يا عَينِ ما لَكِ لا تَبكينَ تَسكابا

يا عَينِ ما لَكِ لا تَبكينَ تَسكابا

إِذ رابَ دَهرٌ وَكانَ الدَهرُ رَيّابا

إِذ رابَ دَهرٌ وَكانَ الدَهرُ رَيّابا

O eye, what ails you that you do not weep in torrents,

O eye, why do you not weep copiously

When time has brought distress, and time is ever treacherous?

When fate has passed and fate was pouring

فَاِبكي أَخاكِ لِأَيتامٍ وَأَرمَلَةٍ

فَاِبكي أَخاكِ لِأَيتامٍ وَأَرمَلَةٍ

وَاِبكي أَخاكِ إِذا جاوَرتِ أَجنابا

وَاِبكي أَخاكِ إِذا جاوَرتِ أَجنابا

So weep for your brother, for orphans and a widow;

So weep for your brother, for orphans and widows

And weep for your brother when you dwell among strangers.

And weep for your brother when he dwells with strangers

وَاِبكي أَخاكِ لِخَيلٍ كَالقَطا عُصَباً

وَاِبكي أَخاكِ لِخَيلٍ كَالقَطا عُصَباً

فَقَدنَ لَمّا ثَوى سَيباً وَأَنهابا

فَقَدنَ لَمّا ثَوى سَيباً وَأَنهابا

And weep for your brother, for horses banded like sandgrouse,

And weep for your brother's horses, gathered like wild cats

That lost, when he lay dead, his bounty and spoils.

When they lost a master and were seized as loot

يَعدو بِهِ سابِحٌ نَهدٌ مَراكِلُهُ

يَعدو بِهِ سابِحٌ نَهدٌ مَراكِلُهُ

مُجَلبَبٌ بِسَوادِ اللَيلِ جِلبابا

مُجَلبَبٌ بِسَوادِ اللَيلِ جِلبابا

A steed with a swimming stride gallops bearing him, its flanks powerful,

A rider takes them galloping, their hooves thunder

Cloaked in the blackness of night as in a mantle,

Cloaked in the blackness of night in robes

حَتّى يُصَبِّحَ أَقواماً يُحارِبُهُم

حَتّى يُصَبِّحَ أَقواماً يُحارِبُهُم

أَو يُسلَبوا دونَ صَفِّ القَومِ أَسلابا

أَو يُسلَبوا دونَ صَفِّ القَومِ أَسلابا

Until he raids at dawn the peoples he fights,

Until at dawn they attack some people

Or they are stripped of their gear before the people's battle line.

Or are stripped of armor at the battle line as plunder

هُوَ الفَتى الكامِلُ الحامي حَقيقَتَهُ

هُوَ الفَتى الكامِلُ الحامي حَقيقَتَهُ

مَأوى الضَريكِ إِذا ما جاءَ مُنتابا

مَأوى الضَريكِ إِذا ما جاءَ مُنتابا

He is the consummate youth, defending his honor and those in his care,

He is the perfect youth, true to his protection

A refuge for the needy whenever one comes seeking him out.

Shelter for the desperate whenever he is called

يَهدي الرَعيلَ إِذا ضاقَ السَبيلُ بِهِم

يَهدي الرَعيلَ إِذا ضاقَ السَبيلُ بِهِم

نَهدَ التَليلِ لِصَعبِ الأَمرِ رَكّابا

نَهدَ التَليلِ لِصَعبِ الأَمرِ رَكّابا

He guides the troop when the way grows narrow for them,

He guides the band when the road narrows for them

Stout of neck, ever riding into arduous affairs.

With his towering form ready for the difficult task

المَجدُ حُلَّتُهُ وَالجودُ عِلَّتُهُ

المَجدُ حُلَّتُهُ وَالجودُ عِلَّتُهُ

وَالصِدقُ حَوزَتُهُ إِن قِرنُهُ هابا

وَالصِدقُ حَوزَتُهُ إِن قِرنُهُ هابا

Glory is his robe, and generosity his affliction;

Glory is his garment and generosity his banner

And truthfulness his domain, if his opponent quails.

Truth his provision if destiny frowns

خَطّابُ مَحفِلَةٍ فَرّاجُ مَظلَمَةٍ

خَطّابُ مَحفِلَةٍ فَرّاجُ مَظلَمَةٍ

إِن هابَ مُعضِلَةً سَنّى لَها بابا

إِن هابَ مُعضِلَةً سَنّى لَها بابا

An orator in assemblies, a redresser of injustice;

Suitor of an assembly, lamp of darkness

If he dreads a difficulty, he opens a door through it.

If a riddle perplexes, he finds a solution

حَمّالُ أَلوِيَةٍ قَطّاعُ أَودِيَةٍ

حَمّالُ أَلوِيَةٍ قَطّاعُ أَودِيَةٍ

شَهّادُ أَنجِيَةٍ لِلوِترِ طَلّابا

شَهّادُ أَنجِيَةٍ لِلوِترِ طَلّابا

A tireless bearer of banners, a traverser of valleys;

Bearer of banners, forder of valleys

Ever present at private councils, ever seeking vengeance.

Witness of miracles, seeking the heights

سُمُّ العُداةِ وَفَكّاكُ العُناةِ إِذا

سُمُّ العُداةِ وَفَكّاكُ العُناةِ إِذا

لاقى الوَغى لَم يَكُن لِلمَوتِ هَيّابا

لاقى الوَغى لَم يَكُن لِلمَوتِ هَيّابا

Poison to enemies, and a liberator of captives; when

Poison of foes and liberator of the oppressed, when

He faced battle's din, he was never afraid of death.

He meets turmoil he does not fear death