ياO عَينِeye جوديbe generous بِالدُموعِwith tears
يا عَينِ جودي بِالدُموعِ
فَقَدfor indeed جَفَتhave kept away عَنكِfrom you المَراوِدthe kohl-sticks
فَقَد جَفَت عَنكِ المَراوِد
O eye, be lavish with tears,
O eye, be generous with tears
for the kohl-sticks have forsaken you.
For those who used to visit have deserted you
وَاِبكيand weep لِصَخرٍfor Sakhr إِنَّهُindeed he
وَاِبكي لِصَخرٍ إِنَّهُ
شَقَّrent الفُؤادَthe heart لِماfor what يُكابِدhe endures
شَقَّ الفُؤادَ لِما يُكابِد
And weep for Sakhr, for he
And cry for a rock that
has rent the heart with what he endures,
Has cracked the heart with what it endures
المُستَضافِthe one sought for refuge مِنَfrom السِنينَthe years
المُستَضافِ مِنَ السِنينَ
إِذاwhen قَساgrew harsh مِنهاof them المَحارِدthe barren seasons
إِذا قَسا مِنها المَحارِد
the refuge sought against the years,
Of years when their periods toughen
when their barren seasons grow harsh;
When winds are disasters
حينَwhen الرِياحُthe winds بَلائِلٌchill and damp
حينَ الرِياحُ بَلائِلٌ
نُكبٌveering هَوائِجُهاtheir raging gusts صَوارِدbitingly cold
نُكبٌ هَوائِجُها صَوارِد
when the winds are chill and damp,
Their gusts crashing down
veering, their raging gusts biting cold;
Banishing shreds from the smoothness of the sky
يَنفينَthey sweep away عَنfrom ليطِskin السَماءِthe sky
يَنفينَ عَن ليطِ السَماءِ
ظَلائِلاًshading clouds وَالماءُand the water جامِدfrozen
ظَلائِلاً وَالماءُ جامِد
they sweep from the skin of the sky
While the water is frozen
shading clouds, while the water lies frozen,
Rags the winds chase away
مِزَقاًin shreds تُطَرِّدُهاdrive them away الرِياحُthe winds
مِزَقاً تُطَرِّدُها الرِياحُ
كَأَنَّهاas though they were خِرَقٌrags طَرائِدdriven away
كَأَنَّها خِرَقٌ طَرائِد
in shreds driven by the winds,
As if they are prey pulled back
as though they were rags in flight.
While for those of lasting might and wealth knives are booty
وَالمالُand wealth عِندَin the possession of ذَويthose possessing البَقِيthe reserves (continued)
وَالمالُ عِندَ ذَوي البَقِي
يَةِcompletion of 'reserves' وَالغِنىand riches خُذُمٌswift-running شَرائِدstraying
يَةِ وَالغِنى خُذُمٌ شَرائِد
And wealth, among those with reserves
So they relieve the worries of one who swallows
and riches, is swift, straying herds;
The choking of overwhelming fortunes
فَيَفُكُّand so he relieves كُربَةَthe anguish مَنone whom تَمَخsucked dry (continued)
فَيَفُكُّ كُربَةَ مَن تَمَخ
خَخَcompletion of 'sucked dry' نِقيَةَmarrow الدُوَلِturns of fortune الجَهائِدgrueling
خَخَ نِقيَةَ الدُوَلِ الجَهائِد
then he relieves the anguish of one drained
Until he returns with what he returns
to the marrow by grinding turns of fortune,
Much dormant virtue
حَتّىuntil يَؤوبَhe returns بِماwith what يَؤوبُhe returns
حَتّى يَؤوبَ بِما يَؤوبُ
كَثيرَabundant in فَضلِbounty العُرفِkindness حامِدgiving thanks
كَثيرَ فَضلِ العُرفِ حامِد
until he returns with what he brings back,
Your light calls out to the dying
rich in generous gifts, giving thanks.
