أَعَينِO eye أَلاcome now اِبكيweep سَيِّدَthe lord الناسِof the people وَاِسفَحيand pour forth
أَعَينِ أَلا اِبكي سَيِّدَ الناسِ وَاِسفَحي
بِدَمعٍwith tears فَإِنand if أَنزَفتِهِyou exhaust it فَاِسكُبيthen pour out الدِماblood
بِدَمعٍ فَإِن أَنزَفتِهِ فَاِسكُبي الدِما
O eye, weep now for the lord of the people, and pour forth
O eyes, should I not weep for the master of mankind and let my tears flow?
tears; if you exhaust them, then pour out blood.
Should I not shed blood in weeping for the noble one of Mash’ar?
وَبَكّيand mourn عَظيمَthe great one المَشعَرَينِof the two sacred sites وَرَبَّهاand their lord
وَبَكّي عَظيمَ المَشعَرَينِ وَرَبَّها
عَلىtoward الناسِthe people مَعروفٌkindness لَهُto his credit ماwhenever تَكَلَّماhe spoke
عَلى الناسِ مَعروفٌ لَهُ ما تَكَلَّما
And mourn the great one of the two sacred sites, their lord;
He was well-known amongst people for his benevolence, though he spoke not.
whenever he spoke, he bestowed kindness on the people.
If glory immortalized but a single day spent feeding people,
فَلَوfor if كانَwere مَجدٌglory يُخلِدُmakes immortal اليَومَtoday واحِداًone person
فَلَو كانَ مَجدٌ يُخلِدُ اليَومَ واحِداً
مِنَamong الناسِmankind أَبقىwould have kept alive مَجدُهُhis glory اليَومَtoday مُطعِماMut‘im
مِنَ الناسِ أَبقى مَجدُهُ اليَومَ مُطعِما
For if glory could grant immortality today to anyone
His glory would have made that day eternal.
among mankind, his glory would have kept Mut‘im alive today.
He made the Messenger of God their master, and they awoke as Your servants,
أَجَرتَyou granted protection to رَسولَthe Messenger اللَهِof God مِنهُمfrom them فَأَصبَحواso they became
أَجَرتَ رَسولَ اللَهِ مِنهُم فَأَصبَحوا
عِبادَكَyour servants ماas long as لَبّىchanted the pilgrimage call مُلَبٍّa pilgrim chanting the call وَأَحرَماand entered pilgrimage consecration
عِبادَكَ ما لَبّى مُلَبٍّ وَأَحرَما
You granted God's Messenger protection from them, and so they became
Responding to no vain caller nor forbidding what was sacred.
your servants, as long as a pilgrim chants the call and enters consecration.
If you asked Ma’add in their entirety, or Qahtan,
فَلَوfor if سُئِلَتwere asked عَنهُabout him مَعَدٌّMa‘add بِأَسرِهاin its entirety
فَلَو سُئِلَت عَنهُ مَعَدٌّ بِأَسرِها
وَقَحطانُand Qahtan أَوor باقيsurviving بَقِيَّةِremnant جُرهُماof Jurhum
وَقَحطانُ أَو باقي بَقِيَّةِ جُرهُما
For if all Ma‘add were asked about him,
Or any remaining remnants of their tribes,
and Qahtan, or the surviving remnant of Jurhum,
They would say he was true to the protection of his neighbor’s rights,
لَقالواthey would say هُوَhe الموفيthe one who fulfills بِخُفرَةِthe protection pledged to جارِهِhis neighbor
لَقالوا هُوَ الموفي بِخُفرَةِ جارِهِ
وَذِمَّتِهِand his covenant يَوماًon any day إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis تَذَمَّماhe undertakes a pledge
وَذِمَّتِهِ يَوماً إِذا ما تَذَمَّما
they would say: He fulfills the pledge of protection to his neighbor
And to his oaths, even when affairs were confused.
and his covenant, on any day he undertakes a pledge.
No brilliant sun rose above them upon one like him,
فَماfor ... not تَطلُعُrises الشَمسُthe sun المُنيرَةُradiant فَوقَهُمabove them
فَما تَطلُعُ الشَمسُ المُنيرَةُ فَوقَهُم
عَلىupon مِثلِهِhis equal مِنهُمamong them أَعَزَّmightier وَأَكرَماand nobler
عَلى مِثلِهِ مِنهُم أَعَزَّ وَأَكرَما
For the radiant sun never rises above them
More honorable and nobler amongst them.
upon his equal among them in might and nobility,
Gentle of nature, yet firm if opposed; watchful over a neighbor,
إِباءًin proud defiance إِذاwhen يَأبىhe refuses وَأَليَنَand gentler شيمَةًin character
إِباءً إِذا يَأبى وَأَليَنَ شيمَةً
وَأَنوَمَand sounder asleep عَنunmindful of جارٍa neighbor إِذاwhen اللَيلُthe night أَظلَماgrew dark
وَأَنوَمَ عَن جارٍ إِذا اللَيلُ أَظلَما
in proud defiance when he refuses, or in gentleness of character,
Even when the dark night blinded them.
or in sound sleep, unmindful of a neighbor, when night grows dark.
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.