وَلَمّا عَلَتني كَبرَة وَتَوَزَّعَت

وَلَمّا عَلَتني كَبرَة وَتَوَزَّعَت

لِداتي مَناياهُم وَأوحش جانِبي

لِداتي مَناياهُم وَأوحش جانِبي

And when old age overtook me, and their deaths carried off

When old age overcame me and scattered

My contemporaries, and my side grew desolate,

My companions to their final resting places leaving me in solitude

تَفَرّق إِخواني فَريقَين مِنهُم

تَفَرّق إِخواني فَريقَين مِنهُم

عَتادُ عَدوّ أَو عَتادُ النّوائِب

عَتادُ عَدوّ أَو عَتادُ النّوائِب

My friends dispersed, two groups of them—

My brothers were divided into two groups

A reserve against an enemy, or a reserve against calamities.

Some accustomed to enemies, some to misfortunes

وَأَنحى عَلَيّ الدَّهرُ حَتّى رَأَيتني

وَأَنحى عَلَيّ الدَّهرُ حَتّى رَأَيتني

مُسالِمَ أَعدائي وَنُهزَة صاحِبي

مُسالِمَ أَعدائي وَنُهزَة صاحِبي

And Time bore down on me until I saw myself

And time inclined upon me until I saw myself

At peace with my enemies, and easy prey for my companion.

Appeasing my enemies and forsaken by my friends