خُذوا مُلكَكُمُ لا ثَبَّتَ اللَهُ مُلكَكُم

خُذوا مُلكَكُمُ لا ثَبَّتَ اللَهُ مُلكَكُم

ثَباتاً يُساوي ما حَييتُ قِبالا

ثَباتاً يُساوي ما حَييتُ قِبالا

Take your kingdom—may God not make your kingdom endure

Take your kingdom; may God not make your kingdom secure,

with a permanence equal, measure for measure, to however long I live.

With a stability worth a sandal-strap, so long as I live.

ذَروا لِيَ سَلمى وَالطِلاءَ وَقَينَةً

ذَروا لِيَ سَلمى وَالطِلاءَ وَقَينَةً

وَكَأساً أَلا حَسبي بِذلِكَ مالا

وَكَأساً أَلا حَسبي بِذلِكَ مالا

Leave me Salma, the wine, and a songstress,

Leave me Salma, thickened wine, and a singing slave-girl,

and a cup—truly, that alone is wealth enough for me.

And a cup—indeed, that is wealth enough for me.

أَبالِمُلكِ أَرجو أضن أُعَمِّرَ فيكُمُ

أَبالِمُلكِ أَرجو أضن أُعَمِّرَ فيكُمُ

أَلا رُبَّ مُلكٍ قَد أُزيلَ فَزالا

أَلا رُبَّ مُلكٍ قَد أُزيلَ فَزالا

Is it through kingship that I hope to be granted long life among you?

Is it through kingship that I hope—[“I begrudge”: unclear here]—to live long among you?

Ah, many a realm has been overthrown and vanished.

Indeed, many a kingdom has been overthrown and vanished.

أَلا رُبَّ دارٍ قَد تَحمَّلَ أَهلُها

أَلا رُبَّ دارٍ قَد تَحمَّلَ أَهلُها

فَأَضحَت قِفاراً وَالبِقاعُ تِلالا

فَأَضحَت قِفاراً وَالبِقاعُ تِلالا

Ah, many a dwelling whose people have packed up and gone

Indeed, many a dwelling has seen its people pack up and leave,

has become a desolate waste, its tracts mere mounds.

So it became desolate, its grounds mere mounds.

وَخَلّوا عِناني قَبلَ عَيرٍ وَما جَرى

وَخَلّوا عِناني قَبلَ عَيرٍ وَما جَرى

وَلا تَحسُدوني أَن أَموتَ هُزالا

وَلا تَحسُدوني أَن أَموتَ هُزالا

And loose my rein, ahead of the onager and all that runs;

And release my rein before an eye's pupil can stir,

and do not envy me should I die wasted away.

And do not begrudge me dying emaciated.