هاضَ الرَدى أَعظُمي وَعادَت

هاضَ الرَدى أَعظُمي وَعادَت

مَحاسِنُ الدَهرِ كَالمَساوي

مَحاسِنُ الدَهرِ كَالمَساوي

Death has broken my bones, and

Death broke my bones anew, and

The deserts have regained their glory and returned

Destruction has crushed my bones, and returned

time’s blessings have become like its afflictions.

Time's beauties became like its evils.

To the beautiful splendor of olden days,

The beauties of the age to the likeness of its evils.

وَيلاهُ إِنَّ الزَمانَ أَودى

وَيلاهُ إِنَّ الزَمانَ أَودى

بِواحِدٍ ما لَهُ مُساوِ

بِواحِدٍ ما لَهُ مُساوِ

Woe is me! Time has carried off

Alas! Time has brought death

Alas! Time has destroyed

Woe is me! Time has destroyed and snatched away

one who had no equal—

To one who has no equal.

A matchless one.

A unique soul who has no equal;

واحِدٍ اِعتَضتُهُ بِأَلفٍ

واحِدٍ اِعتَضتُهُ بِأَلفٍ

كُنتُ إِلى الكَهفِ مِنهُ آوي

كُنتُ إِلى الكَهفِ مِنهُ آوي

one man who made up for a thousand,

One I took in exchange for a thousand,

One I took under my wing as one of a thousand,

A single one I would choose over a thousand others,

in whom I used to shelter as in a cave.

I used to take refuge in him as in a cave.

Seeking in him a shelter and retreat.

To whose cavern I used to retreat for shelter.

ولّى عَلى حين شَدَّ عضدي

ولّى عَلى حين شَدَّ عضدي

وَهوَ بِقَلبِ الكَظيمِ ثاوِ

وَهوَ بِقَلبِ الكَظيمِ ثاوِ

He departed just when he had strengthened my arm,

He departed just when he strengthened my arm,

He turned away just when I needed his support

He departed just when he had strengthened my arm,

and now he dwells within this grief-stricken heart.

And he dwells in the heart of the grief-stricken.

With a heart full of rancor and hatred.

Leaving himself a resident in the heart of this grieving man.

وَديعَتي اليَومَ عِندَ رَبّي

وَديعَتي اليَومَ عِندَ رَبّي

نَجمٌ مِنَ النَيِّراتِ هاوِ

نَجمٌ مِنَ النَيِّراتِ هاوِ

My precious trust is today with my Lord:

My entrusted one is today with my Lord,

Today my trust is with my Lord,

My entrusted treasure is today with my Lord,

a star fallen from among the radiant stars.

A star fallen from among the shining lights.

A star among the brilliant stars.

A star from among the luminaries that has fallen.

وَدَدتُ لَو مُتُّ يَومَ قالوا

وَدَدتُ لَو مُتُّ يَومَ قالوا

غُصنُكَ يا فَرعَ فَهرَ ذاوِ

غُصنُكَ يا فَرعَ فَهرَ ذاوِ

I wished that I had died the day they said,

I wished I had died the day they said,

Would that I had died ere the day they said,

I wished I had died the day they announced:

“Your branch, O scion of Fihr, has withered.”

"Your bough, O scion of Fihr, has withered."

“Your branch, O bough, is withered and sere.”

"Your branch, O scion of Fahr, is withering."

وَاللَهِ لا زِلتُ باكِياً أَو

وَاللَهِ لا زِلتُ باكِياً أَو

أَشفي قَلبي الَّذي أُداوي

أَشفي قَلبي الَّذي أُداوي

By God, I shall never cease weeping until

By God, I shall go on weeping until

By God, still I weep, or try to heal

By God, I shall remain weeping until

I heal this heart that I strive to tend.

I heal my heart, which I tend.

My grieving heart and its wounds.

I heal this heart that I struggle to nurse.

وهنت مِما فجِعتُ بِاِبني

وهنت مِما فجِعتُ بِاِبني

وَهنتُ فَليَنتَفِ المُناوي

وَهنتُ فَليَنتَفِ المُناوي

I grew weak from being bereaved of my son;

I grew weak from being bereaved of my son,

I lost strength when my son was taken from me,

I have grown frail from the bereavement of my son;

I am frail—so let my adversary pluck me bare.

