إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle عَدَدتُI count السِنَّage عُدتُI come away بِتَرحَةٍwith sorrow
إِذا ما عَدَدتُ السِنَّ عُدتُ بِتَرحَةٍ
وَأَمَّلتُand I hope رَبّيmy Lord أَنthat يُحِلَّhe will loosen عِقاليmy fetter
وَأَمَّلتُ رَبّي أَن يُحِلَّ عِقالي
Whenever I count my years, I come away with sorrow,
When I count the years, I count with remorse,
And hope that my Lord will loosen my fetter.
And I hope my Lord releases my fetters,
أُسَرُّI rejoice لِدُنيايَover my worldly life الَّتيwhich قَدalready طَوَيتُهاI have folded it away
أُسَرُّ لِدُنيايَ الَّتي قَد طَوَيتُها
وَآسيand I grieve لِجُرمَيfor the two sins of خاطِرٍthought وَمَقالِand speech
وَآسي لِجُرمَي خاطِرٍ وَمَقالِ
I rejoice over my worldly life, which I have already folded away,
I rejoice in my world which I have folded up,
And grieve for the two sins of thought and speech.
And grieve for my erring thoughts and words,
فَياso, O أُمَّmother of دَفرٍstench كُنتِyou were ليto me مَيَّMayy وامِقٍa lover
فَيا أُمَّ دَفرٍ كُنتِ لي مَيَّ وامِقٍ
فَصارَthen there arose تَعادٍmutual enmity بَينَناbetween us وَتَقاليand mutual loathing
فَصارَ تَعادٍ بَينَنا وَتَقالي
So, O Mother of Stench, you were to me a lover’s Mayy;
O mother of permanence, you were refreshment and refuge for me,
Then mutual enmity and loathing arose between us.
Then estrangement and parting came between us,
جَعَلتِyou laid ثَقيلَheavy التُربِthe earth فَوقيabove me وَطالَماand for so long
جَعَلتِ ثَقيلَ التُربِ فَوقي وَطالَما
وَطِئتُI trod بِأَوزارٍwith burdens of sin عَلَيكِupon you ثِقالِheavy
وَطِئتُ بِأَوزارٍ عَلَيكِ ثِقالِ
You laid heavy earth above me, and for so long
You made the heavy dust over me, and for so long,
I trod upon you with heavy burdens of sin.
I walked with burdens upon you so heavily,
وَقَدand already صَدِئَتhas rusted نَفسيmy soul بِجِسميfrom my body وَلُبسِهِand wearing it
وَقَد صَدِئَت نَفسي بِجِسمي وَلُبسِهِ
فَهَلthen, will ...? تَصطَفيهاpurify it ميتَتيmy death بِصِقالِby polishing
فَهَل تَصطَفيها ميتَتي بِصِقالِ
And my soul has already rusted from my body and from wearing it;
My soul has rusted in my body and its garments,
Will my death, then, purify it by polishing?
So will my death purify it with polishing?