ألا يَا لَقَومى لِلهُمُومِ الطَّوَارِقِ

وَلِلحَدَثِ الجَائِى بإِحدَى المَضَايِق

O my people, for the misfortunes that attack by night,

And for the events that come through the mountain passes,

وَمَهلِكِ غِطريفَينِ كَانَا عِمَادَنَأ

مِنَ الذَّائِدِينَ المُقدِمِينَ الأَصَادِق

And for the death of the two pillars who were our support,

Among the first defenders, the truthful and loyal,

سَمِعتُ فَهَدَّ الرُّكنَ مِنِّ صَوَارِخٌ

وَقَد غَوَّرَت أَولَى النُّجُومِ الخَوَافِق

I heard the cornerstone cry out from the shrieking,

And the first star was eclipsed in the revolving sky.

بِأَسرِ حُمَاةٍ يَا لَهَا مِن رَزِيَّةٍ

إِذا الحَربُ أَبدَت عَن خِدَامِ العَوَاتِقِ

With the captivity of Hums, oh what a tragedy,

When war bares its teeth against the fair maidens.

وَمَصرَعِ مِرداسٍ عَلَى حُرِّ وَجهِهِ

وَصُحبَتهِ تَحتَ السُّيُوف البَوَارِق

And the death of Mirdas on his face in the heat of battle,

And his companions beneath the glittering swords.

فَرِيقينِ هَذَا قَرمُ غَامِدَ كُلِّها

وَهَذَا الذَّرِى والفَرعُ مِن آلِ بَارِقِ

Two groups - this the dried-up branch of all,

And this the fresh shoots from the family of Barak.

فَأُويِستُ مِمَّن كُنتُ آمُلُ نَفعَهُ

إِذَا نُسِفَت مِنّا كِرَامُ الخَلاًَئِقِ

I am in despair at the loss of those I hoped to benefit from,

When the generous among us are destroyed.

وثوَّبَ دَاعِى المَوتِ بِالمَوتِ بَينَنَا

وَدَارَت رَحَى حَربٍ بِقُعسِ البَطارِقِ

And death's caller continued to call death upon us,

As the millstone of war turned at Al-Qusayr.

وَعَاذَت بِأَيدِيهَا النِّسَاءُ كأَنَّهَا

مَصَابِيحُ لَيلٍ أَو وَمِيضُ العَقائِقِ

There the women raised their hands like lamps in the night,

Or the glittering shine of carnelians.

ودُرُنَا وَدَارَ الجَمعُ فِى حَمَسِ الوَغَى

كَمَا دَارَ وِلدَانٌ لَهُوا بِالمَخَارِقِ

Our houses and the army revolved madly in the tumult,

As children play wildly with their toy windmills.

هُنالِكَ لاَ يُزجِى حَيَاهَا لِنَفعِهَا

إِيَاسٌ وَلاَ يُرجَى لِدَفعِ البَوَائِقِ

There neither life will be prolonged for its benefit,

Nor is averting disasters hoped for.

فَيَا عينُ بَكِّى الرَّاتِقِينَ أُولِى النُّهَى

سِمَامًَ العِدَى وَابكِى حُمَاةَ الحقائِقِ

So weep, O eye, for the people of virtue and wisdom,

The poison of the enemy, and weep for the defenders of truth.

وَبَكَّى إِيَاساً فَارِسَ الحَرب ِواندُبِى

حِمَاهَا لَدَى الهَيجَاءِ فِى كُلِّ مَأزِقِ

Weep in despair, O knight of war, and mourn

Their protection amidst the frenzied attacks at every pass.

فَقَد فُجِعَت أَزدُ العِرَاقِ وَشَامِهَا

وَأزدُ عُمَانٍ بِالطَّوالِ الغَرَانِقِ

The people of Azd in Iraq and Syria are grieved,

As are the Azd in Oman, by the towering calamities.

وأمحَلَ وَادِينَا وَأَوحَشَ أَهلُهُ

وَبُدّلَ مِن فُرسَانِهِ بِالنَّوَاعِقِ

It left our valley desolate and frightened its people away,

And replaced its horsemen with ostriches.

فَقَد أَصبَحَت نَفسِى لِذَاكَ حَزِينَةً

وَشَابَ لِمَا حُمِّلتُ مِنهُ مَفَارِقِى

My soul has thus become saddened by it all,

And my separation from them has turned my hair gray.

فَمَا أَنَا فِى طُولِ الحَيَاةِ بِرَاغِبٍ

وَمَا أَنَا إِذ بَانُوا لِدَهرٍ بِوَامِقِ

I have no more desire for life now they are gone,

Now they have vanished for all time.

فَلَيتَ المَنَايَا أَقصَدَتنِى سِهَامُهَا

وَعَاقَت أَبَا بَكرٍ بِزَحرٍ عَوَائِقِى

Would that death's arrows had struck me down,

And avoided Abu Bakr with his piercing enemies,

وَلَم تُبقِ فِى طَيشٍ رَعَاعٍ أّذِلَّةٍ

عَوَاوِيرَ فِى الهَيجَا غَداةَ التَّلاَحُقِ

And had not left me in the chaos of vile rabble,

Fleeing in panic the morning after the night attack,

إذَا مَا الخُصى طَارَت وَجادَ بِنَفسِهِ

أَخُو المَوتِ تَحتَ اللاَّمِعَات الخَوافِقِ

When men's fortitudes take wing, and the brother of death

Throws himself beneath the flashing blades.

وَحَامَى المُحَامِى عَن أَبِيهِ وَبَرَّزَت

بأَحسَابِهَا أَهلُ البُيُوتِ الشَّوَاهِقِ

When the protector protected his father, and people of rank

Drew themselves up proudly in their lofty homes.

وَعَرَّدَ أَبنَاءُ اللِّثَامِ مَخَافَةً

وَحَامَى حُماةُ الجَمعِ عَن ذِى الوَشَائِقِ

And the youths in turbans fled in their fear,

While the protectors of the army shielded its founder from harm.

وَإن أَكُ مَفجُوعاً حَزِيناً مُرَزَّأً

يُؤَرِّقُنِى طَيفُ الهُمُومِ الطَّوَارِقِ

Though I am distraught, mournful and rent with grief,

Restless from the specters of misfortune attacking by night,

فَمَا أَنَا بِالوَانِى وَلاَ عَاجِزِ القُوَى

وَلاَ نَزِقٍ يَخشَى أَذَاتِى مُرَافِقِى

I am neither weak, nor lacking in strength,

Nor a feeble man fearing those accompanying me.

وَلاَ لاَطمٍ وَجهَ ابنِ عَمِّى سَفَاهَةً

وَلاَ أَنَا بِالعَورَاءِ يَوماً بِنَاطِقِ

I am no foolish slanderer insulting my cousin,

Nor on any day am I an inarticulate stammerer.