لِيَبكِ ابنَ كُلثُومٍ فَقَد حانَ يَومُهُ

لِيَبكِ ابنَ كُلثُومٍ فَقَد حانَ يَومُهُ

يَتامى وَأَضيافٌ وَكُلٌّ مُضَيَّعُ

يَتامى وَأَضيافٌ وَكُلٌّ مُضَيَّعُ

Let Ibn Kulthum be mourned, for his day has come,

Let Ibn Kalthoum weep for his time has come

by orphans, guests, and everyone left uncared for,

The orphans and guests and all are left to wander

وَحيٌّ إِذا ما أَصبَحوا في دِيارِهم

وَحيٌّ إِذا ما أَصبَحوا في دِيارِهم

بِشَهباءَ فيها حاسِرٌ وَمُقَنَّعُ

بِشَهباءَ فيها حاسِرٌ وَمُقَنَّعُ

and a clan, when dawn finds them in their dwellings,

And a living tribe, when they reach their abodes

faced with a gray host of bareheaded and helmeted men.

With graying beards, downtrodden and covered

وَكانَ إِذا لاقاهُمُ صَدَّ جَمعَهُم

وَكانَ إِذا لاقاهُمُ صَدَّ جَمعَهُم

مَهابَتُه وَخَوفُهُ فَتَصَدَّعُوا

مَهابَتُه وَخَوفُهُ فَتَصَدَّعُوا

And whenever he met them, their host was driven back

Whenever he met them, he barred their way

by the awe and fear he inspired, and they scattered.

His awe and fear cracked their gathering asunder

لَعمري لَقَد ضاعَت أُمورٌ كَثيرَةٌ

لَعمري لَقَد ضاعَت أُمورٌ كَثيرَةٌ

وَذَلَّ مِن الأَوداهِ ما كُنتَ تَمنَعُ

وَذَلَّ مِن الأَوداهِ ما كُنتَ تَمنَعُ

By my life, many things have indeed been lost,

By my life, so much has been lost

and what you once defended among al-awdāh [unclear in the supplied text] has been humbled.

And of allies, you shielded what now lies surrendered