عَينَيَّmy two eyes جوداgive generously, both of you بِدَمعٍwith tears غَيرِnot مَنزورِscant
عَينَيَّ جودا بِدَمعٍ غَيرِ مَنزورِ
وَأَعوِلاand wail, both of you إِنَّindeed صَخراًSakhr خَيرُthe best مَقبورِone buried
وَأَعوِلا إِنَّ صَخراً خَيرُ مَقبورِ
My eyes, pour forth tears without stint,
My eyes shed unsparing tears,
and wail: Sakhr is the best of those buried.
And I wail - for a rock is better entombed.
لاdo not تَخذُلانيfail me, both of you فَإِنّيfor I غَيرُnot ناسِيَةٍforgetful
لا تَخذُلاني فَإِنّي غَيرُ ناسِيَةٍ
لِذِكرِof the memory of صَخرٍSakhr حَليفِally of المَجدِglory وَالخَيرِand goodness
لِذِكرِ صَخرٍ حَليفِ المَجدِ وَالخَيرِ
Do not fail me, for I have not forgotten
Do not fail me, for I cannot forget
the memory of Sakhr, ally of glory and goodness.
The memory of Sakhr, ally of glory and goodness.
ياO صَخرُSakhr مَنwho لِطِرادِfor mounted combat الخَيلِthe horses إِذwhen وُزِعَتthey are held in check
يا صَخرُ مَن لِطِرادِ الخَيلِ إِذ وُزِعَت
وَلِلمَطاياand for the riding camels إِذاwhen يُشدَدنَthey are strapped بِالكورِwith the camel saddle
وَلِلمَطايا إِذا يُشدَدنَ بِالكورِ
O Sakhr, who is there for mounted combat when the horses are held in check,
O Sakhr, who will lead the horses when they are roused,
and for the riding camels when their saddles are strapped on,
And saddle them with halters?
وَلِليَتامىand for the orphans وَلِلأَضيافِand for the guests إِنif طَرَقواthey come by night
وَلِليَتامى وَلِلأَضيافِ إِن طَرَقوا
أَبياتَناour tents لَفَعالٍfor deeds مِنكَfrom you مَخبورِwell-proven
أَبياتَنا لَفَعالٍ مِنكَ مَخبورِ
and for the orphans and guests if they come by night
Who will care for the orphans if they seek
to our tents, seeking your well-proven kindness?
Our abodes - deeds known of you.
وَمَنand who لِكُربَةِfor the anguish of عانٍa captive فيin الوِثاقِthe bonds وَمَنand who
وَمَن لِكُربَةِ عانٍ في الوِثاقِ وَمَن
يُعطيgives الجَزيلَlavish gifts عَلىamid عُسرٍhardship وَمَيسورِand prosperity
يُعطي الجَزيلَ عَلى عُسرٍ وَمَيسورِ
And who will ease a captive's anguish in bonds, and who
And who will free the captive from his shackles?
gives lavishly in hardship and prosperity?
Who will be generous in hardship and ease?
وَمَنand who لِطَعنَةِfor the spear-thrust of حِلسٍa stalwart warrior أَوor لِهاتِفَةٍfor a woman crying out
وَمَن لِطَعنَةِ حِلسٍ أَو لِهاتِفَةٍ
يَومَon the day of الصُياحِthe outcry بِفُرسانٍfor horsemen مَغاويرِdauntless raiders
يَومَ الصُياحِ بِفُرسانٍ مَغاويرِ
And who is there for a stalwart warrior's spear-thrust, or a woman crying out
Who will avenge the stab of Hilas or the slander
on the day of cries for dauntless horsemen?
On the day of clashing with intrepid horsemen?
