أَلاAh! ياO عَيشُlife هَلis there? لَكَfor you مِنany مُعيدِone who restores
أَلا يا عَيشُ هَل لَكَ مِن مُعيدِ
وَأَنّىand how ليfor me التَناوُشُattainment مِنfrom بَعيدِfar away
وَأَنّى لي التَناوُشُ مِن بَعيدِ
Ah, life, is there anyone to restore you?
Alas! O life, will you ever return?
And how can I reach it from afar?
How can I enjoy you from afar?
صبرتُI have been patient عَلَيكِwith you ياO نَزَواتِcaprices دَهريmy fate
صبرتُ عَلَيكِ يا نَزَواتِ دَهري
فَزيديso add ماwhatever بَداseemed fitting لَكِto you أَنto تَزيديyou add
فَزيدي ما بَدا لَكِ أَن تَزيدي
I have endured you, O caprices of my fate;
I have endured your whims, O fate,
So add whatever you see fit to add.
So continue as you wish to proceed.
وَلاand not وَأَبيكِby your father أُجريI shed دَمعَtears جَفنٍan eyelid
وَلا وَأَبيكِ أُجري دَمعَ جَفنٍ
فَماfor not أجريتُI have shed غَيرَother than دَمِblood الوَريدِthe jugular vein
فَما أجريتُ غَيرَ دَمِ الوَريدِ
And, by your father, I shed no tears from an eyelid;
By your father, I shall not weep
For I have shed nothing but the blood of the jugular vein.
Except for tears of blood that bleed.
وَماذاand this is not الحُسنُbeauty مِمّاamong what قَدalready عَهِدناwe have known
وَماذا الحُسنُ مِمّا قَد عَهِدنا
وَلَكِنand yet جاءَit came فيin خَلقٍa form جَديدِnew
وَلَكِن جاءَ في خَلقٍ جَديدِ
And this beauty is not among what we have known,
What is beauty that we're used to?
But has come in a new form.
Rather, it comes in a form new indeed.