أَيُّهَذاO you الثَرىearth إِلامَuntil when التَماديpersistence
أَيُّهَذا الثَرى إِلامَ التَمادي
بَعدَafter هَذاthis أَأَنتَare you غَرثانُhungry صاديthirsty
بَعدَ هَذا أَأَنتَ غَرثانُ صادي
O earth, how long will you persist?
O soil, why do you persist
After all this, are you still hungry and thirsty?
After this will you be an arid desolate land?
أَنتَyou تَروىslake your thirst مِنfrom مَدمَعٍtears كُلَّevery يَومٍday
أَنتَ تَروى مِن مَدمَعٍ كُلَّ يَومٍ
وَتُغَذّىand are fed مِنfrom هَذِهِthese الأَجسادِthe bodies
وَتُغَذّى مِن هَذِهِ الأَجسادِ
You slake your thirst with tears each day,
You are watered every day with tears
And are fed upon these bodies.
And fed on these bodies
قَدindeed جَعَلتَyou made الأَنامَhumankind زادَكَyour sustenance فيin الدَهـthe ages (first part)
قَد جَعَلتَ الأَنامَ زادَكَ في الدَهـ
ـرِ(completes 'the ages') وَقَدand indeed آذَنَhas signaled الوَرىhumankind بِالنَفادِof exhaustion
ـرِ وَقَد آذَنَ الوَرى بِالنَفادِ
You have made humankind your sustenance through the
You have made people your provisions in life
Ages, and humankind is nearly spent.
And the land has announced depletion
فَاِلتَمِسso seek بَعدَهُafter it المَجَرَّةَthe Milky Way وِرداًa watering place
فَاِلتَمِس بَعدَهُ المَجَرَّةَ وِرداً
وَتَزَوَّدand provision yourself مِنَfrom النُجومِthe stars بِزادِwith provisions
وَتَزَوَّد مِنَ النُجومِ بِزادِ
So seek, after that, the Milky Way as a watering place,
So seek the nebulae afterwards as a meadow
And stock yourself with provisions from the stars.
And take provision from the stars
لَستُI do not أَدعوكَaddress you بِالتُرابِas dust وَلَكِنbut
لَستُ أَدعوكَ بِالتُرابِ وَلَكِن
بُقُدودِas the figures of المِلاحِbeauties وَالأَجيادِand the necks
بُقُدودِ المِلاحِ وَالأَجيادِ
I do not address you as dust, but
I do not call you mere soil but
As the figures of beauties and their necks,
With the remains of salt and dried wood
بِخُدودِas the cheeks of الحِسانِthe fair بِالأَعيُنِas the eyes النُجـwide (first part)
بِخُدودِ الحِسانِ بِالأَعيُنِ النُجـ
ـلِ(completes 'wide') بِتِلكَas those القُلوبِthe hearts وَالأَكبادِand the livers
ـلِ بِتِلكَ القُلوبِ وَالأَكبادِ
As the cheeks of the fair, as wide
With the cheeks of the beautiful, with bright eyes
Eyes, as those hearts and livers.
With those hearts and livers
لَمdid not تَلِدناbear us حَوّاءُEve إِلّاexcept لِنَشقىso we might suffer
لَم تَلِدنا حَوّاءُ إِلّا لِنَشقى
لَيتَهاif only she were عاطِلٌdevoid مِنَof الأَولادِchildren
لَيتَها عاطِلٌ مِنَ الأَولادِ
Eve bore us only that we should suffer;
Hawwa did not give birth to us but to suffer
Would that she had been childless!
If only she had abstained from having children
أَسلَمَتناshe surrendered us إِلىto صُروفِthe vicissitudes of زَمانٍtime
أَسلَمَتنا إِلى صُروفِ زَمانٍ
ثُمَّthen لَمdid not توصِهاbid them بِحِفظِto preserve الوِدادِaffection
ثُمَّ لَم توصِها بِحِفظِ الوِدادِ
She surrendered us to the vicissitudes of time,
She handed us over to the vicissitudes of time
Then did not bid them preserve affection.
Then did not instruct it to guard affection
أَيُّهاO اليَمُّsea كَمhow many بِقاعِكَupon your bed نَفسٍa soul
أَيُّها اليَمُّ كَم بِقاعِكَ نَفسٍ
فيكَin you أَودَتperished مِنsince عَهدِthe days of ذيthe possessor of الأَوتادِthe stakes
فيكَ أَودَت مِن عَهدِ ذي الأَوتادِ
O sea, how many souls upon your bed
O sea, how many souls in your depths
Have perished in you since the days of the Lord of the Stakes!
