زَواكَ دَهري فَفَلَّ رُكني

زَواكَ دَهري فَفَلَّ رُكني

وَفَلَّ صمصامَتي الصُراطا

وَفَلَّ صمصامَتي الصُراطا

My fate swept you away and shattered my pillar,

My fate took you away and shattered my mainstay,

My companion of times, its pillar collapsed

Fate took you away, shattering my foundation and blunting my sharp sword.

and blunted my keen sword, that long blade.

and blunted my keen-cutting sword.

And my middle road fell down

I lowered my head to misfortunes, just as my stature had risen straight and tall.

طَأطَأتُ لِلحادِثاتِ رَأسي

طَأطَأتُ لِلحادِثاتِ رَأسي

لَمّا اِستَوَت قامَتي شطاطا

لَمّا اِستَوَت قامَتي شطاطا

I bowed my head before calamities

I bowed my head to calamities

I bowed my head down to misfortunes

You pursued me, O Time, until you severed the very life-veins of my heart.

when my stature had stood so proudly tall.

when my stature stood straight and tall.

When my posture was erect

You struck me through my beloved, just when my eyes had found settled joy in him.

طالَبتَني يا زَمانُ حَتّى

طالَبتَني يا زَمانُ حَتّى

قَطَعت مِن قَلبي النِياطا

قَطَعت مِن قَلبي النِياطا

You pressed your claim against me, O Time, until

You made demands of me, O Time, until

O time, you sought me until

I coveted that he might become like me, had God preserved and guarded him for my sake.

you severed the very heartstrings from my heart.

you severed the heartstring from my heart.

You cut off pieces from my heart

A child—Exalted and Majestic is the Lord—who guided him to the straight path while yet in the cradle.

طَرَقتَني في الحَبيبِ لَمّا

طَرَقتَني في الحَبيبِ لَمّا

أَقرَرتُ عَيني بِهِ اِغتِباطا

أَقرَرتُ عَيني بِهِ اِغتِباطا

You struck me through my beloved just when

You struck me through my beloved, just when

You knocked me about my beloved when

He purified him, while the elder is filth who defiles both honor and robes.

I had cooled my eye with him in sheer delight.

I had gladdened my eye with him, rejoicing.

I feasted my eyes on him cheerfully

He was pure; had he lived, he would have attained my learning, and sought the Pilgrimage and the defense of the frontier.

طَمِعتُ في أَن يَكونَ مِثلي

طَمِعتُ في أَن يَكونَ مِثلي

لَو صانَهُ اللَهُ لي وَحاطا

لَو صانَهُ اللَهُ لي وَحاطا

I hoped that he would grow to be like me,

I hoped that he would become like me,

I wished he would be like me

I lost my wits from bereavement the day he perished, and my summit was leveled to the dust.

if God preserved him for me and kept him safe.

had God preserved him for me and guarded him.

If God had protected him for me and fenced him

The blood of my slain hopes was shed in a hemorrhage that persisted, and I was powerless to stanch it.

طِفلٌ تَعالى وَجَلَّ رَبٌّ

طِفلٌ تَعالى وَجَلَّ رَبٌّ

هَداهُ في مَهدِهِ الصِراطا

هَداهُ في مَهدِهِ الصِراطا

A mere child—exalted and majestic is the Lord

A child—exalted and majestic is the Lord

An infant exalted is the Lord

The healer’s eye was blind, for otherwise, where is the proof of the remedies he administered?

who guided him, still in his cradle, to the straight path.

who guided him in his cradle to the path.

Who guided him in his cradle to the right path

His doctor—may I find no safety!—I deemed him to be slaughtered in his violent agony.

طَهَّرَهُ وَالكَبيرُ رِجسٌ

طَهَّرَهُ وَالكَبيرُ رِجسٌ

يُدَنِّسُ العرضَ وَالرِياطا

يُدَنِّسُ العرضَ وَالرِياطا

He purified him, while the grown man is filth

He purified him, while the grown man is filth

He purified him while the elder is filthy

A pattern of glory that quieted into stillness, though I once knew him brimming with life.

that sullies honor and garments alike.

that defiles honor and robes.

