ما لِقَلبي مُقَسَّم الأَفكارِ

ما لِقَلبي مُقَسَّم الأَفكارِ

وَكَأن قَد حُشِيَ بِجَمرَةِ نارِ

وَكَأن قَد حُشِيَ بِجَمرَةِ نارِ

What ails my heart, its thoughts divided,

What ails my heart, its thoughts divided,

as though it had been packed with a burning ember?

As though it had been filled with an ember of fire?

قَد دَهَتني مِن الزَمانِ خُطوبٌ

قَد دَهَتني مِن الزَمانِ خُطوبٌ

ضاقَ عَن حَملِها جَميلُ اِصطِباري

ضاقَ عَن حَملِها جَميلُ اِصطِباري

Calamities of time have struck me

Time's calamities have struck me,

that my noble patience could not bear.

And my noble patience could not bear them.

دَمعُ عَيني لِفَقدِ حَيّانَ وَحَيّا

دَمعُ عَيني لِفَقدِ حَيّانَ وَحَيّا

نَ وَحيّانَ وَالنُضارَينِ جارِ

نَ وَحيّانَ وَالنُضارَينِ جارِ

My eye’s tears for the loss of Hayyan and Hayyā—

My eye's tears, for the loss of Hayyan and Hayyan

—n, another Hayyan, and the two Naḍrs still flow.

And Hayyan and the two Nudars, flow.

أَتُراها مِن الغَمامِ اِستمِدَّت

أَتُراها مِن الغَمامِ اِستمِدَّت

أَو أُمِدَّت مِن زاخِراتِ البِحارِ

أَو أُمِدَّت مِن زاخِراتِ البِحارِ

Did they draw their waters from the clouds,

Do you suppose it drew its supply from the clouds,

or were they fed by the brimming seas?

Or was it replenished from the swelling seas?

خَمسَةٌ تُشرِقُ المَنازِلُ مِنهُم

خَمسَةٌ تُشرِقُ المَنازِلُ مِنهُم

أُدرِجوا تَحتَ ظُلمةِ الأَحجارِ

أُدرِجوا تَحتَ ظُلمةِ الأَحجارِ

Five through whom their homes once shone

Five, through whom the dwellings shine,

have been laid beneath the darkness of stones.

Have been laid beneath the darkness of stones.

شَغِفَت بِالقُرآنِ وَالنَحوِ وَالخَطِّ

شَغِفَت بِالقُرآنِ وَالنَحوِ وَالخَطِّ

وَفاقَت بِهِ جَميع العذارِ

وَفاقَت بِهِ جَميع العذارِ

She was devoted to the Qur’an, grammar, and calligraphy,

She was enamored of the Quran, grammar, and calligraphy,

and in calligraphy surpassed all maidens.

And through it surpassed all the maidens.

وَاعتَنَت بِالحَديثِ سَمعاً وَكَتباً

وَاعتَنَت بِالحَديثِ سَمعاً وَكَتباً

فَرَوَت جُملةً مِن الآثارِ

فَرَوَت جُملةً مِن الآثارِ

She cultivated Hadith through listening and transcription,

And she pursued hadith through listening and writing,

and transmitted a body of traditions:

So she transmitted a collection of traditions:

مُسند الدارِمي وَمُسنَدَ عَبدٍ

مُسند الدارِمي وَمُسنَدَ عَبدٍ

وَالصَحيحينِ مُسلِماً وَالبُخاري

وَالصَحيحينِ مُسلِماً وَالبُخاري

the Musnad of al-Dārimī and the Musnad of ʿAbd,

Al-Darimi's Musnad and the Musnad of 'Abd,

and the two Ṣaḥīḥs—Muslim and al-Bukhārī—

And the two Sahihs—Muslim's and al-Bukhari's,

وَالنِسائي وَمُعجمَ الطَبَراني

وَالنِسائي وَمُعجمَ الطَبَراني

ثَم نصفا مِلمُعجمِ الكُبّارِ

ثَم نصفا مِلمُعجمِ الكُبّارِ

and al-Nasāʾī and al-Ṭabarānī’s Compendium,

And al-Nasa'i, and al-Tabarani's Mu'jam,

then half of the Compendium of the great masters.

Then half of the great Mu'jam.

وَلها رِحلَةٌ لِمَكَّةَ فيها

وَلها رِحلَةٌ لِمَكَّةَ فيها

سَمِعَت مِن شُيوخِنا الأَبرارِ

سَمِعَت مِن شُيوخِنا الأَبرارِ

She also journeyed to Mecca, where

And she made a journey to Mecca, during which

she heard from our righteous shaykhs.

She heard traditions from our righteous teachers.

خَرَّجَت أَربَعينَ عَن أَربَعينَ اك

خَرَّجَت أَربَعينَ عَن أَربَعينَ اك

تَتَبَتها عَن سادَةٍ أَحبارِ

تَتَبَتها عَن سادَةٍ أَحبارِ

She compiled forty reports from forty teachers,

She compiled forty traditions from forty teachers,

having written them down from eminent learned masters.

