بِتْنا نُكابِدُ هَمَّ القَحْطِ لَيْلَتَنا

بِتْنا نُكابِدُ هَمَّ القَحْطِ لَيْلَتَنا

وأنْجَدَ السُّهْدُ والكَرْبُ البَراغِيثا

وأنْجَدَ السُّهْدُ والكَرْبُ البَراغِيثا

We spent our night struggling with the worry of drought,

We suffered the distress of drought through the night

and sleeplessness and distress came to the fleas’ aid.

And the writhing and torment were like a swarm of locusts

وكانَ يُحْمَلُ ما كُنّا نُكابِدُهُ

وكانَ يُحْمَلُ ما كُنّا نُكابِدُهُ

منَ المشقّةِ لوْ أنّ البَرى غِيثا

منَ المشقّةِ لوْ أنّ البَرى غِيثا

And what we were enduring would have been bearable—

What we endured

the hardship—if only the dust were rain.

Of hardship, would be carried away, if the land were watered