1. يا ونة ونيتها من ضميري

    من حر وَجدي صحت يا ويلاه

    Oh, the groan I heaved from deep within me!

    From the burning heat of my longing, I cried, 'Alas!'

  2. ونة صويبا في بلاد بعيدة

    وَلا من صديق يعالجه بدواه

    The groan of a wounded man in a distant land,

    With no friend to treat him with his medicine.

  3. حاموا عليه معسكرين الحوافر

    مسكين شاف الموث بيعيناه

    They circled him, an encamped host of hooves;

    Poor man, he saw death with his own eyes.

  4. وَنة طريحا عالج البين وَالنيا

    وَفارق حبيبه من زَمان صِباه

    The groan of a stricken man who endured separation and distance,

    And parted from the beloved of his youthful days.

  5. وَلا خلوج النُوق مثلي حنينها

    عابو جلد حوارها تَنعاه

    Not even a bereaved she-camel's lowing matches mine,

    They stuffed her calf's hide, and she mourns it.

  6. غَزير دَمع العين قرح جفونها

    من فُوق وَجنات الخُدود قَناه

    Her copious tears have ulcerated her eyelids,

    A channel running down over the contours of her cheeks.

  7. جرح خدودي دَمع عيني مِن البُكا

    من حيث أَنو مختلط بِدماه

    My tears from weeping have cut my cheeks,

    For they are mingled with my eye's blood.

  8. إِن نامَت النوام وَانستر نومها

    عالدوم طرف العين في يقظاة

    When the sleepers fall asleep, their slumber shrouded,

    My eye remains forever wakeful.

  9. وَلا خنست البدوان مثلي عويلها

    على خيها يُوم الزَمان خَذاه

    Nor does the Bedouins' Khansa wail as I do,

    Over her brother, the day Time took him away.

  10. خان الدَهر غرار غدار بِالفَتى

    عالدوم يتقلب مثل حرباه

    Time betrayed the young man—a deceiver and a traitor,

    Ever changing like a chameleon.

  11. بيض الليالي ما تجي ربع سودها

    هذا إِذا كان الزَمان مَعاه

    The white nights are not a quarter of the black,

    And that is if Time is on his side.

  12. يا نار قَلبي كُل ما قول تنطفي

    يَهب لَها جوا الضُلوع لظاة

    O fire of my heart, whenever I say you will go out,

    A blaze flares up for you within my ribs.

  13. أَنا إِن لمت قالون الأَنام رفاقته

    وَان سكت القَلب زاد بَلاه

    If I reproach, people say, 'His companionship' [wording unclear];

    And if I stay silent, the heart's affliction grows.

  14. وَلا ينفَع الخسران كثر المَلامة

    لَو أَنَ قطع بِالندم يَداه

    Much reproach does the loser no good,

    Even if, in remorse, he cut off both his hands.

  15. كما بالع السكين يا ناس صابني

    مثل من قديم الناس تتمعناه

    O people, I am stricken like one who swallowed a knife—

    An old saying of the people—ponder its meaning.

  16. أَما الصَبر أَفضل دايم الدُوم وارم

    دَلواً بلي وَمكتكتات رشاه

    Yet patience is always best; cast

    A worn-out bucket, its ropes frayed.

  17. يا هل تَرى يتعود فينا الليالي

    وَبصير من قصب الغَزال عَباه

    Oh, will the nights return to us,

    And a cloak be made from a gazelle's leg-bones?

  18. وَتلمنا حوران بالأَمن وَالصَفا

    هَذا الَّذي قَلب الحَزين يَرجاه

    And will Hauran gather us in safety and serenity?

    This is what the grieving man's heart hopes for.

  19. يا هل تَرى نَحظى بشوف بلادنا

    مِن بَعد هَذا الحُزن يا ويلا

    Oh, will we be granted a sight of our homeland,

    After this sorrow—alas!

  20. وَنشاهد الخلان وَتفرح قُلوبنا

    وَنشوف جَمع من الدروز سواه

    And see our dear friends, with our hearts rejoicing,

    And see a gathering of Druze all together?

  21. نطلب قطاع الدين من ساير المَلا

    اللي هفي وَاليوم حل وَفاه

    We demand repayment of the debt from all the people,

    The debt left unpaid, whose repayment falls due today.

  22. وَنحسن لمن أَحسَن الينا مِن المَلا

    أَما الرَدي خَليه في ردواه

    And we will be kind to those among the people who were kind to us,

    But leave the wicked man to his wickedness.

  23. لا بُد من يُوم الحَزينة تزغرد

    وَتجلي عَن القَلب السَخيف صَداه

    There must come a day when the grieving woman ululates with joy,

    And clears the rust from the frail heart.

  24. الا يا حمام الرسل خذلي رِسالَتي

    سلم عيحيى وَالولاد مَعاه

    O messenger dove, carry my letter for me.

