أَلا ما لِعَينَيكِ لا تَهجَعُ

أَلا ما لِعَينَيكِ لا تَهجَعُ

تُبَكّي لَوَ اِنَّ البُكاءَ يَنفَعُ

تُبَكّي لَوَ اِنَّ البُكاءَ يَنفَعُ

Ah, what ails your eyes, that they will not sleep?

Oh, why do your eyes not sleep

They weep—if only weeping could help.

And weep, as if weeping avails

كَأَنَّ جُماناً هَوى مُرسِلاً

كَأَنَّ جُماناً هَوى مُرسِلاً

دُموعَهُما أَو هُما أَسرَعُ

دُموعَهُما أَو هُما أَسرَعُ

As though pearls, falling freely,

As if a torrent poured forth

were their tears—or the two eyes were swifter still.

Its tears or they flowed faster

تَحَدَّرَ وَاِنبَتَّ مِنهُ النِظامُ

تَحَدَّرَ وَاِنبَتَّ مِنهُ النِظامُ

فَاِنسَلَّ مِن سِلكِهِ أَجمَعُ

فَاِنسَلَّ مِن سِلكِهِ أَجمَعُ

They cascaded, and their string snapped,

It streamed down and prose sprouted from it

so all slipped free of their thread.

So it slipped from its context entirely

فَبَكّي لِصَخرٍ وَلا تَندُبي

فَبَكّي لِصَخرٍ وَلا تَندُبي

سِواهُ فَإِنَّ الفَتى مِصقَعُ

سِواهُ فَإِنَّ الفَتى مِصقَعُ

So weep for Sakhr, and lament no

So weep for a boulder and do not mourn

other, for the young man was an eloquent orator.

Another, for the youth is unyielding

مَضى وَسَنَمضي عَلى إِثرِهِ

مَضى وَسَنَمضي عَلى إِثرِهِ

كَذاكَ لِكُلِّ فَتىً مَصرَعُ

كَذاكَ لِكُلِّ فَتىً مَصرَعُ

He has gone, and we shall follow in his wake.

He passed and we will pass in his wake

So every young man must meet his death.

Thus is the fate of every stalwart youth

هُوَ الفارِسُ المُستَعِدُّ الخَطيبُ

هُوَ الفارِسُ المُستَعِدُّ الخَطيبُ

في القَومِ وَاليَسَرُ الوَعوَعُ

في القَومِ وَاليَسَرُ الوَعوَعُ

He was the battle-ready horseman, the orator

He is the ready knight, the eloquent chief

among his people, and the bold, loud-voiced gambler.

Among the people, and the supple bow

وَعانٍ يَحُكُّ ظَنابيبَهُ

وَعانٍ يَحُكُّ ظَنابيبَهُ

إِذا جُرَّ في القِدِّ لا يُرفَعُ

إِذا جُرَّ في القِدِّ لا يُرفَعُ

And many a captive, scraping his shins

Bending which, when pulled taut, will not break

when dragged in rawhide bonds, not lifted up,

You summoned him and he burst his fetters

دَعاكَ فَهَتَّكتَ أَغلالَهُ

دَعاكَ فَهَتَّكتَ أَغلالَهُ

وَقَد ظَنَّ قَبلَكَ لا تُقطَعُ

وَقَد ظَنَّ قَبلَكَ لا تُقطَعُ

called to you, so you tore apart his shackles,

Though he had thought none could sever them before

and before you he had thought they could not be severed.

And settled comfortably, you attacked

وَجَلسٍ أَمونٍ تَسَدَّيتَها

وَجَلسٍ أَمونٍ تَسَدَّيتَها

لِيَطعَمَها نَفَرٌ جُوَّعُ

لِيَطعَمَها نَفَرٌ جُوَّعُ

And many a stout, trusty she-camel you approached

That a few hungry souls might share

so that a band of hungry men might eat her—

So it remained tossed on the sand

فَظَلَّت تَكوسُ عَلى أَكرُعٍ

فَظَلَّت تَكوسُ عَلى أَكرُعٍ

ثَلاثٍ وَكانَ لَها أَربَعُ

ثَلاثٍ وَكانَ لَها أَربَعُ

so she kept hobbling on legs,

Three, though previously it had four

three, though she had had four—

With a bending bow, which if you draw

بِمَهوٍ إِذا أَنتَ صَوَّبتَهُ

بِمَهوٍ إِذا أَنتَ صَوَّبتَهُ

كَأَنَّ العِظامَ لَهُ خِروَعُ

كَأَنَّ العِظامَ لَهُ خِروَعُ

with a thin, keen sword: when you brought it down,

It seems the bones for it bend

the bones seemed to it like castor stalks.