يا سوادَ العين يا روح الجسد

يا سوادَ العين يا روح الجسد

يا ربيع القلب يا نعم السند

يا ربيع القلب يا نعم السند

O pupil of the eye, O soul of the body,

O darkness of the eye, O spirit of the body

O apple of my eye, O soul of this body,

O springtime of the heart, O excellent support!

O spring of the heart, O blissful support

O springtide of the heart, O finest support.

كنت لي قرّة عينٍ وبها

كنت لي قرّة عينٍ وبها

هام قلبي لا بمالٍ وولد

هام قلبي لا بمالٍ وولد

You were the delight of my eye, and with it

You were the delight of my eye and in you

You were the solace of my eyes, and through you

my heart was enraptured—not with wealth or offspring.

My heart was immersed, not in wealth or children

My heart was enamored, not with wealth nor with children.

فرمى الدهر بعيني أسهماً

فرمى الدهر بعيني أسهماً

مذ نأيتم لا أرى فيها أحد

مذ نأيتم لا أرى فيها أحد

Then time shot arrows at my eye;

So time cast arrows at my eyes

But Fate has cast its arrows into my eyes,

since you went far away, I see no one in it.

Since you left, I see nothing in them

And since you departed, I see no one within them.

أيروق الطرف شيءٌ بعدكم

أيروق الطرف شيءٌ بعدكم

لا وربّ البيت في هزل وجدّ

لا وربّ البيت في هزل وجدّ

Does anything please the eye after you?

Does anything please the eye after you?

Can any sight please my gaze after you?

No, by the Lord of the House, in jest or earnest.

No, by the Lord of the house, in jest or earnest

No, by the Lord of the House, neither in jest nor in earnest.

مذ ترّحلتم أذبتم مهجتي

مذ ترّحلتم أذبتم مهجتي

ودموعي فائضات من كمد

ودموعي فائضات من كمد

Since you departed, you have melted my heart's core,

Since you left, you have melted my core

Since you journeyed forth, you have dissolved my very soul,

and my tears overflow from anguish.

And my overflowing tears from anguish

And my tears flow abundantly from anguish.

فني الصبر ولم يفن الجوى

فني الصبر ولم يفن الجوى

ما أراه فانيا حتى الأبد

ما أراه فانيا حتى الأبد

Patience has perished, but burning grief has not;

So patience is lost but longing remains

Patience has perished, yet the burning grief remains;

I do not see it fading, even through eternity.

I don't see it fading, ever

I see it not fading, not even until eternity.

وذوى ما كان رطباً يانعاً

وذوى ما كان رطباً يانعاً

ووهي العظم ولم يبق الجلد

ووهي العظم ولم يبق الجلد

And what was fresh and ripe has withered;

What was moist and lush has withered

All that was fresh and ripe has withered away,

and the bones have weakened, and no fortitude remains.

The bone has wasted but skin remains

My bones have weakened, and my endurance has failed.

مذ تواريتم توارى فرحي

مذ تواريتم توارى فرحي

ما يسر القلب في أخذ ورد

ما يسر القلب في أخذ ورد

Since you vanished from sight, my joy has vanished;

Since you hid from me, my joy hid

Since you vanished from sight, my joy has vanished too;

nothing gladdens the heart in give-and-take.

Nothing gladdens the heart anymore

Nothing brings cheer to my heart in any of life's affairs.

فحياتي بعدكم مذ غبتم

فحياتي بعدكم مذ غبتم

من مجاز مرسل عندي يعد

من مجاز مرسل عندي يعد

So my life, after you, ever since you were absent,

So without you my life, since you left

For my life after you, since your absence began,

counts, to my mind, as mere metonymy.

Is like a metaphor to me, receding

Is reckoned by me as merely a figure of speech.

طال ليلي يا أحبّاي ولا

طال ليلي يا أحبّاي ولا

يعلم الحال سوى الفرد الصمد

يعلم الحال سوى الفرد الصمد

My night has grown long, O my beloved ones, and none

Long has my night been, O beloved

My night has grown long, O my beloveds, and none

knows my plight but the One, the Self-Sufficient.

None knows my state but the Eternal, the Absolute

Knows my state save the One, the Eternal Refuge.

