عَينَيَّ جودا بِدَمعٍ غَيرِ مَنزورِ
وَأَعوِلا إِنَّ صَخراً خَيرُ مَقبورِ
My eyes shed unsparing tears,
And I wail - for a rock is better entombed.
لا تَخذُلاني فَإِنّي غَيرُ ناسِيَةٍ
لِذِكرِ صَخرٍ حَليفِ المَجدِ وَالخَيرِ
Do not fail me, for I cannot forget
The memory of Sakhr, ally of glory and goodness.
يا صَخرُ مَن لِطِرادِ الخَيلِ إِذ وُزِعَت
وَلِلمَطايا إِذا يُشدَدنَ بِالكورِ
O Sakhr, who will lead the horses when they are roused,
And saddle them with halters?
وَلِليَتامى وَلِلأَضيافِ إِن طَرَقوا
أَبياتَنا لَفَعالٍ مِنكَ مَخبورِ
Who will care for the orphans if they seek
Our abodes - deeds known of you.
وَمَن لِكُربَةِ عانٍ في الوِثاقِ وَمَن
يُعطي الجَزيلَ عَلى عُسرٍ وَمَيسورِ
And who will free the captive from his shackles?
Who will be generous in hardship and ease?
وَمَن لِطَعنَةِ حِلسٍ أَو لِهاتِفَةٍ
يَومَ الصُياحِ بِفُرسانٍ مَغاويرِ
Who will avenge the stab of Hilas or the slander
On the day of clashing with intrepid horsemen?
فَرَّ الأَقارِبُ عَنها بَعدَما ضُرِبوا
بِالمَشرَفِيَّةِ ضَرباً غَيرَ تَعزيرِ
The kinsmen fled after they were struck
At Mashrafiya - an undeserved blow.
وَأَسلَمَت بَعدَ نَقفِ البيضِ وَاِعتَسَفَت
مِن بَعدِ لَذَّةِ عَيشٍ غَيرِ مَقتورِ
And she surrendered after the ruin of the whites
And lamented the lost life of ease.
يا صَخرُ كُنتَ لَنا عَيشاً نَعيشُ بِهِ
لَو أَمهَلَتكَ مُلِمّاتُ المَقاديرِ
O Sakhr, you were a life for us to live,
Had the arbiters of fate respited you.
يا فارِسَ الخَيلِ إِن شَدّوا فَلَم يَهِنوا
وَفارِسَ القَومِ إِن هَمّوا بِتَقصيرِ
O horseman, if they rallied and were not humbled,
And chieftain, if they thought of failing.
يا لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى صَخرٍ إِذا رُكِبَت
خَيلٌ لِخَيلٍ كَأَمثالِ اليَعافيرِ
My soul yearns for Sakhr when horses
Are mounted by horses like desert does.
وَأَلقَحَ القَومُ حَرباً لَيسَ يُلقِحُها
إِلّا المَساعيرُ أَبناءُ المَساعيرِ
And the tribe provoked a war none provokes
But the flaming brands, the flaming brands’ sons.
يا صَخرُ ماذا يُواري القَبرُ مِن كَرَمٍ
وَمِن خَلائِقَ عَفّاتٍ مَطاهيرِ
O Sakhr, what does the grave conceal
Of generosity, of virtuous nature so pure?
