أَلا اِبكي عَلى صَخرٍ وَصَخرٌ ثِمالُنا

أَلا اِبكي عَلى صَخرٍ وَصَخرٌ ثِمالُنا

إِذا الحَربُ هَرَّت وَاِستَمَرَّ مَريرُها

إِذا الحَربُ هَرَّت وَاِستَمَرَّ مَريرُها

Ah, weep for Sakhr—Sakhr, our refuge—

Alas, should I weep over a rock when a rock is our support?

when war growled and its twisted cord grew taut.

When war rages and its bitterness continues,

أَقامَ جَناحَي رَبعِها وَتَرافَدوا

أَقامَ جَناحَي رَبعِها وَتَرافَدوا

عَلى صَعبِها حَتّى اِستَقامَ عَسيرُها

عَلى صَعبِها حَتّى اِستَقامَ عَسيرُها

He upheld both flanks of its camp, and they aided one another

Its squadrons set up and they supported each other

through its hardship, until its difficulty was set right,

Against its ruggedness until its difficulty eased

بِبارِقَةٍ لِلمَوتِ فيها عَجاجَةٌ

بِبارِقَةٍ لِلمَوتِ فيها عَجاجَةٌ

مَناكِبُها مَسمومَةٌ وَنُحورُها

مَناكِبُها مَسمومَةٌ وَنُحورُها

with a cloud flashing death, dust swirling within it,

With a lightning bolt of death in it, clamoring,

its shoulders poisoned, and its throats too.

Its shoulders poisoned and its throat slit.

أَهَلَّ بِها وَكفُ الدِماءِ وَرَعدُها

أَهَلَّ بِها وَكفُ الدِماءِ وَرَعدُها

هَماهِمُ أَبطالٍ قَليلٌ فُتورُها

هَماهِمُ أَبطالٍ قَليلٌ فُتورُها

Blood rained down within it, and its thunder was

It inspired with it and stopped the bloodshed and its thunder

the murmurs of heroes, seldom slackening.

Their zeal, the zeal of few heroes was diminished.

فَصَخرٌ لَدَيها مِدرَهُ الحَربِ كُلَّها

فَصَخرٌ لَدَيها مِدرَهُ الحَربِ كُلَّها

وَصَخرٌ إِذا خانَ الرِجالُ يُطيرُها

وَصَخرٌ إِذا خانَ الرِجالُ يُطيرُها

So Sakhr, amid it, is the champion of the whole battle,

So a rock, in front of it is the battlefield in its entirety,

and Sakhr, when men fail, sends it flying.

And a rock, when men betray, makes it fly

مِنَ الهَضبَةِ العُليا الَّتي لَيسَ كَالصَفا

مِنَ الهَضبَةِ العُليا الَّتي لَيسَ كَالصَفا

صَفاها وَما إِن كَالصُخورِ صُخورُها

صَفاها وَما إِن كَالصُخورِ صُخورُها

From the lofty mountain, where no ordinary smooth rock

From the high plateau, not like Al-Safa

matches its smooth rock, nor do ordinary rocks match its rocks.

Its purity, and not like rocks are its rocks.

لَها شَرَفاتٌ لا تُنالُ وَمَنكِبٌ

لَها شَرَفاتٌ لا تُنالُ وَمَنكِبٌ

مَنيعُ الذَرى عالٍ عَلى مَن يُثيرُها

مَنيعُ الذَرى عالٍ عَلى مَن يُثيرُها

It has unreachable heights, and a shoulder

It has ledges that cannot be reached and a shoulder

with impregnable summits, high above whoever would disturb it.

Inaccessible to those who would stir it up.

لَهُ بَسطَتا مَجدٍ فَكَفٌّ مُفيدَةٌ

لَهُ بَسطَتا مَجدٍ فَكَفٌّ مُفيدَةٌ

وَأُخرى بِأَطرافِ القَناةِ شُقورُها

وَأُخرى بِأَطرافِ القَناةِ شُقورُها

His are two reaches of glory: one hand bestows,

It has two outstretched wings of glory, so a useful palm

and the other does its business with the spear's points.

And another at the edges of the canal slit its throats.

مَنِ الحَربُ رَبَّتهُ فَلَيسَ بِسائِمٍ

مَنِ الحَربُ رَبَّتهُ فَلَيسَ بِسائِمٍ

إِذا مَلَّ عَنها ذاتَ يَومٍ ضَجورُها

إِذا مَلَّ عَنها ذاتَ يَومٍ ضَجورُها

He whom war has reared does not weary,

He whom war raised is not well-fed

when one day its impatient warrior tires of it.

If one day its ferocity turns away from it.

إِذا ما اِقمَطَرَّت لِلمَغارِ وَأَيقَنَت

إِذا ما اِقمَطَرَّت لِلمَغارِ وَأَيقَنَت

بِهِ عَن حِيالٍ مُلقِحٍ مَن يَبورُها

بِهِ عَن حِيالٍ مُلقِحٍ مَن يَبورُها

When it grows grim for the raid, and is sure

When it rains down for the cave, and is certain of

of him as the sire who tests it, bringing conception after barrenness.

With it the ones with spears who perforate it.