كم أنادي حين يبدو صبحه

كم أنادي حين يبدو صبحه

يا سعيدٌ هل خيالٌ لي يرُدّ

يا سعيدٌ هل خيالٌ لي يرُدّ

How often I call out when its dawn appears:

How I call out at dawn,

How often I cry out when the morning appears:

O Sa'id, will a phantom return to me,

"Good morning, is it a mirage I see?"

"O Sa‘īd, will a vision of them return to me?"

فتردّ الروح للجسم ويا

فتردّ الروح للجسم ويا

مصطفى هل من داء للكمد

مصطفى هل من داء للكمد

so that the soul is restored to the body? And O

So the soul returns to the body, and

That the soul might return to this body; and O

Mustafa, is there a malady for grief?

"Mustafa, is there a cure for anguish?"

Muṣṭafā, is there any remedy for this sorrow?

شاقني حبّ حسين شاقني

شاقني حبّ حسين شاقني

ما لحكم اللّه في القلب مردّ

ما لحكم اللّه في القلب مردّ

Love for Husayn has made me yearn—made me yearn.

The love of Hussein has exhausted me

The love of Ḥusayn has stirred my longing, has stirred me;

In the heart, there is no overturning God's decree.

God's decree in the heart cannot be reversed

There is no turning back the decree of God within the heart.

هل يجود الدهر من بعد النوى

هل يجود الدهر من بعد النوى

باقتراب يحيى ميتاً لم يعد

باقتراب يحيى ميتاً لم يعد

Will time be generous, after separation,

Can time be generous after intention

Will Fate be generous, after this separation,

with a reunion that revives a dead man who has not returned?

And bring near one dead, departed and gone?

With a reunion that revives a dead man who has not returned?

فإذا لي تمّ ما أمّلتُه

فإذا لي تمّ ما أمّلتُه

عاد إنساني وروحي للجسد

عاد إنساني وروحي للجسد

And if what I hoped for is fulfilled for me,

So if all I hoped for is complete

If what I have hoped for is fulfilled for me,

the pupil of my eye and my soul will return to the body.

My humanity and soul return to my body

My sight would return, and my soul to its body.

يا ذوي القربى قريباً من أب

يا ذوي القربى قريباً من أب

أنتم ذخري وكنزي والسند

أنتم ذخري وكنزي والسند

O kinsfolk, close to a father,

O kin, near the father you are

O kinsfolk, close in lineage from our father,

you are my reserve, my treasure, and my support.

My treasure, my hoard, my support

You are my provision, my treasure, and my support.

ليّ كونوا مثلما كان الأولي

ليّ كونوا مثلما كان الأولي

سلفوا لي أهل سعيِ لا يُردّ

سلفوا لي أهل سعيِ لا يُردّ

Be for me as were those who

Be as you were before

Be to me as the ancestors were,

went before—people whose striving for me was not rebuffed.

Ancestors whose efforts never fail

Those who preceded me, people of endeavor never rejected.

فإذا ما أقبلت فلتبذلوا

فإذا ما أقبلت فلتبذلوا

وإذا ما أدبرت فارضوا بودّ

وإذا ما أدبرت فارضوا بودّ

And when it comes your way, give generously;

When I come to you, be generous

So if fortune approaches, then give generously;

and when it turns away, be content with love.

When I turn away, show affection

And if it turns away, be content with affection.

وعليكم من سلام طيب

وعليكم من سلام طيب

طيّبٍ يترى إلى غير أمد

طيّبٍ يترى إلى غير أمد

And upon you be a pleasant greeting of peace,

And upon you many a beautiful

And upon you be a fragrant peace,

pleasant, coming in succession without end,

Blessing, unending

A pure greeting that follows in succession without end,

يشمل الأحبابَ أني قد ثووا

يشمل الأحبابَ أني قد ثووا

كل حب لي هو الصنو الأود

كل حب لي هو الصنو الأود

embracing the loved ones wherever they have dwelt;

Including all loved ones who have withered

Encompassing the loved ones wherever they have dwelt,

each beloved of mine is the most loving twin.

Every love for me is friendship and intimacy.

Every beloved who is to me a twin soul, most cherished.