قيلَit was said صارَbecame الحُبُّlove فيin عُرْفthe understanding of البشرْhumankind
قيلَ صارَ الحُبُّ في عُرْف البشرْ
صَفَقاتٍdeals وخِداعاًand deception للنَّظرْfor the eye
صَفَقاتٍ وخِداعاً للنَّظرْ
It was said: love has become, in people's reckoning,
deals and deception for the eye.
قلتُI said بلْrather أرْهقَهُexhausted it زَيْفُfalseness المُنىhopes
قلتُ بلْ أرْهقَهُ زَيْفُ المُنى
وتبناهand adopted it أسىًsorrow حتىuntil احْتضرْit lay dying
وتبناه أسىً حتى احْتضرْ
I said: rather, the falseness of hopes has exhausted it,
and sorrow adopted it until it lay dying.
كانَwas بالأمسِyesterday لمَنْfor whoever هامَwas enraptured بهby it
كانَ بالأمسِ لمَنْ هامَ به
جَنَّةًa garden غَنَّاءَlush زلاًunclear as written; possibly 'shade' (ظلاً) وثَمَرْand fruit
جَنَّةً غَنَّاءَ زلاً وثَمَرْ
Yesterday, for whoever was enraptured by it, it was
a lush garden of [possibly shade] and fruit.
ياoh ترىyou see هلwhether رَبِحَgained الإنسانُhumankind فيin
يا ترى هل رَبِحَ الإنسانُ في
عَصْرِهits age الداميbloodstained سمُواًnobility أمْor خَسِرْlost؟
عَصْرِه الدامي سمُواً أمْ خَسِرْ؟
I wonder: has humankind gained, in
its bloodstained age, nobility—or has it lost?