فَرَّfled الأَقارِبُthe kinsmen عَنهاfrom her بَعدَماafter ضُرِبواthey were struck
فَرَّ الأَقارِبُ عَنها بَعدَما ضُرِبوا
بِالمَشرَفِيَّةِwith Mashrafi swords ضَرباًblows غَيرَnot تَعزيرِchastisement
بِالمَشرَفِيَّةِ ضَرباً غَيرَ تَعزيرِ
Her kinsmen fled from her after they were struck
The kinsmen fled after they were struck
with Mashrafi swords—blows that were no mere chastisement.
At Mashrafiya - an undeserved blow.
وَأَسلَمَتand she surrendered بَعدَafter نَقفِthe splitting of البيضِhelmets وَاِعتَسَفَتand she wandered blindly
وَأَسلَمَت بَعدَ نَقفِ البيضِ وَاِعتَسَفَت
مِنfrom بَعدِafter لَذَّةِthe pleasure of عَيشٍa life غَيرِnot مَقتورِstraitened
مِن بَعدِ لَذَّةِ عَيشٍ غَيرِ مَقتورِ
And she surrendered after helmets were split, and wandered blindly,
And she surrendered after the ruin of the whites
after the pleasures of a life without want.
And lamented the lost life of ease.
ياO صَخرُSakhr كُنتَyou were لَناfor us عَيشاًa livelihood نَعيشُwe live بِهِby it
يا صَخرُ كُنتَ لَنا عَيشاً نَعيشُ بِهِ
لَوif أَمهَلَتكَgranted you respite مُلِمّاتُthe calamities of المَقاديرِfate
لَو أَمهَلَتكَ مُلِمّاتُ المَقاديرِ
O Sakhr, you would have been our sustenance to live by,
O Sakhr, you were a life for us to live,
had the calamities of fate granted you respite.
Had the arbiters of fate respited you.
ياO فارِسَchampion of الخَيلِthe cavalry إِنif شَدّواthey charged فَلَمand did not يَهِنواfalter
يا فارِسَ الخَيلِ إِن شَدّوا فَلَم يَهِنوا
وَفارِسَand champion of القَومِthe people إِنif هَمّواthey thought بِتَقصيرِof holding back
وَفارِسَ القَومِ إِن هَمّوا بِتَقصيرِ
O champion of the cavalry when they charged and did not falter,
O horseman, if they rallied and were not humbled,
and champion of the people when they thought of holding back.
And chieftain, if they thought of failing.
ياO لَهفَthe anguish of نَفسيmy soul عَلىfor صَخرٍSakhr إِذاwhen رُكِبَتare mounted
يا لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى صَخرٍ إِذا رُكِبَت
خَيلٌhorses لِخَيلٍagainst horses كَأَمثالِlike the forms of اليَعافيرِyoung antelopes
خَيلٌ لِخَيلٍ كَأَمثالِ اليَعافيرِ
Oh, my soul's anguish for Sakhr when they mount
My soul yearns for Sakhr when horses
horses against horses, like young antelopes,
Are mounted by horses like desert does.
وَأَلقَحَand engendered القَومُthe people حَرباًa war لَيسَnot يُلقِحُهاengenders it
وَأَلقَحَ القَومُ حَرباً لَيسَ يُلقِحُها
إِلّاexcept المَساعيرُthe firebrands أَبناءُsons of المَساعيرِthe firebrands
إِلّا المَساعيرُ أَبناءُ المَساعيرِ
and the people engender a war that none engender
And the tribe provoked a war none provokes
but firebrands, sons of firebrands!
But the flaming brands, the flaming brands’ sons.
ياO صَخرُSakhr ماذاwhat يُواريconceals القَبرُthe grave مِنof كَرَمٍnobility
يا صَخرُ ماذا يُواري القَبرُ مِن كَرَمٍ
وَمِنand of خَلائِقَqualities of character عَفّاتٍchaste مَطاهيرِspotless
وَمِن خَلائِقَ عَفّاتٍ مَطاهيرِ
O Sakhr, what nobility the grave conceals,
O Sakhr, what does the grave conceal
and what chaste, spotless qualities of character!
Of generosity, of virtuous nature so pure?
Sol 6.1