وَتجلد المسكين حَتّى اوشكت

وَتجلد المسكين حَتّى اوشكت

تَصفو لديه عيشه وَحَياته

تَصفو لديه عيشه وَحَياته

And the poor man bore up, until it nearly came to pass

The poor man endured until his livelihood and life

That his livelihood and life grew tranquil.

Were about to settle for him,

لكن عَزيزة اقبلت وَالويل ان

لكن عَزيزة اقبلت وَالويل ان

سل السيوف زَمانه وَفتاته

سل السيوف زَمانه وَفتاته

But Aziza came—and woe if

But alas, his darling came, woe to the time

His times and his daughter draw their swords.

When swords sheathed his time and shreds.

حتام لا اهدي عروسا يا أَبي

حتام لا اهدي عروسا يا أَبي

يا مَن تقضت بالبكا لَيلاته

يا مَن تقضت بالبكا لَيلاته

How long must I remain ungiven as a bride, Father,

Father, I will never wed a bride,

O you whose nights have passed in weeping?

O you whose nights were spent weeping,

حتام وَالشَعب المفدى يَرتَجي

حتام وَالشَعب المفدى يَرتَجي

اكثار نسل تَرتَجي حَركاته

اكثار نسل تَرتَجي حَركاته

How long, while the cherished people hope

And the ransomed people hope

For more offspring, whose deeds you hope for?

To proliferate a lineage that stirs its movements.

فتنهد المسكين وَالعين لَها

فتنهد المسكين وَالعين لَها

مالَت وَقَد زادَت به زَفَراته

مالَت وَقَد زادَت به زَفَراته

The poor man sighed, and toward her his gaze

So the poor man sighs while his eyes

Turned, as his sighs grew heavier.

Incline and his sighs increase through him.

بنتاه رفقا لا تزيدي في آسى

بنتاه رفقا لا تزيدي في آسى

قد احكمت في بعضها حلقاته

قد احكمت في بعضها حلقاته

Daughter, gently! Do not add to a sorrow

My daughters, gently, do not add to his torment,

Whose links have been tightly fastened together.

For some of its rings have been sealed.

بنتاه مَهلا لَيسَ لي من اصغر

بنتاه مَهلا لَيسَ لي من اصغر

للعرشتبدي فرحتينا ذاته

للعرشتبدي فرحتينا ذاته

Daughter, wait: I have not even the smallest [amount],

My daughters, wait, I have none younger

For the throne ... its very self displays our two joys [text unclear].

To make our throne rejoice in itself.

بنتاه ان العرس امسى ضيغما

بنتاه ان العرس امسى ضيغما

عَن كل مكلوم الجوى وَثَباته

عَن كل مكلوم الجوى وَثَباته

Daughter, the wedding has become a lion;

My daughters, the wedding has become a disdain

Its pounces confront every heart wounded by grief.

To every sufferer of love and its firmness.

قَد ابدلت هيآته حَتّى لَقَد

قَد ابدلت هيآته حَتّى لَقَد

آلت إِلىمستقبح هيآته

آلت إِلىمستقبح هيآته

Its forms have been altered, until indeed

Its forms have changed until they

Its forms have become something repugnant.

Reverted to loathsome forms.

يا لهف قَلبي عَن جَمال دنت

يا لهف قَلبي عَن جَمال دنت

اثاره وَتَناسَخَت اياته

اثاره وَتَناسَخَت اياته

Oh, my heart's anguish for a beauty whose

Oh, yearning of my heart for the beauty of Dina

Traces drew near, while its signs were replaced in turn.

Whose traces aroused its verses.

قَد عاثَ فيه المُفسِدونَ كانهم

قَد عاثَ فيه المُفسِدونَ كانهم

قَد احجبت عن عينهم غاياته

قَد احجبت عن عينهم غاياته

The corrupters have ravaged it, as though

The corrupters have wreaked havoc in it as if

Its aims had been hidden from their sight.

Its purposes were obscured from their eyes.

من لي بِما تَحوي خَزائِن بعضهم

من لي بِما تَحوي خَزائِن بعضهم

حَتّى تجيب عَزيزَتي رناته

حَتّى تجيب عَزيزَتي رناته

Who can get me what some of their coffers hold,

Who will provide me with what some coffers contain

So that my darling may answer its ringing?

So that my darling responds to her ringing?

فاِستَرجَعت نحو الرِضى وَهيَ الَّتي

فاِستَرجَعت نحو الرِضى وَهيَ الَّتي

عرفت أَباها افرغت كاساته

عرفت أَباها افرغت كاساته

So she turned back toward contentment, for she

Then she inclined toward acceptance, she who

Knew her father's cups had been emptied.

Knew her father, emptied his cups.

