تَمَنَّت غُلاماً يافِعاً نافِعاً لَها

تَمَنَّت غُلاماً يافِعاً نافِعاً لَها

وَذاكَ دَهاءٌ دُسَّ فيهِ الدَهارِسُ

وَذاكَ دَهاءٌ دُسَّ فيهِ الدَهارِسُ

She wished for a boy, nearing manhood and useful to her.

She wished for a young, useful lad for her

And that is cunning, with calamities hidden within it.

And that was a cunning fully equipped with snares

سُرِرتِ بِهِ إِذ قيلَ أَعطَيتِ فارِساً

سُرِرتِ بِهِ إِذ قيلَ أَعطَيتِ فارِساً

وَما هُوَ إِلّا ضَيغَمٌ لَكِ فارِسُ

وَما هُوَ إِلّا ضَيغَمٌ لَكِ فارِسُ

You rejoiced in him when it was said, “You have given a horseman.”

She rejoiced when told you have been given a knight

Yet he is nothing but a lion that tears you apart.

Yet he is but a coarse pawn posing as a knight

أَلَم تَسمَعي الأَيّامَ نادَت صُروفُها

أَلَم تَسمَعي الأَيّامَ نادَت صُروفُها

خُذوا مَقِرّاً مِمّا تَفيءُ الجَوارِسُ

خُذوا مَقِرّاً مِمّا تَفيءُ الجَوارِسُ

Have you not heard the days, whose vicissitudes cried out:

Did you not hear what days called out with their ups and downs

“Take bitter honey from what the bees bring back”?

Take refuge in what little the sly times allow

وَحاذَرَ أَن نَنسى الزَمانُ فَما وَنى

وَحاذَرَ أَن نَنسى الزَمانُ فَما وَنى

يُذاكِرُنا أَحداثَهُ وَيُدارِسُ

يُذاكِرُنا أَحداثَهُ وَيُدارِسُ

And Time feared we might forget, so it has never slackened,

And beware not to forget, for time does not forget

Reminding us of its calamities and reviewing them with us.

To remind us of its events and hound us

يُخَوِّفُنا أَهوالَ ما هُوَ كائِنٌ

يُخَوِّفُنا أَهوالَ ما هُوَ كائِنٌ

وَيكَفيهِ مِن أَهوالِهِ ما نُمارِسُ

وَيكَفيهِ مِن أَهوالِهِ ما نُمارِسُ

It frightens us with the terrors of what is to come,

It frightens us with horrors of what is to come

Yet the terrors we endure are enough for it.

And it has enough horrors that we live through