أذاتَ الحجى إن الحجاب ليمنع

أذاتَ الحجى إن الحجاب ليمنع

عن اللفظ حتى في رثائك يسمع

عن اللفظ حتى في رثائك يسمع

O lady of discernment, the veil surely bars

The words of eulogy, though the veil prevents

speech from being heard, even in your elegy.

Their sound, in your elegy are heard

ولكنَّ تطويقي لهىً ناصرية

ولكنَّ تطويقي لهىً ناصرية

تحث على أني أنوح وأسجع

تحث على أني أنوح وأسجع

Yet the Nasirian gifts garlanding my neck

Yet my encirclement of it urges me, Nasiriyyah,

urge me to lament and utter rhymes.

To wail and pour forth lament

ولم لا وقد أبصرته متحرّقاً

ولم لا وقد أبصرته متحرّقاً

بفرقة حبّ راحلٍ ليسَ يرجع

بفرقة حبّ راحلٍ ليسَ يرجع

And why not, when I have seen him burning

Why not, when I saw him in flames

at parting from a departed beloved who will not return?

Of parted love that will not return

أيسرع لي بالمالِ جوداً ولا أرى

أيسرع لي بالمالِ جوداً ولا أرى

بماءِ جفوني جائداً أتسرَّع

بماءِ جفوني جائداً أتسرَّع

Does he hasten to give me wealth generously, while I am not seen

Will he be quick to generosity with wealth, while I do not see

hastening to be generous with the water of my eyelids?

With my eyelids' water, streaming, hastened?

وأما دموعي بالبكاء كأنها

وأما دموعي بالبكاء كأنها

على صحن خدِّي من دمِ القلب تهمع

على صحن خدِّي من دمِ القلب تهمع

And as for my tears in weeping, they seem

My tears in weeping are as if

to stream over my cheek's expanse from the blood of my heart.

Upon my cheek's platter from my heart's blood they seethe

لقد عمَّنا ما خصَّه من رزيةٍ

لقد عمَّنا ما خصَّه من رزيةٍ

بأمثالها تدمي الجفون وتدمع

بأمثالها تدمي الجفون وتدمع

The calamity that struck him alone has indeed engulfed us all;

We have been afflicted with what it specifically afflicted

at calamities like it, eyelids bleed and shed tears.

With the likes of which the eyelids are bloodied and made to weep

رزية من كانت له أصل بهجة

رزية من كانت له أصل بهجة

وكلّ بهيج ضمنها يتفرَّع

وكلّ بهيج ضمنها يتفرَّع

The loss of her who was the root of his joy,

An affliction that was for one whose origin was joy

with every joyous thing branching forth within her.

And every joyous thing branched from it

فما ليَ لا أرثي تقاها وفضلها

فما ليَ لا أرثي تقاها وفضلها

وأرثي له والقلب حرَّان موجع

وأرثي له والقلب حرَّان موجع

Why, then, should I not eulogize her piety and virtue,

Why then do I not eulogize its piety and superiority?

and pity him, my heart burning and aching?

And eulogize for him while my heart, burning, aches

وأندب للمحراب قنديل غرَّةٍ

وأندب للمحراب قنديل غرَّةٍ

بنورِ التقى طول الدجى يتشعشع

بنورِ التقى طول الدجى يتشعشع

And mourn, for the prayer niche, a lamp of radiant countenance,

And lament for the niche, lantern of Radiance

shimmering with piety's light throughout the darkness?

With the light of piety, all night long aflame

وأندب للمعروف والبرّ راحةً

وأندب للمعروف والبرّ راحةً

ترى راحة تعبانها حين ينفع

ترى راحة تعبانها حين ينفع

And mourn, for kindness and charity, a palm

And lament for benevolence and righteousness, comfort

where you see its weary one's relief when it helps?

You see the comfort of its weary people when it avails

وأندبها للتربِ من حجب العلى

وأندبها للتربِ من حجب العلى

وديعة أستار إلى عدن تودع

وديعة أستار إلى عدن تودع

And mourn her for the dust, from the veils of loftiness,

And I lament it for dust from the veils of the Exalted

a treasure sheltered by curtains, entrusted to Eden?

A trust deposited to Eden escorted

وأندبها لليومِ صوماً وللدجى

وأندبها لليومِ صوماً وللدجى

صلاةً وأذكاراً ونسكاً يوزَّع

صلاةً وأذكاراً ونسكاً يوزَّع

And mourn her as fasting for the day, and for the night

And lament it for the day, fasting, and for nightfall

as prayer, remembrances, and apportioned worship?