وَتذكرت ايام سعد ادبرت

وَتذكرت ايام سعد ادبرت

وَهُوَ الَّذي لَم تتصل ساعاته

وَهُوَ الَّذي لَم تتصل ساعاته

And she remembered days of happiness gone by,

And remembered the days of happiness that passed

Happiness whose hours had not endured.

While their hours never joined.

ابتاه لا تندم عَلى ما لَم تكن

ابتاه لا تندم عَلى ما لَم تكن

اخطاره لَولاك او نَكَباته

اخطاره لَولاك او نَكَباته

Father, do not regret what would not have had

Father, do not regret what you were not

Its dangers or disasters, but for you.

Responsible for, or else its pitfalls.

ذكر جنانك كَيفَ لَم تردع به

ذكر جنانك كَيفَ لَم تردع به

مذ كنت في عيش نمت خَيراته

مذ كنت في عيش نمت خَيراته

Remind your heart how you failed to let it restrain you,

The memory of your paradise, how did it not dissuade you

Since you lived a life whose blessings flourished.

When you lived enjoying its bounties?

ذكره كَم اسرفت في اللهو وَكَم

ذكره كَم اسرفت في اللهو وَكَم

فيه اليك تعددت طرقاته

فيه اليك تعددت طرقاته

Remind it how much you squandered on pleasure, and how

Remember it, how extravagant you were in amusement and how

Numerous were the paths it offered you.

Its paths to you multiplied.

قل انك الجاني وَنح عَن ثروة

قل انك الجاني وَنح عَن ثروة

واجهد وحصل بعض ما تقتاته

واجهد وحصل بعض ما تقتاته

Say you are the culprit, and mourn a fortune;

Say it is you who are guilty, abstain from wealth,

And work hard to earn something to live on.

Exert yourself and earn some of your livelihood.

واندم عَلى ما لَم تصن وامكث هنا

واندم عَلى ما لَم تصن وامكث هنا

صل فَلا تغني التَعيس صَلاته

صل فَلا تغني التَعيس صَلاته

Regret what you failed to preserve, and stay here;

And regret what you did not preserve, stay here,

Pray—a wretched man's prayer brings him no gain.

Pray, for prayers do not benefit the miserable.

لا تظهري بي الشَماتة إِنَّني

لا تظهري بي الشَماتة إِنَّني

في اللَهو من هاجَت به نوباته

في اللَهو من هاجَت به نوباته

Do not gloat over me; indeed, I am

Do not show gloating toward me, I who

One in whom the fits of pleasure have raged.

In amusement, when fits seized me, was led astray.

يَنقاد غرا للذي تَمضي به

يَنقاد غرا للذي تَمضي به

نحوَ التَعاسة وَالشقا خطواته

نحوَ التَعاسة وَالشقا خطواته

He follows, unsuspecting, one whose

While we see each other in decadence, you see

Steps take him toward misery and wretchedness.

Everyone defiled in his principles.

بينا ترانا في الخَلاعة اذ تَرى

بينا ترانا في الخَلاعة اذ تَرى

كلا تلوث عنده مراته

كلا تلوث عنده مراته

While you see us in debauchery, behold

Woe to the hours of intimacy I did not know

Each man's mirror tarnished before him.

Whether it was intimacy or its detriments.

واها عَلى ساعات انس لَم اكن

واها عَلى ساعات انس لَم اكن

ادري اهو الانس ام آفاته

ادري اهو الانس ام آفاته

Ah, for hours of delight! I did not

Away with those amusements, how many times through them

Know whether it was delight or its blights.

The stumbler falls into his errors.

تبا الى تلك المَلاهي كَم بها

تبا الى تلك المَلاهي كَم بها

من مكثر اودت به زلاته

من مكثر اودت به زلاته

Curse those amusements! How many there

And woe to heaps of money I squandered

Were wealthy men ruined by their own missteps!

If I heard the rhythms of the one who strikes them.

وَيحي عَلى أَكداس مال بذرت

وَيحي عَلى أَكداس مال بذرت

ان اسمعت من ضارب نغماته

ان اسمعت من ضارب نغماته

Woe to me for heaps of money I squandered,

And to a time that has passed as if

Whenever I heard a musician's melodies.

Its traits did not expire if its signs remained.

وَعَلى زَمان قَد مَضى وكانه

وَعَلى زَمان قَد مَضى وكانه

لَم ينقض اذ لَم تَزَل سيماته

لَم ينقض اذ لَم تَزَل سيماته

And for a time now past, as though it

One day when we were on our coaches

Had never ended, for its marks still remain.

Not seeing those without coaches.

يَوما وَقَد كنا عَلى عرباتنا

يَوما وَقَد كنا عَلى عرباتنا

لسنا نَرى من لَم تَكُن عرباته

لسنا نَرى من لَم تَكُن عرباته

One day, when we were in our carriages,

One day when we took shade sipping

We did not see anyone who had no carriages.

