أُمسيI reach evening وَأَمسِيَwhile my yesterday فيin شَحطٍremoteness وَإِنَّand indeed غَديmy tomorrow
أُمسي وَأَمسِيَ في شَحطٍ وَإِنَّ غَدي
وَإِنَّand indeed يَوميmy today بِلاwithout رَيبٍdoubt لِأَمسانِsurely two yesterdays
وَإِنَّ يَومي بِلا رَيبٍ لِأَمسانِ
I reach evening, while my yesterday lies far away; and surely my tomorrow
My past and tomorrow are in decline, and indeed my day is undoubtedly like two yesterdays.
And my today are, without doubt, two yesterdays.
The two young men are playing with the boys, each felt bitter, though they don't feel it.
إِنَّindeed الفَتِيِّينَthe two youths بِالفِتيانِwith the young men فيin لَعِبٍplay
إِنَّ الفَتِيِّينَ بِالفِتيانِ في لَعِبٍ
كُلٌّall أُحِسَّwas slain وَمُرّاًand the two passed by لاnot يُحِسّانِthe two feel
كُلٌّ أُحِسَّ وَمُرّاً لا يُحِسّانِ
Indeed, the two youths are at play with the young men:
They wish for what they said and did, so much that a people's misdeeds are like benevolence.
All are slain; the two pass by unfeeling.
God replaces eras with similar ones, just as He substitutes one man for another.
وَيودِيانِand the two destroy بِماwith what قالواthey said وَماand what صَنَعواthey did
وَيودِيانِ بِما قالوا وَما صَنَعوا
حَتّىuntil إِساءَةُwrongdoing قَومٍa people مِثلُlike إِحسانِgood deeds
حَتّى إِساءَةُ قَومٍ مِثلُ إِحسانِ
And sweep away what they said and what they did,
Fates cast disasters in their noses, leading them to their deaths efficiently.
Until a people's wrongdoing is like their good deeds.
The houses of Zuhayr's family drank morning draughts, and the tribe of Hasan tasted death.
وَاللَهُand God يُخلِفُreplaces أَزماناًages بِمُشبِهِهاwith their like
وَاللَهُ يُخلِفُ أَزماناً بِمُشبِهِها
كَماjust as يُبَدِّلُreplaces إِنساناًa person بِإِنسانِwith another person
كَما يُبَدِّلُ إِنساناً بِإِنسانِ
And God replaces ages with others like them,
Will the host feed the guest in good and bad times? And will the brave witness war with just a man and horses?
As He replaces one person with another.
They gathered intellects, and their camels gathered bounty, but betrayal was not known to the wise.
تُلقيcasts المَقاديرُthe fates فيinto آنافِهِمtheir noses خُطُماًhalters
تُلقي المَقاديرُ في آنافِهِم خُطُماً
يَقُدنَهُمthey lead them لِمَناياهُمto their deaths بِأَرسانِwith reins
يَقُدنَهُم لِمَناياهُم بِأَرسانِ
Fates cast halters into their noses,
Leading them by reins to their deaths.
أَذوَينَthey made wither آلَthe house of زُهَيرٍZuhayr وَاِرتَعَينَand grazed upon بَنيthe sons of
أَذوَينَ آلَ زُهَيرٍ وَاِرتَعَينَ بَني
نَبتٍNabt وَحَسَّينَand made drink مَوتاًdeath رَهطَthe clan of حَسّانِHassan
نَبتٍ وَحَسَّينَ مَوتاً رَهطَ حَسّانِ
They withered Zuhayr's house and grazed upon the sons of
Nabt, and made Hassan's clan sip death—
أَلِمُطعِميthose who feed الضَيفَthe guest عَنin يُسرٍplenty وَعَنand in عَدَمٍpoverty
أَلِمُطعِمي الضَيفَ عَن يُسرٍ وَعَن عَدَمٍ
وَالشاهِدِيُّand those who face الحَربَwar مِنamong رَجلٍfoot soldiers وَفُرسانِand horsemen
وَالشاهِدِيُّ الحَربَ مِن رَجلٍ وَفُرسانِ
Those who fed the guest in plenty and in poverty,
And those who faced war, foot soldiers and horsemen.
كاسواthey were wise عُقولاًminds وَكاسَتand hobbled إِبلُهُمtheir camels كَرَماًout of generosity
كاسوا عُقولاً وَكاسَت إِبلُهُم كَرَماً
وَالغَدرُand treachery فيamong الناسِpeople لَمdid not يُعرَفbecome known بِكَيسانِas Kaysan
وَالغَدرُ في الناسِ لَم يُعرَف بِكَيسانِ
They were wise of mind; their camels hobbled through their generosity,
And treachery among people was not known as Kaysan.
Partial English translation: 8 of 16 Arabic lines translated.