خُسِفَ البَدرُ حينَ كانَ تَماماً

خُسِفَ البَدرُ حينَ كانَ تَماماً

وَخَفي نورُهُ فَعادَ ظَلاما

وَخَفي نورُهُ فَعادَ ظَلاما

The full moon was eclipsed when it was at its fullest,

The full moon faded when it was complete,

And its light vanished, turning back to darkness.

Its light disappeared, so darkness prevailed,

وَدَراري النُجومِ غارَت وَغابَت

وَدَراري النُجومِ غارَت وَغابَت

وَضِياءُ الآفاقِ صارَ قَتاما

وَضِياءُ الآفاقِ صارَ قَتاما

And the radiant stars sank and disappeared,

The stars' lights sank and vanished,

And the horizons’ radiance turned to dusty gloom.

The horizons' illumination turned pitch black.

حينَ قالوا زُهَيرُ وَلّى قَتيلاً

حينَ قالوا زُهَيرُ وَلّى قَتيلاً

خَيَّمَ الحُزنُ عِندَنا وَأَقاما

خَيَّمَ الحُزنُ عِندَنا وَأَقاما

When they said, “Zuhayr has departed, slain,”

When they said Zuheir had died in battle,

Grief encamped among us and stayed.

Grief settled over us and stayed.

قَد سَقاهُ الزَمانُ كَأسَ حِمامٍ

قَد سَقاهُ الزَمانُ كَأسَ حِمامٍ

وَكَذاكَ الزَمانُ يَسقي الحِماما

وَكَذاكَ الزَمانُ يَسقي الحِماما

Time had made him drink a cup of death,

Time made him drink a cup of anguish,

And thus does time make one drink death.

And so does time make the anguished drink.

كانَ عَوني وَعُدَّتي في الرَزايا

كانَ عَوني وَعُدَّتي في الرَزايا

كانَ دِرعي وَذابِلي وَالحُساما

كانَ دِرعي وَذابِلي وَالحُساما

He was my help and my resource in calamities;

He was my support and weapon in adversities,

He was my armor, my slender spear, and the keen sword.

My shield, my sword, and my spear.

يا جُفوني إِن لَم تَجودي بِدَمعٍ

يا جُفوني إِن لَم تَجودي بِدَمعٍ

لَجَعَلتُ الكَرى عَلَيكِ حَراما

لَجَعَلتُ الكَرى عَلَيكِ حَراما

O my eyelids, if you do not freely shed tears,

Oh my eyes, if you do not weep sincerely,

I shall surely make sleep forbidden to you.

I will make crying over him forbidden to you.

قَسَماً بِالَّذي أَماتَ وَأَحيا

قَسَماً بِالَّذي أَماتَ وَأَحيا

وَتَوَلّى الأَرواحَ وَالأَجساما

وَتَوَلّى الأَرواحَ وَالأَجساما

I swear by Him who caused death and gave life,

I swear by Him who makes live and makes die,

And took charge of souls and bodies:

And alternates spirits and bodies.

لا رَفَعتُ الحُسامَ في الحَربِ حَتّى

لا رَفَعتُ الحُسامَ في الحَربِ حَتّى

أَترُكُ القَومَ في الفَيافي عِظاما

أَترُكُ القَومَ في الفَيافي عِظاما

I shall not raise the sword in battle until

I will not raise the sword in war until

I leave the people as bones in the desert wastes.

I leave the people in the battlefield as bones.

يا بَني عامِرٍ سَتَلقَونَ بَرقاً

يا بَني عامِرٍ سَتَلقَونَ بَرقاً

مِن حُسامي يُجري الدِماءَ سِجاما

مِن حُسامي يُجري الدِماءَ سِجاما

O sons of Amir, you shall meet a flash of lightning

O clan of Amer, you will face lightning

From my sword, making blood flow in torrents.

From my sword that pours blood copiously.

وَتَضِجُّ النِساءُ مِن خَيفَةِ السَب

وَتَضِجُّ النِساءُ مِن خَيفَةِ السَب

يِ وَتَبكي عَلى الصِغارِ اليَتامى

يِ وَتَبكي عَلى الصِغارِ اليَتامى

And women will cry out for fear of captivity,

The women will shriek in fear of the warrior,

And weep over the little orphans.

And weep for the orphaned children.