لاmay not كانَتِit exist الدُنياthe world فَلَيسَfor it does not يَسُرُّنيplease me
لا كانَتِ الدُنيا فَلَيسَ يَسُرُّني
أَنّيthat I خَليفَتُهاam its ruler وَلاnor مَحمودُهاits praised one
أَنّي خَليفَتُها وَلا مَحمودُها
May the world cease to be; it gives me no pleasure
To be its ruler or its praised one.
وَجَهِلتُand I do not know أَمريmy fate غَيرَexcept أَنّيthat I سالِكٌam treading
وَجَهِلتُ أَمري غَيرَ أَنّي سالِكٌ
طُرقاًpaths وَخَتهاtrod them عادُهاits ʿĀd وَثَمودُهاand its Thamūd
طُرقاً وَخَتها عادُها وَثَمودُها
I do not know my fate, except that I tread
Paths once trodden by its ʿĀd and Thamūd.
زَعَمواthey claimed بِأَنَّthat الهَضبَthe hills سَوفَwill يُذيبُهdissolve them
زَعَموا بِأَنَّ الهَضبَ سَوفَ يُذيبُه
قَدَرٌfate وَيَحدُثُand there will occur لِلبِحارِto the seas جُمودُهاtheir freezing
قَدَرٌ وَيَحدُثُ لِلبِحارِ جُمودُها
They claim that fate will dissolve the hills
And that the seas will freeze.
وَتَشاجَرواand they quarreled فيover قُبَّةِthe dome الفَلَكِof heaven الَّتيwhich
وَتَشاجَروا في قُبَّةِ الفَلَكِ الَّتي
مازالَhas continued يَعظُمُto loom large فيin النُفوسِpeople's minds عَمودَهاits pillar
مازالَ يَعظُمُ في النُفوسِ عَمودَها
And they quarrel over the dome of heaven,
Whose pillar has long loomed large in people's minds.
فَيَقولُso say ناسٌsome people سَوفَwill يُدرِكُهاovertake it الرَدىdestruction
فَيَقولُ ناسٌ سَوفَ يُدرِكُها الرَدى
وَيَمينُand the oath قَومٌof a people لاnot يَجوزُcan happen هُمودُهاits dying out
وَيَمينُ قَومٌ لا يَجوزُ هُمودُها
Some say destruction will overtake it;
Others swear that it cannot die out.
أَتُدالُwill it be replaced يَوماًone day فِضَّةٌsilver مِنby فِضَّةٍsilver
أَتُدالُ يَوماً فِضَّةٌ مِن فِضَّةٍ
فَيَصيرُso becomes مِثلَlike سَبيكَةٍan ingot جُلمودُهاits boulder
فَيَصيرُ مِثلَ سَبيكَةٍ جُلمودُها
Will one piece of silver someday replace another,
So that its boulder becomes like an ingot?
إِنif فَرَّقَتscattered شُهُبَthe bright stars الثَرَيّاof the Pleiades نَكبَةٌa calamity
إِن فَرَّقَت شُهُبَ الثَرَيّا نَكبَةٌ
فَلِجُذوَةِthen for the ember of المِرّيخِMars حُقَّis fitting خُمودُهاits extinction
فَلِجُذوَةِ المِرّيخِ حُقَّ خُمودُها
If calamity scatters the bright stars of the Pleiades,
Then Mars's ember, too, ought to go out.
وَإِذاand if سُيوفِthe swords الهِندِof India أَدرَكَهاovertook them البِلىdecay
وَإِذا سُيوفِ الهِندِ أَدرَكَها البِلى
فَمِنَthen among العَجائِبِthe wonders أَنthat تَدومَendure غُمودُهاtheir sheaths
فَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَن تَدومَ غُمودُها
And if decay overtakes the swords of India,
It would be a wonder if their sheaths endured.