رُبَّmany a أيَّامٍdays علىat القُفْصِal-Qufs لَناfor us
رُبَّ أيَّامٍ على القُفْصِ لَنا
لاnot نرىwe see أمثالَهاtheir like طولَthroughout الأَبدْeternity
لا نرى أمثالَها طولَ الأَبدْ
Many a day was ours at al-Qufs,
Many are the days that are ours in the cage,
Whose like we shall never see through all eternity.
Days the like of which we'll never see again.
غَضَّةٌfresh ريحانُناour basil الغَضُّtender بهاin them
غَضَّةٌ ريحانُنا الغَضُّ بها
أسَدٌa lion منfrom غابةِa thicket الوَردِthe roses وَرَدْcame
أسَدٌ من غابةِ الوَردِ وَرَدْ
Fresh were those days; our tender basil there
Our basil is fresh, and the fierce lion is a rose
Was a lion that came from a thicket of roses.
From the jungle of flowers. None but us
ماnot رأىsaw النَّاسُpeople شُروباًdrinkers مثلَناlike us
ما رأى النَّاسُ شُروباً مثلَنا
شربواthey drank الرَّاحَthe wine علىupon وجهِthe face الأسَدْthe lion
شربوا الرَّاحَ على وجهِ الأسَدْ
Never have people seen drinkers like us,
Have drunk the wind straight from the lion's mouth.
Who drank wine upon the lion's face.
Partial English translation: 5 of 6 Arabic lines translated.