تَذكَّرَ بُعداً مِن نُضار فَما صَبر

تَذكَّرَ بُعداً مِن نُضار فَما صَبر

حَليفُ أَسىً رامَ السُلُوَّ فَما قَدَر

حَليفُ أَسىً رامَ السُلُوَّ فَما قَدَر

He remembered separation from Nudar and could not endure;

He recalled separation from Nudar, and could not endure it.

a companion to sorrow, he sought forgetfulness but could not attain it.

Sorrow's companion, he sought solace but could not attain it.

فَأَضرَمَ ناراً في الحَشا قَد تَسعَّرَت

فَأَضرَمَ ناراً في الحَشا قَد تَسعَّرَت

وَأَمطَرَ شُؤبوبُ المَدامعِ كَالمَطَر

وَأَمطَرَ شُؤبوبُ المَدامعِ كَالمَطَر

He kindled a fire within his heart, already blazing,

So he kindled a fire in his breast that blazed fiercely,

and a torrent of tears poured down like rain.

And a torrent of tears poured down like rain.

نضارُ لَقَد أَسقَيتِني كأسَ لَوعَةٍ

نضارُ لَقَد أَسقَيتِني كأسَ لَوعَةٍ

هِيَ الصبرُ المَكروه أَو طَعمُها أَمَر

هِيَ الصبرُ المَكروه أَو طَعمُها أَمَر

Nudar, you made me drink a cup of anguish:

Nudar, you have indeed made me drink a cup of anguish;

it is loathsome patience—or bitterer still in taste.

It is loathsome aloe—or its taste is bitterer still.

نضارُ لَقَد خَلَّفتني ذا مَصائِبٍ

نضارُ لَقَد خَلَّفتني ذا مَصائِبٍ

إِذا شَرَعَت تَنأى تَداعَت لَها أُخَر

إِذا شَرَعَت تَنأى تَداعَت لَها أُخَر

Nudar, you have left me beset by calamities;

Nudar, you have indeed left me beset with calamities:

whenever they begin to recede, others rally to join them.

When they begin to recede, others gather in their wake.

نضارُ اِعلَمِي أَنّي بِقَلبي وَقالِبي

نضارُ اِعلَمِي أَنّي بِقَلبي وَقالِبي

لَدَيكِ مُقيماً لا يَقُرُّ لِيَ السَفَر

لَدَيكِ مُقيماً لا يَقُرُّ لِيَ السَفَر

Nudar, know that in heart and body

Nudar, know that I, in heart and body,

I remain with you; travel brings me no repose.

Remain beside you; I find no rest in travel.

وَأَتلُو كِتابَ اللَهِ سِرّاً وَجَهرَةً

وَأَتلُو كِتابَ اللَهِ سِرّاً وَجَهرَةً

عَلَيكِ وَأَدعُو بِالأَصائِلِ وَالبُكَر

عَلَيكِ وَأَدعُو بِالأَصائِلِ وَالبُكَر

I recite the Book of God, silently and aloud,

And I recite God's Book, in secret and aloud,

over you, and pray at evening and at dawn.

Over you, and pray in the late afternoons and early mornings.

وَأَبكيكِ ما إِن دامَ بِالجِسمِ روحُهُ

وَأَبكيكِ ما إِن دامَ بِالجِسمِ روحُهُ

وَما لاحِقِي يَوماً مَلالٌ وَلا ضَجَر

وَما لاحِقِي يَوماً مَلالٌ وَلا ضَجَر

I shall weep for you as long as a spirit remains in this body,

And I shall mourn you as long as the body retains its spirit,

and neither weariness nor vexation shall ever overtake me.

And neither weariness nor impatience will ever overtake me.

وَلَستُ كَمَن بَكّى حَبيبَيهِ حِقبَةً

وَلَستُ كَمَن بَكّى حَبيبَيهِ حِقبَةً

فَقالَ وَقَد مَلَّ البُكا مِنهُ وَالسَهَر

فَقالَ وَقَد مَلَّ البُكا مِنهُ وَالسَهَر

I am not like one who mourned his two beloveds for an age,

And I am not like one who made his two beloveds weep for a time,

then said, when weeping and sleeplessness had wearied him:

Then said, when weeping and sleeplessness had grown weary of him:

إِلى الحَولِ ثُمَ اسمُ السَلامِ عَلَيكُما

إِلى الحَولِ ثُمَ اسمُ السَلامِ عَلَيكُما

وَمَن يَبكِ حَولاً كامِلاً فَقَد اِعتَذَر

وَمَن يَبكِ حَولاً كامِلاً فَقَد اِعتَذَر

“For one year—then peace be upon you both;

“For a year; then peace be upon you both;

whoever weeps a full year has surely offered due excuse.”

And whoever weeps a full year has excused himself.”

