لَهفي عَلى صَخرٍ فَإِنّي أَرى لَهُ

لَهفي عَلى صَخرٍ فَإِنّي أَرى لَهُ

نَوافِلَ مِن مَعروفِهِ قَد تَوَلَّتِ

نَوافِلَ مِن مَعروفِهِ قَد تَوَلَّتِ

My anguish for Sakhr! For I see that his

My yearning is for a rock, for I see it

bountiful gifts of kindness have already passed away.

Performing acts of kindness though abandoned;

وَلَهفي عَلى صَخرٍ لَقَد كانَ عِصمَةً

وَلَهفي عَلى صَخرٍ لَقَد كانَ عِصمَةً

لِمَولاهُ إِن نَعلٌ بِمَولاهُ زَلَّتِ

لِمَولاهُ إِن نَعلٌ بِمَولاهُ زَلَّتِ

And my anguish for Sakhr! He was indeed a safeguard

And my yearning is for a rock - it was protection

for his kinsman, should his kinsman's sandal slip.

For its lord though his slipper slipped off;

يَعودُ عَلى مَولاهُ مِنهُ بِرَأفَةٍ

يَعودُ عَلى مَولاهُ مِنهُ بِرَأفَةٍ

إِذا ما المَوالي مِن أَخيها تَخَلَّتِ

إِذا ما المَوالي مِن أَخيها تَخَلَّتِ

He would bestow his compassion upon his kinsman,

It returns to its lord with sympathy

when the kinsmen deserted their brother.

When loyal fellows have deserted each other;

وَكُنتَ إِذا كَفٌّ أَتَتكَ عَديمَةً

وَكُنتَ إِذا كَفٌّ أَتَتكَ عَديمَةً

تُرَجّي نَوالاً مِن سَحابِكَ بُلَّتِ

تُرَجّي نَوالاً مِن سَحابِكَ بُلَّتِ

And you were such that, whenever a needy hand came to you,

You used to be such that when a palm came to you,

hoping for bounty from your cloud, it was drenched.

Destitute, you would hope for favour from your clouds that poured;

وَمُختَنِقٍ راخى اِبنُ عَمروٍ خِناقَهُ

وَمُختَنِقٍ راخى اِبنُ عَمروٍ خِناقَهُ

وَغُمَّتَهُ عَن وَجهِهِ فَتَجَلَّتِ

وَغُمَّتَهُ عَن وَجهِهِ فَتَجَلَّتِ

And many a choking man—Amr's son loosened his noose,

And one being strangled, Ibn ‘Amr relaxed his strangling

and lifted his anguish from his face, so it cleared away.

And his gloom dispersed from his face;

وَظاعِنَةٍ في الحَيِّ لَولا عَطاؤُهُ

وَظاعِنَةٍ في الحَيِّ لَولا عَطاؤُهُ

غَداةَ غَدٍ مِن أَهلِها ما اِستَقَلَّتِ

غَداةَ غَدٍ مِن أَهلِها ما اِستَقَلَّتِ

And many a departing woman in the tribe, but for his gift,

And a woman in the tribe who, were it not for his support

would not have set out from her kin at dawn the next day.

On a morning of days, would not have been independent of her folk;

وَكُنتَ لَنا عَيشاً وَظِلَّ رَبابَةٍ

وَكُنتَ لَنا عَيشاً وَظِلَّ رَبابَةٍ

إِذا نَحنُ شِئنا بِالنَوالِ اِستَهَلَّتِ

إِذا نَحنُ شِئنا بِالنَوالِ اِستَهَلَّتِ

And you were sustenance for us and the shade of a cloud,

And you were for us a life and the shade of a grove -

which, whenever we wished, poured down bounty.

When we wished, you would begin the favour;

فَتىً كانَ ذا حِلمٍ أَصيلٍ وَتُؤدَةٍ

فَتىً كانَ ذا حِلمٍ أَصيلٍ وَتُؤدَةٍ

إِذا ما الحُبى مِن طائِفِ الجَهلِ حُلَّتِ

إِذا ما الحُبى مِن طائِفِ الجَهلِ حُلَّتِ

A young man who had deep-rooted forbearance and deliberation,

A man of inherent, noble magnanimity and gentleness

whenever knee-bands were undone by a passing fit of folly.

When the uncouth are stripped of their gowns of ignorance;

وَما كَرَّ إِلّا كانَ أَوَّلَ طاعِنٍ

وَما كَرَّ إِلّا كانَ أَوَّلَ طاعِنٍ

وَلا أَبصَرَتهُ الخَيلُ إِلّا اِقشَعَرَّتِ

وَلا أَبصَرَتهُ الخَيلُ إِلّا اِقشَعَرَّتِ

He never charged without being the first to thrust a spear,

He attacked only to be the first assailant

nor did the horses see him without shuddering.

And no sooner did the horses sight him than they shook with terror;

فَيُدرِكُ ثَأراً ثُمَّ لَم يُخطِهِ الغِنى

فَيُدرِكُ ثَأراً ثُمَّ لَم يُخطِهِ الغِنى

فَمِثلُ أَخي يَوماً بِهِ العَينُ قَرَّتِ

فَمِثلُ أَخي يَوماً بِهِ العَينُ قَرَّتِ

So he would exact vengeance, and then wealth would not elude him;

So he obtains vengeance, and no wealth made him forgetful

for one like my brother once brought gladness to the eye.

A brother the like of whom one day gladdened the eye and then was laid in the grave;

فَإِن طَلَبوا وِتراً بَدا بِتِراتِهِم

فَإِن طَلَبوا وِتراً بَدا بِتِراتِهِم

وَيَصبِرُ يَحميهِم إِذا الخَيلُ وَلَّتِ

وَيَصبِرُ يَحميهِم إِذا الخَيلُ وَلَّتِ

So if they sought vengeance, he took up their blood-feuds first,

When they seek a protector, he appears with his bands

and stood firm, protecting them when the horses fled.

And he restrains himself, protecting them when the horses bolt;

فَلَستُ أَرَزّا بَعدَهُ بِرَزِيَّةٍ

فَلَستُ أَرَزّا بَعدَهُ بِرَزِيَّةٍ

فَأَذكُرَهُ إِلّا سَلَت وَتَجَلَّتِ

فَأَذكُرَهُ إِلّا سَلَت وَتَجَلَّتِ

So no calamity strikes me after losing him,

I have no concern after him - rather my concern

but, when I remember him, it fades and clears away.

Is that I remember him and my tears begin to flow.