ياO منزلاa dwelling كانwas فيهin it العزglory مقترناjoined
يا منزلا كان فيه العز مقترنا
بالسيفwith the sword والمالand wealth مقروناjoined إلىto الكرمgenerosity
بالسيف والمال مقرونا إلى الكرم
O dwelling where glory once held unbroken sway,
O dwelling where glory was joined
through sword and wealth, wedded to generosity!
To the sword, and wealth was joined to generosity.
منwhoever خافfeared جوراoppression وعدماand poverty ثمthen لاذsought refuge بهin it
من خاف جورا وعدما ثم لاذ به
لاقىfound الأمانينboth kinds of safety منfrom جورoppression ومنand from عدمpoverty
لاقى الأمانين من جور ومن عدم
Whoever feared oppression and want, then sought refuge there,
Whoever feared oppression and poverty, then sought refuge in it,
found twofold safety—from oppression and from want.
Found safety from both oppression and poverty.
أفنتdestroyed حماتكyour defenders أحداثcalamities الزمانtime فياso, O
أفنت حماتك أحداث الزمان فيا
للهto God منat فتكهاtheir slaying بالأسدof the lions فيin الأجمthe thickets
لله من فتكها بالأسد في الأجم
Time’s vicissitudes destroyed your defenders—O
Time's calamities destroyed your defenders—O
God, what youths they were, like lions in the thickets!
God, how savagely they slew the lions in the thickets!
أعيتproved too much for مناواتهمopposing them غلبthe mighty الملوكkings إلىuntil
أعيت مناواتهم غلب الملوك إلى
أنthat جاءهمcame to them قدرa fate قدalready خطwas inscribed بالقلمby the pen
أن جاءهم قدر قد خط بالقلم
Contending with them exhausted the mightiest kings, until
The mighty kings were powerless to oppose them, until
a fate came upon them, already inscribed by the Pen.
A fate came upon them, already inscribed by the pen.
فأصبحواso they became لاnot ترىyou see إلاexcept مساكنهمtheir dwellings
فأصبحوا لا ترى إلا مساكنهم
كأنas though ماwhat خولوهthey were granted it كانwas فيin الحلمa dream
كأن ما خولوه كان في الحلم
And now they are gone: you see nothing but their dwellings,
So now you see nothing but their dwellings,
as though all they had been granted were merely a dream.
As though what they had been granted had existed in a dream.
ولمand did not تدعleave منهمof them إلاexcept حديثهمtheir story
ولم تدع منهم إلا حديثهم
كماas تحدثyou tell عنof عادʿĀd وعنand of إرمIram
كما تحدث عن عاد وعن إرم
Time left nothing of them but their tale,
And nothing was left of them but their story,
as one recounts ʿĀd and Iram.
As you tell of ʿĀd and of Iram.
فياso, O لقلبيfor my heart لأحزانfor sorrows أكاتمهاI conceal them
فيا لقلبي لأحزان أكاتمها
عليهمover them ولدمعand for tears غيرnot مكتتمconcealed
عليهم ولدمع غير مكتتم
Alas for my heart, for sorrows I strive to hide
Alas for my heart, for the sorrows I conceal
on their account—and for tears that will not be hidden!
Over them, and for tears that are not concealed.
