تخرَّمَتِ الأيامُ أهلَ مودَّتي

تخرَّمَتِ الأيامُ أهلَ مودَّتي

فَنَفْسي عَن أُنْسِ المسرَّاتِ ناشِزُ

فَنَفْسي عَن أُنْسِ المسرَّاتِ ناشِزُ

The days have snatched away those dear to me,

The days have carried off those I held dear;

and my soul withdraws from the fellowship of joys.

so my soul is estranged from the comfort of joys.

وأُفرِدْتُ منهم فارتياعي لِفَقْدِهِم

وأُفرِدْتُ منهم فارتياعي لِفَقْدِهِم

كروعةِ ثَكلَى أوجعَتْها الجنائِزُ

كروعةِ ثَكلَى أوجعَتْها الجنائِزُ

Left alone without them, my anguish at their loss

And I was left alone without them; my terror at their loss

is like the terror of a bereaved mother whom funeral processions have agonized.

is like the dread of a bereaved mother tormented by funerals.

بَرَتْهُم كباري القوسِ جَذَّ الذي انحنى

بَرَتْهُم كباري القوسِ جَذَّ الذي انحنى

عليها إلى أن نالَها وهي بارِزُ

عليها إلى أن نالَها وهي بارِزُ

The days whittled them away as a bowyer does a bow, cutting off whatever curved

They whittled them away, like a bow-maker who cut off what bent

over it, until he reached the bow itself and it lay bare.

over the bow until he reached it, and it lay exposed.

فقد أبرزَتْني للحوادِث لَيس لي

فقد أبرزَتْني للحوادِث لَيس لي

إذا ما رَمَتْني حاجزٌ أو مُحاجِزُ

إذا ما رَمَتْني حاجزٌ أو مُحاجِزُ

Thus they have left me exposed to calamities, with no

Thus they have laid me bare to calamities; I have

barrier or defender whenever they take aim at me.

neither barrier nor defender when they shoot at me.