أوصيكَ بِالحُزنِ لا أوصيكَ بِالجَلَدِ

أوصيكَ بِالحُزنِ لا أوصيكَ بِالجَلَدِ

جَلَّ المُصابُ عَنِ التَعنيفِ وَالفَنَدِ

جَلَّ المُصابُ عَنِ التَعنيفِ وَالفَنَدِ

I counsel you to grieve; I do not counsel you to show fortitude.

I advise you to be sad, I do not advise you to be harsh

The loss is too great for rebuke and faultfinding.

The afflicted refrains from reprimand and refutation

إِنّي أُجِلُّكَ أَن تُكفى بِتَعزِيَةٍ

إِنّي أُجِلُّكَ أَن تُكفى بِتَعزِيَةٍ

عَن خَيرِ مُفتَقِدٍ ياخَيرَ مُفتَقِدِ

عَن خَيرِ مُفتَقِدٍ ياخَيرَ مُفتَقِدِ

I esteem you too highly for condolences to suffice

I consider it good that you be content with consolation

for the best one mourned, O best one bereaved.

For the loss of the best of the absent, O best of the absent

هِيَ الرَزِيَّةُ إِن ضَنَّت بِما مَلَكَت

هِيَ الرَزِيَّةُ إِن ضَنَّت بِما مَلَكَت

مِنها الجُفونُ فَما تَسخو عَلى رَحَدِ

مِنها الجُفونُ فَما تَسخو عَلى رَحَدِ

Such is the calamity: if the eyelids begrudge their store

It is sorrow if it was stingy with what it possessed

of tears for it, they show no generosity despite their plenty.

Of it the eyelids, yet it is not generous upon fervor

بي مِثلُ مابِكَ مِن حُزنٍ وَمِن جَزَعٍ

بي مِثلُ مابِكَ مِن حُزنٍ وَمِن جَزَعٍ

وَقَد لَجَأتُ إِلى صَبرٍ فَلَم أَجِدِ

وَقَد لَجَأتُ إِلى صَبرٍ فَلَم أَجِدِ

I bear the same sorrow and anguish as you.

In me is like what is in you of sorrow and agony

And I sought refuge in patience, but found none.

And I have resorted to patience yet I did not find

لَم يَنتَقِصنِيَ بُعدي عَنكَ مِن حُزُنٍ

لَم يَنتَقِصنِيَ بُعدي عَنكَ مِن حُزُنٍ

هِيَ المُواساةُ في قُربٍ وَفي بُعُدِ

هِيَ المُواساةُ في قُربٍ وَفي بُعُدِ

My distance from you has not lessened my sorrow.

My distance from you did not diminish my sorrow

Such is fellow feeling, both near and far.

It is consolation in closeness and in distance

لَأَشرِكَنَّكَ في اللَأواءِ إِن طَرَقَت

لَأَشرِكَنَّكَ في اللَأواءِ إِن طَرَقَت

كَما شَرِكتُكَ في النَعماءِ وَالرَغَدِ

كَما شَرِكتُكَ في النَعماءِ وَالرَغَدِ

I shall surely share your hardship if it comes knocking,

I will share with you the refuge if adversities knock

just as I shared your prosperity and ease.

As I shared with you in prosperity and luxury

أَبكي بِدَمعٍ لَهُ مِن حَسرَتي مَدَدٌ

أَبكي بِدَمعٍ لَهُ مِن حَسرَتي مَدَدٌ

وَأَستَريحُ إِلى صَبرٍ بِلا مَدَدِ

وَأَستَريحُ إِلى صَبرٍ بِلا مَدَدِ

I weep tears sustained by my anguish,

I cry with tears that have support from my sorrow

and seek comfort in patience with nothing to sustain it.

And I find rest in patience without support

وَلا أُسَوِّغُ نَفسي فَرحَةً أَبَداً

وَلا أُسَوِّغُ نَفسي فَرحَةً أَبَداً

وَقَد عَرَفتُ الَّذي تَلقاهُ مِن كَمَدِ

وَقَد عَرَفتُ الَّذي تَلقاهُ مِن كَمَدِ

Nor do I ever permit myself joy,

And I do not justify for myself happiness ever

for I know the anguish you endure.

Since I knew what you encountered of toil

وَأَمنَعُ النَومَ عَيني أَن يُلِمَّ بِها

وَأَمنَعُ النَومَ عَيني أَن يُلِمَّ بِها

عِلماً بِأَنَّكَ مَوقوفٌ عَلى السُهُدِ

عِلماً بِأَنَّكَ مَوقوفٌ عَلى السُهُدِ

And I bar sleep from alighting on my eye,

And I prevent sleep from touching my eyes

knowing that you are bound to sleeplessness.

Knowing that you are stationed upon wakefulness

يامُفرَداً باتَ يَبكي لامُعينَ لَهُ

يامُفرَداً باتَ يَبكي لامُعينَ لَهُ

أَعانَكَ اللَهُ بِالتَسليمِ وَالجَلَدِ

أَعانَكَ اللَهُ بِالتَسليمِ وَالجَلَدِ

O solitary one, who spent the night weeping with no one to help him,

Oh lone one who spent the night crying with no comforter

may God aid you with resignation and fortitude.

May God assist you with resignation and composure

هَذا الأَسيرُ المُبَقّى لافِداءَ لَهُ

هَذا الأَسيرُ المُبَقّى لافِداءَ لَهُ

يَفديكَ بِالنَفسِ وَالأَهلينِ وَالوَلَدِ

يَفديكَ بِالنَفسِ وَالأَهلينِ وَالوَلَدِ

This captive, still held with no ransom for him,

This captive who has no ransom

would ransom you with his life, his family, and his offspring.

Would ransom you with his soul, family, and children