عَينِ جودي بِعَبرَه تَهتانِ

عَينِ جودي بِعَبرَه تَهتانِ

وَاندُبي مَن أَصابَ ريبُ الزَمانِ

وَاندُبي مَن أَصابَ ريبُ الزَمانِ

O eye, pour forth streaming tears.

My eyes overflow with tears

O eye, be generous with your streaming tears,

And mourn those struck by the calamities of time.

And I mourn those struck by the blows of fate

And mourn the one struck by the calamities of time.

وَإِذا ما بَكَيتِ قَوماً كَراماً

وَإِذا ما بَكَيتِ قَوماً كَراماً

فَعَلى مالِكٍ أَبي غَسّانِ

فَعَلى مالِكٍ أَبي غَسّانِ

And whenever you weep for noble people,

When you weep for noble men

And if you are to weep for a noble people,

then weep for Malik, Abu Ghassan.

Over Malik Abu Ghassan

Then weep for Malik, the father of Ghassan.

أَينَ مَعنٌ أَبو الوليدَ وَمَن كا

أَينَ مَعنٌ أَبو الوليدَ وَمَن كا

نَ غِياثاً لِلهالِكِ الحَيرانِ

نَ غِياثاً لِلهالِكِ الحَيرانِ

Where is Maʿn, Abu al-Walid, who was

Where is Ma'n Abu al-Walid and where is he who

Where is Ma'n, Abu al-Walid, and he who was

a refuge for the perishing, bewildered man?

Was salvation for the bewildered lost

A succor for the perishing and the bewildered?

طَرَقَتهُ المَنونُ لا واهِيَ الحَب

طَرَقَتهُ المَنونُ لا واهِيَ الحَب

لِ وَلا عاقِداً بِحِلفٍ يَمانِ

لِ وَلا عاقِداً بِحِلفٍ يَمانِ

Death visited him—his cord was not weak,

Death came upon him not slackening the knot

Death came knocking for him—not weak of cord,

nor was he pledged to a Yemeni alliance.

Of love or breaking a sworn covenant

Nor bound merely by a Yemeni alliance.

وَشِهابٌ وَأَينَ مِثلٌ شَهابٍ

وَشِهابٌ وَأَينَ مِثلٌ شَهابٍ

عِندَ بَذلِ النَدى وَحَرِّ الطِعانِ

عِندَ بَذلِ النَدى وَحَرِّ الطِعانِ

And Shihab—where is the like of Shihab

And Shihab - where is the like of Shihab

And Shihab—where is the likes of Shihab,

in bestowing bounty and the heat of spear-fighting?

In generosity when the lances pierced?

In the bestowal of bounty and the heat of battle?

رُبَّ خَرقٍ رُزِئتُهُ مِن بَني قَي

رُبَّ خَرقٍ رُزِئتُهُ مِن بَني قَي

سٍ وَخَرقٍ رُزِئتُ مِن شَيبانِ

سٍ وَخَرقٍ رُزِئتُ مِن شَيبانِ

Many a generous man I lost from the sons of Qays,

Many a rent was disgraced from Bani Qais

Many a noble hero I have lost from the tribe of Qays,

and many a generous man I lost from Shayban.

And many a rent was disgraced from Shayban

And many a hero I have lost from Shayban.

دَرَّ دَرُّ الأَيّامِ ماذا أَجَنَّت

دَرَّ دَرُّ الأَيّامِ ماذا أَجَنَّت

مِنهُمُ في لَفائِفِ الكَتّانِ

مِنهُمُ في لَفائِفِ الكَتّانِ

Blessed be the days! What they have hidden

The passage of days - what have they wrapped

Woe to the days! What have they hidden away

of these men in folds of linen!

In their scrolls of linen?

Of such men, within the wrappings of linen shrouds?

ذاكَ مَعنٌ ثَوى بِبُستَ رَهيناً

ذاكَ مَعنٌ ثَوى بِبُستَ رَهيناً

وَشِهابٌ ثَوى بِأَرضِ عُمانِ

وَشِهابٌ ثَوى بِأَرضِ عُمانِ

That is Maʿn, lying captive in Bust,

That was Ma'n buried hostage in Bustan

That is Ma'n, who lies a hostage in Bust,

and Shihab lies in the land of Oman.

And Shihab buried in the land of Oman

And Shihab, who lies in the land of Oman.

وَهُما ما هُما لِبَذلِ العَطايا

وَهُما ما هُما لِبَذلِ العَطايا

وَلِلفِ الأَقرانِ بِالأَقرانِ

وَلِلفِ الأَقرانِ بِالأَقرانِ

And those two—what men they were at bestowing gifts,

And they were not for holding back bounty

The two of them—how great they were in bestowing gifts,

and mingling rival with rival in battle!

Or restraining themselves from peers

And in matching adversary against adversary.

يَسبِقانِ المَنونَ طَعناً وَضَرباً

يَسبِقانِ المَنونَ طَعناً وَضَرباً

وَيَفُكّانِ كُلَّ كَبلٍ وَعانِ

وَيَفُكّانِ كُلَّ كَبلٍ وَعانِ

They both outstrip Death with thrusts and blows,

Preceding death with thrust and blow

They outrace death with thrust and strike,

and undo every shackle and free every captive.

And freeing every fetter and halter

And they shatter every shackle and bond.