خَلَت شُعَبُ المَمدورِ لَستَ بِواجِدٍ

خَلَت شُعَبُ المَمدورِ لَستَ بِواجِدٍ

بِهِ غَيرَ بالٍ مِن عِضاهٍ وَحَرمَلِ

بِهِ غَيرَ بالٍ مِن عِضاهٍ وَحَرمَلِ

The ravines of al-Mamdūr lie deserted; you will not find

The paths of al-Mamdur are empty, you will not find there

there anything but withered thorn trees and wild rue.

Anything but ruins and broken walls.

تَمَنَّيتَ أَن تَلقى بِهِ أُمَّ جَحدَرٍ

تَمَنَّيتَ أَن تَلقى بِهِ أُمَّ جَحدَرٍ

وَماذا تَمَنّى مِن صَدىً تَحتَ جَندَلِ

وَماذا تَمَنّى مِن صَدىً تَحتَ جَندَلِ

You wished to meet Umm Jaḥdar there—

You wished to meet there the mother of wild donkeys,

and what could you hope for from a corpse beneath stones?

And what did you wish for from an echo under the tamarisk trees?

فَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن حَياةٍ ذَميمَةٍ

فَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن حَياةٍ ذَميمَةٍ

وَلَلبُخلُ خَيرٌ مِن عَناءٍ مُطَوَّلِ

وَلَلبُخلُ خَيرٌ مِن عَناءٍ مُطَوَّلِ

For death is surely better than a shameful life,

For death is better than a miserable life,

and miserliness is surely better than prolonged hardship.

And miserliness is better than prolonged toil.