Prayers and invocations and ritual dispensed

وللبيت بيت الفضل كدر صفوه

وللبيت بيت الفضل كدر صفوه

وللبيت من ذات الصفا حين يهرع

وللبيت من ذات الصفا حين يهرع

And for the house—the house of virtue—whose serenity is clouded,

And for the House, House of Virtue, cloudy its purity

and for the House, bereft of the lady of purity when one hastens there?

And for the House, from essence of Purity, when it pours forth

فيا لكَ من بيتٍ جديدٍ بكى لها

فيا لكَ من بيتٍ جديدٍ بكى لها

وبيتٍ عتيقٍ نحوها يتطلَّع

وبيتٍ عتيقٍ نحوها يتطلَّع

Then, oh, what a new house that wept for her,

Oh what a new House that wept for her

and an ancient House gazing toward her!

And ancient House towards her looking up

ويا لكَ من حزنٍ يتجدَّد عندنا

ويا لكَ من حزنٍ يتجدَّد عندنا

بهِ حزن يعقوب الذي كادَ يقلع

بهِ حزن يعقوب الذي كادَ يقلع

And what grief, through which there is renewed among us

Oh what a sorrow that renews itself in us

the grief of Jacob, which had almost abated!

With it, Jacob's sorrow that nearly uprooted him

وحزن أخٍ قد جاورته كرامة

وحزن أخٍ قد جاورته كرامة

لها وإلى بيتِ الكرامات ينزع

لها وإلى بيتِ الكرامات ينزع

And a brother's grief—she has become his neighbor, an honor

And a brother's sorrow who was neighbored by nobility

for her—while he yearns toward the house of divine favors.

For it, and to the House of Nobilities inclined

وحزن كبار أو صغار تتابعوا

وحزن كبار أو صغار تتابعوا

أسوداً وغزلاناً تسير وتتبع

أسوداً وغزلاناً تسير وتتبع

And the grief of elders or children, following one another,

And elders' sorrow, or youth lined up

lions and gazelles, moving along and following.

Black and fawns walking, following suit

هو الموت كأساً من حميّا حمامها

هو الموت كأساً من حميّا حمامها

ومن حسراتٍ قبلها تتجرَّع

ومن حسراتٍ قبلها تتجرَّع

It is death: a cup of the heady draught of its doom

It is death, a cup of hot torment

and of sorrows before it, which you gulp down.

And of regrets before it, imbibed

وصرف لأرواح البريَّة ناقدٌ

وصرف لأرواح البريَّة ناقدٌ

على أنه في أخذ نقديه مجمع

على أنه في أخذ نقديه مجمع

And fate, an assayer of the souls of creation,

And dispenser for the righteous spirits’ ransom

though resolved to take both its kinds of coin.

As if in taking his ransom, assembled

وسبع ليال دائراتٍ على الورى

وسبع ليال دائراتٍ على الورى

بنوع افتراس فيهمو ليس يشبع

بنوع افتراس فيهمو ليس يشبع

And a beast of nights that circle over humankind,

And seven nights encircling creation

preying upon them in a way that never sates it.

With a kind of predation, never sated

ألا في سبيل الله نقد عزيزةٍ

ألا في سبيل الله نقد عزيزةٍ

تولَّت وأبقت لاعج الحزن يرتع

تولَّت وأبقت لاعج الحزن يرتع

Ah, in God's cause, a cherished woman paid over as coin,

Verily in God's cause, dear treasure’s ransom

who departed, leaving grief's searing torment to graze unchecked.

She passed on and left most intense sorrow to graze

سلامٌ ورضوانٌ عليه ورحمةٌ

سلامٌ ورضوانٌ عليه ورحمةٌ

وروحٌ وريحانٌ وخمرٌ منوَّع

وروحٌ وريحانٌ وخمرٌ منوَّع

Peace, divine favor, and mercy be upon him,

Peace and contentment upon him, and mercy

and repose, sweet basil, and wine of many kinds,

And spirit and gladness and wine abundant

على جهةٍ إن قيل ستّ فإنها

على جهةٍ إن قيل ستّ فإنها

عليها من الستّ الجهات تفجع

عليها من الستّ الجهات تفجع

upon a lady: if she is called 'Sitt' ('Lady' or 'six'), then

In a direction, though it's said sixth, it is

lamentation reaches her from all six directions.

Upon it from the six directions lamenting

يعزّ عليها نار حزنٍ تمسّه

يعزّ عليها نار حزنٍ تمسّه

وتلك بجنَّات العلى تتمتَّع

وتلك بجنَّات العلى تتمتَّع

It pains her that the fire of grief should touch him,

The fire of sorrow touching him grieves her

while she delights in the gardens on high.

