أَياO عَينَيَّmy two eyes وَيحَكُماwoe to you both اِستَهِلّاboth pour forth tears
أَيا عَينَيَّ وَيحَكُما اِستَهِلّا
بِدَمعٍwith tears غَيرِnot مَنزورٍscant وَعُلّاand both weep again
بِدَمعٍ غَيرِ مَنزورٍ وَعُلّا
O my two eyes, woe to you both—pour forth tears,
Oh my eyes, be lavish
With tears that are not scant, and weep again.
With tears not yet shed, rise high
بِدَمعٍwith tears غَيرِother than دَمعِكُماthe tears of you both وَجوداand both give freely
بِدَمعٍ غَيرِ دَمعِكُما وَجودا
فَقَدfor indeed أورِثتُماyou both have inherited حُزناًsorrow وَذُلّاand humiliation
فَقَد أورِثتُما حُزناً وَذُلّا
With tears other than your own, and give freely,
With tears not your own, weep freely
For you both have inherited sorrow and humiliation.
For you have given me sorrow and humiliation
عَلىfor صَخرَSakhr الأَغَرَّthe illustrious أَبيfather of اليَتامىthe orphans
عَلى صَخرَ الأَغَرَّ أَبي اليَتامى
وَيَحمِلُand he shoulders كُلَّevery مَعثَرَةٍmisfortune وَكَلّاand burden
وَيَحمِلُ كُلَّ مَعثَرَةٍ وَكَلّا
For Sakhr, the illustrious, father of orphans,
For the rock of Orphans, my father
Who shoulders every misfortune and burden.
Bearing each stumble and burden
فَإِنso if أَسعَفتُمانيyou both aid me فَاِرفِدانيthen both sustain me
فَإِن أَسعَفتُماني فَاِرفِداني
بِدَمعٍwith tears يُخضِلُthat drench الخَدَّينِthe two cheeks بَلّاa thorough soaking
بِدَمعٍ يُخضِلُ الخَدَّينِ بَلّا
So if you both would aid me, then sustain me
So if you help me, sustain me
With tears that thoroughly drench both cheeks,
With tears that stain my cheeks unchecked
عَلىfor صَخرِSakhr بنِson of عَمروٍAmr إِنَّindeed هَذاthis
عَلى صَخرِ بنِ عَمروٍ إِنَّ هَذا
وَإِنand although قَدalready قَلَّhas dwindled بَحرُكَyour sea وَاِضمَحَلّاand has vanished
وَإِن قَد قَلَّ بَحرُكَ وَاِضمَحَلّا
For Sakhr son of Amr—indeed, this—
For the rock of the son of Amr, though he
And though your sea has dwindled and vanished,
Has faded, his sea receding and disappearing
فَقَدfor indeed أورِثتُماyou both have inherited حُزناًsorrow وَذُلّاand humiliation
فَقَد أورِثتُما حُزناً وَذُلّا
وَحَرّاًand burning heat فيin الجَوانِبِthe sides مُستَقِلّاrising
وَحَرّاً في الجَوانِبِ مُستَقِلّا
For you both have inherited sorrow and humiliation,
For you have given me sorrow and humiliation
And a burning heat rising within the sides.
And burning heat, holding fast alone
فَقوميso rise ياO صَفِيَّةُSafiyya فيamong نِساءٍwomen
فَقومي يا صَفِيَّةُ في نِساءٍ
بِحَرِّin the heat of الشَمسِthe sun لاnot يَبغينَthey seek ظِلّاshade
بِحَرِّ الشَمسِ لا يَبغينَ ظِلّا
So rise, O Safiyya, among women
So arise O Safiyya amongst women
In the sun's heat, seeking no shade.
In the heat of the sun, seeking no shade
يُشَقِّقنَthey tear open الجُيوبَthe garment necklines وَكُلَّand every وَجهٍface
يُشَقِّقنَ الجُيوبَ وَكُلَّ وَجهٍ
طَفيفٌslight أَنto تُصَلّيyou scorch لَهُfor him وَقَلّاand it is little
طَفيفٌ أَن تُصَلّي لَهُ وَقَلّا
They rend their collars; and every face—
Tearing their sleeves, each face
To scorch it for him is but little, all too little.
Too delicate to pray for him and weep