وَلَو قُبِلَ الفِدا لَكانَ يُفدى

وَلَو قُبِلَ الفِدا لَكانَ يُفدى

وَإِن جَلَّ المُصابُ عَنِ التَفادي

وَإِن جَلَّ المُصابُ عَنِ التَفادي

And had ransom been accepted, he would have been ransomed,

Had ransom been accepted, he would have been ransomed

even though the calamity was too great for redemption.

Though death's blow is too grave to be deflected

وَلَكِنَّ المُنونَ لَها عُيونٌ

وَلَكِنَّ المُنونَ لَها عُيونٌ

تَكُدُّ لِحاظَها في الإِبتِعادِ

تَكُدُّ لِحاظَها في الإِبتِعادِ

But Death has eyes

But death has eyes that yearn

that strain their gaze into the distance.

To turn away its gaze in leaving

فَقُل لِلدَهرِ أَنتَ أَصَبتَ فَلْ

فَقُل لِلدَهرِ أَنتَ أَصَبتَ فَلْ

بس بِرَغمِكَ دونَنا ثَوبي حَدادِ

بس بِرَغمِكَ دونَنا ثَوبي حَدادِ

So tell Time: 'You have struck home; so put—

Say to fate: you have struck true, so let

—on, against your will, two robes of mourning in our stead.

My garb be black, though in your spite

إِذا قَدَّمَت خاتِمَةَ الرَزايا

إِذا قَدَّمَت خاتِمَةَ الرَزايا

فَقَد عَرَّضتَ سوقَكَ لِلكَسادِ

فَقَد عَرَّضتَ سوقَكَ لِلكَسادِ

If you have brought forth the last of calamities,

When you present the end of afflictions

then you have exposed your market to stagnation.'

You expose your market to decline