Perished since ancient times
قَدindeed تَحالَفتَyou allied yourself وَالتُرابَwith the earth عَلَيناagainst us
قَد تَحالَفتَ وَالتُرابَ عَلَينا
وَتَقاسَمتُماand you two divided فَناءَthe destruction of العِبادِmortals
وَتَقاسَمتُما فَناءَ العِبادِ
You have allied yourself with the earth against us,
You conspired with the soil against us
And divided between you the destruction of mortals.
And shared the annihilation of servants
خَبِّريناtell us جُهَينَJuhayna (vocative) لاdo not تَكذِبيناlie to us
خَبِّرينا جُهَينَ لا تَكذِبينا
ماwhat الَّذيthat which يَفعَلُdoes البِلىdecay بِالجَوادِto the generous man
ما الَّذي يَفعَلُ البِلى بِالجَوادِ
Tell us, Juhayna; do not lie to us:
Tell us, do not lie to us
What does decay do to the generous man?
What does decay do to the steed?
كَيفَhow أَمسىhe fared at evening وَكَيفَand how أَصبَحَhe fared at morning فيهِwithin it
كَيفَ أَمسى وَكَيفَ أَصبَحَ فيهِ
ذَلِكَthat المُنعِمُthe benefactor الكَثيرُabundant in الرَمادِashes
ذَلِكَ المُنعِمُ الكَثيرُ الرَمادِ
How does he fare at evening, and how at dawn within it,
How did he become in the evening and morning?
That benefactor with his plentiful ashes?
That generous, plentiful gray one
رَحِمَmay have mercy اللَهُGod مِنهُof him لَفظاًspeech شَهِيّاًdelectable
رَحِمَ اللَهُ مِنهُ لَفظاً شَهِيّاً
كانَwas أَحلىsweeter مِنthan رَدِّthwarting كَيدِthe scheming of الأَعاديthe enemies
كانَ أَحلى مِن رَدِّ كَيدِ الأَعادي
May God have mercy on his delectable speech,
May God have mercy on him, an outstanding utterance
Which was sweeter than thwarting the enemies' schemes.
Sweeter than foiling the schemes of enemies
رَحِمَmay have mercy اللَهُGod مِنهُof him طَرفاًa gaze تَقِيّاًpious
رَحِمَ اللَهُ مِنهُ طَرفاً تَقِيّاً
وَيَميناًand a right hand تَسيلُflows سَيلَlike the flow of الغَواديthe morning rains
وَيَميناً تَسيلُ سَيلَ الغَوادي
May God have mercy on his pious gaze,
May God have mercy on him, a devout glance
And on a right hand flowing like the morning rains.
And a right hand that pours copious tears
رَحِمَmay have mercy اللَهُGod مِنهُof him شَهماًa noble man وَفِيّاًfaithful
رَحِمَ اللَهُ مِنهُ شَهماً وَفِيّاً
كانَwas مِلءَfilling العُيونِthe eyes فيin كُلِّevery ناديgathering
كانَ مِلءَ العُيونِ في كُلِّ نادي
May God have mercy on him, noble and faithful,
May God have mercy on him, valorous and loyal
Who filled all eyes in every gathering.
He filled eyes in every assembly
أَلهَمَmay inspire اللَهُGod فيكَin your loss صَبراًpatience جَميلاًbeautiful
أَلهَمَ اللَهُ فيكَ صَبراً جَميلاً
كُلَّevery مَنone who باتَhas become ناطِقاًspeaking بِالضادِwith the letter ḍād
كُلَّ مَن باتَ ناطِقاً بِالضادِ
May God, in your loss, inspire beautiful patience
May God inspire in you beautiful patience
In all who speak the tongue of ḍād.
For all who speak with the letter 'dhaad'
بِتَّyou spent the night فيin حُلَّةِa robe of النَعيمِbliss وَبِتناand we spent the night
بِتَّ في حُلَّةِ النَعيمِ وَبِتنا
فيin ثِيابٍgarments مِنَof الأَسىsorrow وَالسُهادِand sleeplessness
في ثِيابٍ مِنَ الأَسى وَالسُهادِ
You spent the night in a robe of bliss, while we spent ours
We spent the night in the garb of bliss and you
In garments of sorrow and sleeplessness.
Spent it in robes of sorrow and lament
وَسَكَنتَand you dwelt القُصورَthe palaces فيin بَيتِa home of خُلدٍeternity
وَسَكَنتَ القُصورَ في بَيتِ خُلدٍ
وَسَكَنّاand we dwelt عَلَيكَmourning you بَيتَthe house of الحِدادِmourning
وَسَكَنّا عَلَيكَ بَيتَ الحِدادِ
And you dwell in palaces, in an eternal home,
You inhabited eternal mansions
While we dwell, mourning you, in the house of mourning.
While we inhabited the house of mourning over you