And was brought low—so let the adversary be gone.

Let the tents be folded that I may perish.

I have grown frail—so let the antagonist be cast out.

وَصَرَّفتني الخُطوبُ حَتّى

وَصَرَّفتني الخُطوبُ حَتّى

غَيَّرنَني مِثلَ يا وَواوِ

غَيَّرنَني مِثلَ يا وَواوِ

Calamities have tossed me about until

Calamities have tossed me about until

Misfortunes have so buffeted me

Calamities have twisted and conjugated me until

they changed me as the letters yāʾ and wāw are changed.

They changed me like the letters yāʾ and wāw.

That they have changed my constitution.

They altered me like the shifting letters Ya and Waw.

وَكادَ مِمّا أَفقَدتُ شِبلي

وَكادَ مِمّا أَفقَدتُ شِبلي

يَطُفنَ بي نابِحٌ وَعاوِ

يَطُفنَ بي نابِحٌ وَعاوِ

The loss of my lion cub nearly made

And because I lost my cub, I was almost

I almost went mad from losing my lion cub;

And almost, from the loss of my lion cub,

a barker and a howler circle around me.

Circled by a barker and a howler.

I was barked at by howling dogs.

Do barking and howling beasts circle around me.

وَفّانيَ اللَهُ فيهِ أَجري

وَفّانيَ اللَهُ فيهِ أَجري

وَلا جَزاني جَزاءَ غاوِ

وَلا جَزاني جَزاءَ غاوِ

May God grant me my full reward for him

May God grant me my full reward for him,

God rewarded me well for him

May God grant me my full reward concerning him,

and not requite me as one who has gone astray.

And not requite me as one who has gone astray.

And did not reward me with ingratitude.

And not repay me with the penalty of the misguided.

وَقَّرَهُ الحِلمُ وَهوَ طِفلٌ

وَقَّرَهُ الحِلمُ وَهوَ طِفلٌ

وَهابَهُ النَيِّرُ السَماوي

وَهابَهُ النَيِّرُ السَماوي

Forbearance gave him dignity while he was still a child,

Forbearance lent him dignity while he was a child,

Wisdom filled him while still a child,

Wisdom dignified him while he was yet a child,

and the radiant heavenly orb stood in awe of him.

And the heavenly luminary stood in awe of him.

And the brilliant stars above revered him.

And the celestial lights held him in awe.

وَدَّعتُهُ وَالجُفونُ تَدمي

وَدَّعتُهُ وَالجُفونُ تَدمي

وَالسقمُ لي ناشِرٌ وَطاوِ

وَالسقمُ لي ناشِرٌ وَطاوِ

I bade him farewell while my eyelids bled,

I bade him farewell, my eyelids bleeding,

I bade him farewell while my eyelids flowed with tears

I bade him farewell while my eyelids bled,

and sickness unfolded and folded me.

And sickness unfolds me and folds me up.

And sickness had prostrated me.

And sickness unfolded and folded me in its grasp.

وَكَم تَمَنَّيتُ أَن أَراهُ

وَكَم تَمَنَّيتُ أَن أَراهُ

عَلَيَّ يَقرا لِكُلِّ راوِ

عَلَيَّ يَقرا لِكُلِّ راوِ

How often I longed to see him

How often I wished to see him

How I wished to see him once more

How often I wished that I might see him

reciting before me the verse of every transmitter,

Reading to me from every narrator,

Reciting verse to me from every narrator!

Reciting before me to every narrator,

وَيَنظِمُ الشِعرَ مِثلَ نَظمي

وَيَنظِمُ الشِعرَ مِثلَ نَظمي

فَيَنتَهي غايَتي وَشاوي

فَيَنتَهي غايَتي وَشاوي

and composing poetry as I composed it,

And composing poetry as I compose,

And composing poetry like my own

Composing poetry just as I compose,

thus attaining my utmost aim and aspiration.

Thus reaching my goal and my range.

So my purpose could be achieved.

Achieving my ambition and reaching my farthest mark.