    Greet Yahya and the children with him.

  25. سلم عليهم أَلف أَلف تَحية

    عدد ما مشيتوا ببرها وَفلاة

    Give them a thousand thousand greetings,

    As many as your steps across its open land and wilderness.

  26. وَقبل لو جنات الصغار بتاتنا

    يَتامى بلا أَما وَلا أَباه

    And kiss the little ones' cheeks—our children,

    Orphans with neither mother nor father.

  27. وَقُل أَبوكم في بلاد بعيدة

    مُشتاق إِليكُم عايفاً للحياة

    And say: Your father is in a distant land,

    Longing for you, weary of life.

  28. من فراقكم لليوم باكي موجع

    حالف ما يجر الميل في عَيناه

    Since parting from you, he still weeps in pain,

    Having sworn not to draw the kohl-stick across his eyes.

  29. يا حسرَتي طُول العُمر عافراقكم

    إِن كان رب العَرش هَذا قضاة

    Oh, my lifelong sorrow at being parted from you,

    If this is the decree of the Lord of the Throne.

  30. وَمِنها عَلة حوران اذهب معمد

    لبلادنا ياما شربنا مِياه

    And from there, head straight for Hauran,

    For our homeland—how often we drank its waters!

  31. تلقي دَواوين المناصب مفتحة

    يا رب لا تبخل عا من بناه

    You will find the dignitaries' guest halls open.

    O Lord, withhold not Your bounty from those who built them.

  32. بربعاتهم ياما هفوا كل حايل

    بعوج المناسف للضيوف قراه

    In their guest quarters, how often they slaughtered barren she-camels,

    On curved platters, fare for the guests:

  33. وز ودفين وَقهوة عنبرية

    ووجوههم تضحك وَحلو نَباه

    Goose, dafīn stew, and amber-scented coffee,

    And their faces smile, and their speech is sweet.

  34. أَطلب مِن اللَه الكَريم يعزهم

    وَيساعد المبلي عَلى بَلواه

    I ask the Generous God to grant them might,

    And help the afflicted through his affliction.

  35. ذولي بني مَعروف شرابة الدما

    عَلى الحَرايب ساسهم مَبناه

    These are Bani Ma'ruf, drinkers of blood;

    Their foundation is built upon warfare.

  36. ذباجة الفُرسان نَطاحة لوزر

    ياما لَهُم بِالغانمة عاداة

    Slayers of horsemen, rammers of mountains;

    How often noble deeds have been their custom!

  37. ياما عطوا خاص السَلايل مقفلعه

    وَلا يطلبون ثمانها وَغلاة

    How often they gave away the finest pedigreed steeds [epithet unclear],

    Asking neither their price nor their worth.

  38. ياما ربي في دارهم كُل جايع

    في رَغد وَلا في سنين غلاه

    How often every hungry person was nourished in their home,

    In plenty or in years of high prices.

  39. حِماية الزينات بالسيف وَالقَنا

    وَكَم عايلا عَالخشم طخيناه

    Protectors of beautiful women with sword and spear,

    And how many aggressors we shot in the nose!

  40. ورثوا الحَرايب من اباهم وَجدهم

    بفعل مثل الشَمس ما يغباه

    They inherited warfare from their fathers and grandfathers,

    With deeds like the sun, never hidden.

  41. مِن دور هاني وابن ياسر وَغيرهم

    وَالخضر وَالمقداد لا تَنساه

    Since the days of Hani, Ibn Yasir, and others,

    And al-Khidr and al-Miqdad—do not forget them.

  42. هذي دعايمنا وَهذي صفاتنا

    ما أَحد يشبهنا بكل مَلاه

    These are our pillars, and these our qualities;

    No one, with all his people, is our equal.

  43. وَكَم دَخيلاً زولوا الضيم عَنهُ

    لَو يطلبونو ملوك عزيناه

    And many a seeker of refuge they freed from oppression;

    Even if kings demanded him, we gave him protection.

  44. من عقب هذا القول بلغ رِسالَتي

    وَهم كَلامي يَفهموا مَعناه

    After these words, deliver my letter,

    And they will understand the meaning of my words.

  45. سلم عَلَيهم يا رَسولي جَميعهم

    من متان للهيات للجاه

    Greet them all, O my messenger,

    From Imtan to al-Hiyat to al-Laja.

  46. اصحوا الترك إِياكُم ان تأمنوهم

    وَمَن يَأمن الأَتراك جاه بلاه

    Beware of the Turks; take care not to trust them.

    And whoever trusts the Turks will meet his misfortune.

  47. وَاختم كَلامي بِالصَلاة عَلى النَبي

    المصطَفى يشفع لنا غداة

    And end my words with blessings upon the Prophet,

    The Chosen One will intercede for us on the morrow.