يا لقومي قَد قرّح الدمعُ خدّي

يا لقومي قَد قرّح الدمعُ خدّي

وَجَفاني الرّقادُ مِن عظمِ وَجدي

وَجَفاني الرّقادُ مِن عظمِ وَجدي

O my people, tears have worn my cheek raw;

O my people, tears have wounded my cheeks

And sleep has shunned me, so great is my grief.

And insomnia has exhausted me from intense distress

كانَ لي فارسٌ سقاهُ المنايا

كانَ لي فارسٌ سقاهُ المنايا

عَبدُ عبسٍ بجَورهِ والتعدّي

عَبدُ عبسٍ بجَورهِ والتعدّي

I had a horseman who was made to drink death

I had a knight, death has quenched his thirst

By the slave of ʿAbs, in his injustice and aggression.

Abd Abs with his tyranny and transgression

بَدرُ تمّ هَوى إِلى الأرضِ لمّا

بَدرُ تمّ هَوى إِلى الأرضِ لمّا

رَشَقته السهامُ مِن كفّ عبدِ

رَشَقته السهامُ مِن كفّ عبدِ

A full moon fell to the earth when

The full moon has fallen to the ground when

Arrows from the slave’s hand struck him.

Arrows from the hand of Abd struck him

وَرَماني مِن بعدِ أنصار جندي

وَرَماني مِن بعدِ أنصار جندي

في همومٍ أُكابدُ الوجدَ وَحدي

في همومٍ أُكابدُ الوجدَ وَحدي

And he cast me, bereft of my army’s supporters,

And after my supporters deserted me

Into sorrows, where I struggle with grief alone.

I suffer distress and anguish alone

يا قَتيلاً بَكت عليهِ البَواكي

يا قَتيلاً بَكت عليهِ البَواكي

في جبالِ الفَلا وفي أرض نجدِ

في جبالِ الفَلا وفي أرض نجدِ

O slain one, over whom the mourning women wept

O you who were mourned by the wailers

In the mountains of the desert and in the land of Najd.

In the mountains of Fal and in the land of Najd

كانَ مثلَ القَضيبِ قدّاً ولكن

كانَ مثلَ القَضيبِ قدّاً ولكن

قدّه صرفُ دهرهِ أيّ قدِّ

قدّه صرفُ دهرهِ أيّ قدِّ

He was like a slender branch in stature, but

You were as tall as a rod but

Time’s vicissitudes cleft him—what a cleaving!

The days of fate made you short

يا لَقومي مَن يَكشفُ الضيمَ عنّي

يا لَقومي مَن يَكشفُ الضيمَ عنّي

وَيراعي مِن بعد خالد عَهدي

وَيراعي مِن بعد خالد عَهدي

O my people, who will lift oppression from me

O my people, who will relieve my oppression

And uphold my covenant after Khālid?

And keep my covenant after Khalid