تَصَرَّمَ ذاكَ الجيلُ إلَّا أقلَّهُ

تَصَرَّمَ ذاكَ الجيلُ إلَّا أقلَّهُ

فضاقت على الناسِ الأباطحُ والنجدُ

فضاقت على الناسِ الأباطحُ والنجدُ

That generation passed away, save for a few of its members.

That generation declined, except for a few

So the valley flats and uplands grew cramped for the people.

The lands and deserts became too narrow for people

فأصبحَ يأوي منهمُ كلُّ فرسخٍ

فأصبحَ يأوي منهمُ كلُّ فرسخٍ

أُلوفَ الورى، فاستُئْصِلَ الحُبُّ وَالودُّ

أُلوفَ الورى، فاستُئْصِلَ الحُبُّ وَالودُّ

So every league of land came to shelter some of them—

So that every mile, thousands of people

Thousands of people—and love and affection were uprooted.

Took refuge there, and love and affection died out

وَمَاتَ حنانُ الناسِ، والرحمةُ امَّحتْ

وَمَاتَ حنانُ الناسِ، والرحمةُ امَّحتْ

ولم يبقَ في الدنيا جمالٌ ولا وجد

ولم يبقَ في الدنيا جمالٌ ولا وجد

And people's tenderness died, and mercy was erased.

People's affection died, and mercy faded away

And neither beauty nor passion remained in the world.

No more beauty or passion left in this world

فهذا نظيرُ القوسِ هاوٍ مفركحٌ

فهذا نظيرُ القوسِ هاوٍ مفركحٌ

وهذاكَ أعمى، أو أصمُّ به سهد

وهذاكَ أعمى، أو أصمُّ به سهد

So this one is like a bow, drooping and splay-legged.

There a blind man, or a deaf one, inattentive

And that one is blind or deaf, afflicted with sleeplessness.

The young people's worries became providing

وأصبحَ هَمُّ النشءِ عولَ جدودهم

وأصبحَ هَمُّ النشءِ عولَ جدودهم

بعهدٍ قليلٍ رزقُهُ ما بهِ رفدُ

بعهدٍ قليلٍ رزقُهُ ما بهِ رفدُ

And the young generation's concern became supporting their grandfathers,

For their ancestors, with little sustenance or income

In an age of scant sustenance, with no aid to be found.