ياO لقوميmy people! قَدindeed قرّحmade sore الدمعُtears خدّيmy cheek
يا لقومي قَد قرّح الدمعُ خدّي
وَجَفانيand shunned me الرّقادُsleep مِنbecause of عظمِthe enormity وَجديmy grief
وَجَفاني الرّقادُ مِن عظمِ وَجدي
O my people, tears have worn my cheek raw;
O my people, tears have wounded my cheeks
And sleep has shunned me, so great is my grief.
And insomnia has exhausted me from intense distress
كانَthere was ليfor me فارسٌa horseman سقاهُmade him drink المناياdeath
كانَ لي فارسٌ سقاهُ المنايا
عَبدُthe slave عبسٍof ʿAbs بجَورهِwith his injustice والتعدّيand aggression
عَبدُ عبسٍ بجَورهِ والتعدّي
I had a horseman who was made to drink death
I had a knight, death has quenched his thirst
By the slave of ʿAbs, in his injustice and aggression.
Abd Abs with his tyranny and transgression
بَدرُa full moon تمّat its fullness هَوىfell إِلىto الأرضِthe earth لمّاwhen
بَدرُ تمّ هَوى إِلى الأرضِ لمّا
رَشَقتهstruck him السهامُthe arrows مِنfrom كفّthe hand عبدِa slave
رَشَقته السهامُ مِن كفّ عبدِ
A full moon fell to the earth when
The full moon has fallen to the ground when
Arrows from the slave’s hand struck him.
Arrows from the hand of Abd struck him
وَرَمانيand cast me مِنfrom بعدِafter أنصارthe supporters جنديmy army
وَرَماني مِن بعدِ أنصار جندي
فيinto همومٍsorrows أُكابدُI struggle with الوجدَgrief وَحديon my own
في همومٍ أُكابدُ الوجدَ وَحدي
And he cast me, bereft of my army’s supporters,
And after my supporters deserted me
Into sorrows, where I struggle with grief alone.
I suffer distress and anguish alone
ياO قَتيلاًslain one بَكتwept عليهِover him البَواكيthe mourning women
يا قَتيلاً بَكت عليهِ البَواكي
فيin جبالِthe mountains الفَلاthe desert وفيand in أرضthe land نجدِNajd
في جبالِ الفَلا وفي أرض نجدِ
O slain one, over whom the mourning women wept
O you who were mourned by the wailers
In the mountains of the desert and in the land of Najd.
In the mountains of Fal and in the land of Najd
كانَhe was مثلَlike القَضيبِthe slender branch قدّاًin stature ولكنand yet
كانَ مثلَ القَضيبِ قدّاً ولكن
قدّهcleft him صرفُthe vicissitudes دهرهِof his time أيّwhat a قدِّcleaving
قدّه صرفُ دهرهِ أيّ قدِّ
He was like a slender branch in stature, but
You were as tall as a rod but
Time’s vicissitudes cleft him—what a cleaving!
The days of fate made you short
ياO لَقوميmy people! مَنwho يَكشفُwill lift الضيمَoppression عنّيfrom me
يا لَقومي مَن يَكشفُ الضيمَ عنّي
وَيراعيand will uphold مِنfrom بعدafter خالدKhālid عَهديmy covenant
وَيراعي مِن بعد خالد عَهدي
O my people, who will lift oppression from me
O my people, who will relieve my oppression
And uphold my covenant after Khālid?
And keep my covenant after Khalid
Sol 6.1