يا ضَمْرُ هلْ نلْناكُمُ بدمائِنا

يا ضَمْرُ هلْ نلْناكُمُ بدمائِنا

أَمْ هَل حَذَوْنا نَعْلَكُمْ بِمِثالِ

أَمْ هَل حَذَوْنا نَعْلَكُمْ بِمِثالِ

O Ḍamr, have we avenged our blood upon you,

O conscience, have we reached you with our blood

or have we cut your sandal to a matching pattern?

Or have we matched your shoes with examples?

تَبْكِي لِقتْلَى من فُقْيمٍ قُتِّلوا

تَبْكِي لِقتْلَى من فُقْيمٍ قُتِّلوا

فاليومَ تَبْكِي صادقاً لِهلالِ

فاليومَ تَبْكِي صادقاً لِهلالِ

You weep for the slain of Fuqaym, who were slaughtered;

You cry for those killed from my poor people

so today you weep in earnest for Hilāl.

Today you cry truthfully for Hilal

ولقدْ شفاني أَنْ رأيْتُ نساءَكُمْ

ولقدْ شفاني أَنْ رأيْتُ نساءَكُمْ

يَبْكِينَ مُرْدَفَةً على الأكْفاَلِ

يَبْكِينَ مُرْدَفَةً على الأكْفاَلِ

And indeed it soothed me to see your women

And it cured me when I saw your women

weeping, riding pillion on the mounts’ rumps.

Crying in succession on coffins

يا َضَمْرُ إنَّ الحَرْبَ أَضْحتْ بينَنا

يا َضَمْرُ إنَّ الحَرْبَ أَضْحتْ بينَنا

لَقحَتْ على الدَّكَّاءِ بعد حِيالِ

لَقحَتْ على الدَّكَّاءِ بعد حِيالِ

O Ḍamr, indeed the war between us has now

O conscience, war between us

conceived on the level ground after barrenness.

Has ignited after a truce