أَتطلبdo you seek منfrom زمانكyour age ذاthis وفاءَfaithfulness
أَتطلب من زمانك ذا وفاءَ
وتأْمُلُand you hope for ذاكthat جَهْلاًignorantly منfrom بنيهits sons
وتأْمُلُ ذاك جَهْلاً من بنيه
Do you seek from your age someone true to his word,
Do you seek faithfulness from this age of yours,
And foolishly hope for such a one among its sons?
and ignorantly hope for it from its sons?
لَقَدْindeed عَدِمis absent الوفاءُfaithfulness بهin it وإِنيand indeed I
لَقَدْ عَدِم الوفاءُ به وإِني
لأَعْجَبُI surely marvel منat وفاءِfaithfulness of النيلthe Nile فيهin it
لأَعْجَبُ من وفاءِ النيل فيه
Faithfulness has indeed vanished from it—and still I
Indeed, faithfulness is absent from it, and I
Marvel that the Nile keeps faith within it.
surely marvel at the Nile's faithfulness in it.
