دعوا دمعي بيوم البَيْنِ يجْري

دعوا دمعي بيوم البَيْنِ يجْري

فقد ذهب الأسى بجميلِ صبْري

فقد ذهب الأسى بجميلِ صبْري

Let my tears flow on the day of parting.

Let my tears flow on the day of separation,

For grief has carried off my graceful patience.

For sorrow has gone with my beautiful patience.

وكيف تصبُّري وأخي رَهينٌ

وكيف تصبُّري وأخي رَهينٌ

بأرضِ الشام في ظَلْماءِ قَبْرِ

بأرضِ الشام في ظَلْماءِ قَبْرِ

And how can I endure, while my brother lies captive

How can I be patient when my brother is captive

In the land of al-Shām, in the darkness of a grave,

In the land of Syria in the darkness of a grave?

بحارَةِ غُرْبةٍ من أرض حمصٍ

بحارَةِ غُرْبةٍ من أرض حمصٍ

لقد غَدر الزمانُ وأيَّ غَدْرِ

لقد غَدر الزمانُ وأيَّ غَدْرِ

In a quarter of exile in the land of Homs?

A stranger in the land of exile from Homs,

Time has indeed betrayed me—and what a betrayal!

Time has certainly betrayed in the worst betrayal.

أعَنْهُ أسامُ سُلْواناً وصَبْراً

أعَنْهُ أسامُ سُلْواناً وصَبْراً

سأنْدبهُ ولا خنْساءَ صَخْرِ

سأنْدبهُ ولا خنْساءَ صَخْرِ

Am I to be asked to forget him and be patient?

Help him O noble Sulwan with patience,

I shall lament him as not even Khansāʾ lamented Ṣakhr.

I will lament him, not like Khansa of rock.

فإنْ عجَزتْ عن النَّدبِ القوافي

فإنْ عجَزتْ عن النَّدبِ القوافي

بعثْتُ الدمْعَ نَظْماً غيرَ نَثْرِ

بعثْتُ الدمْعَ نَظْماً غيرَ نَثْرِ

And if the rhymes prove unable to lament,

If verses fail in lamenting,

I shall send forth tears strung in verse, not scattered as prose.

I will send tears in prose not poetry.

فقدْتُ أخي وكان أخي ظَهيري

فقدْتُ أخي وكان أخي ظَهيري

على الحَدَثانِ سَمَّاعاً لأمْري

على الحَدَثانِ سَمَّاعاً لأمْري

I have lost my brother, and my brother was my mainstay

I lost my brother who was my confidant

Against the blows of time, ever heeding my command.

Listening to me, a child in matters of life.

فقدْتُ مُهَنَّداً عَضْباً جُرازاً

فقدْتُ مُهَنَّداً عَضْباً جُرازاً

يَقُدُّ بكلِّ رائعَةٍ ويَفْري

يَقُدُّ بكلِّ رائعَةٍ ويَفْري

I have lost an Indian-steel sword, sharp and all-cleaving,

I lost Muhanad, quick to anger yet valiant,

Cleaving through every dreadful calamity and rending it apart.

Leading every raid and adventure.

إذا ما شمْتُهُ لِقِراعِ خَطْبٍ

إذا ما شمْتُهُ لِقِراعِ خَطْبٍ

جَلا الغمَّاء عن وجهي وصدْري

جَلا الغمَّاء عن وجهي وصدْري

Whenever I drew it to do battle with a calamity,

When I sensed him approaching for serious talk,

It dispelled the gloom from my face and breast.

Clouds of worry dispersed from my face and chest.

تقيَّلَ شِيمتي طفلاً وأجرى

تقيَّلَ شِيمتي طفلاً وأجرى

على جَدَدي وأحْرز جلَّ فخري

على جَدَدي وأحْرز جلَّ فخري

He emulated my character as a child, and ran

He took care of my affairs as a child and won

Along my clear path, winning the greater part of my glory.

All the glories for my family.

فلم يَسْعَ الدنيَّةَ في مرامٍ

فلم يَسْعَ الدنيَّةَ في مرامٍ

ولم يمشِ الضَّراءَ لقصدِ حُرِّ

ولم يمشِ الضَّراءَ لقصدِ حُرِّ

So he never sought baseness in any pursuit,

He never desired baseness in purpose,

Nor did he creep through cover to seek out a freeborn man.

Nor walked in misery for a vile aim.

ولم يَضرعْ لجبَّارٍ رجاءً

ولم يَضرعْ لجبَّارٍ رجاءً

لمعروفٍ ولو أمْسى بضرِّ

لمعروفٍ ولو أمْسى بضرِّ

Nor did he humble himself before a tyrant, hoping

Nor begged from an oppressor hoping

For a favor, even if he fell into hardship.

For favor even if faced with harm.

أنا الباكي إذا فارقتُ خِلاً

أنا الباكي إذا فارقتُ خِلاً

فكيف أخي وخالِصَتي وأزْري

فكيف أخي وخالِصَتي وأزْري

I am one who weeps whenever I part from a dear friend;

I who cry when I part with a friend,

How much more, then, for my brother, my confidant and my strength?

How not for my brother, my truest friend?