أَلاAh! ياO غُرابَraven البَينِof parting هَيَّجتَyou have stirred لَوعَتيmy anguish
أَلا يا غُرابَ البَينِ هَيَّجتَ لَوعَتي
فَوَيحَكَso, woe to you خَبِّرنيtell me بِماabout what أَنتَyou تَصرَخُcry out
فَوَيحَكَ خَبِّرني بِما أَنتَ تَصرَخُ
Hark, O raven of parting—you have stirred my anguish.
Ah, raven of parting, you have stirred my anguish.
Woe to you! Tell me what you are crying out about.
So, woe to you! Tell me what you are crying out about.
أَبِالبَينِis it about parting? مِنfrom لَيلىLayla فَإِنthen if كُنتَyou are صادِقاًtruthful
أَبِالبَينِ مِن لَيلى فَإِن كُنتَ صادِقاً
فَلاthen may ... never زالَcease عَظمٌa bone مِنfrom جَناحِكَyour wing يُفسَخُbe wrenched apart
فَلا زالَ عَظمٌ مِن جَناحِكَ يُفسَخُ
Is it separation from Layla? If you are telling the truth,
Is it about parting from Layla? If you speak the truth,
may a bone in your wing forever be torn from its joint;
Then may a bone in your wing forever be wrenched apart.
وَلاand may ... never زالَcease رَمٍan archer فيكَagainst you فَوَّقَhas nocked سَهمَهُhis arrow
وَلا زالَ رَمٍ فيكَ فَوَّقَ سَهمَهُ
فَلاso neither أَنتَyou فيin عُشٍa nest وَلاnor أَنتَyou تُفرِخُhatch young
فَلا أَنتَ في عُشٍ وَلا أَنتَ تُفرِخُ
may an archer forever keep his arrow trained on you,
And may an archer always have his arrow nocked for you.
so that you neither live in ease nor ever hatch young.
So may you neither dwell in a nest nor hatch young.
وَلاand may ... never زِلتَyou cease عَنfrom عَذبِsweet المِياهِwaters مُنَفَّراًdriven away
وَلا زِلتَ عَن عَذبِ المِياهِ مُنَفَّراً
وَوَكرُكَand your nest مَهدوماًdemolished وَبَيضُكَand your eggs يُرضَخُare crushed
وَوَكرُكَ مَهدوماً وَبَيضُكَ يُرضَخُ
May you forever be driven far from fresh water,
And may you always be driven away from sweet waters,
your nest demolished and your eggs crushed.
And may your nest be demolished and your eggs crushed.
فَإِنthen if طِرتَyou fly أَردَتكَstrike you down الحُتوفُdeadly fates وَإِنand if تَقَعyou alight
فَإِن طِرتَ أَردَتكَ الحُتوفُ وَإِن تَقَع
تَقَيَّضَappears ثُعبانٌa serpent بِوَجهِكَin your face يَنفُخُhisses
تَقَيَّضَ ثُعبانٌ بِوَجهِكَ يَنفُخُ
If you fly, may the deadly fates strike you down; and if you alight,
Then if you fly, may deadly fates strike you down; and if you alight,
may a serpent be set upon you, hissing in your face.
May a serpent appear, hissing in your face.
وَعايَنتَand may you behold قَبلَbefore المَوتِdeath لَحمَكَyour flesh مُشرَحاًsliced up
وَعايَنتَ قَبلَ المَوتِ لَحمَكَ مُشرَحاً
عَلىover حَرِّthe heat of جَمرِthe embers of النارِthe fire يُشوىis roasted وَيُطبَخُand is cooked
عَلى حَرِّ جَمرِ النارِ يُشوى وَيُطبَخُ
Before you die, may you behold your flesh cut into strips,
And may you behold, before death, your flesh sliced up,
roasting and cooking over the fire’s glowing coals.
Roasted and cooked over the fire's scorching coals.
وَلاand may ... never زِلتَyou cease فيin شَرِّthe worst of العَذابِtorment مُخَلَّداًkept forever
وَلا زِلتَ في شَرِّ العَذابِ مُخَلَّداً
وَريشُكَand your feathers مَنتوفٌplucked out وَلَحمُكَand your flesh يُشدَخُis crushed
وَريشُكَ مَنتوفٌ وَلَحمُكَ يُشدَخُ
May you abide forever in the worst torment,
And may you remain forever in the worst torment,
your feathers plucked and your flesh smashed.
With your feathers plucked out and your flesh crushed.