Your fire burning in the darkness of night
وَنَداكَand your bounty مُحتَضَرٌthronged وَنوand light (continued)
وَنَداكَ مُحتَضَرٌ وَنو
رُكَyour (completes 'light') فيin دُجىgloom الظَلماءِthe dark night واقِدburning
رُكَ في دُجى الظَلماءِ واقِد
Your bounty is thronged, and your light
If she-camels were sent untended
burns in the gloom of darkest night.
They would grow fat with no guide
لَوif تُرسَلُare let loose الإِبلُthe camels الظِماthe thirsty (continued)
لَو تُرسَلُ الإِبلُ الظِما
ءُcompletion of 'thirsty' يَسُمنَthey graze لَيسَnot لَهُنَّfor them قائِدa leader
ءُ يَسُمنَ لَيسَ لَهُنَّ قائِد
Were thirsty camels let loose
They would lead you, your virtues showing the ways
to graze, with no one to lead them,
And people needy and hopeful come to you
لَتَيَمَّمَتكَthey would surely head toward you يَدُلُّهاguides them
لَتَيَمَّمَتكَ يَدُلُّها
جَدواكَyour bounty وَالسُبُلُand the paths المَوارِدleading to water
جَدواكَ وَالسُبُلُ المَوارِد
they would surely make for you, guided by
Going back with bounty or gain
your bounty and the paths to water.
Seeking your heavy downpours amid the lightning
وَالناسُand the people سابِلَةٌtravelers إِلَيtoward (continued)
وَالناسُ سابِلَةٌ إِلَي
كَyou فَصادِرٌso one departing بِغِنىًwith wealth وَوارِدand one arriving
كَ فَصادِرٌ بِغِنىً وَوارِد
And people travel toward
O son of great houses of protection
you: one departs enriched, another arrives.
And son of prolific lionesses
يَغشَونَthey come to مِنكَfrom you غُطامِطاًa roaring ocean
يَغشَونَ مِنكَ غُطامِطاً
جاشَتsurged بِوابِلِهِwith its downpour الرَواعِدthe thunderclouds
جاشَت بِوابِلِهِ الرَواعِد
They come to a roaring ocean in you,
And son of she-camels, their honor adorned
the thunderclouds surging with its downpour.
And protector of one called upon when
ياO اِبنَson القُرومِthe mighty chieftains ذَويpossessed of الحِجىwisdom
يا اِبنَ القُرومِ ذَوي الحِجى
وَاِبنَand son الخَضارِمَةِthe bountiful lords المَرافِدthe generous supporters
وَاِبنَ الخَضارِمَةِ المَرافِد
O son of mighty chiefs endowed with wisdom,
An aggressor nears in death
and son of bountiful lords who give support,
And defender of those near destruction
وَاِبنَand son المَهائِرِthe noble, dowered women لِلمَهاto noblewomen (continued)
وَاِبنَ المَهائِرِ لِلمَها
ئِرِcompletion of 'noblewomen' زانَهاadorned them الشِيَمُthe character traits المَواجِدglorious
ئِرِ زانَها الشِيَمُ المَواجِد
and son of noble women, descended from noble
And fortified legs trampling calamities
women whom glorious virtues adorn,
وَحُماةِand protectors مَنwhoever يُدعىis summoned إِذاwhen
وَحُماةِ مَن يُدعى إِذا
ماemphatic particle طارَtook flight عِندَat المَوتِdeath عارِدa fugitive
ما طارَ عِندَ المَوتِ عارِد
and of protectors of whoever is summoned, when
a fugitive takes flight at death's approach,
وَمَعاصِمٍand refuges لِلهالِكيfor the perishing (continued)
وَمَعاصِمٍ لِلهالِكي
نَplural ending of 'the perishing' وَساسَةٍand leaders قِدَماًfrom of old مَحاشِدrallying hosts
نَ وَساسَةٍ قِدَماً مَحاشِد
and of refuges for those in mortal
peril, and leaders of old who rally hosts.
Partial English translation: 31 of 36 Arabic lines translated.