مَرِهَت عَيني فَعَيني

مَرِهَت عَيني فَعَيني

بَعدَ صَخرٍ عَطِفَه

بَعدَ صَخرٍ عَطِفَه

My eye has grown sore; my eye

My eyes cried for my eyes

droops after Sakhr.

After a rock sheltered them

فَدُموعُ العَينِ مِنّي

فَدُموعُ العَينِ مِنّي

فَوقَ خَدّي وَكِفَه

فَوقَ خَدّي وَكِفَه

So the tears from my eye

So my eyes' tears are from me

drip upon my cheek.

Above my cheek they flowed

طَرَفَت حُندُرَ عَيني

طَرَفَت حُندُرَ عَيني

بِعَكيكٍ ذَرِفَه

بِعَكيكٍ ذَرِفَه

They have stung my eye's pupil

My eyes' edges shed tears

with scorching heat, streaming down.

Flooding down profusely

إِنَّ نَفسي بَعدَ صَخرٍ

إِنَّ نَفسي بَعدَ صَخرٍ

بِالرَدى مُعتَرِفَه

بِالرَدى مُعتَرِفَه

Indeed, my soul, after Sakhr,

My soul after the rock

acknowledges death.

Admits being torn asunder

وَبِها مِن صَخرَ شَيءٌ

وَبِها مِن صَخرَ شَيءٌ

لَيسَ يُحكى بِالصِفَه

لَيسَ يُحكى بِالصِفَه

And within it is something of Sakhr

And in it from the rock something

that no description can convey.

That can't be told in detail

وَبِنَفسي لَهُمومٌ

وَبِنَفسي لَهُمومٌ

فَهِيَ حَرّى أَسِفَه

فَهِيَ حَرّى أَسِفَه

And in my soul are sorrows;

And in my soul are worries

it burns, grief-stricken.

So it is hotter than embers

وَبِذِكرى صَخرَ نَفسي

وَبِذِكرى صَخرَ نَفسي

كُلَّ يَومٍ كَلِفَه

كُلَّ يَومٍ كَلِفَه

And to the memory of Sakhr my soul

And remembering the rock my soul

clings in love each day.

Each day shouldered a burden

إِنَّ صَخراً كانَ حِصناً

إِنَّ صَخراً كانَ حِصناً

وَرُبىً لِلنُطَفَه

وَرُبىً لِلنُطَفَه

Indeed, Sakhr was a fortress

The rock was indeed a fortress

and high ground for the disgraced,

And guardian of progeny

وَغِياثاً وَرَبيعاً

وَغِياثاً وَرَبيعاً

لِلعَجوزِ الخَرِفَه

لِلعَجوزِ الخَرِفَه

and succor and springtime

A savior and springtime

for the senile old woman.

For the feeble old woman

وَإِذا هَبَّت شَمالٌ

وَإِذا هَبَّت شَمالٌ

أَو جَنوبٌ عَصِفَه

أَو جَنوبٌ عَصِفَه

And when a north wind blew,

And if a north or south wind

or a raging south wind,

Blew fierce gales

نَحَرَ الكومَ الصَفايا

نَحَرَ الكومَ الصَفايا

وَالبِكارَ الخَلِفَه

وَالبِكارَ الخَلِفَه

he slaughtered the choice, high-humped she-camels

It slaughtered the brave heroes

and the pregnant young she-camels.

And the steadfast stalwarts

يَملَأُ الجَفنَةَ شَحماً

يَملَأُ الجَفنَةَ شَحماً

فَتَراها سَدِفَه

فَتَراها سَدِفَه

He fills the great serving bowl with fat,

It would fill the potbellies with fat

so you see it darkened.

You'd see them swollen

وَتَرى الهُلّاكَ شَبعى

وَتَرى الهُلّاكَ شَبعى

نَحوَها مُزدَلِفَه

نَحوَها مُزدَلِفَه

And you see the starving, now sated,

And you'd see the starving throngs

drawing near to it.

Approaching it greedily

وَتَرى الأَيدِيَ فيها

وَتَرى الأَيدِيَ فيها

دَسِماتٍ غَدِفَه

دَسِماتٍ غَدِفَه

And you see the hands in it,

And you'd see the hands in it

greasy and freely scooping,

Fat and plump

وارِداتٍ صادِراتٍ

وارِداتٍ صادِراتٍ

كَقَطاً مُختَلِفَه

كَقَطاً مُختَلِفَه

coming in and going out,

Coming and going

like sandgrouse passing to and fro,

Like differing cats

كَدَبورٍ وَشَمالٍ

كَدَبورٍ وَشَمالٍ

في حِياضٍ لَقِفَه

في حِياضٍ لَقِفَه

like a west wind and a north wind

Like wasps and locusts

in crumbling watering pools.

In a frequented meadow

يَتَفَرَّقنَ شُعوباً

يَتَفَرَّقنَ شُعوباً

وَلَهُ مُؤتَلِفَه

وَلَهُ مُؤتَلِفَه

They scatter into groups,

Scattering in nations

yet are united for him.

And it has reconciler

فَلَئِن أَجرُعُ صَخرٍ

فَلَئِن أَجرُعُ صَخرٍ

أَصبَحَت لي ظَلِفَه

أَصبَحَت لي ظَلِفَه

For though Sakhr's sandy tracts

So if I gulped the drink of the rock

have become harsh ground to me,

It became a quencher for me

إِنَّها كانَت زَماناً

إِنَّها كانَت زَماناً

رَوضَةً مُؤتَنِفَه

رَوضَةً مُؤتَنِفَه

indeed, they once were

It was once upon a time

a fresh, ungrazed meadow.

A garden with burgeoning growth