عَزيزٌ أَمرُنا لَكَ بالتعزِّي

عَزيزٌ أَمرُنا لَكَ بالتعزِّي

غَدَاةَ أُصِبْتَ بالوَلَدِ الأَعَزِّ

غَدَاةَ أُصِبْتَ بالوَلَدِ الأَعَزِّ

Hard indeed is our bidding you find consolation

It is hard for us to urge you to take comfort

on the morning you lost your dearest child.

on the morning you were bereaved of your dearest son.

لَعمرُ أبي لقد رَمَتِ الليالي

لَعمرُ أبي لقد رَمَتِ الليالي

بِحَزٍّ في الحُلُوقِ وأيِّ حَزِّ

بِحَزٍّ في الحُلُوقِ وأيِّ حَزِّ

By my father’s life, the nights have struck us

By my father's life, the nights have struck

with a pang in our throats—and what a pang!

a gash in our throats—and what a gash!

لِبَدْرٍ غَابَ قبلَ تَمَامِ نُورٍ

لِبَدْرٍ غَابَ قبلَ تَمَامِ نُورٍ

وغُصْنٍ جُبَّ قَبلَ تمَام دَرْزِ

وغُصْنٍ جُبَّ قَبلَ تمَام دَرْزِ

A full moon has set before its light was whole,

For a full moon that vanished before its light was complete,

a branch was lopped before its growth was full,

and a branch severed before its growth was complete,

وسَيفٍ فُلَّ قبل أَوَانِ سَلٍّ

وسَيفٍ فُلَّ قبل أَوَانِ سَلٍّ

وَرُمْحٍ أضجعُوهُ قَبلَ هَزّ

وَرُمْحٍ أضجعُوهُ قَبلَ هَزّ

a sword was nicked before the time to draw it,

and a sword blunted before the time for unsheathing,

a spear laid low before it could be brandished,

and a spear they laid down before it could be brandished,

وطفلٍ ماتَ لم يركبْ جَوَاداً

وطفلٍ ماتَ لم يركبْ جَوَاداً

سِوَى حُضْنِ الوليدةِ والمَنَزِّ

سِوَى حُضْنِ الوليدةِ والمَنَزِّ

and an infant died before he rode a steed

and a child who died, having ridden no steed

save the nursemaid’s arms and the cradle.

except the maidservant's lap and the cradle.

فقُلْ لي كيفَ يعملُ في جِيَادٍ

فقُلْ لي كيفَ يعملُ في جِيَادٍ

أَعَدُّوهَا له وثِيَابِ خَزِّ

أَعَدُّوهَا له وثِيَابِ خَزِّ

Tell me, then, what use could he make of the steeds

So tell me: what is to be done with the steeds

they had prepared for him, and the robes of silk?

they prepared for him, and the garments of silk?

فَغَادَرَنا بِحُزْنٍ مُسْتَقِرِّ

فَغَادَرَنا بِحُزْنٍ مُسْتَقِرِّ

نُكَابِدُهُ وعَقْلٍ مُسْتَفَزِّ

نُكَابِدُهُ وعَقْلٍ مُسْتَفَزِّ

Thus he left us with grief abiding,

He left us with an abiding sorrow

which we endure, and with a mind unmoored.

that we endure, and an agitated mind.

عَجِبْتُ لقُرْبِ ما جِئْنَا نُهَنِّي

عَجِبْتُ لقُرْبِ ما جِئْنَا نُهَنِّي

أَبَاهُ بِهِ وما جِئْنَا نُعزِّي

أَبَاهُ بِهِ وما جِئْنَا نُعزِّي

How I marvel at how close was our coming to congratulate

I marveled how little time passed between our coming to congratulate

his father on him, and our coming to console.

his father on him and our coming to offer condolences.

عَذَرْتُ الدهرَ لو لم يُفْنِ إلاَّ

عَذَرْتُ الدهرَ لو لم يُفْنِ إلاَّ

كبيراً مَلَّ من ضَعْفٍ وعَجْزِ

كبيراً مَلَّ من ضَعْفٍ وعَجْزِ

I would excuse Time, had it destroyed only

I would have excused time, had it destroyed only

an elder weary of weakness and incapacity.

an old man weary of weakness and helplessness.

فَإِنَّ الناسَ مثلُ الزرعِ يُنمي

فَإِنَّ الناسَ مثلُ الزرعِ يُنمي

نَضارتَهُ إلى وَقْتِ المجَزِّ

نَضارتَهُ إلى وَقْتِ المجَزِّ

For people are like crops: their freshness is nurtured

For people are like a crop, which grows

until the season of the reaping.

in freshness until the time of reaping.

فلم يجتثَّ إلا كلَّ غُصْنٍ

فلم يجتثَّ إلا كلَّ غُصْنٍ

رَطِيبِ القَدِّ مُعْتَدلِ المِهَزِّ

رَطِيبِ القَدِّ مُعْتَدلِ المِهَزِّ

Yet all it uproots are branches

Yet it uprooted only branches, every one

tender-stemmed and straight in their swaying.

tender in stature and balanced in sway.