وَلَكِنَّني أَبكيكِ إِذ نَلتَقي مَعاً

وَلَكِنَّني أَبكيكِ إِذ نَلتَقي مَعاً

فَتُبصِر عَيني وَجهَكِ الزاهرَ القَمَر

فَتُبصِر عَيني وَجهَكِ الزاهرَ القَمَر

But I shall weep for you when we meet together,

But I weep for you when we meet together,

and my eye beholds your radiant, moonlike face,

And my eye beholds your radiant face—the moon,

وَأَحظى بِحُسنٍ مِن حَديثكِ إِنَّما

وَأَحظى بِحُسنٍ مِن حَديثكِ إِنَّما

حَديثُكِ أُنسُ القَلبِ وَالسَمعِ وَالبَصَر

حَديثُكِ أُنسُ القَلبِ وَالسَمعِ وَالبَصَر

and I delight in the beauty of your conversation—for truly

And I delight in the beauty of your speech; indeed,

your conversation is the heart’s solace, and the hearing’s and the sight’s.

Your speech is solace to heart, hearing, and sight.

وَما كَنُضارٍ في البَناتِ وَما لَها

وَما كَنُضارٍ في البَناتِ وَما لَها

شَبيهٌ يُرى لا في البَداوَةِ وَالحَضَر

شَبيهٌ يُرى لا في البَداوَةِ وَالحَضَر

Among all girls there is none like Nudar, nor has she

Among daughters none is like Nudar, and she has

any peer to be seen among nomads or townsfolk.

No equal to be seen among nomads or townsfolk.

رَزينَةُ عَقلٍ لَو يُقاسُ بِمثلِها

رَزينَةُ عَقلٍ لَو يُقاسُ بِمثلِها

حِجىً كانَت الياقوت قَد قِيس بِالحَجَر

حِجىً كانَت الياقوت قَد قِيس بِالحَجَر

A woman of sober judgment—were any intellect compared with hers,

Sound of mind—if another intellect were compared with hers,

it would be as though ruby had been measured against stone.

She would be the ruby measured against a stone.

وَتَلاءةٌ آيَ القُرآنِ يَزينُها

وَتَلاءةٌ آيَ القُرآنِ يَزينُها

فَإِعرابُهُ زَين القِراءةِ بِالدُّرَر

فَإِعرابُهُ زَين القِراءةِ بِالدُّرَر

An accomplished reciter of the Qur’an’s verses, adorned by its proper inflection;

And a devoted reciter of the Quran's verses, which adorn her;

for its inflection is the ornament of recitation, set with pearls.

For its proper inflection adorns the recitation with pearls.

وَرِاويةٌ عَن سَيِّدِ الرُسلِ ما رَوَت

وَرِاويةٌ عَن سَيِّدِ الرُسلِ ما رَوَت

ثِقاتٌ بِما قَد صح مِن مُسنَدِ الخَبَر

ثِقاتٌ بِما قَد صح مِن مُسنَدِ الخَبَر

A transmitter, from the Master of the Messengers, of what

And she transmits from the master of the messengers traditions related

trustworthy authorities narrated from sound, fully chained tradition.

By trustworthy narrators: authenticated reports with chains of transmission.

وَكاتِبَةٌ خَطّاً يَزينُ يَراعَها

وَكاتِبَةٌ خَطّاً يَزينُ يَراعَها

بَراعَتُهُ فيهِ اِبتِهاجٌ لِمَن نَظَر

بَراعَتُهُ فيهِ اِبتِهاجٌ لِمَن نَظَر

And a writer of a hand whose artistry adorns her pen;

And she writes a script: her reed pen is adorned

its excellence delights whoever looks upon it.

By its excellence; it brings joy to whoever looks.

وَلَيسَت مِن اللآئي شُغلنَ بِزينَةٍ

وَلَيسَت مِن اللآئي شُغلنَ بِزينَةٍ

فَتكحَلَ مِنها العَينُ أَو تَلبَسَ الحَبَر

فَتكحَلَ مِنها العَينُ أَو تَلبَسَ الحَبَر

She was not among those women preoccupied with adornment,

And she is not one of those engrossed in adornment,

to line the eye with it or clothe themselves in brocade.

To line her eye with kohl or to wear striped robes.

وَلَكن لَها شُغلٌ بِأَجرٍ تُعِدُّهُ

وَلَكن لَها شُغلٌ بِأَجرٍ تُعِدُّهُ

لِيَوم معادٍ حينَ ينفَخُ في الصُوَر

لِيَوم معادٍ حينَ ينفَخُ في الصُوَر

Rather, her occupation was with a reward she laid up

But her concern is a reward she stores up

for the Day of Return, when the Trumpet shall be blown:

For the Day of Return, when the Trumpet is blown:

إِغاثةُ مَلهوفٍ وَإِطعامُ جائِعٍ

إِغاثةُ مَلهوفٍ وَإِطعامُ جائِعٍ

وَكُسوَةُ عارٍ وَانتِفاعٌ بِلا ضَرَر

وَكُسوَةُ عارٍ وَانتِفاعٌ بِلا ضَرَر

relieving one in distress and feeding one who hungers,

Relieving the distressed and feeding the hungry,

clothing one who is bare, and benefiting without harm.

And clothing the naked, and benefiting without harm.

أَلا رَحِمَ الرَحمَنُ نَفساً زَكِيَّةً

أَلا رَحِمَ الرَحمَنُ نَفساً زَكِيَّةً

لَدى العالمِ العُلويِّ كانَ لَها مَقَر

لَدى العالمِ العُلويِّ كانَ لَها مَقَر

Ah, may the All-Merciful have mercy upon a pure soul

Ah, may the All-Merciful have mercy on a pure soul,

whose dwelling was appointed in the world above.

Whose abode was in the world above.