ياO دَهْرُTime صافيتَyou befriended اللِّئامَthe base مُساعِداlending aid
يا دَهْرُ صافيتَ اللِّئامَ مُساعِدا
لهُمُto them وجانَبْتَand you shunned الكِرامَthe noble مُعانِداacting in hostility
لهُمُ وجانَبْتَ الكِرامَ مُعانِدا
O Time, you have befriended the base, lending aid
O Fate, you have aided the ignoble
to them, and shunned the noble in hostility.
And opposed the noble stubbornly.
فغَدَوْتَso you became كالميزانِlike a balance يَرْفَعُit raises ناقِصاًone of lesser worth
فغَدَوْتَ كالميزانِ يَرْفَعُ ناقِصاً
فيناamong us ويَخْفِضُand it lowers لاno محالةَescape زائداone of greater worth
فينا ويَخْفِضُ لا محالةَ زائدا
So you have become like a balance, raising the lesser
You have become like a scale that lifts the deficient among us
among us and inevitably lowering the greater.
And inevitably lowers the excessive.