فَمَا ضَرَّ المنيّةُ لو أَصَابَتْ

فَمَا ضَرَّ المنيّةُ لو أَصَابَتْ

أَخَاهُ فافْتدَتْ شَاهاً بِفَرْزِ

أَخَاهُ فافْتدَتْ شَاهاً بِفَرْزِ

What harm would it have done Death, had it struck

What harm would Death have suffered, had she struck

one akin to itself, ransoming a king with a vizier?

his brother, ransoming a king with a vizier?

أَبَتْ أن تَتْرُكَ الأَيَّامُ شِبلاً

أَبَتْ أن تَتْرُكَ الأَيَّامُ شِبلاً

لِضِرْغَامٍ ولا سَخْلاً لِعَنْزِ

لِضِرْغَامٍ ولا سَخْلاً لِعَنْزِ

The days refuse to leave a lion cub

The days refused to leave a cub

to any lion, or a kid to any she-goat.

to a lion, or a kid to a goat.

فَيَا ابنَ مُبَاركِ بنِ حسينِ صَبْراً

فَيَا ابنَ مُبَاركِ بنِ حسينِ صَبْراً

فَشَيْطَانُ الأَسَى بالصبرِ مُخْزِي

فَشَيْطَانُ الأَسَى بالصبرِ مُخْزِي

O son of Mubarak ibn Husayn, have patience:

So, son of Mubarak ibn Husayn, have patience!

the demon of grief is humbled by patience.

For patience puts the demon of grief to shame.

فمثلُكَ لا تَلينُ لهُ قَنَاةٌ

فمثلُكَ لا تَلينُ لهُ قَنَاةٌ

لِعَجْمٍ في الخُطُوبِ ولا لِغَمْزِ

لِعَجْمٍ في الخُطُوبِ ولا لِغَمْزِ

A shaft like yours does not bend before it,

For a man like you has a spear-shaft that never bends

however calamities may test or press it.

under testing in calamities, nor under pressure.

بِذَا حَكَمَ القَضَاءُ فَمِنْ مُعَزّىً

بِذَا حَكَمَ القَضَاءُ فَمِنْ مُعَزّىً

على ما فَاتَ منهُ ومن مُعَزِّي

على ما فَاتَ منهُ ومن مُعَزِّي

Such is the decree of Fate—so who can give solace

Thus has fate decreed: some are consoled

for what is gone from him, and who can console?

for what they have lost, and some offer consolation.

هي الأيامُ لا تُبقي كَبيراً

هي الأيامُ لا تُبقي كَبيراً

لِعِظْمِ جَلالةٍ ولِفَرْطِ عِزِّ

لِعِظْمِ جَلالةٍ ولِفَرْطِ عِزِّ

These are the days: they spare no great man

Such are the days: they spare no elder

for grandeur of station or excess of might,

for great majesty or overwhelming might;

ولا تُبقِي صَغِيرَ السِّنِّ بُقْيا

ولا تُبقِي صَغِيرَ السِّنِّ بُقْيا

لجَامِعَةٍ عليه ولا لحِرْزِ

لجَامِعَةٍ عليه ولا لحِرْزِ

nor do they grant the young in years survival

nor spare one young in years out of regard

for one who clasps him close, or for any safeguard.

for an amulet upon him or a protective charm.

وعُذري في التأَخُّرِ عنكَ حُمّىً

وعُذري في التأَخُّرِ عنكَ حُمّىً

أُكابِدُ حَرَّها ولَظَى شَكَنْزِ

أُكابِدُ حَرَّها ولَظَى شَكَنْزِ

My excuse for coming late to you is a fever

And my excuse for my delay in coming to you is a fever;

whose heat I battle; perhaps it will waste me away.

I endure its heat and the burning pain of colic.

فإنْ شَهِدَ العَزَا غَيري فإنِّي

فإنْ شَهِدَ العَزَا غَيري فإنِّي

حَصَلْتُ على الرسَالةِ بالتعزِّي

حَصَلْتُ على الرسَالةِ بالتعزِّي

Though another attended the rites of consolation, I

If someone else has attended the mourning, I

have discharged mine through this letter of condolence.

have managed to offer consolation by letter.

فَهَا أَنَذا أَخُو جَفْنٍ قَرِيحٍ

فَهَا أَنَذا أَخُو جَفْنٍ قَرِيحٍ

لِرُزْئِكُمُ وقَلْبٍ مُشْمَأَزِّ

لِرُزْئِكُمُ وقَلْبٍ مُشْمَأَزِّ

Here I am, my eyelids raw

So here I am, with a sore eyelid

from your bereavement, and my heart recoiling.

from your bereavement, and a heart recoiling in pain.

أَنَا الخِلُّ الذي لا عَيْبَ فِيهِ

أَنَا الخِلُّ الذي لا عَيْبَ فِيهِ

سِوَى حُبِّي وهذا العيبُ مُجْزي

سِوَى حُبِّي وهذا العيبُ مُجْزي

I am the friend in whom no fault is found

I am the friend in whom there is no fault

except my love—and that fault earns recompense.

except my love—and this fault deserves reward.

فإِنْ قدَّمتَ فَضْلَكَ عند غَيري

فإِنْ قدَّمتَ فَضْلَكَ عند غَيري

وبَادَ فإنّني لَكَ في المَحَزِّ

وبَادَ فإنّني لَكَ في المَحَزِّ

For I have proclaimed your merit before others,

If you bestowed your bounty upon another

and it was foremost; I am yours where loyalty is proved.

and it was wasted, with me you hit the mark.