ما الَّذي أَفعَل أَم ما أَقولُ

ما الَّذي أَفعَل أَم ما أَقولُ

حَدَثٌ لَو تَعلَمين جَليلُ

حَدَثٌ لَو تَعلَمين جَليلُ

What am I to do, or what am I to say?

What shall I do or what shall I say

A momentous event—if only you knew.

If you knew of the grave event

نِعمَة مَهنَؤُها لِلأَعادي

نِعمَة مَهنَؤُها لِلأَعادي

فَإِذا زالَت فَعَنّي تَزولُ

فَإِذا زالَت فَعَنّي تَزولُ

A blessing whose enjoyment belongs to the enemies;

A blessing I congratulate my enemies for

And when it vanishes, it is from me that it vanishes.

But when it passes, it passes me by

كُنتُ أرمي الدَّهر عَنها فَأمسي

كُنتُ أرمي الدَّهر عَنها فَأمسي

وَبِها صَولتُهُ إِذ يَصولُ

وَبِها صَولتُهُ إِذ يَصولُ

I used to shoot at Time to defend it; now I find myself

I used to fend off fate from it, but by evening

Facing his onslaught through it when he attacks.

I surrendered to it when it raged

بِئسَ ما اِعتاضَ أَخ من أَخيهِ

بِئسَ ما اِعتاضَ أَخ من أَخيهِ

حُجَّةٌ تَبقى وَعَهدٌ يَزولُ

حُجَّةٌ تَبقى وَعَهدٌ يَزولُ

Wretched is what a brother received from his brother in exchange:

How awful is a brother's grudge against his brother

An argument that remains, and a pledge that vanishes.

An excuse remains while a pact crumbles away