سَقى جَدَثاً أَكنافُ غَمرَةَ دونَهُ

سَقى جَدَثاً أَكنافُ غَمرَةَ دونَهُ

مِنَ الغَيثِ ديماتُ الرَبيعِ وَوابِلُه

مِنَ الغَيثِ ديماتُ الرَبيعِ وَوابِلُه

May a grave beyond Ghamra’s outskirts be watered

The fringes of thick clouds watered a grave beneath them

By spring’s steady rains and its heavy downpours.

With the rain showers of spring and its pouring clouds

أُعيرُهُمُ سَمعي إِذا ذُكِرَ الأَسى

أُعيرُهُمُ سَمعي إِذا ذُكِرَ الأَسى

وَفي القَلبِ مِنهُ زَفرَةٌ ما تُزايِلُه

وَفي القَلبِ مِنهُ زَفرَةٌ ما تُزايِلُه

I lend them my ear when sorrow is mentioned,

I turn a deaf ear when grief is recalled

And in my heart is a sigh of that sorrow that never leaves it.

While my heart sighs with grief that does not abandon it

وَكُنتُ أُعيرُ الدَمعَ قَبلَكَ مَن بَكى

وَكُنتُ أُعيرُ الدَمعَ قَبلَكَ مَن بَكى

فَأَنتَ عَلى مَن ماتَ بَعدَكَ شاغِلُه

فَأَنتَ عَلى مَن ماتَ بَعدَكَ شاغِلُه

And before your death, I used to lend my tears to whoever wept;

I used to fault whoever wept before you

So you occupy my tears, keeping them from those who died after you.

But you now preoccupy whoever died after you