Cups of wine, uglier than his cups.

يوما وَقَد كنا بظل نحتَسي

يوما وَقَد كنا بظل نحتَسي

كاسات خمر قبحت كاساته

كاسات خمر قبحت كاساته

One day, when we drank in the shade

One day we wasted our time in corners,

Cups of wine—accursed be its cups!

For corners, my daughter, are its sublimities.

يَوما اضعنا في الزَوايا وَقتَنا

يَوما اضعنا في الزَوايا وَقتَنا

ان الزَوايا يا ابنتي علاته

ان الزَوايا يا ابنتي علاته

One day we wasted our time in the religious lodges;

O flower of our life that has withered

Indeed, the lodges, my daughter, are its ailments.

In it, when the life of a youth is its blossoms.

يا زهرة من عيشنا قَد اذبلت

يا زهرة من عيشنا قَد اذبلت

فيها اذا عيش الفَتى زَهراته

فيها اذا عيش الفَتى زَهراته

O flower of our life! Made to wither were

And here I approached her so she shuddered

There, then, the blossoms of a young man's life.

Before my eyes, his attributes and traits.

وَهنا قربت اليها فتشخصت

وَهنا قربت اليها فتشخصت

قدام عيني نعته وَصفاته

قدام عيني نعته وَصفاته

At this point I drew near to her, and there took shape

And there was Mahmoud, an empty space that

Before my eyes his likeness and his traits.

My comforts did not part from his comforts.

فاذا به مَحمود خل كان لي

فاذا به مَحمود خل كان لي

ما فارقت راحاته راحاته

ما فارقت راحاته راحاته

And behold, it was Mahmoud, a friend of mine,

I had feared his absence but there he was

Whose wine had never left his palms.

While absence was in his limbs like bites.

قَد كنت أَخشى عدمه فاذا به

قَد كنت أَخشى عدمه فاذا به

وَالعدم في اعضائه لدغاته

وَالعدم في اعضائه لدغاته

I had feared his destitution; and there he was,

So I advised him: "Take heart, for in

With destitution's stings in his limbs.

This universe are those whose worries persist."

فَنَصَحتهُ هون عليك فان في

فَنَصَحتهُ هون عليك فان في

ذا الكَون من لَم تستمت هماته

ذا الكَون من لَم تستمت هماته

So I advised him: Take heart, for in

That the youth thought of all

This world are those whose aspirations have not died.

You complain of, a matter whose diseases have slept.

ان الشَبيبَة فكرت في كل ما

ان الشَبيبَة فكرت في كل ما

تَشكوه امر قَد نمت علاته

تَشكوه امر قَد نمت علاته

The youth have pondered all that

I unsheathed over the evils of its swords

You complain of—a matter whose ailments have grown.

While evil amongst us has spread its habits.

سلت عَلى هامات سوء سيفها

سلت عَلى هامات سوء سيفها

وَالسوء عمت بيننا عاداته

وَالسوء عمت بيننا عاداته

They have drawn their sword against the heads of evil,

And I armored myself with diligence to make happy those

And evil's habits have spread among us.

Who walked with it toward distress and their tribulations.

وَتدرعت بالجد في اسعاد من

وَتدرعت بالجد في اسعاد من

سارَت بِهِ نَحوَ الشقا فاقاته

سارَت بِهِ نَحوَ الشقا فاقاته

And armored themselves in earnestness to bring happiness to those

It aims to foil the extravagance that caused

Whose privations have led them toward misery.

What is between us to scatter and I regret its wrongs.

تَرمي الى اخفاق تَبذير فشت

تَرمي الى اخفاق تَبذير فشت

ما بَينَنا وأسفي سوآته

ما بَينَنا وأسفي سوآته

They aim to defeat extravagance, whose

It aims to erase the misguidances that

Evils have spread among us—alas!

Have engulfed the cities and poisoned its breezes.

تَرمي إِلى محو الضَلالات الَّتي

تَرمي إِلى محو الضَلالات الَّتي

عمت بلادا سممت نسماته

عمت بلادا سممت نسماته

They aim to erase the delusions that

So assist it with a palm and be for it

Have overrun a land and poisoned its breezes.

Until it brings together its fragments for our religion.

فاِمدد لها كفا وَكن فيها لها

فاِمدد لها كفا وَكن فيها لها

حَتّى تضم لديننا اشتاته

حَتّى تضم لديننا اشتاته

So lend them a hand, and be among them and for them,

And make it your duty to invigorate it

So that they may gather our religion's scattered parts.

For the people’s life or death is through it.

واكتب عليك كَواجب تَنشيطها

واكتب عليك كَواجب تَنشيطها

فالشعب منها عيشه أَو مَماته

فالشعب منها عيشه أَو مَماته

And make it your duty to encourage them,

For on them depend the people's life or death.