يا بُؤسَ منتزَعٍ من ثَدْي والدةٍ

يا بُؤسَ منتزَعٍ من ثَدْي والدةٍ

حفيَّةٍ مالَهُ من دونِها والي

حفيَّةٍ مالَهُ من دونِها والي

Ah, the misery of one torn from a mother’s breast—

Oh, the misery of one torn from the breast of a mother,

tender and solicitous—he has no protector besides her.

tender and caring, with no guardian for him but her.

يستخبرُ الريحَ عنها ثم يُنكِرُها

يستخبرُ الريحَ عنها ثم يُنكِرُها

لفقدِ ما اعتادَ من بِرٍّ وإفضالِ

لفقدِ ما اعتادَ من بِرٍّ وإفضالِ

He asks the wind about her, then finds the wind strange,

He asks the wind for news of her, then finds it unfamiliar,

for in it he misses the kindness and bounty he once knew.

for lack of the kindness and generosity he was used to.

وبؤسَ منفردٍ عمَّنْ يُضاجِعُهُ

وبؤسَ منفردٍ عمَّنْ يُضاجِعُهُ

مشرّدِ النومِ بين الأهلِ والمالِ

مشرّدِ النومِ بين الأهلِ والمالِ

And the misery of one left alone, parted from his bedfellow,

And the misery of one alone, parted from the one who shares his bed,

his sleep scattered amid family and wealth.

his sleep banished amid family and wealth.

يزيدُ حَرَّ حشاهُ بَردُ مضجَعِهِ

يزيدُ حَرَّ حشاهُ بَردُ مضجَعِهِ

ويملأ القلبَ شجواً ربعُه الخالي

ويملأ القلبَ شجواً ربعُه الخالي

The coldness of his bed makes the fire in his breast burn fiercer,

The cold of his bed increases the heat within him,

and his empty dwelling fills his heart with sorrow.

and his empty dwelling fills his heart with sorrow.

يبكي ويندُبُ طولَ الليلِ أجمعِهِ

يبكي ويندُبُ طولَ الليلِ أجمعِهِ

فما يَقَرُّ ولا يهدَا على حالِ

فما يَقَرُّ ولا يهدَا على حالِ

He weeps and laments all the night through,

He weeps and laments the whole night through,

and so he neither rests nor grows calm in any state.

so he neither finds rest nor grows calm in any state.