كانَت خُزاعَةُ مِلءَ الأَرضِ ما اِتَّسَعَت

كانَت خُزاعَةُ مِلءَ الأَرضِ ما اِتَّسَعَت

فَقَصَّ مَرُّ اللَيالي مِن حَواشيها

فَقَصَّ مَرُّ اللَيالي مِن حَواشيها

Khuzaʿah once filled the earth, however far it stretched;

Khuza'a once filled the earth, wherever it spread,

Then the passage of nights clipped away its fringes.

But the passing nights have shortened its borders.

هَذا أَبو القاسِمِ الثاوي بِبَلقَعَةٍ

هَذا أَبو القاسِمِ الثاوي بِبَلقَعَةٍ

تَسفي الرِياحُ عَلَيهِ مِن سَوافيها

تَسفي الرِياحُ عَلَيهِ مِن سَوافيها

Here is Abu al-Qasim, lying in a barren waste;

Over whom the winds blow from its ridges.

The winds scatter their drifting dust over him.

The winds have blown knowing that he cannot withstand them,

هَبَّت وَقَد عَلِمَت أَن لا هُبوبَ بِهِ

هَبَّت وَقَد عَلِمَت أَن لا هُبوبَ بِهِ

وَقَد تَكونُ حَسيراً إِذ يُباريها

وَقَد تَكونُ حَسيراً إِذ يُباريها

They rose, knowing that he could rise no more;

Though they may become disgraced when contending with him.

Yet they would sometimes grow weary when he vied with them.

He has become a land of death since death descended upon him,

أَضحى قِرىً لِلمَنايا إِذ نَزَلنَ بِهِ

أَضحى قِرىً لِلمَنايا إِذ نَزَلنَ بِهِ

وَكانَ في سالِفِ الأَيّامِ يَقريها

وَكانَ في سالِفِ الأَيّامِ يَقريها

He became a feast for the fates of death when they lodged with him;

And in days of old he made it flourish.

Though in bygone days he used to feed them as guests.

When destruction bared the arrow within it,

رَمَت خُزاعَةُ عَنها قَوسَ نَجدَتِها

رَمَت خُزاعَةُ عَنها قَوسَ نَجدَتِها

لَمّا أَماطَ الرَدى السَهمَ الَّذي فيها

لَمّا أَماطَ الرَدى السَهمَ الَّذي فيها

Khuzaʿah cast away the bow of its valor

Khuza'a cast off the bow of its glory.

When death removed the arrow within it.