While she in the Gardens of the Exalted enjoys

ولو بلغت ما مسَّه من مصابها

ولو بلغت ما مسَّه من مصابها

لكادت به في جنَّة الخلد تجزع

لكادت به في جنَّة الخلد تجزع

Were she told what her loss has inflicted upon him,

Had she known his affliction that befell him

she would nearly despair from it, even in the Garden of Eternity.

She would have nearly, in the Garden Eternal, agonized

وما رحلت حتى رأت فيه كلماً

وما رحلت حتى رأت فيه كلماً

تمنَّت فليس من حمام تروع

تمنَّت فليس من حمام تروع

She did not depart until she saw in him all that

And she did not depart until she saw in him something

she had wished; thus death does not frighten her.

She wished, so nothing of turtle-doves would startle her

ولو خيِّرت لم ترضَ إلاَّ بقاءَه

ولو خيِّرت لم ترضَ إلاَّ بقاءَه

ونقلتها فليهنها القصد أجمع

ونقلتها فليهنها القصد أجمع

Had she been given a choice, she would accept only his survival

And if given a choice she would not have accepted but to stay

and her own passing; may her whole purpose bring her joy.

And He moved her, so the intention perfectly suited her

وكم مرَّةٍ فدَّاه بالنفسِ نطقها

وكم مرَّةٍ فدَّاه بالنفسِ نطقها

فقد صحَّ ما كانت له تتوقَّع

فقد صحَّ ما كانت له تتوقَّع

How often her words offered her life as his ransom!

And how many times did his words ransom her with his soul?

What she had anticipated for him has indeed come true.

So it is proven what she used to expect of him

وشيعها بالبرِّ زاداً تسنناً

وشيعها بالبرِّ زاداً تسنناً

فلله منه سنَّة وتشيّع

فلله منه سنَّة وتشيّع

He escorted her with charity as provision, observing the Sunna;

And he bid her farewell with righteousness, provision exemplary

how godly his observance and his funeral escort!

So for him an exemplary farewell and bidding adieu

تهنَّ بنو نعش لمطلع نعشها

تهنَّ بنو نعش لمطلع نعشها

نعم وبنات النعش أيَّان تطلع

نعم وبنات النعش أيَّان تطلع

Let the Sons of Naʿsh rejoice at the rising of her bier;

Delighted are the bearers of her bier at the rising of his bier

yes, and the Daughters of Naʿsh, whenever they rise.

Yes, and the daughters of bier, which will rise?

وما هيَ إلاَّ روعةٌ من رزيةٍ

وما هيَ إلاَّ روعةٌ من رزيةٍ

ولكنْ لها ثبت العزائم أروع

ولكنْ لها ثبت العزائم أروع

It is only the shock of a calamity,

She was but a tremor of sorrow

yet he of steadfast resolve is more awe-inspiring than it.

But for it the resolute spirits loftier still

بليغ عرفنا صنعة اللفظ عندهُ

بليغ عرفنا صنعة اللفظ عندهُ

فما قدرُ ما في وعظه يتصنَّع

فما قدرُ ما في وعظه يتصنَّع

An eloquent man—we have known his mastery of words;

Eloquent, we knew his skill with words

what worth, then, has artifice devised in admonishing him?

So what ability in his preaching feigned?

سقى لحدها الروضيّ غيث كأنه

سقى لحدها الروضيّ غيث كأنه

نداه علينا وارفٌ وممرَّع

نداه علينا وارفٌ وممرَّع

May rain water her garden-like grave, as though it were

He watered her grave with a downpour as if

his bounty upon us, wide-spreading and lush.

He called it upon us, ample and pouring down

وخفف عن أحشاه وهجاً لو أنه

وخفف عن أحشاه وهجاً لو أنه

سحائب ضيف عن قريب تقشع

سحائب ضيف عن قريب تقشع

And may it ease the blaze within him, which, if it were

And alleviated from her depths a blaze, if only

clouds visiting like a guest, soon to disperse,

Passing clouds from a near pouring forth exposing

طمعنا بحدس في رجوع مفارق

طمعنا بحدس في رجوع مفارق

وفي غير من قد وارت الأرض يرجع

وفي غير من قد وارت الأرض يرجع

would let us hope, by surmise, for a departed one's return;

We hoped intuitively for the return of the departed

but return is for one whom the earth has not concealed.

And the return of others the earth has concealed

وإن منع الماضون من سعيهم لنا

وإن منع الماضون من سعيهم لنا

فإنا عن المسعى لهم ليس نمنع

فإنا عن المسعى لهم ليس نمنع

Though the departed are barred from striving for us,

If the departed prevented themselves from endeavoring to us

we are not barred from striving for them.

We do not prevent endeavoring to them