of mountains."

And disperse them in the mountains' deep ravines,

بل في فَجاجِ الموتِ في عالَمٍ

بل في فَجاجِ الموتِ في عالَمٍ

لا يرقُصُ النُّورُ بِهِ والظِّلالْ

لا يرقُصُ النُّورُ بِهِ والظِّلالْ

Rather, in the ravines of death, in a world

Rather, in the chasms of death in a world

Nay, into the valleys of death, into a realm

Where neither light nor shadows dance."

Where light does not dance, nor shadows.

Where neither light nor dancing shadows play."

لو كانَ هذا الكونُ في قبضتي

لو كانَ هذا الكونُ في قبضتي

أَلقيْتُهُ في النَّارِ نارِ الجحيمْ

أَلقيْتُهُ في النَّارِ نارِ الجحيمْ

If this universe were in my grasp,

If this universe were in my grasp

If this universe lay within my grasp,

I would cast it into the fire—the fire of Hell.

I would cast it into the fire, the hellfire

I would cast it into the fire, the very fire of Hell.

مَا هذه الدُّنيا وهذا الوَرَى

مَا هذه الدُّنيا وهذا الوَرَى

وذلكَ الأُفْقُ وتِلْكَ النُّجُومْ

وذلكَ الأُفْقُ وتِلْكَ النُّجُومْ

What are this world and all humankind,

What is this world and this land

For what is this world, and what is mankind?

And that horizon and those stars?

And that horizon and those stars?

And what that horizon, and those stars above?

النَّارُ أَوْلى بعبيدِ الأَسى

النَّارُ أَوْلى بعبيدِ الأَسى

ومسرحِ الموتِ وعشِّ الهمومْ

ومسرحِ الموتِ وعشِّ الهمومْ

Fire is more fitting for the slaves of sorrow,

The fire is more deserving of the slaves of sorrow

The fire is more fitting for the slaves of sorrow,

And the theater of death and the nest of cares.

And the theater of death and the nest of worries.

This theater of death, this nest of heavy cares.

يا أَيُّها الماضي الَّذي قَدْ قَضَى

يا أَيُّها الماضي الَّذي قَدْ قَضَى

وضمَّهُ الموتُ وليلُ الأَبَدْ

وضمَّهُ الموتُ وليلُ الأَبَدْ

O past, you who have passed away,

O past that has passed

O Past, that has forever passed away,

And whom death and eternity's night have embraced,

And been folded by death and the night of eternity,

Embraced by death and eternity's dark night;

يا حاضِرَ النَّاس الَّذي لم يَزُلْ

يا حاضِرَ النَّاس الَّذي لم يَزُلْ

يا أَيُّها الآتي الَّذي لم يَلِدْ

يا أَيُّها الآتي الَّذي لم يَلِدْ

O present of humankind, which has not yet passed,

O present of people that has not ceased,

O Present of the people, lingering still,

O future, you who have not yet given birth,

O future that has not been born,

O Future, which has not yet come to birth;

سَخَافةٌ دُنياكُمُ هذه

سَخَافةٌ دُنياكُمُ هذه

تائهةٌ في ظلمةٍ لا تُحَدْ

تائهةٌ في ظلمةٍ لا تُحَدْ

This world of yours is folly,

Your world here is foolishness

A sheer absurdity is this world of yours,

Wandering in a darkness without bounds.

Wandering in an endless darkness.

Lost in a darkness that knows no bound.