أَرى الدَهرَ أَفنى مَعشَري وَبَني أَبي

أَرى الدَهرَ أَفنى مَعشَري وَبَني أَبي

فَأَمسَيتُ عَبرى لا يَجِفَّ بُكائِيا

فَأَمسَيتُ عَبرى لا يَجِفَّ بُكائِيا

I see that Time has brought my people and my father’s sons to an end;

I see that time has destroyed my people and my father's sons.

I have come to evening tearful, and my weeping never dries.

So I am left tearful, with tears that never dry.

أَيا صَخرُ هَل يُغني البُكاءُ أَوِ الأَسى

أَيا صَخرُ هَل يُغني البُكاءُ أَوِ الأَسى

عَلى مَيِّتٍ بِالقَبرِ أَصبَحَ ثاوِيا

عَلى مَيِّتٍ بِالقَبرِ أَصبَحَ ثاوِيا

O Ṣakhr, can weeping or sorrow avail

O Sakhr, can weeping or grief do any good

one dead, now abiding in the grave?

For a dead man who now lies in the grave?

فَلا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ صَخراً وَعَهدَهُ

فَلا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ صَخراً وَعَهدَهُ

وَلا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ رَبّي مُعاوِيا

وَلا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ رَبّي مُعاوِيا

May God never make Ṣakhr, or the remembrance of him, distant;

So may God never banish Sakhr or his memory,

nor may my Lord God ever make Muʿāwiya distant.

Nor may God, my Lord, ever banish Muʿawiya.

وَلا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ صَخراً فَإِنَّهُ

وَلا يُبعِدَنَّ اللَهُ صَخراً فَإِنَّهُ

أَخو الجودِ يَبني لِلفَعالِ العَوالِيا

أَخو الجودِ يَبني لِلفَعالِ العَوالِيا

Nor may God ever make Ṣakhr distant, for he is

Nor may God ever banish Sakhr, for indeed he is

the brother of generosity, building lofty heights for noble deeds.

A brother to generosity, building lofty structures for noble deeds.

سَأَبكِيهِما وَاللَهِ ما حَنَّ والِهٌ

سَأَبكِيهِما وَاللَهِ ما حَنَّ والِهٌ

وَما أَثبَتَ اللَهُ الجِبالَ الرَواسِيا

وَما أَثبَتَ اللَهُ الجِبالَ الرَواسِيا

I shall weep for them both, by God, as long as one distraught with longing yearns,

I shall weep for them both, by God, as long as one bereft cries in longing,

and as long as God keeps the firmly rooted mountains fixed.

And as long as God keeps the firmly rooted mountains standing.

سَقى اللَهُ أَرضاً أَصبَحَت قَد حَوَتهُما

سَقى اللَهُ أَرضاً أَصبَحَت قَد حَوَتهُما

مِنَ المُستَهِلّاتِ السَحابَ الغَوادِيا

مِنَ المُستَهِلّاتِ السَحابَ الغَوادِيا

May God water an earth that has come to hold them both

May God water the land that has come to hold them both

with clouds bursting into rain, journeying forth at dawn.

From clouds that pour down rain in the morning.