Defiles honour and places of rest

Let Ta-Ha and Ya-Sin be my refuge, for my heart has been scorched for his sake.

طابَ فَلَو عاشَ حازَ عِلمي

طابَ فَلَو عاشَ حازَ عِلمي

وَحاوَلَ الحَجَّ وَالرِباطا

وَحاوَلَ الحَجَّ وَالرِباطا

He was pure; had he lived, he would have mastered my learning

He was pure; had he lived, he would have gained my learning

Good - if he had lived he would have got my knowledge

Tears yielded to my eyes for him, and they mingled inextricably with blood.

and aspired to the pilgrimage and the frontier vigil.

and striven for pilgrimage and frontier vigil.

And struggled for pilgrimage and devoted himself to God

طُشتُ من الثكلِ يَومَ أَودى

طُشتُ من الثكلِ يَومَ أَودى

وَأَصبَحَت ذروَتي بِساطا

وَأَصبَحَت ذروَتي بِساطا

I lost my senses from bereavement on the day he perished,

I lost my senses from bereavement the day he died,

I collapsed out of agony the day he passed away

and my summit was leveled to a plain.

and my summit became a carpet.

And my heights turned into a spread out carpet

طَلَّ قَتيلُ المنى رُعافٌ

طَلَّ قَتيلُ المنى رُعافٌ

دامَ وَما اِسطَعتُ أَن يُماطا

دامَ وَما اِسطَعتُ أَن يُماطا

Hope’s slain one was left unavenged; a hemorrhage

The victim of hopes lay unavenged; a nosebleed

The slain beloved's spittle mixed with blood

endured, and I could not make it cease.

persisted, and I could not stop it.

As long as I glittered thinking it would be wiped

طَرفُ المُداوي عَم وَإِلّا

طَرفُ المُداوي عَم وَإِلّا

فَأَينَ بُرهانُ ما تَعاطا

فَأَينَ بُرهانُ ما تَعاطا

The healer’s eye went blind; otherwise,

The healer's eye was blind; otherwise,

The ophthalmologist's judgment failed

where is the proof of what was undertaken

then where is the proof of his professed skill?

Where then is the proof of his treatment?

طَبيبهُ لا سَلِمتُ ما لي

طَبيبهُ لا سَلِمتُ ما لي

أَحسَبهُ يُذبحُ اِشتِحاطا

أَحسَبهُ يُذبحُ اِشتِحاطا

by his physician? May I not live! What ails me—

His physician—may I not be spared!—why do I

His doctor - far from me - what do I

I picture him being slaughtered, writhing in blood.

think he is being slaughtered as he writhes?

Reckon he butchered out of stupidity

طرازُ مَجدٍ هَدا سُكوناً

طرازُ مَجدٍ هَدا سُكوناً

وَكُنتُ أَدري لَهُ نَشاطا

وَكُنتُ أَدري لَهُ نَشاطا

That ornament of glory grew utterly still,

An ornament of glory, he settled into stillness,

A model of glory, this succumbed to peace

though I had known such vigor in him.

and I had known him full of vigor.

And I knew he had vitality

طه وَياسين عَوِّذاني

طه وَياسين عَوِّذاني

فَإِنَّ قَلبي عَلَيهِ شاطا

فَإِنَّ قَلبي عَلَيهِ شاطا

O Ṭā Hā and Yā Sīn, shelter me,

Ta-Ha and Ya-Sin, both protect me,

Taha and Ya Seen are my charms

for my heart has burned itself away over him.

for my heart has burned in grief for him.

For my heart is wounded because of him

طاعَت لِعَيني الدُموعُ فيهِ

طاعَت لِعَيني الدُموعُ فيهِ

وَاِختَلَطَت بِالدَمِ اِختِلاطا

وَاِختَلَطَت بِالدَمِ اِختِلاطا

The tears obeyed my eyes for his sake

The tears obeyed my eye in mourning him,

Tears obeyed my eyes because of him

and mingled utterly with blood.

and mingled thoroughly with blood.

And mixed with blood and intermingled.