أَيُّهَذا الثَرى إِلامَ التَمادي
بَعدَ هَذا أَأَنتَ غَرثانُ صادي
O soil, why do you persist
After this will you be an arid desolate land?
أَنتَ تَروى مِن مَدمَعٍ كُلَّ يَومٍ
وَتُغَذّى مِن هَذِهِ الأَجسادِ
You are watered every day with tears
And fed on these bodies
قَد جَعَلتَ الأَنامَ زادَكَ في الدَهـ
ـرِ وَقَد آذَنَ الوَرى بِالنَفادِ
You have made people your provisions in life
And the land has announced depletion
فَاِلتَمِس بَعدَهُ المَجَرَّةَ وِرداً
وَتَزَوَّد مِنَ النُجومِ بِزادِ
So seek the nebulae afterwards as a meadow
And take provision from the stars
لَستُ أَدعوكَ بِالتُرابِ وَلَكِن
بُقُدودِ المِلاحِ وَالأَجيادِ
I do not call you mere soil but
With the remains of salt and dried wood
بِخُدودِ الحِسانِ بِالأَعيُنِ النُجـ
ـلِ بِتِلكَ القُلوبِ وَالأَكبادِ
With the cheeks of the beautiful, with bright eyes
With those hearts and livers
لَم تَلِدنا حَوّاءُ إِلّا لِنَشقى
لَيتَها عاطِلٌ مِنَ الأَولادِ
Hawwa did not give birth to us but to suffer
If only she had abstained from having children
أَسلَمَتنا إِلى صُروفِ زَمانٍ
ثُمَّ لَم توصِها بِحِفظِ الوِدادِ
She handed us over to the vicissitudes of time
Then did not instruct it to guard affection
أَيُّها اليَمُّ كَم بِقاعِكَ نَفسٍ
فيكَ أَودَت مِن عَهدِ ذي الأَوتادِ
O sea, how many souls in your depths
Perished since ancient times
قَد تَحالَفتَ وَالتُرابَ عَلَينا
وَتَقاسَمتُما فَناءَ العِبادِ
You conspired with the soil against us
And shared the annihilation of servants
خَبِّرينا جُهَينَ لا تَكذِبينا
ما الَّذي يَفعَلُ البِلى بِالجَوادِ
Tell us, do not lie to us
What does decay do to the steed?
كَيفَ أَمسى وَكَيفَ أَصبَحَ فيهِ
ذَلِكَ المُنعِمُ الكَثيرُ الرَمادِ
How did he become in the evening and morning?
That generous, plentiful gray one
رَحِمَ اللَهُ مِنهُ لَفظاً شَهِيّاً
كانَ أَحلى مِن رَدِّ كَيدِ الأَعادي
May God have mercy on him, an outstanding utterance
Sweeter than foiling the schemes of enemies
رَحِمَ اللَهُ مِنهُ طَرفاً تَقِيّاً
وَيَميناً تَسيلُ سَيلَ الغَوادي
May God have mercy on him, a devout glance
And a right hand that pours copious tears
رَحِمَ اللَهُ مِنهُ شَهماً وَفِيّاً
كانَ مِلءَ العُيونِ في كُلِّ نادي
May God have mercy on him, valorous and loyal
He filled eyes in every assembly
أَلهَمَ اللَهُ فيكَ صَبراً جَميلاً
كُلَّ مَن باتَ ناطِقاً بِالضادِ
May God inspire in you beautiful patience
For all who speak with the letter 'dhaad'
بِتَّ في حُلَّةِ النَعيمِ وَبِتنا
في ثِيابٍ مِنَ الأَسى وَالسُهادِ
We spent the night in the garb of bliss and you
Spent it in robes of sorrow and lament
وَسَكَنتَ القُصورَ في بَيتِ خُلدٍ
وَسَكَنّا عَلَيكَ بَيتَ الحِدادِ
You inhabited eternal mansions
While we inhabited the house of mourning over you
