سُئِلوا فَأَبَوا فَلَقَد بَخِلوا

سُئِلوا فَأَبَوا فَلَقَد بَخِلوا

فَلَبِئسَ لَعَمرُكَ ما فَعَلوا

فَلَبِئسَ لَعَمرُكَ ما فَعَلوا

They were asked, but refused—and indeed they were miserly.

They were asked but refused, so they were miserly indeed.

And how wretched, by your life, was what they did!

How wretched, by your life, was what they did!

أَبَكَيتَ عَلى طَلَلٍ طَرَباً

أَبَكَيتَ عَلى طَلَلٍ طَرَباً

فَشَجاكَ وَأَحزَنَكَ الطَلَلُ

فَشَجاكَ وَأَحزَنَكَ الطَلَلُ

Did you weep over a ruined dwelling out of longing?

You wept over ruins, out of yearning love—

Then the ruined dwelling grieved you and saddened you.

The ruins stirred you and the ruins made you grieve.