يَمُرُّpasses الحَولُthe year بَعدَafter الحَولِthe year عَنّيpast me
يَمُرُّ الحَولُ بَعدَ الحَولِ عَنّي
وَتِلكَand those مَصارِعُplaces of death الأَقوامِthe peoples حَوليaround me
وَتِلكَ مَصارِعُ الأَقوامِ حَولي
Year after year passes me by.
The years pass by me one after another
And around me lie those graves of peoples.
And those are the graves of people around me
كَأَنِّيَas though I بِالأُلىwith those who حَفَرواthey dug لِجاريfor my neighbor
كَأَنِّيَ بِالأُلى حَفَروا لِجاري
وَقَدand already أَخَذواthey took المَحافِرَthe spades وَاِنتَحَواand they headed ليtoward me
وَقَد أَخَذوا المَحافِرَ وَاِنتَحَوا لي
I seem to see those who dug my neighbor's grave:
As if with spades they dug for my neighbor
They have taken up their spades and headed toward me.
And took their spades and prepared for me