مَرِهَت عَيني فَعَيني

بَعدَ صَخرٍ عَطِفَه

My eyes cried for my eyes

After a rock sheltered them

فَدُموعُ العَينِ مِنّي

فَوقَ خَدّي وَكِفَه

So my eyes' tears are from me

Above my cheek they flowed

طَرَفَت حُندُرَ عَيني

بِعَكيكٍ ذَرِفَه

My eyes' edges shed tears

Flooding down profusely

إِنَّ نَفسي بَعدَ صَخرٍ

بِالرَدى مُعتَرِفَه

My soul after the rock

Admits being torn asunder

وَبِها مِن صَخرَ شَيءٌ

لَيسَ يُحكى بِالصِفَه

And in it from the rock something

That can't be told in detail

وَبِنَفسي لَهُمومٌ

فَهِيَ حَرّى أَسِفَه

And in my soul are worries

So it is hotter than embers

وَبِذِكرى صَخرَ نَفسي

كُلَّ يَومٍ كَلِفَه

And remembering the rock my soul

Each day shouldered a burden

إِنَّ صَخراً كانَ حِصناً

وَرُبىً لِلنُطَفَه

The rock was indeed a fortress

And guardian of progeny

وَغِياثاً وَرَبيعاً

لِلعَجوزِ الخَرِفَه

A savior and springtime

For the feeble old woman

وَإِذا هَبَّت شَمالٌ

أَو جَنوبٌ عَصِفَه

And if a north or south wind

Blew fierce gales

نَحَرَ الكومَ الصَفايا

وَالبِكارَ الخَلِفَه

It slaughtered the brave heroes

And the steadfast stalwarts

يَملَأُ الجَفنَةَ شَحماً

فَتَراها سَدِفَه

It would fill the potbellies with fat

You'd see them swollen

وَتَرى الهُلّاكَ شَبعى

نَحوَها مُزدَلِفَه

And you'd see the starving throngs

Approaching it greedily

وَتَرى الأَيدِيَ فيها

دَسِماتٍ غَدِفَه

And you'd see the hands in it

Fat and plump

وارِداتٍ صادِراتٍ

كَقَطاً مُختَلِفَه

Coming and going

Like differing cats

كَدَبورٍ وَشَمالٍ

في حِياضٍ لَقِفَه

Like wasps and locusts

In a frequented meadow

يَتَفَرَّقنَ شُعوباً

وَلَهُ مُؤتَلِفَه

Scattering in nations

And it has reconciler

فَلَئِن أَجرُعُ صَخرٍ

أَصبَحَت لي ظَلِفَه

So if I gulped the drink of the rock

It became a quencher for me

إِنَّها كانَت زَماناً

رَوضَةً مُؤتَنِفَه

It was once upon a time

A garden with burgeoning growth