غادَرَني سَهمُهُ أَعشى وَغادَرَهُ

غادَرَني سَهمُهُ أَعشى وَغادَرَهُ

سَهمُ اِبنِ أَحمَرَ يَشكو الرَأسَ وَالكَبِدا

سَهمُ اِبنِ أَحمَرَ يَشكو الرَأسَ وَالكَبِدا

His arrow left me dim-sighted, while he was left

His arrow left me blind, and left him

by Ibn Ahmar's arrow, suffering in his head and liver.

The arrow of Ibn Aḥmar complaining of head and liver

شُلَّت أَنامِلُ مَخشِيَّ فَلا جَبَرَت

شُلَّت أَنامِلُ مَخشِيَّ فَلا جَبَرَت

وَلا اِستَعانَ بِضاحي كَفِّهِ أَبَدا

وَلا اِستَعانَ بِضاحي كَفِّهِ أَبَدا

May Makhshi's fingers be paralyzed and never heal,

The fingers of Makhshiyya were paralyzed, so they could not heal

And may he never draw help from the back of his hand.

Nor get help from the palm of his hand, ever

أَهوى لَها مِشقَصاً حَشراً فَشَبرَقَها

أَهوى لَها مِشقَصاً حَشراً فَشَبرَقَها

وَكُنتُ أَدعو قَذاها الإِثمِدَ القَرِدا

وَكُنتُ أَدعو قَذاها الإِثمِدَ القَرِدا

He hurled a slender, sharp arrowhead at my eye and tore it to shreds,

I loved her intensely, so it lit her up

And I used to call its grit coarse antimony kohl.

And I used to call her bright face the shining orb

أَعشو بِعَينٍ وَأُخرى قَد أَضَرَّ بِها

أَعشو بِعَينٍ وَأُخرى قَد أَضَرَّ بِها

رَيبُ الزَمانِ فَأَمسى ضَوؤُها خَمَدا

رَيبُ الزَمانِ فَأَمسى ضَوؤُها خَمَدا

I see dimly with one eye; the other has been harmed

I become blind in one eye, and the other

by time's misfortunes, and now its light has died out.

Was harmed by the shame of time, so its light dimmed