إِلىto اللَهِGod أَشكوI lament فَقدَthe loss of فِتيانِyoung men غارَةٍa raid
إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو فَقدَ فِتيانِ غارَةٍ
شَهِدتهُمُI witnessed them يَومَon the day of النُخيلَةِal-Nukhayla والنَهرِand the river
شَهِدتهُمُ يَومَ النُخيلَةِ والنَهرِ
To God I lament the loss of young raiders.
I witnessed them on the day of al-Nukhayla and the river.
شَهِدتهُمُI witnessed them أُسداًas lions إِذاwhen الحَربُwar شَمّرَتgirded herself
شَهِدتهُمُ أُسداً إِذا الحَربُ شَمّرَت
مَساميحُgenerous بهمٌformidable warriors بِالمُهَنَّدَةِwith Indian-steel swords البَترِcleaving
مَساميحُ بهمٌ بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ البَترِ
I witnessed them as lions when war girded herself:
generous, formidable warriors with cleaving Indian-steel swords.
أولئِكَthose إِخوانيmy brothers مُنيتُI was afflicted بِهلكِهِمby their deaths
أولئِكَ إِخواني مُنيتُ بِهلكِهِم
فَلَهفيso, my longing عَلَيهِمfor them أَنthat يُرَواthey be seen آخِرَat the end of الدَهرِtime
فَلَهفي عَلَيهِم أَن يُرَوا آخِرَ الدَهرِ
Those were my brothers; I was afflicted by their deaths.
Oh, how I long for them to be seen at time's end!
مَضواthey departed سَلَفاًas forerunners قَبليbefore me وَأُخِّرتُand I was left behind بَعدَهُمafter them
مَضوا سَلَفاً قَبلي وَأُخِّرتُ بَعدَهُم
وَحيداًalone لِأَقوامٍamong people تَنابِلَةٍshort and stunted خُزرِnarrow-eyed
وَحيداً لِأَقوامٍ تَنابِلَةٍ خُزرِ
They departed as forerunners before me, and I was left behind them,
alone among squat, narrow-eyed people.