أَلاAh! ياO رَكِيّاتِwells الرُسَيسِal-Rusays عَلىdespite البَلاdecay
أَلا يا رَكِيّاتِ الرُسَيسِ عَلى البَلا
سُقيتُنَّmay you be watered هَلare there? فيin ظِلَّكُنَّyour shade شُجونَsorrows
سُقيتُنَّ هَل في ظِلَّكُنَّ شُجونَ
Ah, O wells of al-Rusays, despite your decay,
May you be watered! Are there sorrows in your shade?
أَضَرَّharmed بِكُنَّyou العامَthis year نَوءُrainfall سَحابَةٍa cloud
أَضَرَّ بِكُنَّ العامَ نَوءُ سَحابَةٍ
وَمَحلٌand drought فَماso no تَجريflow لَكُنَّfor you عُيونُsprings
وَمَحلٌ فَما تَجري لَكُنَّ عُيونُ
A cloud's rainfall harmed you this year,
And drought, so no springs flow for you.
أَجَنتُنَّyou grew stagnant بَعدَafter الحَيِّthe tribe فَاِنصاحَتِand then crumbled اللَوىthe winding dunes
أَجَنتُنَّ بَعدَ الحَيِّ فَاِنصاحَتِ اللَوى
وَكُنتُنَّand you were عَهديas I remember ماnot بِكُنَّin you أُجونُstagnation
وَكُنتُنَّ عَهدي ما بِكُنَّ أُجونُ
You grew stagnant after the tribe departed, and the winding dunes crumbled,
Yet, as I remember you, there was no stagnation in you.