أَلاcome now عَلِّلانيgive me another drink, you two قَبلَbefore نَوحِwailing النَوائِحِthe mourning women
أَلا عَلِّلاني قَبلَ نَوحِ النَوائِحِ
وَقَبلَand before ارتِقاءِrising النَفسِthe soul فَوقَabove الجَوانِحِthe ribs
وَقَبلَ ارتِقاءِ النَفسِ فَوقَ الجَوانِحِ
Come, you two, console me before the mourning of the mourners,
Come, you two, give me another drink before the mourning women's wailing,
and before the soul rises above the ribs;
And before the soul rises above the ribs,
وَقَبلَand before غَدٍtomorrow ياO لَهفَanguish نَفسيmy soul عَلىover غَدٍtomorrow
وَقَبلَ غَدٍ يا لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى غَدٍ
إِذاwhen راحَdepart أَصحابيmy companions وَلَستُand I am not بِرائِحِdeparting
إِذا راحَ أَصحابي وَلَستُ بِرائِحِ
before tomorrow—alas, how my soul grieves at tomorrow,
And before tomorrow—oh, my soul's anguish over tomorrow!
when my companions depart and I am not to depart;
When my companions depart and I do not,
إِذاwhen راحَdepart أَصحابيmy companions تَفيضُoverflow دُموعُهُمtheir tears
إِذا راحَ أَصحابي تَفيضُ دُموعُهُم
وَغودِرتُand I was left فيin لَحدٍa burial niche عَلَيَّover me صَفائِحيmy stone slabs
وَغودِرتُ في لَحدٍ عَلَيَّ صَفائِحي
when my companions leave, their tears overflowing,
When my companions depart, their tears overflowing,
and I am left in a grave-niche, my covering slabs laid over me.
And I am left in a grave, my stone slabs over me.
يَقولونَthey say هَلquestion marker أَصلَحتُمyou all have made ready لأَخيكُمfor your brother
يَقولونَ هَل أَصلَحتُم لأَخيكُم
وَماand ... not اللحدُthe burial niche فيin الأَرضِthe earth الفَضاءِwide-open بِصالِحِfit
وَما اللحدُ في الأَرضِ الفَضاءِ بِصالِحِ
They say, “Have you made it fit for your brother?”
They say, 'Have you made it fit for your brother?'
Yet the grave-niche in the open ground is no fitting place.
Yet the grave in the wide-open earth is not fit.
