أمّاهُO Mother كمْhow much أرهقتناhas exhausted us دُرْبةُhabit الأوّاهْthe cry 'alas'
أمّاهُ كمْ أرهقتنا دُرْبةُ الأوّاهْ
مذsince فَلَّقَcleaved الدمعُtears فيin أرواحِناour souls مَجْراهْits course
مذ فَلَّقَ الدمعُ في أرواحِنا مَجْراهْ
Mother, how the habit of sighing has exhausted us.
Oh mother, how arduous has our journey become
Since tears cleaved their course through our souls.
Since tears carved their path in our souls
فيin جفنِeyelid عينيكِyour two eyes باتَhas stayed الحُزنُgrief مُعتكفًاin seclusion
في جفنِ عينيكِ باتَ الحُزنُ مُعتكفًا
ورَجْعُand the echo حُزنُكyour grief فيin قلبيmy heart بنىbuilt مَبناهْits dwelling
ورَجْعُ حُزنُك في قلبي بنى مَبناهْ
In your eyelids, grief has dwelt in seclusion.
In your eyelids, sorrow took residence
And the echo of your grief built its dwelling in my heart.
And your returning sorrow built its home in my heart
الهمُّanguish جمرٌembers بناwithin us أذْكىkindled حَرائِقَهُits fires
الهمُّ جمرٌ بنا أذْكى حَرائِقَهُ
وحظّناand our fortune تَرِبٌdust-covered والفَقْدُand loss قَدْalready أرْواهْwatered it
وحظّنا تَرِبٌ والفَقْدُ قَدْ أرْواهْ
Anguish is embers; within us it has kindled its fires.
Worry is embers, stoking its flames within us
And our fortune is dust-covered, and loss has already watered it.
Our fate is soil, and loss has watered it
قَوْسُthe bow الرَّزاياcalamities تمادىpersisted فيin تَصيُّدِناhunting us
قَوْسُ الرَّزايا تمادى في تَصيُّدِنا
وسَعدُناand our good fortune قَدْalready غَفاdozed off أوّاهُalas ماhow أشْقاهْwretched it is
وسَعدُنا قَدْ غَفا أوّاهُ ما أشْقاهْ
The bow of calamities has persisted in hunting us.
The bow of misfortunes persists in hunting us
And our good fortune has already dozed off—alas, how wretched it is!
Our happiness slept, oh how difficult it was
تناسَلَmultiplied الويْلُwoe فيin أوْصالِناour limbs زَمنًاfor a time
تناسَلَ الويْلُ في أوْصالِنا زَمنًا
والبينُand parting ياO "مِيْمَتيْmy dear mother " فيin ركبِناour caravan مَسْراهْits course
والبينُ يا "مِيْمَتيْ " في ركبِنا مَسْراهْ
Woe multiplied in our limbs for a time.
Affliction propagated in our limbs for some time
And parting, O my dear mother, makes its way in our caravan.
And separation, oh "Meemati", paved its way in our troop
فيin وحْشَةloneliness الليلُthe night أحبابٌloved ones لناof ours رحَلواdeparted
في وحْشَة الليلُ أحبابٌ لنا رحَلوا
النَّوحُlamentation لازمَناhas clung to us ، للفَقْدِto loss ماwhat أمْلاهْdictated it
النَّوحُ لازمَنا ، للفَقْدِ ما أمْلاهْ
In the loneliness of night, our loved ones departed.
In the lonesome night, beloved ones left us
Lamentation has clung to us—what loss has dictated.
Sobbing accompanies us, how much has loss filled it
تَطُوفُwanders روحُspirit أبيmy father تَسْعىstrives تُهدهدناrocks us gently
تَطُوفُ روحُ أبي تَسْعى تُهدهدنا
يصْحوawakens الحنينُlonging جوًىheartache اذْwhen نجْتَبيwe choose ذِكْراهْhis memory
يصْحو الحنينُ جوًى اذْ نجْتَبي ذِكْراهْ
My father's spirit wanders, striving to rock us gently.
My father's soul roams seeking to lull us
Longing awakens as heartache when we choose to remember him.
Yearning awakens an echo when we recall him
تحومُhovers روحُspirit أخيmy brother والفَجْعُand bereavement يشربُناdrinks us up
تحومُ روحُ أخي والفَجْعُ يشربُنا
نُخْفيwe hide توجُّعَناour pain فيin حَشْرجاتِchoking rattles الآهْthe cry 'ah'
نُخْفي توجُّعَنا في حَشْرجاتِ الآهْ
My brother's spirit hovers, and bereavement drinks us up.
My brother's soul looms and grief imbibes us
We hide our pain in the choking rattles of 'ah.'
We conceal our torment in the murmurs of sighs
هذاthis جَبينُكِyour brow أطْلالٌruins لذاكِرتيfor my memory
هذا جَبينُكِ أطْلالٌ لذاكِرتي
عَليْهِupon it خَطَّinscribed الضَّنَىwasting affliction مَرْثيةًan elegy تَنْعاهْmourns it
عَليْهِ خَطَّ الضَّنَى مَرْثيةً تَنْعاهْ
This is your brow—ruins for my memory.
This is your forehead, ruins to my memories
Upon it, affliction has inscribed an elegy that mourns it.
Upon it, sorrow composed its elegy of lament
الكَوْنُthe universe عتْمٌdarkness وتاهَتand became lost فيهِwithin it وجْهتُناour direction
الكَوْنُ عتْمٌ وتاهَت فيهِ وجْهتُنا
تَغْريبةٌa tale of exile نحْنُwe والعِنْوانُand the title ضَيّعْناهْwe lost it
تَغْريبةٌ نحْنُ والعِنْوانُ ضَيّعْناهْ
The universe is darkness, and our bearings are lost within it.
The universe is dark, and our path wandered in it
We are a tale of exile, and we have lost the title.
We are strangers, and we lost our title
أنامُI sleep فيin جُبِّa deep well كابوسٍa nightmare يُروِّعُنيterrifies me
أنامُ في جُبِّ كابوسٍ يُروِّعُني
حُشاشَتيmy last remnant of life تَصْطليburns: لاdo not تَرْحليleave أمّاهْO Mother
حُشاشَتي تَصْطلي: لا تَرْحلي أمّاهْ
I sleep in the well of a nightmare that terrifies me.
I sleep in the abyss of a nightmare that frightens me
My last remnant of life burns: do not leave, Mother.
My intuitions plead: do not leave, oh mother
Sol 6.1