1. Without you I avoid the strokes of fate
Without you my hopes are delayed
١. أَبَعْدَكَ أَتَّقِي نُوَبَ الزَّمانِ
أَبَعْدَكَ أَرْتَجِي دَرَكَ الأَمانِي
2. Does consolation befit me while you lie in dust?
Does life please me while you are gone?
٢. أَيَجْمُلُ بِيَ الْعَزاءُ وَأَنْتَ ثاوٍ
أَيَحْسُنُ بِي الْبَقاءُ وَأَنْتَ فانِ
3. For every mishap there is pain and touch
Except for the mishap of the eternal King
٣. لِكُلِّ رَزِيَّةٍ أَلَمٌ وَمَسٌّ
وَلا كَرَزِيَّةِ الْمَلِكَ الهِجانِ
4. I am not like the shaky coward in it
So I appease him, nor the courageous
٤. وما أَنا بِالرَّبِيطِ الْجَأْشِ فِها
فَأَسْلُوَهُ وَلا الثَّبْتِ الْجَنانِ
5. I blame the reluctance of poetry from me
And the slanderers have nothing to smear me
٥. أُلامُ عَلَى امْتِناعِ الشِّعْرِ مِنِّي
وَما عِنْدَ اللَّوائِمِ ما دَهانِي
6. Do I have a heart, do I have a mind so I endure
The course of the sword in it and the spear
٦. أَلِي قَلْبٌ أَلِي لُبٌّ فَأَمْضِي
مَضاءَ السَّيْفِ فِهِ وَالسِّنانِ
7. The proof of my sorrow is enough that my tears
Obeyed and my thoughts disobeyed me
٧. كَفى بِدَلِيلِ حُزْنِي أَنَّ دَمْعِي
أَطاعَ وَأَنَّ فِكْرِيَ قَدْ عَصانِي
8. When the glory of religion is remembered
I find poetry where the two carotid arteries are
٨. إِذا خَطَرَتْ لِمَجْدِ الدِّينِ ذِكرى
وَجَدْتُ الشِّعْرَ حَيْثُ الشِّعْرَيانِ
9. That is not negligence in truth
But sorrow is the fetter of the tongue
٩. وَما إِنْ ذاكَ تَقْصِيرٌ بِحَقٍّ
وَلكِنَّ الأَسى قَيْدُ اللِّسانِ
10. Whoever is stricken like me and has great calamity
Is stricken, whoever is exposed like I am exposed
١٠. وَمَنْ كَمُصِيبَتِي وَعَظِيمِ رُزْئِي
أُصِيبَ وَمَنْ عَراهُ كَما عَرانِي
11. The fate that separated you from us
A hand that has no equal for the people
١١. أَعَضْبَ الدَّوْلَةِ اخْتَرَمَتْكَ مِنّا
يَدٌ ما لِلأَنامِ بِها يَدانِ
12. You used to sharpen the blade for
Every brave battalion and resolute hero
١٢. وكُنْتَ السَّيْفَ تُشْحَذُ شَفْرَتاهُ
لِفَلِّ كَتِيبَةٍ وَلِفكِّ عانِ
13. So its edge was severed by misfortunes
And its striking places made blunt by calamities
١٣. فَقُطِّعَ بِالنَّوائِبِ صَفْحَتاهُ
وَفُلِّلَ بِالْخُطُوبِ الْمَضْرِبانِ
14. A cloud for distances rising
And an overflowing sea for the nearby
١٤. سَحابٌ لِلأَباعِدِ مُسْتَهِلُّ
وَبَحْرٌ مُسْتَفِيضٌ لِلأَدانِي
15. A moon that if it shone we would not grieve
That it does not illuminate the fires
١٥. وَبَدْرٌ لَوْ أَضاءَ لَما أَسِينا
عَلى أَنْ لا يُضِيءَ النَّيِّرانِ
16. I will spend what remains of my life weeping for you
Its manner forever weeping and me
١٦. سَأُنْفِقُ ما بَقِيتُ عَلَيْكَ عُمْرِي
بُكاءً شَأْنُهُ أَبَداً وَشانِي
17. If I killed myself for your right
In recompense for your due it would not suffice me
١٧. وَلَو أَنِّي قَتَلْتُ عَلَيْكَ نفْسِي
مُكافاةً لِحقِّكَ ما كَفانِي