يا مَيَّ قومي في المَآتِمِ وَاِندُبي

يا مَيَّ قومي في المَآتِمِ وَاِندُبي

فَتىً كانَ مِمَّن يَبتَني المَجدَ أَروَعا

فَتىً كانَ مِمَّن يَبتَني المَجدَ أَروَعا

O Mayy, rise at the mourning gatherings and lament

O Mayya, arise and lament in assemblies

a splendid young man who was among those who built glory.

For one who built the highest glories was laid low

وَقَولي أَلا لا يُبعِدِ اللَهُ أَربَدا

وَقَولي أَلا لا يُبعِدِ اللَهُ أَربَدا

وَهَدّي بِهِ صَدعَ الفُؤادِ المُفَجَّعا

وَهَدّي بِهِ صَدعَ الفُؤادِ المُفَجَّعا

And say: Ah, may God never cast Arbad far away!

Say, may Allah not banish the beloved far

And with that soothe the rift in the grief-stricken heart.

And salve the anguished, broken heart thereby

عَميدُ أُناسٍ قَد أَتى الدَهرُ دونَهُ

عَميدُ أُناسٍ قَد أَتى الدَهرُ دونَهُ

وَخَطّوا لَهُ يَوماً مِنَ الأَرضِ مَضجَعا

وَخَطّوا لَهُ يَوماً مِنَ الأَرضِ مَضجَعا

A chief of a people—Time has come between us and him,

A chieftain of men, whom fate brought low

and one day they marked out a resting place for him in the earth.

And for whom a day the earth was made his grave

دَعا أَربَداً داعٍ مُجيباً فَأَسمَعا

دَعا أَربَداً داعٍ مُجيباً فَأَسمَعا

وَلَم يَستَطِع أَن يَستَمِرَّ فَيَمنَعا

وَلَم يَستَطِع أَن يَستَمِرَّ فَيَمنَعا

A caller summoned Arbad; he answered and made himself heard,

Arbad called, a caller hearkening, so he heard

and he could not stand firm and ward it off.

Yet could not hold on, or from it be saved

وَكانَ سَبيلَ الناسِ مَن كانَ قَبلَهُ

وَكانَ سَبيلَ الناسِ مَن كانَ قَبلَهُ

وَذاكَ الَّذي أَفنى إِياداً وَتُبَّعا

وَذاكَ الَّذي أَفنى إِياداً وَتُبَّعا

And such was the path of men who lived before him,

Such is the way of men that went before

and that was what destroyed Iyad and Tubbaʿ.

Them that laid waste to Iyad and Tubba's line

لَعَمرُ أَبيكِ الخَيرِ يا اِبنَةَ أَربَدٍ

لَعَمرُ أَبيكِ الخَيرِ يا اِبنَةَ أَربَدٍ

لَقَد شَفَّني حُزنٌ أَصابَ فَأَوجَعا

لَقَد شَفَّني حُزنٌ أَصابَ فَأَوجَعا

By the life of your good father, O daughter of Arbad,

By your noble father, O daughter of Arbad

grief has indeed worn me down, striking me and causing pain:

Grief has rent me for the loss, and caused me pain

فِراقُ أَخٍ كانَ الحَبيبَ فَفاتَني

فِراقُ أَخٍ كانَ الحَبيبَ فَفاتَني

وَوَلّى بِهِ ريبُ المَنونِ فَأَسرَعا

وَوَلّى بِهِ ريبُ المَنونِ فَأَسرَعا

parting from a brother who was dear to me and is now lost to me;

To lose a brother, the beloved, is too much

and Death's calamity bore him away and hastened on.

And the hand of fate took him quick away

فَعَينَيَّ إِذ أَودى الفِراقُ بِأَربَدٍ

فَعَينَيَّ إِذ أَودى الفِراقُ بِأَربَدٍ

فَلا تَجمُدا أَن تَستَهِلّا فَتَدمَعا

فَلا تَجمُدا أَن تَستَهِلّا فَتَدمَعا

So, my two eyes, since parting has carried Arbad off,

So my eyes, since Arbad passed, will not

do not grow dry: well up and shed your tears.

Cease to flow in tears that freely pour

فَتىً عارِفٌ لِلحَقِّ لايُنكِرُ القِرى

فَتىً عارِفٌ لِلحَقِّ لايُنكِرُ القِرى

تَرى رَفدَهُ لِلضَيفِ مَلآنَ مُترَعا

تَرى رَفدَهُ لِلضَيفِ مَلآنَ مُترَعا

A young man mindful of what is right, who never denied hospitality;

A man who knew what's right, who no tribe denied

you see his bowl for the guest full and brimming.

Saw his hospitality as their treasure troves

لَحا اللَهُ هَذا الدَهرَ إِنّي رَأَيتُهُ

لَحا اللَهُ هَذا الدَهرَ إِنّي رَأَيتُهُ

بَصيراً بِما ساءَ اِبنَ آدَمَ مولَعا

بَصيراً بِما ساءَ اِبنَ آدَمَ مولَعا

May God curse this Time! I have indeed seen it

God damn this age! For I have seen it fix

keenly aware of what harms the son of Adam, and obsessed with it.

Its wanton ways on Adam's heirs with love