تَمَكَّنتyou gained mastery مِنover نَفسيmy soul فَأَزمَعتso you resolved قَتلَهاto kill it
تَمَكَّنت مِن نَفسي فَأَزمَعت قَتلَها
وَأَنتَwhile you رَضِيُّcontent البالِin mind وَالنَّفسand the soul تَذهَبُdeparts
وَأَنتَ رَضِيُّ البالِ وَالنَّفس تَذهَبُ
You gained mastery over my soul and resolved to kill it,
I gained power over myself, so I intended to kill it
While you are at ease and my soul slips away.
While you are pleased with fate and the soul departs
كَعُصفورَةٍlike a sparrow فيin كَفِّthe palm of طِفلٍa child يَسومُهاhe forces it
كَعُصفورَةٍ في كَفِّ طِفلٍ يَسومُها
ورودُentering حِياضِthe pools of المَوتِdeath وَالطِّفلwhile the child يَلعَبُplays
ورودُ حِياضِ المَوتِ وَالطِّفل يَلعَبُ
Like a sparrow in the palm of a child who forces it
Like a bird in the palm of a child who torments it
To enter the pools of death, while the child plays.
The roses of death's garden, and the child plays
فَلاso not الطِّفلُthe child يَدريknows ماwhat يَسومُhe inflicts بِكَفِّهِwith his palm
فَلا الطِّفلُ يَدري ما يَسومُ بِكَفِّهِ
وَفيand in كَفِّهِhis palm عُصفورَةa sparrow تَتَضَرَّبُstruggles
وَفي كَفِّهِ عُصفورَة تَتَضَرَّبُ
The child does not know what he inflicts with his palm,
So neither does the child know what he torments in his palm
And in his palm a sparrow struggles.
And in his palm a bird struggles