قصدتُكَ أركَبُ البِيدَ القِفار

قصدتُكَ أركَبُ البِيدَ القِفار

فما أطعَمْتَني خُبزاً قَفارا

فما أطعَمْتَني خُبزاً قَفارا

I sought you, riding across the barren deserts.

I sought you out, riding my camel through the barren desert,

Yet you did not feed me even plain bread.

Yet you did not feed me barren bread,

ولم تمنَحْ لِنَقْعِ صَدايَ ماءً

ولم تمنَحْ لِنَقْعِ صَدايَ ماءً

ولم تقدَحْ لِوَسْمِ قِرايَ نارا

ولم تقدَحْ لِوَسْمِ قِرايَ نارا

Nor did you give water to quench my thirst,

Nor did you give water to quench my thirst,

Nor kindle a fire to mark my welcome as a guest.

Nor did you kindle a fire to warm my chilled body.

ولكنِّي أُولِّي اليَومَ نَفسي

ولكنِّي أُولِّي اليَومَ نَفسي

ولستُ بقابِلٍ منِها اعتِذارا

ولستُ بقابِلٍ منِها اعتِذارا

But today I turn my reproach upon myself,

But today I blame only myself,

And I accept no excuse from it.

And offer no excuses.

لِماذا يمَّمَتْ دارَ امرِئٍ لا

لِماذا يمَّمَتْ دارَ امرِئٍ لا

يخُطُّ لنَفسهِ في المَجدِ دارا

يخُطُّ لنَفسهِ في المَجدِ دارا

Why did it seek the house of a man who does not

Why did I head to the house of a man

mark out for himself a dwelling in glory?

Who builds no glory for himself?

فيا قَدَمي قدِمْتِ على خَسارٍ

فيا قَدَمي قدِمْتِ على خَسارٍ

وتَسقيني المَذَلَّة والصَّغارا

وتَسقيني المَذَلَّة والصَّغارا

So, O my foot, you have stepped into loss,

Oh my feet, you have led me to loss

And you make me drink humiliation and abasement.

And given me only disgrace and insignificance.

ويا قَدَمي جَنَيْتِ عليَّ كسراً

ويا قَدَمي جَنَيْتِ عليَّ كسراً

فظيعاً لا أرى مِنه انجبارا

فظيعاً لا أرى مِنه انجبارا

And, O my foot, you have inflicted upon me a fracture,

Oh my feet, you have betrayed me

A dreadful one, from which I see no recovery.

And caused me grave injury beyond repair.

فَمنْ يقتلْهُ ذو بَغْيٍ فإنِّي

فَمنْ يقتلْهُ ذو بَغْيٍ فإنِّي

أرى قَدَمي أراقَ دمي جِهارا

أرى قَدَمي أراقَ دمي جِهارا

So, if others are killed by an oppressor, I

For he who is killed by an aggressor -

see that my foot has openly shed my blood.

I see that my own feet have spilled my blood openly.