ياO لِغَنيٍّfor Ghani ماwhat لِناديكُمُwith your gathering place
يا لِغَنيٍّ ما لِناديكُمُ
قَدalready فَقَدَhas lost الطّارِقَthe night visitor وَالسّامِراand the evening companion
قَد فَقَدَ الطّارِقَ وَالسّامِرا
O Ghani, what has become of your gathering place?
O my singer friends, what has happened to your club?
It has lost the night visitor and the evening companion.
It has lost its night visitor and conversationalist,
وَأَهمِلَand was left untended السَّرحthe grazing herd بِأَرجائِهِin its environs
وَأَهمِلَ السَّرح بِأَرجائِهِ
لاno ذائِداًherd-guardian فيهِin it وَلاand no عاقِراslaughterer
لا ذائِداً فيهِ وَلا عاقِرا
And the grazing herd has been left untended in its environs,
And neglected its enclosure in all its expanse,
With no guardian there, nor any slaughterer.
With neither a repeller in it, nor a barren woman.
لَعَلَّperhaps عَضباًa sharp sword لِلرَّدىto death بائِراًdoomed
لَعَلَّ عَضباً لِلرَّدى بائِراً
أَصابَstruck عَضبَʿAḍb (sharp sword) الدَّولَةِal-Dawla (of the State) الباتِراthe cleaving one
أَصابَ عَضبَ الدَّولَةِ الباتِرا
Perhaps a sharp sword, doomed to death,
Perhaps a spreading wrath against decay
Struck ʿAḍb al-Dawla, the cleaving blade.
Has incurred the anger of the destroying state.
ماnot وَجَدَfound الوارِثُthe heir مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him
ما وَجَدَ الوارِثُ مِن بَعدِهِ
إِلّاexcept حَديثاًa tale فيconcerning العُلاglory سائِراwidely circulating
إِلّا حَديثاً في العُلا سائِرا
The heir found nothing after him
The heir found after him
But a widely told tale of glory.
Only a tale circulating in the heights.
راحَhe departed بِنَجلاءwith a gaping wound كِلابِيَّةًof Kilab
راحَ بِنَجلاء كِلابِيَّةً
تَسفَحُshedding جُوداًgenerosity فيinto الثَّرىthe earth قاطِراdripping
تَسفَحُ جُوداً في الثَّرى قاطِرا
He departed with a gaping wound from Kilab,
He went away downcast like a mournful she-dog
Shedding bounty in drops into the earth.
Profusely shedding tears on the soil.
فَماso no لَهَذاfor this البَيتِhouse مِنany عامِرٍone who keeps it thriving
فَما لَهَذا البَيتِ مِن عامِرٍ
لَمdid not يُبقِleave بَيتاًa house لِلنَّدىfor generosity عامِراthriving
لَم يُبقِ بَيتاً لِلنَّدى عامِرا
So this house has no one to keep it thriving;
So this house has no one to look after it,
He left no house of generosity thriving.
Or keep it up as a house of hospitality.