هو الحقُّ ما قالَ الحكيمُ فإنها

هو الحقُّ ما قالَ الحكيمُ فإنها

لغدَّارة مكّارةٌ ببَنِيهَا

لغدَّارة مكّارةٌ ببَنِيهَا

What the sage said is true, for she

What the wise man said is true, for it

is indeed treacherous, deceitful toward her children.

Is a treacherous, deceitful one with its sons

فكمْ غادرتْ بالرَّمْسِ قوماً بغدرها

فكمْ غادرتْ بالرَّمْسِ قوماً بغدرها

وكمْ ضَرَّسَت منها نواجذَ فيهَا

وكمْ ضَرَّسَت منها نواجذَ فيهَا

For many are the people she has left in the grave through her treachery,

How often has it betrayed a people at sunrise with its betrayal

and how often she has sharpened the molars of her own mouth!

And how often has it bared its fangs against them

وما أرتَضِيها مدةَ العمرِ خلّةً

وما أرتَضِيها مدةَ العمرِ خلّةً

ولا أصطفيها لو أخلَّد فيهَا

ولا أصطفيها لو أخلَّد فيهَا

And I shall not accept her as a close friend throughout my life,

I would not be pleased with it for a lifetime

nor choose her, even were I granted immortality within her.

Nor choose it even if I lived forever in it

فلا تغتررْ يوماً بإبْرَاق عُودِها

فلا تغتررْ يوماً بإبْرَاق عُودِها

وكُنْ في فعالِ الصالحاتِ نَبِيهَا

وكُنْ في فعالِ الصالحاتِ نَبِيهَا

So never be deceived by the gleam of her bough,

So do not be deluded for a day by the kindling of its firewood

and be alert in performing righteous deeds.

And be in good deeds its prophet

فأينَ الملوك الأوِّلونَ مضوا وَما

فأينَ الملوك الأوِّلونَ مضوا وَما

قضوا وطراً منها وأين بَنِيهَا

قضوا وطراً منها وأين بَنِيهَا

Where, then, are the kings of old? They passed away and did not

Where are the early kings? They passed away

take their fill of her; and where are her children?

Without fulfilling any desire from it, and where are its sons?

لقد غُيِّبُوا واللهِ في حُفَرِ البِلَى

لقد غُيِّبُوا واللهِ في حُفَرِ البِلَى

فلم يدْرِ مَثْوى شيخِها وَصَبِيهَا

فلم يدْرِ مَثْوى شيخِها وَصَبِيهَا

They were indeed hidden away, by God, in pits of decay,

They were hidden, by Allah, in the pits of annihilation

so the resting place of her old man and her boy was unknown.

So the resting place of its elder and its child is unknown