أياO لهفيmy anguish وياand O حُزنيmy sorrow جميعاًall together
أيا لهفي ويا حُزني جميعاً
وياand O غمَّgrief الفؤادِthe heart لماat what لقيناwe suffered
ويا غمَّ الفؤادِ لما لقينا
Oh, my anguish and my sorrow, both together!
Oh my longing and oh my sadness altogether
And oh, the heart’s grief at what we suffered!
And oh the grief of my heart for what we have met
تركناwe abandoned الدينfaith والدنياand worldly life جميعاًboth
تركنا الدين والدنيا جميعاً
وخلّيناand we left behind الحلائلthe wives والبنيناand the sons
وخلّينا الحلائل والبنينا
We abandoned faith and worldly life alike,
We left religion and the world altogether
And left our wives and sons behind.
And we left the loved ones and our sons
فماfor … not كنّاwe were أناساًpeople أهلdevoted to دينٍfaith
فما كنّا أناساً أهل دينٍ
فنصبرso we would endure patiently للبلاءin the face of affliction إذاwhen بُليناwe were tested
فنصبر للبلاء إذا بُلينا
For we were not people of faith,
We were not people of religion
To endure affliction patiently when put to the test;
To be patient for affliction when tested
ولاnor كُنّاwe were أناساًpeople أهلdevoted to دنياworldly life
ولا كُنّا أناساً أهل دنيا
فنمنعهاso we would defend it وإنand even if لمdid not نرجُwe hope for دنياworldly gain
فنمنعها وإن لم نرجُ دنيا
Nor were we people of this world,
Nor were we people of the world
To defend it, even if we hoped for no worldly gain.
To withhold it even if no world we wish
تركناwe left دُورناour homes لطغامto the rabble of عكٍّʿAkk
تركنا دُورنا لطغام عكٍّ
وانباطand the Nabataeans of القرىthe villages والاشعريناand the Ashʿarīs
وانباط القرى والاشعرينا
We left our homes to the rabble of ʿAkk
We left our homes to tyrannical gangs
And the Nabataeans of the villages and the Ashʿarīs.
And the peasants of villages and the Ash'aris