جَزِعتُ وَلَكِن ما يَرُدُّ لِيَ الجَزَع

جَزِعتُ وَلَكِن ما يَرُدُّ لِيَ الجَزَع

وَأَعوَلتُ لَو أَغنى العَويلُ وَلَو نَفَع

وَأَعوَلتُ لَو أَغنى العَويلُ وَلَو نَفَع

I gave way to anguish—but anguish brings nothing back to me.

I grieved, but what can grief bring back to me?

And I wailed aloud—if only wailing could avail, if only it could help.

And I wailed—if only wailing availed, and if only it helped.

أَيا ساكِني الأَجداثِ هَل لي إِلَيكُم

أَيا ساكِني الأَجداثِ هَل لي إِلَيكُم

عَلى قُربِكُم مِنّي مَدى الدَهرِ مُطَّلَع

عَلى قُربِكُم مِنّي مَدى الدَهرِ مُطَّلَع

O dwellers in the tombs, is there, for me, a way to you—

O dwellers in the graves, is there any way for me to reach you,

despite your nearness to me—through all time, some means of access?

Despite your nearness to me, in all the span of time?

فَوَ اللَهِ ما أَبقى لِيَ الدَهرُ مِنكُمُ

فَوَ اللَهِ ما أَبقى لِيَ الدَهرُ مِنكُمُ

حَبيباً وَلا ذُخراً لَعَمري وَلا وَدَع

حَبيباً وَلا ذُخراً لَعَمري وَلا وَدَع

For, by God, Time has left me, from among you,

For, by God, Time has not left me, among you,

neither beloved nor treasure—by my life!—nor has it spared a soul.

A loved one or a treasure—by my life—nor has it spared anyone.

فَأَيَّكُمُ أَبكي بِعَينٍ سَخينَةٍ

فَأَيَّكُمُ أَبكي بِعَينٍ سَخينَةٍ

وَأَيَّكُمُ أَرثي وَأَيَّكُمُ أَدَع

وَأَيَّكُمُ أَرثي وَأَيَّكُمُ أَدَع

Which of you, then, shall I weep for with an eye hot with tears?

So which of you shall I weep for with an eye hot with tears,

Which shall I mourn in elegy, and which of you leave unmourned?

And which of you shall I lament, and which of you shall I leave?

أَيا دَهرُ قَد قَلَّلتَني بَعدَ كَثرَةٍ

أَيا دَهرُ قَد قَلَّلتَني بَعدَ كَثرَةٍ

وَأَوحَشتَني مِن بَعدِ أُنسٍ وَمُجتَمِع

وَأَوحَشتَني مِن بَعدِ أُنسٍ وَمُجتَمِع

O Time, you have diminished me after such abundance,

O Time, you have diminished me after abundance,

and made me desolate after fellowship and gathered company.

And made me desolate after fellowship and gathered company.