أَيا قَوسَ خَرّاطٍ يُشيرُ وَلا يَرمي

أَيا قَوسَ خَرّاطٍ يُشيرُ وَلا يَرمي

وَيا سَيفَ رِعديدٍ يَرُضُّ وَلا يُدمي

وَيا سَيفَ رِعديدٍ يَرُضُّ وَلا يُدمي

O woodturner's bow, pointing but never shooting!

O bow of a boastful archer who gestures but does not shoot,

And O coward's sword, bruising but drawing no blood!

And O sword with loud clatter that pleases but does not shed blood,

تَعَلَّمتَ خُلفَ الوَعدِ مِن بَرقِ خُلَّبٍ

تَعَلَّمتَ خُلفَ الوَعدِ مِن بَرقِ خُلَّبٍ

فَبَرقُكَ لايُثري وَلَكِنَّهُ يُعمي

فَبَرقُكَ لايُثري وَلَكِنَّهُ يُعمي

You learned to break promises from rainless lightning;

You have learned to renege on promises, like the lightning of deceitful clouds,

So your lightning brings no riches, but it blinds.

So your lightning does not make the land fertile, but blinds instead.