ياعَينِO eye جوديpour generously بِالدُموعِwith tears السُجولcopious
ياعَينِ جودي بِالدُموعِ السُجول
وَاِبكيand weep عَلىfor صَخرٍSakhr بِدَمعٍwith tears هَمولstreaming
وَاِبكي عَلى صَخرٍ بِدَمعٍ هَمول
O eye, pour forth copious tears.
O eye, be generous with flowing tears
And weep for Sakhr with streaming tears.
And weep for a rock with pouring tears
لاdo not تَخذُلينيfail me عِندَat جَدِّthe earnestness of البُكاweeping
لا تَخذُليني عِندَ جَدِّ البُكا
فَلَيسَfor it is not ذاthis ياعَينِO eye وَقتَa time for الخَذولfailure
فَلَيسَ ذا ياعَينِ وَقتَ الخَذول
Do not fail me when weeping grows earnest;
Do not fail me when grief makes me weep
For this, O eye, is no time to fail.
For this, O eye, is no time for weakness
اِبكيweep for أَباfather of حَسّانَHassān وَاِستَعبِريand shed tears
اِبكي أَبا حَسّانَ وَاِستَعبِري
عَلىfor الجَميلِthe handsome man المُستَضافِsought for hospitality المَخيلpromising bounty
عَلى الجَميلِ المُستَضافِ المَخيل
Weep for Abu Hassān, and let your tears flow,
Weep for Abu Hassân and let flow
For the handsome, sought-after host whose bearing promised bounty.
For the beautiful guest who camps
نِعمَhow excellent أَخوa brother of الشَتوَةِwinter حَلَّتlodged بِهِwith him
نِعمَ أَخو الشَتوَةِ حَلَّت بِهِ
أَرامِلُwidows الحَيِّthe clan غَداةَon the morning of البَليلthe cold, damp wind
أَرامِلُ الحَيِّ غَداةَ البَليل
What a fine brother in winter! With him lodged
How good a brother of valor he was
The clan's widows on the morning of the cold, damp wind.
Widows of the tribe came to him at dawn
يَأتينَهُthey come to him مُستَعصِماتٍseeking protection بِهِin him
يَأتينَهُ مُستَعصِماتٍ بِهِ
يُعلِنَّthey cry aloud فيin الدارِthe house بِدَعوىwith a cry of الأَليلlamentation
يُعلِنَّ في الدارِ بِدَعوى الأَليل
They come to him, seeking his protection,
Announcing their claim to him in the house
Crying aloud in the house with wailing pleas.
And how good a neighbor he was in times
وَنِعمَand how excellent جارُa neighbor to القَومِthe people فيin أَزمَةٍhardship
وَنِعمَ جارُ القَومِ في أَزمَةٍ
إِذاwhen اِلتَجاsought refuge الناسُthe people بِجارٍwith a neighbor ذَليلpowerless
إِذا اِلتَجا الناسُ بِجارٍ ذَليل
And a fine neighbor to his people in hardship,
Of crisis, when people resorted to a weak neighbor
When people seek refuge with a powerless neighbor.
His face showed his kindness
دَلَّpointed عَلىto مَعروفِهِhis generosity وَجهُهُhis face
دَلَّ عَلى مَعروفِهِ وَجهُهُ
بورِكَblessed be فيهِin it هادِياًshowing the way مِنas دَليلa guide
بورِكَ فيهِ هادِياً مِن دَليل
His face revealed his generosity;
Blessed was he, a gentle guide
Blessed be it, a guide that shows the way.
He did not restrict his grace to himself
لاnot يَقصِرُconfines الفَضلَbounty عَلىto نَفسِهِhimself
لا يَقصِرُ الفَضلَ عَلى نَفسِهِ
بَلrather عِندَهُwith him مَنwhoever نابَهُseeks him فيin فُضولabundance
بَل عِندَهُ مَن نابَهُ في فُضول
He does not confine his bounty to himself;
But was generous to those who sought his bounty
Rather, whoever seeks him finds abundance with him.
People knew him to be
قَدindeed عَرَفَhave known الناسُthe people لَهُof him أَنَّهُthat he
قَد عَرَفَ الناسُ لَهُ أَنَّهُ
بِالمَنزِلِat the station الأَتلَعِlofty غَيرُnot الضَئيلlowly
بِالمَنزِلِ الأَتلَعِ غَيرُ الضَئيل
People have known him to be
In the highest abode, no paltry man
At a lofty station, never lowly.
His gifts were plentiful, and his hospitality
عَطاؤُهُhis giving جَزلٌlavish وَصَولاتُهُand his onslaughts
عَطاؤُهُ جَزلٌ وَصَولاتُهُ
صَولاتُthe onslaughts of قَرمٍa noble camel-stallion لِقُرومٍagainst camel-stallions صَؤولfiercely attacking
صَولاتُ قَرمٍ لِقُرومٍ صَؤول
His giving is lavish, and his onslaughts
The hospitality of a generous man to generous men
Are a noble camel-stallion's, fiercely charging other stallions.
His opinion was wise, and his words
وَرَأيُهُand his counsel حُكمٌwisdom وَفيand in قَولِهِhis speech
وَرَأيُهُ حُكمٌ وَفي قَولِهِ
مَواعِظٌadmonitions يُذهِبنَthey banish داءَthe sickness of الغَليلburning rancor
مَواعِظٌ يُذهِبنَ داءَ الغَليل
And his counsel is wisdom, and in his words
Contained advice to cure the sickness of rancor
Are admonitions that banish the sickness of burning rancor.
He was no niggard to turn his back
لَيسَhe is not بِخَبٍّa crafty man مانِعٍwithholding ظَهرَهُhis back
لَيسَ بِخَبٍّ مانِعٍ ظَهرَهُ
لاnot يَنهَضُrises الدَهرَever بِعِبءٍwith a burden ثَقيلheavy
لا يَنهَضُ الدَهرَ بِعِبءٍ ثَقيل
He is no crafty man who withholds his back,
Or bear a heavy burden in this life
Who never, in all his life, shoulders a heavy burden;
No greedy man, when asked to give
وَلاnor بِسَعّالٍa habitual cougher إِذاwhen يُجتَدىhe is asked for gifts
وَلا بِسَعّالٍ إِذا يُجتَدى
وَضاقَand grows tight بِالمَعروفِat generosity صَدرُthe breast of السَعولthe cougher
وَضاقَ بِالمَعروفِ صَدرُ السَعول
Nor one who coughs when asked for a gift,
And generosity narrowed the breasts of the greedy
While the cougher's breast tightens at generosity.
Time has treated me harshly, curse it
قَدindeed راعَنيhas appalled me الدَهرُtime فَبُؤساًso woe لَهُto it
قَد راعَني الدَهرُ فَبُؤساً لَهُ
بِفارِسِthrough the horseman of الفُرسانِthe horsemen وَالخَنشَليلand the mighty champion
بِفارِسِ الفُرسانِ وَالخَنشَليل
Time has appalled me—woe to it!—
For the knight of knights and the agile
By taking the horseman of horsemen, the mighty champion.
You left me amidst a worthless people
تَرَكتَنيyou left me وَسطَamong بَنيsons of عِلَّةٍanother mother
تَرَكتَني وَسطَ بَني عِلَّةٍ
أَدورُI wander فيهِمamong them كَاللَعينِlike an accursed man النَقيلbanished
أَدورُ فيهِم كَاللَعينِ النَقيل
You left me among half-brothers;
I wander among them like a shackled captive
I wander among them like an accursed exile.
Partial English translation: 29 of 30 Arabic lines translated.