نَعُدُّ حُصوناً كلَّ دِرْع وَمِغْفرِ

نَعُدُّ حُصوناً كلَّ دِرْع وَمِغْفرِ

وتَعدو المنايا في عَرينِ الغَضَنْفرِ

وتَعدو المنايا في عَرينِ الغَضَنْفرِ

We reckon every shield and helmet a fortress,

We regard each coat of mail and helmet as a fortress,

We account every shield and helmet a fortress,

yet death itself assails the lion in his lair.

Yet death charges through the mighty lion's lair.

Yet death charges into the very den of the lion.

وإحدى بناتِ الدَّهرِ تَنْسِفُ أُحْدَهُ

وإحدى بناتِ الدَّهرِ تَنْسِفُ أُحْدَهُ

وتَهدِم بالتدمِيرِ بنُيانَ تَدْمُرِ

وتَهدِم بالتدمِيرِ بنُيانَ تَدْمُرِ

One of Time’s daughters blasts away his very Mount Uhud

And one of Time's daughters blasts its Uhud away,

One of Time’s daughters blasts away Mount Uhud,

and utterly destroys the edifice of Tadmor.

And with devastation razes Tadmur's buildings.

And razes the ancient structures of Palmyra to the ground.

نَبَا نَابُ عادٍ وهْو كالليْثِ عادِياً

نَبَا نَابُ عادٍ وهْو كالليْثِ عادِياً

ومَاتَتْ مُنى كِسْرَى الملوكِ وقيْصَرِ

ومَاتَتْ مُنى كِسْرَى الملوكِ وقيْصَرِ

The fang of ʿĀd proved blunt, though it charged like a lion,

ʿAd's fang failed, though he was like a lion on the attack,

The fang of ‘Ad grew blunt, though he attacked like a lion,

and the hopes of Khosrow, king of kings, and Caesar died.

And the hopes of Khusrau, king of kings, and Caesar died.

And the ambitions of Chosroes, King of Kings, and Caesar perished.

وما دَرأَتْ عن تُبَّعٍ تُبَّعٌ له

وما دَرأَتْ عن تُبَّعٍ تُبَّعٌ له

صروفَ الرَّدَى الجاري على كلِّ قَسْوَرِ

صروفَ الرَّدَى الجاري على كلِّ قَسْوَرِ

No retinue of his could ward off from a Tubbaʿ

Nor did Tubbaʿ's followers ward off from him

Nor could the followers of Tubba‘ ward off from him

the assaults of death that overtake every lion.

The vicissitudes of death, which sweeps over every lion.

The turning tides of doom that befall every mighty ruler.

أصمَّ وأصمَى ثُغرةَ الثَّغْرِ حادِثٌ

أصمَّ وأصمَى ثُغرةَ الثَّغْرِ حادِثٌ

تحدِّثُنا عنه الثِّقاتُ فَنَمْتَرِي

تحدِّثُنا عنه الثِّقاتُ فَنَمْتَرِي

A calamity deafened all ears and mortally struck the frontier’s breach;

A calamity deafened the frontier and fatally struck its throat;

A calamity has deafened us and struck the fatal breach,

trusted witnesses tell us of it, yet still we doubt.

The trustworthy tell us of it, yet we doubt.

Of which trustworthy men tell us, yet we remain in disbelief.

هو البحرُ في ذا الخطبِ أعطاك دُرَّهُ

هو البحرُ في ذا الخطبِ أعطاك دُرَّهُ

فُقْل للّسانِ اِنْظِمْ وللدمِعِ فاِنثُرِ

فُقْل للّسانِ اِنْظِمْ وللدمِعِ فاِنثُرِ

This catastrophe is a sea that has given you its pearl;

He is the sea; in this calamity he gave you his pearls.

He is the sea who, in this affliction, has surrendered his pearls to you;

so tell the tongue, “String it,” and the tear, “Scatter it.”

So tell the tongue, 'String them,' and the tears, 'Scatter them.'

So tell the tongue to string them in verse, and the tears to scatter them.

أَجَدّكَ بِزَّ الدهرُ شُهْبَ بُزَاتِهِ

أَجَدّكَ بِزَّ الدهرُ شُهْبَ بُزَاتِهِ

وعزّ معزَّ الدولةِ اِبن المُظفَّرِ

وعزّ معزَّ الدولةِ اِبن المُظفَّرِ

Can it truly be? Time has seized the radiant among its falcons—

Truly, has Time carried off its gray falcons

In truth, Time has stripped away its grey falcons,

and the glory of Muʿizz al-Dawla, son of al-Muzaffar,

And overpowered Muʿizz al-Dawla, son of al-Muẓaffar,

And vanquished Mu‘izz al-Dawla, son of al-Muzaffar—

أَعزَّ من اِقتادَ الخَميسَ إِلَى الوَغَى

أَعزَّ من اِقتادَ الخَميسَ إِلَى الوَغَى

وأَكرمَ من يُدْعى له فْوقَ مِنْبَرِ

وأَكرمَ من يُدْعى له فْوقَ مِنْبَرِ

the mightiest man ever to lead an army into battle,

The mightiest of those who led the army into battle,

The mightiest of those who led vast armies into the fray,

and the noblest ever to be invoked in prayer from a pulpit.

And the noblest of those prayed for atop a pulpit?

And the noblest for whom prayers are invoked upon the pulpit.

تلثم حياءً يا زمان من العلا

تلثم حياءً يا زمان من العلا

مَضيتَ بمعروفٍ وجِئتَ بمُنْكَرِ

مَضيتَ بمعروفٍ وجِئتَ بمُنْكَرِ

Veil your face in shame, O Time, before such lofty glory:

Veil your face in shame, O Time, before greatness;

Veil yourself in shame, O Time, before such Glory;

you departed bearing Right and returned bearing Wrong.

You departed with goodness and came with evil.

You have taken away the good and brought forth the abominable.

مَضيتَ فما للأرضِ بعدَكَ لم تَمِدْ

مَضيتَ فما للأرضِ بعدَكَ لم تَمِدْ

وما لسماءِ المجدِ لَم تتَفَطَّرِ

وما لسماءِ المجدِ لَم تتَفَطَّرِ

You are gone—why, after you, did the earth not quake?

You have gone—why has the earth not quaked after you?

You have passed on—so why does the earth not convulse after you?

Why did the heaven of glory not split asunder?

And why has the sky of glory not split apart?

And why has the heaven of glory not been rent asunder?

بعثتُ بها مشقُوقَةَ الجْيبِ ثاكِلاً

بعثتُ بها مشقُوقَةَ الجْيبِ ثاكِلاً

وإنْ فَتَقَتْ رِيح العزَاءِ بعَنبرِ

وإنْ فَتَقَتْ رِيح العزَاءِ بعَنبرِ

I sent her forth with collar rent, while I was bereaved,

Bereaved, I sent it forth with its collar torn,

I have sent this elegy forth, a bereaved mother tearing her robe,

though the breeze of consolation scented her with ambergris.

Even if consolation's breeze released the scent of ambergris.

Though the breeze of consolation may diffuse the scent of ambergris.