أَتعَبَني بَعدَكَ البَقاء

أَتعَبَني بَعدَكَ البَقاء

وَفي وَفاتي لَكَ الوَفاءُ

وَفي وَفاتي لَكَ الوَفاءُ

Life after you has wearied me;

Living on after you has wearied me,

Remaining after you has worn me down, and in my death alone lies loyalty to you.

and in my death lies faithfulness to you.

and in my death lies fidelity to you.

You have perished, and the consoler begins his plea that patience and solace be found.

أَودَيت فَاِستَفتَح المُعَزّي

أَودَيت فَاِستَفتَح المُعَزّي

أَن يحسنَ الصَبرُ وَالعَزاءُ

أَن يحسنَ الصَبرُ وَالعَزاءُ

You perished, and then the consoler began

You perished; the consoler began:

The gravest of calamities is the parting of a beloved who was, for my sickness, the very cure.

by saying that patience and consolation are good.

“May patience and consolation be good.”

An age has turned dark that once shone through him; is there any light left after its darkening?

أَجَلُّ خَطبٍ فِراقُ حِبٍّ

أَجَلُّ خَطبٍ فِراقُ حِبٍّ

كانَ لِسقمي هُوَ الشفاءُ

كانَ لِسقمي هُوَ الشفاءُ

The gravest calamity is parting from a beloved

The gravest calamity is parting from a beloved

The month of frost has frozen our waters, save for tears that flow as very blood.

who was himself the cure for my sickness.

who was himself the cure for my sickness.

I wept, and were I but a solid rock, water would have gushed from me for your sake.

أَظلَمَ دَهرٌ أَنارَ مِنهُ

أَظلَمَ دَهرٌ أَنارَ مِنهُ

هَل بَعدَ إِظلامِهِ ضِياءُ

هَل بَعدَ إِظلامِهِ ضِياءُ

An age has darkened that he once illumined;

An age once lit by him has darkened;

Are you not my heart and the core of my being? Through them both, destiny has struck me.

after its darkening, can there be any light?

is there light after its darkening?

Praise be to God, I offer no objection; whatever God wills is absolute justice.

أَجمَدَ أَمواهنا جُمادى

أَجمَدَ أَمواهنا جُمادى

أَلا دُموعاً هِيَ الدِماءُ

أَلا دُموعاً هِيَ الدِماءُ

Jumādā has frozen our waters;

Jumada has frozen our waters.

I would have fulfilled the covenants of love, had my own soul been accepted as a ransom for yours.

behold tears—they are blood.

Oh, for tears that are blood!

Alas for him in whom I pinned the hope of my happiness, but misery refused to yield.

بَكى وَلَو أَنَّني صَفاةٌ

بَكى وَلَو أَنَّني صَفاةٌ

لَفاضَ مِنّي عَلَيكَ ماءُ

لَفاضَ مِنّي عَلَيكَ ماءُ

He wept. And even if I were a hard rock,

He wept; and even if I were a rock,

The blight of our wealth is calamity, and the blight of the world is annihilation.

water would surely flow from me over you.

water would gush from me over you.

Adam faced death though he was the first of creation, and all his children are equal in this fate.

أَلَستَ قَلبي وَخِلبَ كَبدي

أَلَستَ قَلبي وَخِلبَ كَبدي

أَصابَني فيهِما القَضاءُ

أَصابَني فيهِما القَضاءُ

Are you not my heart and the core of my liver?

Are you not my heart and my liver's lobe?

What a crescent moon illuminated my night, holding within it both radiance and sublimity.

Fate has struck me in them both.

Fate has struck me in them both.

What a spring season adorned my life, bearing within it both life-giving rain and sweet modesty.

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لا اِعتِراضٌ

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لا اِعتِراضٌ

عَدلٌ مِنَ اللَهِ ما يَشاءُ

عَدلٌ مِنَ اللَهِ ما يَشاءُ

Praise be to God; I raise no objection.

Praise be to God; there is no objection.

Whatever God wills is justice from Him.

Whatever He wills is justice from God.

أَذِمَّة الحُبِّ كُنتُ أَقضي

أَذِمَّة الحُبِّ كُنتُ أَقضي

لَو أَنَّ نَفسي لَكَ الفِداءُ

لَو أَنَّ نَفسي لَكَ الفِداءُ

I would have discharged every claim of love,

I would have fulfilled the obligations of love

if only my soul could be your ransom.

if my soul had been your ransom.

آهاً عَلى مَن رَجَوتُ سَعدي

آهاً عَلى مَن رَجَوتُ سَعدي

بِهِ وَلكِن أَبى الشَقاءُ

بِهِ وَلكِن أَبى الشَقاءُ

Ah, for him through whom I hoped for happiness—

Ah, for the one—I hoped for happiness

but misery would not allow it.

through him, but misery denied it.

آفَةُ أَموالِنا الرَزايا

آفَةُ أَموالِنا الرَزايا

وَآفَةُ العالمِ الفَناءُ

وَآفَةُ العالمِ الفَناءُ

Calamities are the scourge of our wealth,

Calamities are the bane of our wealth,

and mortality is the scourge of the world.

and extinction is the bane of the world.

آدَمُ في المَوتِ وَهوَ بكرٌ

آدَمُ في المَوتِ وَهوَ بكرٌ

وَكُلُّ أَبنائِهِ سَواءُ

وَكُلُّ أَبنائِهِ سَواءُ

Adam, though the first-created, is subject to death,

In death, Adam—though he is the firstborn—

and all his children are alike.

and all his children are equal.

أَيُّ هِلالٍ أَنارَ لَيلي

أَيُّ هِلالٍ أَنارَ لَيلي

كانَ السَنى فيهِ وَالسَناءُ

كانَ السَنى فيهِ وَالسَناءُ

What a crescent it was that lit my night!

What a crescent moon lit my night!

In him were both radiance and exalted splendor.

In him were radiance and glory.

أَيُّ رَبيعٍ وَشى حَياتي

أَيُّ رَبيعٍ وَشى حَياتي

كانَ الحَيا فيهِ وَالحَياءُ

كانَ الحَيا فيهِ وَالحَياءُ

What a spring it was that adorned my life!

What a spring embroidered my life!

In him were life-giving rain and modesty.

In him were rain and modesty.