Transcribing them from learned masters.

وَهيَ في سُقمِ مَوتِها أَسمَعَتنا

وَهيَ في سُقمِ مَوتِها أَسمَعَتنا

وَأَجازَت جَمعاً مِن الخضّارِ

وَأَجازَت جَمعاً مِن الخضّارِ

Even in her fatal illness, she recited them for us to hear

And in her final illness she read aloud to us,

and granted authorization to a company of those present.

And granted authorization to a group of those present.

ثُمَ راحَت لَمّا قَضى اللَهُ فيها

ثُمَ راحَت لَمّا قَضى اللَهُ فيها

بِثَناءٍ وَطَيِّب التَذكارِ

بِثَناءٍ وَطَيِّب التَذكارِ

Then she departed when God decreed her end,

Then she departed when God decreed her fate,

amid praise and fragrant remembrance.

With praise and sweet remembrance.

وَدَهاني مِن بَعدِ ذَلِكَ فَقدِي

وَدَهاني مِن بَعدِ ذَلِكَ فَقدِي

أُمَّ حَيّانَ خِيرَةَ الأَخيارِ

أُمَّ حَيّانَ خِيرَةَ الأَخيارِ

After that I was stricken by my loss of

And after that I was stricken by my loss of

Umm Hayyan, the choicest of the good.

Umm Hayyan, the finest of the righteous.

كانَت أُنسِي في وَحدَتي وَاغتِرابي

كانَت أُنسِي في وَحدَتي وَاغتِرابي

وَمَنامي وَيَقظَتي وَسِفاري

وَمَنامي وَيَقظَتي وَسِفاري

She was my solace in loneliness and exile,

She was my solace in my solitude and life abroad,

in sleep and waking, and on my journeys;

And in my sleep, my waking, and my travels;

وَنَديمي في رِحلَتي وَمُقامي

وَنَديمي في رِحلَتي وَمُقامي

وَزَميلي في حُجَّتي وَاعتِماري

وَزَميلي في حُجَّتي وَاعتِماري

my intimate companion in travel and at home,

And my intimate companion in travel and residence,

and my fellow pilgrim in Hajj and ʿumrah.

And my companion on my Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

كُنتُ أَرجو بِأَن تَعيشَ وَتَبقى

كُنتُ أَرجو بِأَن تَعيشَ وَتَبقى

حينَ سُقمي تَدورُ بِي وَتُداري

حينَ سُقمي تَدورُ بِي وَتُداري

I had hoped that she would live and remain,

I had hoped that she would live and remain,

attending me gently whenever I fell ill.

Tending and soothing me during my illness.

لَم تَكُن زَوجَةً وَلَكن كَأُمٍ

لَم تَكُن زَوجَةً وَلَكن كَأُمٍ

وَأَنا كَابنِها صَغيرُ الصِغارِ

وَأَنا كَابنِها صَغيرُ الصِغارِ

She was not merely a wife, but like a mother,

She was not a wife, but like a mother,

while I was like her son, the littlest of little ones.

And I was like her son, the smallest of small children.

كانَت الروحَ بَينَ جَنبيَّ راحَت

كانَت الروحَ بَينَ جَنبيَّ راحَت

فَحَياتي صارَت كَثَوب مُعارِ

فَحَياتي صارَت كَثَوب مُعارِ

She was the soul within my breast; now she is gone,

She was the soul between my two sides; she departed,

and my life has become like a borrowed robe.

So my life became like a borrowed garment.

دَعَت اللَهَ أَن تَموتَ سَريعاً

دَعَت اللَهَ أَن تَموتَ سَريعاً

في حَياتي في عِزَّةٍ وَاستِتارِ

في حَياتي في عِزَّةٍ وَاستِتارِ

She prayed to God that she might die swiftly,

She prayed to God that she might die soon,

during my lifetime, in dignity and seclusion.

During my lifetime, in dignity and seclusion.

فَأَجابَ الإِلهُ مِنها دُعاءً

فَأَجابَ الإِلهُ مِنها دُعاءً

وقَضَت نَحبَها لِدارِ القَرارِ

وقَضَت نَحبَها لِدارِ القَرارِ

So God answered her prayer,

So God answered her prayer,

and she met her death, bound for the eternal abode.

And she met her end, bound for the abode of permanence.

فَسَقى اللَهُ قَبرَها غَيرَ عاثٍ

فَسَقى اللَهُ قَبرَها غَيرَ عاثٍ

وَحَباها بِدِيمَةٍ مِدرارِ

وَحَباها بِدِيمَةٍ مِدرارِ

May God water her grave with rain that never ravages

So may God water her grave without laying it waste,

and bestow upon her a steady, copious downpour.

And bless her with a steady, abundant rain.